ABERDEEN, S.D. - Connor Dillon hit a half-court buzzer-beater to give the Winona State University men's basketball team an impressive battle-back win over Northern State University, silencing nearly 2,400 fans in Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, S.D. on Friday, February 16.
Winona State (17-9, 12-8 NSIC) was down by 14 at the half but an inspired Warrior effort led by Connor Dillon, Connor Drew and Olumide Adelodun saw WSU earn a key 80-79 NSIC road win in memorable fashion.
Declan Dillon nearly hit double-digits in assists with nine and a balanced WSU scoring effort saw four Warriors reach double-digits that offset a 40-point night by NSU's Jackson Moni. Dillon's half-court heave pushed WSU to 12-win territory in the league standings. Adelodun registered a double-double on the evening, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for head coach Todd Eisner's squad.
How It Happened
Playing in front of a raucous Wachs Arena crowd, Winona State endeavored to keep pace with Northern State in the opening stages of the first half. WSU's Connor Drew delivered back-to-back buckets to pull the Warriors to within three at 13-10 nearing the first media time out. Northern State began to separate from WSU coming out of the break, as the home team opened up a 14 point lead with just under 13 minutes to go in the first half.
Despite three-pointers from Connor Drew and Devon Fielding with under five mintues to go in the opening 20 minutes, Northern State maintained a double-digit lead throughout most of the opening period of play, owning a 16-point advantage at two different stages of the half. A Connor Drew layup with two ticks left on the clock gave WSU some hope heading into the locker room at the break.
At the Half: Northern State 46, Winona State 32
Brock Voigt and Connor Dillon combined to give Winona State a strong start to the second half, with Voigt scoring a layup and a pair of free throws, followed by Dillon delivering a layup inside of the first four minutes.
WSU would continue to chip away at the Northern State lead, a run highlighted by an Olumide Adelodun three-pointer at the 13:40 mark to pull the Warriors within three at 51-48.
NSU responded through Jacksen Moni who scored seven of his 40 points on the night in a two-minute stretch in the second half, ballooning the Wolves' lead back to 12 points with 8:34 remaining.
However, Winona State would tie the game at 70-70 on a Declan Dillon jumper with 4:42 to go and own a brief two-point lead when Adelodun hit a jumper with just over three minutes left.
When Northern State's Moni scored with less than five seconds to go, the Wolves looked poised to pack away a home win over the Warriors.
However, Connor Dillon and company had other plans, as Dillon hauled in a long in-bounds pass and then banked his half-court heave off the glass as the buzzer went off, stunning the Northern State crowd into silence as the Warriors celebrated an improbable, and important, 80-79 victory.
WSU Stats Standouts:
Connor Dillon 17 points, 7 assists, game-winning 3-pointer as time expired.
Connor Drew 18 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Olumide Adelodun 14 points, 11 rebounds
Brock Voigt 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Declan Dillon 9 assists, 9 points, 4 rebounds
Team Stats Comparables:
WSU hit 18-of-34 (52.94%) in the second half, including a 7-of-12 (58.33%) mark from behind the arc.
Winona State was 8-of-11 (72.7%) from the free throw line in the one-point game.
The Warriors out-rebounded the Wolves 36-32 overall and held a 9-3 edge on the offensive glass.
Up Next:
Winona State (17-9, 12-8 NSIC) will head back to Winona on Friday, February 23, for their final home stand of the year against Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. WSU will tip off against BSU at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and take on UMC at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.
