WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University men's basketball team received a dominating effort from Olumide Adelodun in their first-round NSIC Tournament contest against Northern State University on Wednesday, February 28, defeating the Wolves 95-65 in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.
Winona State (20-9, 14-8 NSIC) had faced Northern State twice already this season, with both contests decided on last-second shots and each program winning as the away team on their opponent's home floor. On Wednesday however, the rubber match between the two schools was devoid of any buzzer-beater drama, with Winona State running out to a 42-29 halftime lead. Head coach Todd Eisner's squad never looked back during the second half to claim the 30-point victory over the Wolves.
The 6'5" Adelodun was an impressive 5-of-6 from 3-point territory and hit 10-of-15 shots overall from the floor while also grabbing ten rebounds. Connor Dillon added 25 points to the Warrior effort on a night in which Winona State came within a three-pointer to tie the team record for margin of victory in a postseason contest.
How it Happened:
In a game where the Wolves lost by 30 points, Northern State opened the game with a hot hand, taking a 5-0 lead early on.
However, in a sign of things to come, a Connor Dillon 3-pointer followed by a pair of Brock Voigt dunks - both of which ignited the full student section in McCown Gymnasium - saw WSU establish a lead that they would not relinquish for the duration of the contest.
At the midpoint of the first half, Declan Dillon and Connon Dillon combined for a pair of consecutive layups in the paint that gave WSU a 13-point lead. The brothers from Peoria, Illinois would repeat the cycle at the five-minute mark, allowing the Warriors to maintain a double-digit lead over the Wolves.
Olumide Adelodun scored his first points of the night with 3:53 to go in the first half on a layup and followed up quickly with back-to-back three-pointers to notch eight points in a 55-second span. As the Warrior faithful would soon find out, the junior from Calgary, Canada, was just getting warmed up as the teams headed to the locker room with the Warriors comfortably in front, 42-29.
At the Half: Winona State 42, NSU 29
Although NSU would hit the first shot by either team in the second half - a Josh Dilling jumper 30 seconds in - WSU would go on a 13-point run in a three-minute span, with all 13 points scored by Olumide Adelodun.
After Connor Drew assisted an Adelodun 3-pointer at the 16:50 mark of the final 20 minutes, Northern State called a timeout to try and stem the tide. However, the McCown momentum of a strong student section negated any opportunity for the Wolves to claw back into the contest, and WSU would continue their offensive onslaught over the remainder of the game.
Although NSU's Josh Dilling would score two of his 31 points shortly after the Wolves timeout, Winona State would go on to stretch the Warrior lead to 29 points on yet another Adelodun triple with just over five minutes remaining.
The WSU reserves continued the impressive scoring pace in the final minutes of the game, with Jordan Wilkins and Drew Adams both contributing to the Warrior scoreline with points in the pain, and eventually, the 95-65 Winona State victory.
WSU Stats Standouts:
Olumide Adelodun 31 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists
Connor Dillon 25 points, 2 assists
Jordan Wilkins 10 points off the bench
Team Stats Comparables:
Winona State did not attempt a free throw in the first half but went on to go a perfect 7-of-7 from the foul line in the second half. NSU was 6-of-8 from the stripe.
NSU was 9-of-27 from behind the arc; WSU hit 14-of-24 three-point attempts.
Winona State turned the ball over three times in 40 minutes while forcing the Wolves into 11 turnovers in the contest.
Beyond the Box Score:
The 30-point win over Northern State was just three points shy of the Winona State postseason record, a 33-point win over Colorado Christian in 2008.
Olumide Adelodun's 31 points tied former WSU standout Zach Malvik for the third-best scoring effort in a WSU postseason contest. Jonte Flowers' 33 versus Northern State in 2008 is the current Warrior high-water mark.
HBC 25 Sports Director Justin Barrientos was honored during the contest for his long-time service to Winona State the Warriors play-by-announcer in several sports, including WSU men's basketball.
Interim president Ken Janz and the WSU Foundation paid for the first 250 students to get into the game free; a packed McCown Gymnasium student section helped pave the way for the dominant Warrior performance on the night.
Up Next:
Winona State (20-9, 14-8 NSIC) will move on to the NSIC Quarterfinals, where they will face Minnesota State Moorhead on Sunday, March 3. The Warriors and Dragons are scheduled for tipoff at 1:30 p.m. in the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
