Dillon Hogan/Winonan
In what would turn out to be the last weeks of the season, the Winona State University men’s basketball team reached the championship round of the NSIC/Sanford Health conference tournament, ending in a loss to Minnesota State. The Warriors also participated in the NCAA Central Region Tournament but were bounced in the opening round by Northwest Missouri State March 15.
After beating Minot State, St. Cloud State and MSU Moorhead, the Warriors were matched up against Minnesota State in the championship game on March 4.
A struggling offense put the Warriors behind for most of the night. As a team the Warriors shot 22-64 from the field for a shooting percentage of 34.4. Minnesota State shot 52 percent from the field on the night.
The Warriors found themselves behind by double digits until a late run cut their deficit to single digits.
Minnesota State, with 12 minutes remaining, held a 16-point lead until a layup by Riley Bambenek cut the lead into single digits.
With one minute left in the game the Warriors had managed to cut the Minnesota State lead to just six. Minnesota State would not allow the Warriors to get any closer as the game ended 75-66 in favor of Minnesota State.
Bambenek, who scored 19 points once again, paced the Warrior offense, ahead of his 17-point average in the previous four NSIC Tournament games.
Mark Blacklock contributed 16 points and eight rebounds for the Warriors, while Isaiah Gray scored ten points to give the Warriors their third double-digit scorer.
The Warrior defense played well as Minnesota State was forced into 12 turnovers. The Warriors finished the tournament at 26-7 and took their record into the NCAA Central Region Tournament.
In what would turn out to be the final game of the season, the Warriors faced their opening round opponent Northwest Missouri State in the NCAA Regional Tournament on March 15. Again the Warriors found themselves facing a double-digit deficit, this time as much as 21 points.
Northwest Missouri took the first-half lead fast and had a 20-point lead at one point. The Warriors were able to take down the lead to 13, and following a 3-pointer by Conrad Masberg the Warriors were down 45-30 at the half.
The second half was the same story for the Warriors as Northwest Missouri again used their 3-point shooting to keep the Warriors in check. As a team, the Bearcats shot 55 percent from beyond the arc and 61 percent from the field.
With less than 15 minutes left in the game, the Warriors were down by 21, but the defense allowed the Warriors to slim the Bearcat’s lead to 11 with less than 9 minutes remaining. This is as close as the Warriors would get, however, as Northwest Missouri shut down Winona State.
The Warrior offense struggled again, shooting 39 percent from the field and 36 percent from the 3-point arc.
Bambenek and Gray, who each had 16 points for the Warriors, led the Warrior offense. Joining Bambenek and Gray with double-digit points was Masberg and Kellen Taylor who played his last game as a Warrior. In his final time playing as a Warrior, Taylor scored 12 points to go with seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
The Warriors finished the season at 26-8, which is tied for fifth best in Warrior history and marked the tenth-straight season the Warriors have won at least 20 games. This season was also the third consecutive season the Warriors have reached the 25-win plateau.
