WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University men's basketball team brought a 2-0 record into their Tuesday, Nov. 16 showdown with the University of Missouri St. Louis and pair of new faces had a major role in WSU's 74-67 win over UMSL on the evening.
Key Details: Winona State 74, UMSL 67
Attendance: 642
Brock Voigt registered a pair of blocked shots in the final five minutes of the game and
Gavyn Hurley contributed some key minutes down the stretch to supplement a 25-point night by
Connor Dillon. Winona State was 22-of-28 from the foul line in the Warrior win over UMSL, a team that advanced to the 2022 NCAA Division II Elite Eight last season.
How it Happened
Winona State saw Missouri St. Louis jump out to a 6-2 early on as the Triton's Emanuel Prospere II and Janeir Harris combined to ignite a quick start for the visitors.
WSU's
Carter Lomas helped the home team match the early energy in the gym, hitting a 3-pointer five minutes in, followed by a pair of
Connor Dillon free throws to stake the Warriors their first lead of the night at 7-6.
The two teams would trade the lead throughout the next ten minutes, but WSU would begin to open a small scoring gap thanks in part to a pair of Voigt free throws and a 3-pointer from
Devon Fielding with eight minutes left in the opening stanza.
Drew Adams would connect on a key play as the half wound down, draining a three-pointer with just 11 seconds left in the opening 20 minutes. Adam's effort sent the Warriors into the locker room with a 35-27 lead and some McCown momentum for the second half.
Halftime: Winona State 35, UMSL 27
The Tritons started the second half much like they did the first, scoring five quick points in the opening minute of play. However, Winona State would answer back through
Connor Dillon, going 4-for-4 on back-to-back trips to the foul line.
The Winona State 39-35 lead three minutes into the second half expanded when
Carter Lomas hit his second 3-pointer of the contest, giving head coach
Todd Eisner's side a seven-point spread at 42-35.
Connor Dillon added to the Warrior advantage with another triple at the 14:52 mark of the second half, giving Winona State it's first double-digit lead of the night at 47-37.
As the contest moved into the final ten minutes,
Gavyn Hurley hit some key shots and was active on boards; the freshman from Middleton, Wis., hit a jumper with just over nine minutes left and added a pair of made free throws with the game under two minutes to maintain a lead for Winona State. Defensively,
Connor Drew added a block and Hurley hauled in an important defensive rebound following a UMSL 3-point attempt that would have tied the game.
Forced to foul, Missouri St. Louis sent a succession of Warriors to the line, where
Connor Dillon and Devon Field each added three points in the last moments of the contest to seal the 74-67 victory.
Beyond the Boxscore:
Winona State's 3-0 start keeps the team on pace to match last season's opening streak. WSU went 4-0 to start the 2022-23 campaign.
WSU's first three games this season - Southern Arkansas, Arkansas Monticello and UMSL - all represented new opponents on the Warrior's all-time schedule.
The Warriors now move quickly into NSIC play, hosting Concordia University, St. Paul on Tuesday, Nov. 21.
WSU Stat Standouts
Connor Dillon had 25 points on 7-of-21 from the field. Dillon was 9-12 from the foul line and had six rebounds.
Brock Voigt added 10 points in his home Warrior debut, including a perfect 4-for-4 night at the charity stripe.
Devon Fielding scored nine points, including a 6-for-8 effort on free throws.
Gavyn Hurley had six points, two assists and four rebounds in 17 minutes of action.
Warriors - Tritons Team Stat Notables
The two teams tied in total rebounds, 32-32, but WSU held a 7-1 advantage in steals on the night. WSU had nine offensive boards, compared to just five for the visitors.
UMSL had four players reach double-digits, with Terrell Kabala going 5-of-8 overall from the field, including a 5-of-7 mark behind the arc.
WSU and UMSL traded the lead seven times in the game.
The Warriors' bench accounted for 29 points, outpacing the UMSL reserves who scored 18.
Next Up:
Winona State (3-0, 0-0 NSIC) is set to open league play on Tuesday, Nov. 21, hosting Concordia St. Paul. The Warriors and Golden Bears are set to tip off at 5:30 p.m. in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.
