WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – The Winona State men's basketball team put together a strong first-half performance against Michigan Tech, but were unable to hold off a second-half comeback, falling 79-72.
Winona State came out strong to open the contest, building an early advantage behind baskets from
Ryan Watters and Space. Space connected from beyond the arc, before Heise added a 3-pointer to help the Warriors establish a 10-6 lead.
Winona State continued to find success offensively, with
Gavyn Hurley and Haertle contributing baskets in the paint. Mason added a layup and free throw as the Warriors carried a 35-26 advantage into halftime.
Michigan Tech responded after the break, finding its offensive rhythm and gradually cutting into the Warrior lead. The Huskies outscored Winona State 53-37 in the second half to take control of the contest.
Despite continued offensive production from Space, Heise and Mason, the Warriors struggled to maintain their first-half advantage. Michigan Tech finished 25-of-34 from the free-throw line to secure the 79-72 victory.
CHECKING THE BOX SCORE
- Tyler Mason led Winona State with 17 points, shooting 5-of-7 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
- Kaiden Space added 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and recorded two assists.
- Ryan Heise finished with 13 points.
- Luke Haertle contributed eight points.
- Winona State shot 51% from the field (26-of-51) and 40% from 3-point range (8-of-20).
NEWS & NOTES
- Winona State fell to 1-3 on the season
- Michigan Tech improved to 1-0 with the victory.
UP NEXT
Winona State will return to the court Saturday, November 14, against Northern Michigan in the second game of the NCAA Midwest Region Tipoff. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Just A Game Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
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.
