Dillon Hogan/Winonan

The Winona State University men’s basketball team used its full repertoire to take down two tough opponents in McCown Gymnasium on consecutive nights. Following a weekend away, the Warriors returned to Winona to take on No. 14 Minnesota State, Mankato and Concordia, St. Paul.

In the first game against Minnesota State, the Warriors used incredible defensive pressure to help secure the win 73-57.

The Warriors held Minnesota State to just 32 percent shooting and only 18 percent from 3-point range. The key was the Warriors’ fast start as they were able to get ahead in the first half by as much as 17 points and kept a 12 point lead at the half.

Despite a comeback attempt by Minnesota State, the Warriors kept at least a seven-point lead at all times. Leading by seven with just over five minutes left, Warrior Taylor Cameron hit a 3-pointer to give the Warriors the double-digit lead again. From there, Minnesota State never got over that deficit, ending the game at 73-57 for a Warrior victory.

The Warriors were paced on offense by Kellen Taylor, who recorded his sixth double-double of the season with a 17 point and 10 rebound performance.

Three other Warriors joined Taylor with double-digit figures on the night. Conrad Masberg and Kyle Bauman were each able to record 12 points in the contest. Cameron, the fourth Warrior, also snagged eight rebounds and dished out eight assists.

This game marks the fourth straight win over Minnesota State for the Warriors. The win also puts the Warriors alone atop the NSIC conference with a 16-4 overall record and 11-2 in the NSIC.

In the second game of the weekend, against Concordia, St. Paul, the Warriors again used a fast start and a great shooting game to win 80-61.

The first half had the Warriors shooting an unbelievable 75 percent from the field after making 14 of their first 15 shots attempts. The Warriors were also able to shoot 9 of 15 from the 3-point range. A slight dip in the second half still saw the Warriors end the game with a shooting percent at an impressive 65.9 percent. It was a great defensive night for the Warriors who held Concordia, St. Paul to just 31.6 percent from the floor.

After jumping out to a double-digit lead just six minutes into the game, the Warriors never led by a margin less than ten the rest of the game. Riley Bambanek was the Warrior leader on offense, with a 20 point performance for the Warriors. Taylor put up another double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. Cameron was perfect from the floor for 13 points to round out the Warrior scoring.

The Warriors are now 17-4 overall and continue to have the lead in the NSIC with a 12-2 record in league play. The Warriors face a four-game road trip next weekend with visits to Northern State and Minnesota State, Moorhead.

Contact Dillon at [email protected]