KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Winona State University men's basketball team opened their 2022-23 campaign with a victory at the Central Region Challenge over Pittsburg State University, 60-50.
In what was a defensive battle,
Connor Dillon provided a spark for the Warrior offense, scoring 21 points on 8-of-22 shooting to stuff the WSU scorebook that was filled by nine different scorers.
Winona State held the Pittsburg State Gorillas to just 25% shooting in the first half and 19 points. The Warriors went into the break up 28-19 after jumping out to a 13-3 lead and holding as much as a 14-point advantage in the opening frame.
The Gorillas were able to cut the WSU lead down to seven points several times in the second half, but the Warriors had an answer every time.
Winona State shot 40% from the floor in the second half and knocked down four of 11 three-point attempts to continuously deliver blows to Pittsburg State's comeback efforts. WSU was able to hold onto their lead and win the nightcap of the Central Region Challenge over the host institution, 60-50.
Connor Dillon led all Warriors with 34 minutes played while his twin brother,
Declan Dillon, added 31 minutes and a game-high five assists. Six different WSU players scored at least five points.
Carson Arenz was the most efficient scorer, knocking down both of his field goal attempts and adding two free throws to score seven points.
Luke Martens garnered a team-high eight rebounds to go along with his six points, while
Drew Adams corralled seven boards to help limit the Gorillas to just six second-chance points.
As a team, Winona State forced Pittsburg State into 12 turnovers while committing just eight themselves. The Warriors outgained the Gorillas 20-6 on points in the paint and the deep WSU bench added 19 points to the PSU bench's nine.
Winona State (1-0) will take on Missouri Southern State (0-1) tomorrow, November 12, at 5pm at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. MSSU was defeated by Minnesota State 87-73 today in their first contest of the season.
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.
