WINONA, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls scored the first seven buckets of the game against Winona State on Friday, Feb. 11 to take a 17-0 lead after almost five minutes of play.  In one of the most memorable comebacks ever in McCown Gymnasium, Devin Whitelow scored the final basket of the contest as time expired in the second half for the Warrior win, 76-75.

Down 20-2 early in the first half and facing a 21-point deficit at one stage in the contest, Winona State put the most into what felt like a must-win game, storming back in the second half to claim a crucial NSIC victory.  

After a quiet first half, Alec Rosner rose to the occasion in the second stanza, scoring 25 total points including a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line, a key performance in what would be a one-point game. Like Rosner, Connor Dillon found himself in the zone as well, but did most of his damage in the first 20 minutes. Dillon came of the bench to score a season-high 19 points - 13 in the first half - which included a perfect 4-for-4 day from behind the arc. Dillon was 7-of-10 overall with a block and a steal in the game.

Whitelow finished with 16 points and four assists, but it was the pass he didn't make that might make history for Winona State. The senior from Peoria, Ill. drove the key with four seconds left in the game and as two Warrior teammates flared to the outside for jumpers, Whitelow instead took it to the glass for the game-winner as time expired. Combined with a Wayne State loss earlier in the evening, the Warriors move into third place in the NSIC south and sit in the driver's seat on the road to the postseason with three games to go. 

WSU shot 27-of-65 (41.5%) from the floor and were 9-of-23 (39.1%) from behind the arc. In a game where every play mattered, the Warriors were 13-of-15 from the free throw line, their second-best team performance at the charity stripe this season. The Winona State bench factored heavily in the contest, outscoring the Cougar reserves, 22-14. WSU also capitalized on 12 USF turnovers to the tune of 15 points.

Sioux Falls was led by Matt Cartwright with 22 points, while Jack Thompson added 16. Austin Slater had 10 rebounds for the visitors.  After a scorching first half, USF cooled slightly and finished 28-of-62 (45.2%) overall. With the loss, Sioux Falls slides to 11-11 overall and 7-9 in the NSIC.

Winona State moves to 14-8 overall and 10-7 in NSIC play. The Warriors will look to sweep the weekend when they host Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 5:30 pm in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.