Crookston, Minn. – With Minnesota Crookston up by four with 17 seconds left, Jordan Mitchell (R-Jr., C, Columbus, Ohio) blocked a three-point attempt from Connor Drew and went coast-to-coast to finish through contact and an intentional foul, giving Mitchell two extra free throws. That play catapulted the Golden Eagles to a 77-69 win over Winona State on Friday night.
 
The win for the Golden Eagles improves them to 5-10 (2-7 NSIC).
 
The Warriors would jump out to a quick 5-0 lead, but Mitchell would start the game much like he finished it, with a driving layup.
 
Reid Grant (Jr., G, Johnston, Iowa) would make the first of his four shots from deep to knot the game at five.
 
Trailing 8-5, Minnesota Crookston would go on a 9-0 run, capped off by a Blaize Sagna (Jr., G, London, England) driving layup.
 
Connor Dillon, the leading scorer in the NSIC, would bury a three to give the Warriors a 26-25 lead, but a pair of free throws from Peter Fuchs, Jr. (R-Fr., G, Wausau, Wis.) and a layup from Mario Adams (Fr., G, Rosemount, Minn.) gave the Golden Eagles back the lead at 29-26.
 
Minnesota Crookston and Winona State would head into the halftime break tied at 30.
 
Coming out of the halftime break, Sagna would bury a three from the right corner to give the Golden Eagles a lead at 35-32.
 
Midway through the half, Winona State would take a lead at 51-47, which brought it to a media timeout. Out of the timeout, it would be a huge Minnesota Crookston run that would turn the game on its head.
 
Fuchs, Jr., would give the Golden Eagles a tough bucket, cutting the deficit to just a bucket and Sagna would give the Golden Eagles the lead for good with yet another three. Adams would cap off the run with his first career make from deep, giving the Golden Eagles their largest lead of the game at 59-51.
 
The Warriors would make a push, but for every push the Warriors would have, the Golden Eagles would answer. Leading by three at 67-64, Grant would bury a huge three to give the Golden Eagles a 70-64 lead.
 
Mitchell would cap off the win with that huge defensive play, turning defense into offense, propelling the Golden Eagles to the 77-69 win.
 
Sagna, who is averaging 31 points per game at home, tied his career-high of 36 points on 11-17 from the field and 5-7 from deep. Sagna was also 9-12 from the free throw line. Grant added 15 points on 4-6 from deep and Mitchell finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Fuchs, Jr., added seven points and five rebounds, while Adams added a career-high six points and two rebounds.
 
The Golden Eagles shot 51 percent from the field, including 64 percent in the second half. The Golden Eagles were also 10-18 from deep, the third time they have made double-digit three's.
 
What's Next
The Golden Eagles will welcome in the number 2/3 team in the nation tomorrow afternoon, as Minnesota State comes to Crookston for a 3:30 P.M. tip-off.