WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University Warriors battled against the University of Minnesota Duluth inside McCown Gymnasium, defeating the Bulldogs 86-78 in a key matchup as the regular season begins to narrow down. 

Leading the way for WSU was senior Connor Drew shooting 11-15 from the field for 27 points to go along with seven rebounds, three being offensive. 

How it Happened: 

The Warriors jumped out to an early lead with Connor Drew and Tyler Mason knocking down a shot from beyond the arc setting the tone for their evening. The Bulldogs saw their first lead of the game at 12-10 with a Joshua Brown jumper but Luke Haertle would respond with a three-pointer the next possession down the court. Battling back and forth the whole first frame, WSU found themselves down three with two minutes left in the half. A Warrior run to end the half including an array of points from multiple Winona State players would see Winona State go up 40-33 as the buzzer sounded. 

None other than Connor Drew would get WSU started in frame number two from a defense-splitting pass from Tyler Mason. After that Winona State extended the lead to as much as 16 points keeping the Bulldogs a comfortable distance away. Minnesota Duluth would try and battle back, going on a run to cut the lead to six points with just over a minute left, bringing the game down to free throws. Tyler Mason and Luke Haertle would knock multiple free shots down icing the game with WSU winning 86-78. 

Statistical Leaders: 

• Connor Drew led Winona State with 27 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes of action. 
• Tyler Mason led the Warriors from beyond the arc shooting 5-10 in the game on his way to 22 points. 
• Isaiah Thompson would collect yet another double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. 
• Four Bulldogs would reach double figures with Jayden Johnson coming off the bench with 16 points. 

Team Comparison: 

• Winona State won the turnover battle forcing 14 compared to the UMD 5. 
• Minnesota Duluth collected 38 rebounds to the WSU 30 in the contest. 
• Winona State shot 46.8% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc to the Bulldogs 50% from the floor and 37.5% from the three-point line. 
• The Warriors knocked down 18-24 shots from the charity stripe compared to Minnesota Duluth's 13-21. 

Winona State (15-6, 10-5 NSIC) is next in action on Saturday, February 1 at 1pm on the road in Mankato, Minnesota where they face off against Minnesota State University.