HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Winona State men's basketball team came up short in a tightly contested matchup with St. Edward's, falling 72-65 on Sunday evening in the final game of the Hoops in Hawaii Classic.
The Warriors fell to 1-2 with the loss, while St. Edward's improved to 2-1.
Kaiden Space led the Warriors with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field.
Ryan Heise followed with 11 points and seven rebounds, while
Gavyn Hurley led Winona State on the glass with 10 rebounds.
The teams traded baskets to open the contest before the Hilltoppers scored five consecutive points to build a 9-5 lead. Winona State continued to battle, with
Nick Taylor scoring a layup to pull the Warriors within one. St. Edward's responded with another five-point run to take a 19-13 advantage with 11:23 remaining in the first half. WSU answered with a 7-2 run over the next six minutes to tie the game before the Hilltoppers knocked down a 3-pointer to halt the momentum.
The Warriors quickly responded as Heise connected from beyond the arc before
Alessandro Tonelli gave WSU the lead with a pull-up jumper. Winona State maintained its advantage down the stretch, holding a three-point lead with 1:44 remaining before carrying a 33-32 edge into halftime.
The teams traded 3-pointers to open the second half before Space connected on a pull-up jumper to put the Warriors back in front by two. The Hilltoppers took control with an 11-1 run over the next four minutes, building a 49-41 lead with 13:35 remaining. Heise answered with a 3-pointer, while
Luke Haertle and Hurley each drove to the basket for layups to pull the Warriors within one. Hurley tied the game at 54-54 with a jumper at the 9:45 mark, but St. Edward's halted the run with a 3-pointer.
Winona State continued to battle down the stretch, staying within three points before the Hilltoppers put together a 5-0 run to take a 64-58 lead with 4:34 remaining. St. Edward's continued to build its advantage, pushing the lead to 11 points. The Warriors responded with a five-point run to pull within six, but the Hilltoppers closed out the contest at the free-throw line to secure the 72-65 victory.
CHECKING THE BOX SCORE
- Winona State fell to St. Edward's 72-65 in its final game of the Hoops in Hawaii Classic.
- Kaiden Space led the Warriors with 13 points.
- Ryan Heise also reached double figures with 11 points and seven rebounds.
- Gavyn Hurley led Winona State with 10 rebounds.
- Winona State shot 43.9% from the field (25 of 57).
- WSU outrebounded St. Edward's 37-34.
NEWS & NOTES
- Winona State fell to 1-2 on the season.
- St. Edward's improved to 2-1.
- The Hilltoppers evened the all-time series at 1-1.
- The Warriors finished sixth overall at the Hoops in Hawaii Classic.
UP NEXT
Winona State will return to action Friday, Nov. 13, against Michigan Tech in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Stay connected with Winona State University Athletics all season long by following the Warriors on social media at @WinonaStateATH (X and Instagram), @winonastatewarriors (YouTube), Winona State Warrior Athletics (Facebook) and winonastatewarriors.com.
