CROOKSTON, Minn. - The Winona State University men's basketball team traveled to the University of Minnesota Crookston on Friday, Jan. 12, for the first of two games on the road in the race to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) postseason.
Winona State (9-6, 4-5 NSIC) received double-double performances from
Connor Drew with 16 points and 11 rebounds and
Brock Voigt with 13 points and 10 boards, but WSU fell victim to
with a 36-point performance from the Golden Eagles' Blaize Sagna eventually falling to UMC, 77-69.
Final Score: Minnesota Crookston 77, Winona State 69
Attendance: 739
How It Happened
After starting the game with a 5-0 run following the opening tip, WSU found itself down 17-10 midway through the low-scoring first half.
Devon Fielding and
Connor Dillon helped Winona State climb back into the game, with both Warriors notching buckets approaching the eight-minute mark to pull within 17-13.
Brock Voigt and
Connor Dillon combined to give WSU a one-point lead with under four minutes to play in the opening stanza, as Voigt hit a mid-range jumper with 4:02 to go, followed by a
Connor Dillon 3-pointer to give Winona State a 26-25 lead.
A series of baskets by both teams, including a 1-for-2 foul line performance by UMC's Blaize Sagan with three ticks on the clock, saw the squads knotted at 30-30 after 20 minutes of play.
At The Half: Minnesota Crookston 30, Winona State 30
The Golden Eagles drew first blood coming out of the lockerroom with a three-point surge but WSU's
Carson Arenz evened the teams at 35-35 with a triple at 16:32 of the second half.
The tightly contested first half was also the theme of the day in the early portion of the second 20 minutes, with UMC and WSU finding themselves tied on three occasions in the middle of the period, the last being a 47-47 deadlock at the ten-minute mark.
UMC's Blaize Sagna would score five of his 36 points in the game to help break the 47-all tie, eventually allowing for the host Golden Eagles to pull away for the 77-69 upset victory.
WSU Stat Standouts
Connor Drew 16 points, 11 rebounds.
Connor Dillon 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals.
Devon Fielding 13 points, 5-of-8 from the floor.
Brock Voigt 13 points, 10 rebounds.
Team Stats Comparables
WSU enjoyed a slight advantage on the boards, 39-32, including a 13-4 mark on the offensive glass.
Crookston blocked six Warrior shots in the contest.
Both teams notched three steals on the evening.
Beyond the Box Score
WSU entered Friday's game with 999 points as a team.
The Golden Eagle upset snapped a five-game winning streak for WSU over UMC.
Minnesota Crookston's Blaize Sagna's 36 points was the most WSU has conceded to an individual this season.
Up Next
Winona State (9-6, 4-5 NSIC) will face Bemidji State University on Saturday, January 13 at BSU. WSU will tip off at 3:30 pm in the battle against the Beavers.
