Crookston, Minn. – Winona State used 44 first half points and 29 points in the game from Alec Rosner to knock off Minnesota Crookston, 70-65 on Saturday afternoon in Crookston.
With the loss, the Golden Eagles fall to 4-12 (1-9 NSIC), while the Warriors improve to 9-4 (5-3 NSIC).
Nathaniel Powell (R-So., C, Nottingham, England) got the Golden Eagles off to a good start with a layup on the first possession of the game to get the Golden Eagles off to a 2-0 start.
Rosner would come down and bury a three for three of his first half 19 points to put the Warriors up at 3-2.
Trailing 6-4, Minnesota Crookston would score seven in a row, highlighted by a
Leonard Dixon (R-Jr., F, Demascus, Ore.) three and an
Uzo Dibiamaka (R-So., G, Adelaide, South Australia) layup on a beautiful cut.
The Warriors would come back and take an 18-13 lead, but Dixon would bury yet another three, this time from the right corner to cut the WSU lead back to 18-16.
WSU would then go on a 13-2 run midway through the first half to take their largest lead of the game to that point, at 31-18.
Zach Westphal (R-Sr., G, West Fargo, N.D.) would make two free throws to halt the large Warrior run.
Ron Kirk, Jr. (Fr., G, Milwaukee, Wis.) scored a career-high seven points in yesterday's loss to Upper Iowa and continued his solid play into this afternoon. Kirk, Jr., buried his first career three right in front of the Warriors bench to cut the lead back to single digits to eight.
The Warriors seemingly couldn't miss in the first half, making 10 first half three's and headed into the locker room with a 44-30 lead.
Minnesota Crookston wouldn't go away in the second half. The maroon and gold would go on another 7-0 run, fueled by a Dixon three to cut the deficit back to just nine at 46-37.
Midway through the second half, Dibiamaka would make a difficult layup to cut the lead to 51-45 with 10:42 remaining in the game.
The Warriors would eventually get the lead into double-figures again, but the Golden Eagles would cut the lead to just three, highlighted by six straight free throw makes from Westphal,
Brian Sitzmann (R-Sr., G, Savage, Minn.) and
Jerome Mabry (R-So., G, Milwaukee, Wis.).
With the Warriors leading 62-59, they would lean on the South Dakota State transfer Owen King, who would hit a tough fade away shot near the end of the shot clock to put the Warriors up 64-59.
Dibiamaka would then come down and bury a mid-range shot, but King would make two free throws. Sitzmann would make a three to cut the Golden Eagle deficit to just two at 66-64.
WSU would make free throws down the stretch to close out the Golden Eagles.
Golden Eagle Head Coach
Dan Weisse loved his team's effort in the second half.
"It was a tale of two halves," mentioned the eighth year Head Coach. "I loved the way our guys competed in the second half and if you find a way to play two halves, we will find ways to get stuff done."
Both the Warriors and Golden Eagles had three players in double-figures. Minnesota Crookston was led by Dixon's 16, while Powell and Westphal finished with 12 and 10, respectively. Sitzmann had nine, while Dibiamaka finished with six.
Minnesota Crookston finished the game shooting at 45.1 percent from the field and outrebounded the Warriors 38-24.
Minnesota Crookston will look to get back to their winning ways next weekend as they travel to St. Paul for a date with the Golden Bears of Concordia-St. Paul. Tip-off from the Gangelhoff Center is set for 5:30 P.M.
