Winona State University’s men’s basketball team had a stellar weekend racking up two wins against Minnesota State University Moorhead on Jan. 26 and St. Cloud State University on Jan. 27, both of which took place on their home court. The game against Minnesota State Moorhead came to an end with a score of 83-72 and the game against St. Cloud State wound up at 77-69.
Winona State went into their first match against Minnesota State Moorhead hoping for a win. Their opponent had a 17-1 record, only having lost one of their games so far this season while Winona State maintained a 13-12 record.
The game began with the Dragons receiving the ball from the tip-off and managing to obtain the first few points of the night. Winona State was not far behind and managed to maintain a one-point difference for the next few minutes.
This continued throughout the first six minutes of the game as the teams exchanged the ball back and forth, keeping it a tense and entertaining game. That is, until Winona State began having unfortunate luck with their shots, allowing Minnesota State Moorhead to take the lead and bring the score up to 15-11.
As the first half went on, the Warriors began to lose some of the energy they started with. Their passes became disorganized, resulting in a handoff to their opposing team. Winona State also faced a disadvantage as the Dragons began sinking all their three-pointers, which is what the Warriors struggled with throughout the game. However, they were good at driving the ball towards the net to ensure they could score at least two points in their efforts.
As the game progressed the student section got louder and louder. They particularly enjoyed screaming at the other team as they attempted to make free throws and yelling at Minnesota State Moorhead’s coach for only playing his starters.
“I mean, they were loud, obnoxious the whole time. It was great to hear,” Connor Dillon said. “We need that at every game here.”
After a time-out in the first period, Winona State came back and began playing more aggressively, working on their rebounds and climbing their way back up on the scoreboard. The student section and the players were riled up as Winona State began to make an impressive comeback which sent them into the locker room with high energy and a tied score.
“I think the louder it is, the better the environment,” a Warrior fan in the stands commented. “It’s more fun and the athletes get more into it.”
The game continued with the Warriors in the lead at a thirteen-point difference making for an interesting but also lively second half.
Winona State was incredibly excited about this win. Carter Lomas finished the game off with a three-pointer which had the entire team heading onto the court to congratulate him as the coach called another time-out.
“It was a great atmosphere. The fans were great. We came out to play, we’re ready to go. So, I was excited for that,” C. Dillon said.
Overall, Winona State played a fun game and ended their first night strong.
The second game began similarly with St. Cloud State grabbing the lead early on, but the Warriors jumped into excellent play and caught up. Winona State would remain in the lead for the rest of the game with help from standout players C. Dillon, Brock Voigt and Olumide Adelodun, among others.
Wrapping up their weekend with two successful games, Winona State moved up to a 15-12 record. Their next game will have them packing up and traveling to Concordia University, St. Paul on Tuesday, Jan. 30.
