MANKATO, Minn. — Minnesota State (19-10, 13-8 NSIC) clinched a 77-66 win over Winona State (9-17, 8-13 NSIC) on Thursday night at Taylor Center. By dominating second-chance opportunities, outscoring Winona 18-8, MSU showcased its prowess on the boards with at least 16 offensive rebounds for the fourth time this season.

The first half saw Minnesota State flexing their defensive muscles, grabbing 13 defensive rebounds to stifle Winona's second-chance hopes. Junior Arhman Lewis was a key player, driving the Mavericks forward with a fast-break layup and a pair of 3-pointers, keeping MSU in the lead for much of the half. Lewis, on a hot streak, hit 14 points for the third straight game. The half was a back-and-forth battle with six ties, highlighted by freshman Phoenix Childs sinking two 3-pointers and junior Caden Kirkman's clutch dunk in the final minutes. However, Winona's Tyson Keil hit a 3-pointer with six seconds left, nudging them ahead 35-34 at the break.

The first half was a nail-biter with 11 lead changes, ending with Winona State up by a single point. The Maverick bench chipped in 10 points and MSU nailed six 3-pointers out of 20 attempts. Despite being outscored in the paint, 20-10, the Mavericks kept the pressure on with a balanced rebounding effort, pulling down 19 boards.

As the second half kicked off, Minnesota State seized the momentum, fueled by solid defense and capitalizing on turnovers. Senior Malcolm Jones stepped up, adding a layup and a steal, finishing with 18 points. MSU's defense forced Winona State into seven turnovers, while Kirkman and junior Traijan Sain dominated the paint to stretch the lead. Sain's season-best eight rebounds were crucial for the Mavericks. The bench continued to shine, providing key points to keep the momentum alive. As the half progressed, MSU widened the gap with a 43-31 run, sealing the game at 77-66.

The Mavericks surged in the second half, scoring 28 points in the paint and forcing seven turnovers, turning those into nine points. They out-rebounded WSU 23-15, with Kirkman grabbing 11 boards, almost doubling his season average.

In the scoring department, Jones led with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and eight rebounds. Sain added 17 points and matched Jones with eight rebounds. Lewis chipped in 14 points, two steals and four assists. Kirkman was a force on the boards with 11 rebounds and eight points.

Winona's Aidan Bardic led with 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting, adding five assists and six rebounds. Tyler Mason contributed 14 points, two blocks, and five rebounds. Ryan Heise added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Alessandro Tonelli scored 11 points and two steals before fouling out.

Next up, the Mavericks head to St. Paul, Minn., to take on Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday, in their regular season finale. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at Gangelhoff Center.