Box Score MOORHEAD, Minn. – A late drought from the 16th-ranked Dragons leads to a loss from the hands of the 13th-ranked Warriors. Minnesota State University Moorhead (13-2, 9-2 NSIC) fell 76-63 in Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse to Winona State (15-2, 10-1 NSIC) Saturday.
Junior
Jake Lindfors began the scoring for the Dragons with a finesse post move after a minute in the game. Following an answer from the Warriors, both teams would go on to miss the next nine shots. And then the scoring would kick off.
Andrew VanHavermaet scored 9 of the Dragons next 14 points with the last coming off a screen behind the arc, setting the score at 16-13 in favor of the Dragons with 11 minutes remaining in the half.
DJ Hamilton followed VanHavermaet's 3-point lead and sank a shot from 3-point land to give the Dragons their biggest lead of the half at 6.
The Warriors answered the Dragons challenge by bringing the score to within two with 6 minutes and 33 seconds left in the first half. A drive from Taylor Cameron brought the Dragon lead down, 23-21. Hamilton took the ball and drove into the lane converting on a layup. The Warriors grabbed their first lead since the 12 minute mark off two free throws. VanHavermaet's fourth three of the half tied the game at 30 and the two teams would trade scores until Clayton Vette put down a post shot to end the half, 38-36 in favor of the Warriors.
Hamilton, after scoring nine first half points, opened the second half with a floater over multiple defenders that was quickly answered with a three by Cameron of Winona State.
Charlie Chapman gave the Dragons their first lead, 43-41, since five minutes remaining in the first off a deep jumper. The Warriors' Jon Walburg grabbed the lead back with a 3-pointer but was quickly answered by Lindfors who sank a three of his own, setting the score at 48-46 Dragons. Following two made shots each from the Dragons and Warriors, the two teams would go on to miss the next 11 shots over a span of three and a half minutes.
Cameron ended the drought for the Warriors with a post score and the foul, tying the game at 52 with 10 minutes left in the game. Lindfors, scoring 21 points and 15 in the second half, ended a scoring drought for the Dragons with an unassisted jump-shot from the right. Only two more points could be scored, from Lindfor's free throws, before Winona State grabbed a 10 point lead, 66-56. A drought of 12 missed field goals from MSUM was finally snapped by a Chapman 3-pointer to set the score at 70-61 with over two minutes to play. The deficit was too much for the Dragons to come back from as the Warriors took the game, 76-63.
"We can't get too high or too low after games and this is no exception. We are going to go out and keep doing the same things we have been for our difficult road trip coming up," head coach
Chad Walthall said following the game.
MSUM finished the game 22-for-58, 37.8%, from the field, 8-for-26, 30.8%, from three, and 11-for-13, 84.6%, from the free throw line. The Dragons had four players score in double figures: Lindfors (21), VanHavermaet (12), Chapman (11) and Hamilton (11).
WSU shot 24-for-62, 38.7%, from the field, 5-for-22, 22.7%, from three, and 23-for-29, 79.3%, from the free throw line. The Warriors had four players score in double-digits: Clayton Vette (24), Xavier Humphrey (13), Grant Johnson (10) and Taylor Cameron (10).
MSUM is on the road for the next three games, starting with a matchup against Concordia-St. Paul. The Dragons will face the Golden Bears in St. Paul, Minn. at 8 p.m.
Steve d'Eustachio's Stat of the Game: The Dragons have not beaten the Warriors at home since an 86-76 win on Feb. 21, 2003. Since then MSUM is 1-15 against Winona State.
