WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University men's basketball team returns to the court following the holiday break, hosting the University of Wisconsin Parkside and Crown College in a pair of tune-up non-conference contests before restarting play in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) in January. 

Winona State (8-4, 4-3 NSIC) will host NCAA Division III Crown College on Tuesday, January 2, with a 7 p.m. start time against the Polars. 

Winona State will be led into the non-conference contests by the most recent Warrior to reach 1,000 points, Connor Dillon, who poured in 33 at Michigan Tech on Tuesday, December 19, to surpass the benchmark.  

GAME & FAN INFORMATION

• Live stats & stream for the game are available at the links above and on the WSU Men's Basketball schedule page.  
• Both contests will take place in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.

WINONA STATE STORYLINES 

• WSU is 8-4 on the year, 4-3 in NSIC play. 
• In passing the 1,000-point plateau, Connor Dillon became the 42nd player in WSU history to reach the benchmark.  
• 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.
• In facing Michigan Tech, the Warriors took on one of the top individual performers in NCAA DII basketball this year, Marcus Tomasheck, currently scoring 25.2 points per game.
• Prior to Dillon, the most recent WSU player to hit 1,000 career points was current Winona State assistant coach Devin Whitelow, who played at Winona State between 2017-2022.
• Declan Dillon is tied with twin brother Connor with the top assist mark on the team at 31 so far this campaign. 
• Carson Arenz is averaging a team-leading 4.9 rebounds per game and has hit 14-of-16 free throw attempts on the season.
• Drew Adams has appeared in all 12 Winona State contests this season, all in sixth-man fashion.
• 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. 

Wisconsin Parkside STORYLINES 

• The Rangers are 6-5 overall and 1-1 in the GLIAC.
• UWP beat Clarke (Iowa) by an 82-56 scoreline and lost to Lewis 74-72 most recently. 
• UWP saw a mid-season three-game winning streak snapped by an OT loss to Ferris State, 77-73. 
• Josiah Palmer averages 15.6 ppg to lead the Rangers.
• Colin O'Rourke is the top UWP rebounder at 5.3 per game.
• O'Rourke and Palmer are the only two UW-Parkside players averaging double-digits in scoring. 
• Parkside hasn't beaten WSU since 2005. 
• Luke Reigel has been at UWP since 2003. 

Crown College STORYLINES 

• The Polars are 8-3 overall and 2-0 in the UMAC. UWP will play Clarke (Iowa) and Lewis before facing WSU on Dec. 31. 
• Crown has already earned one win in Winona this year, defeating Saint Mary's 81-64 on Nov. 15. 
• Crown College played NCAA Division I University of St. Thomas on Dec. 17, falling 85-66. 
• The Polars trailed UST by just eight points at halftime, 34-26.
• Cade Carroll is the top Crown scorer at 17.6 per game.
• Carroll is also the top Polar rebounder at 8.5 per outing. 
• Micah Ladd has 23 steals on the year, while Tyrus Buckner has 13 blocks.

Warrior Notables: 

• 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 first 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. 

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