Box Score WINONA, Minn. --- The #14 Minnesota State men's basketball team got tripped up Friday evening in McCown Gymnasium as the Mavericks fell to Winona State 73-57.
With the loss, the Mavericks fall to 16-4, including a 10-3 record in NSIC play. With the win, the Warriors improve to 16-4, with a league best 11-2 record in conference play.
Junior
Assem Marei paced the Minnesota State offense as he notched his 13th career double-double with a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds. Junior
Zach Monaghan added 17 points as well, while senior
Connor O'Brien tallied nine points and five rebounds.
The Mavericks shot 32.2% from the field and connected on just 4-of-22 (.182) shots from behind the arc.
WSU saw four players drop in at least 10 points, including Kellen Taylor how led the Warriors with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Winona State shot 46.8% from the field and outrebounded the Mavericks 47-37. The Warriors also passed out 20 assists.
The Warriors led throughout the majority of the first half as they led by as many as 17 points as they took a 39-27 lead into the locker room.
Marei led the Maverick offense in the first half with 12 points and six rebounds, while Monaghan added six points.
As a unit, MSU connected on 9-of-29 (.310) shots from the field in the first frame, including a 1-of-9 (.111) showing from behind the arc.
Taylor led the Warrior offense in the first half with 12 points and seven rebounds. As a team, WSU shot 51.5% (17-of-33) from the field.
The second half saw the Mavericks chip away at WSU's lead as they managed to pull within seven points of the Warriors at 60-53 with 5:23 left on the clock. That was as close as the Mavericks would get as WSU outscored MSU 13-4 in the final five minutes to claim the 73-57 win.
MSU wraps up its road trip Saturday as it takes on the Upper Iowa Peacocks. The opening tip is set for 6 p.m.
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