WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State University men's basketball team defeated Wayne State College 63-59 in the first round of the 2025 NSIC Tournament. In a packed McCown Gymnasium, the Warriors battled against the Wildcats, eventually becoming victorious in a gritty first round matchup.
How it Happened:
Wayne State jumped out to a very early lead, battling for every shot they took. Winona State didn't shy away from the intensity that was everywhere in the gym though, eventually taking their first lead of the game just after the second media timeout with a jumper from
Tyler Mason. Senior leader
Connor Drew would then have a sequence where he knocked down a shot from beyond the arc, hustle back on defense to pin a Wildcat shot off the backboard and come back down to knock down another three-pointer. Coming off the bench,
Arius Alijosius knocked down a shot of his own from beyond the arc while drawing a foul, extending the WSU lead to 11. WSC earned got points back before the half ended, cutting the Winona State lead to seven points going into the half.
The Warriors made some adjustments at the half and quickly extended their lead to 15 points in just three minutes of game time, highlighted by an
Isaiah Thompson emphatic dunk. A run by Matt Noll and Jay Saunders cut the lead back to just a single point, with the Wildcats taking the lead after a Noll layup.
Connor Drew fresh off the bench after collecting four fouls knocked down a well needed three-pointer bringing the game to 55-53 with just under four minutes of action left. Coming in clutch for Winona State would be none other than
Luke Haertle, grabbing an offensive rebound and knocking down fadeaway jump shot to put the Warriors up two points with ten second remaining. Wayne State got sent to the free throw line on the ensuing possession, down two points. Missing the first free throw, Wayne State tried intentionally missing the second, but banked it in. Needing to foul, Haertle was sent to the line, iced the game and forced a turnover putting Winona State up 63-59 when time expired.
Statistical Leaders:
- Connor Drew and Luke Haertle led Winona State in scoring with 14 points each.
- Luke Haertle Collected his seventh double-double on the year leading the team with 12 rebounds.
- Isaiah Thompson garnered a double-double of his own with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
- Haertle led the Warriors in assists with five on the night.
- JJ Ferrin shot 6-11 from three-point range on his way to 26 points for the Wildcats.
Team Comparisons:
- Winona State battled hard to collect 12 offensive rebounds while WSC only had five.
- The Warriors shot 40% from the field and 31.8% from beyond the arc compared to Wayne State's 41.5% from the field and 39.1% from three-point range.
- The Wildcats forced 14 Warriors turnovers, compared to the WSU 11.
- The Warriors won the battle in the paint collecting 26 points while WSC had 20.
With the win, the Warriors advance to The Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. where they face off against Southwest Minnesota State in the NSIC Tournament Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 1 at 7pm.
For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit:
www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and
@WinonaStateATH.
