Box Score Winona, Minn. --- The No. 8 Minnesota State men’s basketball team took its first road loss of the season as it fell 75-64 to No. 15 Winona State.
With the loss, MSU falls to 20-4, with a 16-4 record in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. With the win, WSU improves to 22-5 and 16-4 in NSIC play. MSU and WSU are now tied for first in the NSIC standings with identical 16-4 NSIC records.
Winona State opened the second half on a 10-3 run in the first two minutes as it increased its lead to 11 at 40-29. MSU managed to get back within seven points of Winona State on one occasion, but that was as close as the Mavericks would get as WSU would maintain a double-digit lead through the final 12 minutes of the contest to hand MSU a 75-64 loss.
Junior
Gage Wooten led MSU with 13 points and eight rebounds, while junior
Jimmy Whitehead and sophomore
Assem Marei added 12 points each. Sophomore
Zach Monaghan passed out a game-high six assist.
Winona State’s Clayton Vette led all scorers with 19 points, while Xavier Humphrey dropped in 16 points.
As a team, MSU shot 43.1% (25-of-58) from the field and 13-of-16 (.813) from the free throw line. The Mavericks also passed 14 assists and brought down 36 rebounds.
Winona State led through much of the first half as the Warriors led by as much as 10 points at 16-6 with 11:17 left in the opening session. The Mavericks were able to chip away at the WSU lead and managed to pull within four points at 30-26 before heading into the locker room.
Marei led all scorers in the first half with 12 points, to go along with four rebounds. Wooten added six points and seven rebounds in the first half as well.
As a team, MSU shot 41.4% (12-of-29) from the field in the opening frame, while dishing out six assists and bringing down 23 rebounds.
Taylor Cameron and Vette led the Warriors with eight first-half points each.
Minnesota State returns home for its final home stand of the regular season Friday as it hosts Sioux Falls. The opening tip is set for 8 p.m.
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