CROOKSTON, Minn. – The Winona State men's basketball team completed a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) road weekend sweep after a 70-65 victory over Minnesota Crookston on Saturday, January 8th.

The Warriors came out firing in the first half, shooting 50% from the field and knocking down 10 of 21 three-pointers to jump out to a 44-30 halftime lead.

Minnesota Crookston crawled their way back into the game, getting within six points at the under-10 media timeout. WSU then scored on three straight possessions after the timeout to create another comfortable lead. UMC battled back once again, closing the game down to a single possession with less than a minute to go.

The Warriors were able to seal the victory with free throws for the second-straight game, winning by a final score of 70-65.

Winona State shot 42.6% from the floor and 34.5% from three, compared to Minnesota Crookston's 45.1% shooting from the field and 28.6% from deep. WSU's defense was a key difference in the game, forcing 15 turnovers and capitalizing for 18 points off turnovers.

Alec Rosner led the Warriors with a career-high 29 points, while Owen King contributed across the board with 15 points, four assists, two steals, and two rebounds. Connor Drew rounded out the Warriors in double-figures with 11 points on 4-7 shooting.

For UMC, Leonard Dixon scored 16 points and grabbed eight boards to lead the Golden Eagles. Nathaniel Powell (12) and Zach Westphal (10) were the other leading scorers for Minnesota Crookston.

Winona State (9-4, 5-3) has now won three straight games and will be back in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court on Jan. 14th-15th as they host Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State.

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.