Box Score

WINONA, Minn. – Defending national champion Winona State University found a way – again – to stymie the Northern State University Wolves, this time taking an 85-75 win over the Wolves Friday evening in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball action.

The Warriors, who handed the Wolves their only four losses of the season in 2007-08, held off a late push to take the win and improve to 10-4 overall and 3-2 in league play.  NSU, meanwhile, playing their first road game of the season, fell to 10-2 on the year and 3-2 in the conference.

After finding themselves down by five after the first half of play, the Wolves rallied back to take a 43-37 lead with 15:04 left in the second half.  Senior Kevin Ratzsch (Bloomington, Ill.) capped the rally with a 3-point play, giving him seven points in the first five minutes of the second period.

Winona State then put together a gradual come-back to force the game's sixth tie at the 11:40 mark before ripping off a 12-0 run that put the Warriors in the driver's seat for the remainder of the game.

The Wolves would battle back to get within six with 5:37 left to play, but the Warriors again stretched their lead back out to double digits and converted on free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.

Ratzsch had 23 points to lead four players in double figures for the Wolves.  Junior Mitch Boeck (Arlington, S.D.) added 19 on a quartet of 3-pointers.  Junior center Robert Thomas (Mankato, Minn.) added 12, while senior Kyle Schwan (Aberdeen, S.D.) chipped in 11 points and eight assists off the bench.

WSU's David Johnson scored 20 points to lead the way for the Warriors, passing the 1,000-point threshhold in the process.  Jon Walburg added 16 off the bench, while Travis Whipple and Ben Fischer each finished with 13.

The Warriors have now won the last 11 meetings between the two teams.  NSU's last win over Winona State came back on March 6, 2005 in the NSIC tournament title game.  Saturday's loss also thwarted NSU Head Coach Don Meyer's quest for a piece of NCAA history.  Still with 901 career wins, Meyer is just one win shy of tying Bob Knight for most career victories by an NCAA men's coach.

The Wolves will be back on the court tomorrow night, as they take on Upper Iowa University in another key NSIC matchup.  The Peacocks knocked off the University of Mary 62-59 on Friday.  Saturday's tip-off is slated for 8 p.m.