WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University men's basketball team - ranked No. 24 in the current NABC Coaches' Poll - will face off with a pair of nationally-ranked opponents in their final NSIC action of 2023 later this week.  Winona State (7-1, 4-1 NSIC) will face No. 3 Minnesota State (8-2, 3-1 NSIC) at home on Thursday, Dec. 14 before hitting the road for an away contest at the No. 21 University of Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, Dec. 16.

WSU and MSU are scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court, on Thursday; the Warriors and Bulldogs will tip off at 2 p.m. in Romano Gymnasium on Saturday. 

Fans attending the Winona State men's and women's doubleheader on Thursday are encouraged to take part in the Holiday Hoops Donation Drive.

Beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday in designated collection stations in McCown Gymnasium, the public can donate items to benefit the Winona Community Warming Center.  Items needed include hand warmers, winter boots, paper towels, toilet paper, dish soap, cleaning supplies, sports bras, phone chargers, and basic toiletry items. In addition, the Winona Community Warming Center is actively recruiting volunteers. More information about volunteering can be found at this link.  WSU Athletics encourages Warrior Nation to take part in the Holiday Hoops Donation Drive to benefit those in need in our community.  

GAME & FAN INFORMATION

• Live stats & stream for the game are available at the links above and on the WSU Men's Basketball schedule page.  
• Thursday's home contest will take place in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court. 
• Saturday's game will be in Romano Gymnasium, on the campus of Minnesota Duluth. 

WINONA STATE STORYLINES 

• WSU is 7-1 on the year, 4-1 in NSIC play. 
• The Warriors were ranked No. 24 in the most recent NABC Coaches' Poll. 
• WSU is also ranked No. 7 in the region in the current D2CSC Central Region Poll.
• Connor Dillon was tabbed the WSU Player-to-Watch in the 2023-24 NSIC Coaches' Poll 
• Dillon set, and then re-set, his career-high mark with 33 points vs. USF on Dec. 2, and then scored 40 vs. Wayne State on Dec. 8.
• Connor Dillon heads into the NSIC weekend with 950 career points. 
• Connor Drew produced is shooting 84.6% from the free throw line and 45.2% from behind the arc.
• Carson Arenz has hit 13-of-14 from the charity stripe this year and knocked down 9-of-15 from 3-point territory. 
• Point guard Declan Dillon leads WSU in rebounding, averaging 4.9 boards per game. 
• Combined, the Dillon brothers have 45 assists on the year; as a team, WSU has 96 total. 
• Winona State was the NCAA Division II National Champion in 2006 and 2008; WSU was runner-up in 2007.  
• The Warriors added two assistant coaches for the 2023-24 campaign; Devin Whitelow and Cole Rabedeaux are both in their 1st year on the Warrior sideline. 
• Whitelow was the 2020-21 NSIC Don Olson Award honoree as a senior point guard for Winona State.  
• Rabedeaux was a standout player at UW-Eau Claire and had an assistant coaching stint with NCAA Division I University of Houston.  
• Head coach Todd Eisner is embarking on his 9th season with the Warriors and 26th overall as a college head coach.  
• Heading into the season, Eisner's all-time coaching record stands at 531-263 including a 115-97 Winona State ledger. 

Minnesota State STORYLINES

• Minnesota State is 10-0 overall, 4-0 in the NSIC.
• MSU is ranked No. 3 in the current NABC Coaches' poll and No. 6 in the D2CSC MBB Poll.
• Malik Willingham is averaging 19.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 28.2 minutes per game.
• The Mavericks are averaging 93.8 ppg while holding their opponents to 68.2 ppg. 
• Minnesota State has surpassed 100 points on three occasions this year.
• The smallest margin of victory on their unbeaten season so far was a four-point win over SMSU, 93-89 on Dec. 2.
• In the last 10 games, the two teams have split at 5-5. 
• Head coach Matt Margenthaler has been the head coach at MSU since 2001. 

Minnesota Duluth STORYLINES 

• The Bulldogs are 8-2 overall and 3-1 in NSIC play. UMD will play Concordia, St. Paul on Thursday before hosting WSU on Saturday.  
• UMD saw a seven-game winning streak snapped by Southwest Minnesota State on Dec. 9, losing 85-72 in Marshall. 
• Entering the weekend, UMD averages 81.6 points/game and allows an average of 66.3 ppg per contest.
• Drew Blair averages 18.6 ppg to lead the Bulldogs.
• Joshua Brown is the top UMD rebounder at 6.0 per game.
• In addition to Blair, UMD has two other players who average double-digits; Joshua Brown (12.4) and Charlie Katona (12.3).
• Jack Midleton leads the team in assists with 28 on the year. 
• Justin Wieck has been at UMD since 2018. 
   

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.

Media Contact: Pete Watkins, Director of Athletic Communications | Ph: 507.457.5577 | Email: pwatkins@winona.edu