WAYNE, Neb. - The Winona State University men's basketball team continues their NSIC road trip on Saturday, Feb. 5, as they head to Wayne, Neb. to take on Wayne State College. The game versus the Wildcats is the second of two NSIC contests set for the weekend, as the Warriors fell to #11 Augustana on Friday, 64 - 60.
The Warriors (13-7, 9-6 NSIC) had won their last three games prior to AU, while the Wildcats (11-9, 8-6 NSIC) lost to nationally-ranked Upper Iowa Friday night, 79-63.
Alec Rosner's remarkable run leading to NSIC Player of the Week honors recently included an appearance on the NSIC Spotlight on Wednesday, Feb. 2 with NSIC Assistant Commissioner, Nick Kornder. Check out his interview
at this link.
Read on for more regarding Saturday's showdown set for 5:30pm in Rice Auditorium on the campus of Wayne State College.
Who: Winona State University vs Wayne State College
What: The Warriors (13-7, 9-6 NSIC) will face the Wildcats (11-9, 8-6 NSIC)
When: Saturday, February 5 with a 5:30 pm CST start.
Where: Rice Auditorium on the campus of Wayne State College
Winona State - Wayne State MBB Notables:
Heading into the Warrior weekend:
Three in a row... The Warriors come into the weekend as winners of their last three games, including a weekend sweep at home over UMary and Minot State last week. WSU has scored 80 or more points in each of those games and has won by an average of 11 points each game.
Defensive dynasties... Augustana (63.8 ppg), Wayne State (68.3 ppg), and Winona State (69.4) have the three best defenses in the NSIC. The three teams are the only squads in the league to hold their opponents to less than 70 points/game on average.
Streak busters... The Warriors have lost six consecutive games to Wayne State. Last year, WSU hosted WSC on back-to-back days and fell both times by single digits. The last time Winona State beat the Wildcats was on Feb. 17, 2019 in an 89-71 win at home.
Offensive opportunities... Winona State has found a rhythm offensively, scoring 80 or more points in four of their last five games. During these games, the Warriors have shot 44.4% (48-108) from deep and 53.8% from the field. Rosner has led WSU, averaging 29 points per game in the four contests.
NSIC South Player of the Week... Alec Rosner earned NSIC South Player of the Week honors this past week after averaging 28.5 points per game on 18-32 (56.3%) shooting and 7-12 (58.3%) from deep to lead the Warriors in two wins over NSIC North opponents.
Milestone Marker Ahead... Devin Whitelow currently sits at 970 career points, just 30 shy of the 1,000 point club.
What's up with Winona State:
Winona State holds a 13-7 overall record and a 9-6 conference record.
WSU fell to nationally-ranked Augustana University on Friday, 64-60.
Last weekend, WSU picked up two wins at home over UMary and Minot State. Alec Rosner paced the Warriors with a 36-point effort against UMary and followed it up with 21 points versus Minot State. Rosner earned NSIC South Player of the Week for his efforts.
The Warriors are just one of three teams in the NSIC to hold their opponents to under 70 points/game, as WSU allows just 69.4 points per game. On offense, the Warriors have scored 74.3 points/game for a 4.9 scoring margin.
Winona State averages the second-most 3-pointers made each game in the NSIC, knocking down 9.2 shots from deep on average.
Rosner is sixth in the NSIC in scoring, averaging 18.5 points/game to lead the Warriors. Rosner also holds the second and fourth highest single-game scoring outputs in the NSIC, as he scored 36 points against UMary and 34 points against St. Cloud State.
Devin Whitelow averages 10.7 points/game and is top-10 within the NSIC for assists (4.2/game), assist/turnover ratio (2.2), and steals (1.5/game).
Luke Martens scores 10.4 points per game and leads WSU with 7.7 rebounds/game, good for fifth in the conference.
What about the Wildcats:
The Wildcats are 11-8 overall and 8-5 in the NSIC. They currently sit in fourth in the NSIC South and fifth overall.
Last weekend, WSC fell at Minnesota Crookston (59-75) but rebounded with a win at Bemidji State (77-71).
Wayne State has the second-best defense in the NSIC, allowing opponents to just 68.3 points/game. Their 71.6 points/game on offense gives them a 3.3 scoring margin heading into the weekend.
The Wildcats have the best turnover margin (2.84) in the conference, where they force opponents to an average of 13.6 turnovers/game while turning the ball over 10.7 times each game themselves.
Justin Eagins is leading WSC with 16.3 points/game and 1.5 steals/game in a team-high 30.1 minutes per game.
Jordan Janssen, the NSIC South Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging 16.1 points/game and leads Wayne State with 7.7 rebounds each game.
Ben Dentlinger has been a force in the lane on defense, as he averages an NSIC second-best 1.7 blocks per game.
Wayne State hosts Upper Iowa Friday night, before hosting the Warriors on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 5:30pm.
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.
