Adam Kirk / Winonan
The Winona State University men’s basketball team started winter break strong with a 89-64 win against Minnesota State University, Mankato, shooting 72 percent from the field. The following game was a different story as Winona State lost 75-82 to Concordia University, St. Paul, and continued to split the competitions over winter break to total 4-4.
The following week Winona State gave Upper Iowa University its first conference loss of the season in the first of two matchups. The Warrior defense held the Peacocks to 37 percent shooting. Senior Riley Bambenek led the team with 23 points as the Warriors won 85-67 in Fayette, Iowa.
Seniors Isaiah Gray and Kyle Bauman scoring their 1,000-career point highlighted the second of the two meetings. Their accomplishments came in a losing effort though, as Upper Iowa topped Winona State 82-95 at home.
Winona State responded to the loss with consecutive wins against University of Minnesota, Crookston and Bemidji State University. Gray led the Warriors against Crookston on December 30, recording a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds to secure the win 64-51. Bambenek scored a season-high 30 points to pave Winona State’s win against Bemidji State the following day, 95-80.
The short winning streak was snapped by a game the following week against No. 22 ranked Southwest Minnesota State University. The Warriors could not find enough offense to match the Mustangs, losing 55-79. In the final game over winter break, Winona State visited University of Sioux Falls and came up short for the win, falling 55-58.
The Warriors have had to get used to playing games with key rotation players being out. This posed a challenge to the team, according to head coach Todd Eisner.
Charlie Koontz, a sophomore forward, is out the rest of the season with a hip injury. Bauman was expected to lead the Warriors this season but missed three weeks with an ankle injury and, according to Eisner, “is still trying to get his game back to normal.”
“There is nothing you can do about injuries or which player gets injured. It just gives someone else an opportunity. What the injuries have done is caused some players to play multiple positions and it has impacted our depth,” Eisner said.
Winona State visited University of Minnesota Duluth Friday, Jan. 13 and picked up an overtime victory, 78-70. The Bulldogs led the Warriors by two with a chance to put the game away at the free-throw line, but missed. Gray went down and made a buzzer-beating layup to tie the game and force overtime.
In the overtime period, Sophomore Tommy Gathje’s hot shooting helped the Warriors pull away for the win. Gathje led the team with a career-high 28 points.
Eisner said, “Tommy is one of the players who has taken advantage of his increased playing time because of some of the injuries. He has played very well the last four weekends. His production in the UMD game was very encouraging and he continues to play with more confidence as the season moves on.”
The following day the team traveled to St. Cloud to face the Huskies. The overtime effort the night before looked to have an impact on the game as Winona State struggled to get in a rhythm on offense and trailed by 21 points at halftime. The Warriors lost 65-88.
Winona State now has a record of 8-8 overall and 5-7 in conference play. The Warriors will host Wayne State College on Friday, Jan. 20 and Augustana University on Saturday, Jan. 21.
By Adam Kirk
