WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State men's basketball team earned a hard-fought victory over Minot State, winning by a score of 80-67 and extending their winning streak to three games.
 
The Warriors got things going with a Luke Martens layup in the first minute and led from there on, not trailing the Beavers at any point throughout the game's entirety. Minot State kept things close early on as the game was tied at 11-11, but WSU went on a run and quickly outscored MSU by nine points to build a lead halfway through the first.
 
Alec Rosner hit a deep two-pointer in front of the Minot State bench to close out the half with a 46-32 lead. Eight different Warriors contributed to the scoring column in the half, where Martens led the way with 10 points on 4-6 shooting to go along with his five rebounds.
 
WSU shot 52.9% (18-34) from the field and sank six 3-pointers in the half, while holding Minot State to just three makes from deep. The Warriors passed for 10 assists and turned the ball over just once and forced six MSU turnovers to earn the 14-point first-half lead.
 
Minot State pulled within 12 points six minutes into the second half, but a Drew Adams tip-in off an offensive rebound paired with a Devin Whitelow 3-pointer helped kill MSU's momentum. Several minutes later, Carson Arenz extended a WSU possession with two consecutive offensive rebounds and found Adams cutting along the baseline for a two-handed slam. The flush put Winona State up 71-51 and gave the Warriors complete control of the game.
 
Winona State was able to fend off a comeback attempt by Minot State, as the Beavers pulled in within 10 points in the final two minutes. Free throws down the stretch sealed the game for WSU, as they closed out an 80-67 victory.
 
As a team, the Warriors shot 47.6% from the field, 29.0% from deep, and went 11 of 14 on free throws. WSU forced 12 Minot State turnovers, while committing just eight turnovers and passing for 17 assists.
 
The Beavers shot 52.7% from the field and were held to only 18.8% from downtown. Kody Dwyer and Melvin Newborn each scored 19 points to lead Minot State.
 
Individually for Winona State, Rosner led the way with 21 points. Whitelow (13 points), Martens (10 points), and Adams (10 points) all scored in double figures for WSU. All nine Warriors who saw action scored at least one bucket during the game. Martens led the way with eight rebounds and Owen King dished out seven assists with zero turnovers in the win.
 
The Warriors (13-6, 9-5 NSIC) are now winners of three-straight games and sit at third in the NSIC South and fourth overall in the conference. Winona State will hit the road next weekend to play at Augustana on Friday, Feb. 4 and then at Wayne State on Saturday, Feb. 5.
 
For the most up-to-date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.
About Winona State University Athletics: 

The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.  

Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.