Box Score CROOKSTON, Minn.- The University of Minnesota Crookston men's basketball team hung with NSIC power Winona State University for moments in Saturday's game and even led in the first half, but a 44-16 run to end the game delivered a 88-52 win for the Warriors. The Golden Eagles fall to 4-8 (1-7 NSIC), as they drop their sixth straight. Winona State, who is receiving votes in the national poll, moves to 13-2 and an unblemished 8-0 in the NSIC.

The Golden Eagles were led on the game by 14 points from Derrick Redd (So., G, Menifee, Calif./Sports and Rec Management), who earned his first start of the season Saturday for UMC. Redd was 5-of-10 from the field and also connected on two treys. Redd got nine of the first 11 points for the Golden Eagles as UMC got out to an 11-10 lead at the 13:08 mark of the first half.

In addition to Redd, John Hughes (So., F, Tualatin, Ore./Management) added a near double-double with eight points and eight rebounds, while Tyler West, Jr. (Jr., F, Portland, Ore./Communications) added nine points. The Golden Eagles struggled shooting from the field as they were just 17-of-59 for 28.8 percent and were 5-of-23 for 21.7 from beyond the arc. In addition Minnesota Crookstron struggled with ball control on the night with eight assists to 17 turnovers on the night.

Defensively, the Golden Eagles did well shutting down Winona State's top two scorers coming into the game. Riley Bambenek and Taylor Cameron were averaging around 25 points per game coming into Saturday, and were held to a combined three points on the night. However, the Warriors would have great balance from their other players on the night to make up for UMC shutting down the pair. Winona State had six players score in double figures and had 52 of their 88 points accounted for by the bench.

Starter Kellen Taylor led the Warriors with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds while fellow starter Mark Blacklock added 12 points. Off the bench, Isaiah Gray poured in 12 points, while Josh Mongan, Conrad Masberg and Kyle Bauman each had 10. Mongan also dished the ball well to his Winona State teammates, with six helpers on the night.

Winona State finished the game shooting 31-of-57 for 54.4 percent and were 4-of-17 for 23,5 percent from beyond the arc. In addition, the Warriors shot lights out from the charity stripe, connecting on 22-of-26 free throw shots for 84.6 percent.

The Golden Eagles hung right with the Warriors early on in Saturday night's game led by Redd's start to the game as the Golden Eagles got out to a 14-12 lead with 11:29 remaining following a Tim Lubke (So., G, St. Paul, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) three. Winona State would counter with an 11-0 run to get out to a 23-14 lead with 5:34 remaining in the first half. Mongan led the way during the crucial stretch with five points. The Warriors would go into the break up 36-20 on the Golden Eagles.

Minnesota Crookston made things interesting again early on in the second half, as they were poised to make a dent in the Warrior lead. Threes from Redd and Hughes would help cut the WSU advantage to 42-32 at the 15:21 mark. Free throws from West would make things even more interesting as the Golden Eagles got to within eight (44-36) with 14:07 left.

However from there on, everything was about Winona State as they took over. A 9-0 run for the Warriors would quickly push them out to a 53-36 lead with 12:04 left. Minnesota Crookston would then fail to score for over three minutes after a Lubke lay-in with 10:14 remaining. During this time, the Warriors would push out to a 70-43 advantage and would not look back, winning 70-43.

The Golden Eagles were again without leading scorer Ashton Harrell (Sr., G, Houston, Texas/Sports and Rec Management), who will likely miss the rest of the season with an injury.

Minnesota Crookston will hit the road next weekend as they head to Wayne State College Fri., Jan. 10 for an 8 p.m. meeting. They will then face Augustana College (S.D.) at 6 p.m. Sat., Jan. 11.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

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The University of Minnesota Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).