BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Winona State men's basketball team used a quick start and a strong finish to come away with a warm road victory over Bemidji State, 79-74.
The Warriors were able to jump out to a 10-point lead 10 minutes into the first half, behind strong play from
Luke Martens who extended several WSU possessions by grabbing four of his six offensive rebounds early in the game.
Bemidji State bounced right back with several three-pointers and found themselves ahead 35-28 with just under four minutes to play in the first half. Winona State then went on a 10-3 run, including five straight WSU points from
Connor Dillon, to tie the score at 38 apiece heading into the break.
The second half was neck-and-neck, with both teams staying within single digits of each other. Late in the game,
Alec Rosner drove the into lane and found the bottom of the net to put the Warriors up by five points with just over a minute to go. Winona State was able to knock in free throws down the stretch to come away with a 79-74 victory.
Winona State shot 45.9% from the floor and 88.9% from the charity stripe, including sinking seven of eight free throws in the final minute to close out the game. The Warriors held a slight 35-31 rebounding edge, and outscored the Beavers by 11 points off the bench.
Martens had another productive all-around game, leading WSU with 21 points and 12 boards, to earn his fourth double-double of the season, and his third straight.
Connor Dillon's return to the court for the first time since Nov. 17th did not go unnoticed, as he was crucial to the Warrior offense, scoring 13 points in 14 minutes of action.
Rosner scored 11 points and corralled four rebounds in his team-leading 37 minutes of action.
Carson Arenz (9),
Connor Drew (8),
Owen King (7), and
Devin Whitelow (7) all contributed to a balanced scoring effort for the Warriors.
For the Beavers, Travis Bianco led the way with 23 points. Mohamed Kone (15) and Derek Thompson (5) also contributed with double-digit efforts for Bemidji State. As a team, BSU shot 48.2% from the field and 45.5% from beyond three-point land.
Winona State (8-4, 4-3 NSIC) will now travel to take on Minnesota Crookston (4-11, 1-8 NSIC) Saturday, Jan. 8th at 3:30pm to conclude their weekend road trip.
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.
