WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University men's basketball team hosted Crown College on Tuesday, Jan. 2 in the final non-conference contest of the 2023-24 campaign, tipping off against the Polars in a 7 p.m. game in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.
Winona State (9-4, 4-3 NSIC) used a dialed-in first-half shooting performance to quickly pull away from Crown College, connecting on a blistering 65.5% field goal percentage in the opening 20 minutes of play. WSU led from start to finish over the Polars, with
Carter Lomas leading the Warriors in scoring with 17 points, while Carson Arenz and Gavyn Hurley tied for the team lead in rebounds with six apiece.
Final Score: Winona State 90, Crown College 69
Attendance: 454
How It Happened
Devon Fielding helped Winona State enjoy a hot start, scoring a pair of buckets sandwiched around a Connor Dillon drive in the lane to push WSU ahead 6-0 in the first few minutes of play.
After a brief resurgence by Crown College cut the Warrior lead to 9-4, Connor Dillon hit his first 3-pointer of the evening to push the Warrior advantage to 12-4.
Dillon's triple marked the WSU-Crown College contest as the 700th consecutive game in which WSU has hit a three-pointer, as noted by HBC commentator Justin Barrientos. The last time WSU went without a bucket from beyond the arc was a Nov. 29, 2000 contest against Saint Mary's, a 79-57 Warrior win.
Following Dillon's benchmark three-pointer, Winona State would go on to pull away in the first half, with Carter Lomas heating up midway through the opening 20 minutes. Lomas would score eight points in quick succession, including a pair of three-pointers in a three-minute span that combined with a Brock Voigt layup for a 16-point Warrior lead at 29-13.
Olumide Adelodun and Jordan Wilkins connected on scoring plays as the first half wound down, with Adelodun's fastbreak layup coming courtesy of a Gavyn Hurley steal with under 90 seconds to play.
WSU would conclude the half by hitting 19-of-29 (65.52%) from the floor.
At The Half: Winona State 47, Crown College 24
Although the visiting Polars were able to match Winona State bucket-for-bucket in the first few minutes of the second half, WSU would go on a 9-2 run starting with 16 minutes to go to pull ahead for good.
Devon Fielding and Gavyn Hurley helped the Warriors to stretch their lead to 28 points by the 11-minute mark and Lomas would add back-to-back triples inside of seven minutes to help him reach a team-high 17 on the night.
Drew Adams would put an exclamation point on the Warrior evening with a dunk at the 1:24 mark, with Lomas notching the assist on the play.
Winona State put the Polars away with a 90-69 final scoreline, with the Warriors moving to 9-4 overall on the year.
WSU Stat Standouts
Carter Lomas, 17 points, 6-of-9 from the field, 5-of-7 from 3-point distance.
Olumide Adelodun, 13 points, 6-of-9 from the field, 2 assists.
Connor Drew, 12 points, 3 rebounds, all offensive, 2-of-5 from 3-point distance.
Connor Dillon, 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Team Stats Comparables
As a team, Winona State notched 17 assists in the contest, one of the best passing performances of the year for the Warriors.
WSU racked up nine steals in the contest, led by Devon Fielding with three. The Polars claimed three steals off WSU.
The Warriors held a 37-28 edge in rebounding, including a 9-4 advantage on the offensive glass.
Beyond the Box Score
Tuesday's contest yielded the longest action of the season for Olumide Adelodun, who played 18 minutes, scoring 1 points 3 on 6-of-9 shooting with a pair of assists.
Winona State concluded the non-conference portion of their schedule undefeated, with WSU going 5-0 vs. non-NSIC opponents.
WSU never trailed in the contest and led by as many as 29 points during the game.
Up Next
Winona State (9-4, 4-3 NSIC) will host Northern State University on Saturday, January 6, with a 3:30 pm tip-off. The Wolves-Warriors contest will be part of a 2024 Winter Game Day Experience, with vendors, entertainment, and other attractions for fans of all ages.
