4 Wins=Elite 8

Winona State Makes it Four in a Row Over Northern State - WSU Advances to Elite 8

Winona, Minn. – No. 5 Winona State advances to their first ever Elite 8 after defeating No. 15 Northern State for the fourth time this season, this time 96-86 in the NCAA North Central Regional Finals. The Warriors send a school record 4,323 fans home happy as David Zellmann scored 31 points on his way to being named NCAA North Central Region Most Valuable Player.

Joining Zellman on the All-Region Tournament Team was teammate John Smith and Paris Kyles of Minnesota State Mankato. Northern State had two players, Matt Hammer (Sr., F, Elkton, S.D.) and Adam Grant (Sr., F, Berthold, N.D.) named to the team. Hammer finished with 18 points and five rebounds, while Grant scored a season high 25 points, tied a career high with 11 rebounds as he collected his second double double of his career.

This ends the career of three outstanding seniors who have been at NSU the past four year; Aaron Busack, Adam Grant and Matt Hammer. These three seniors combined for 4,436 points, 92 wins and three regional tournament appearances in their careers. Hammer finishes his career 11 th all-time in scoring at NSU with 1,686 points. Busack finished 15 th all-time at NSU with 1,643 while Grant finished 32 nd all-time with 1,107 career points. This also marks the end of Bjoern Schoo (Sr., C, Germany) who scored 410 points in his two years of playing at Northern State.

David Zellmann was on fire in the first half as he was 6-of-9 from the field for 23 points. Grant and Aaron Busack (Sr., C, Redwood Falls, Minn.) kept the Wolves close as they scored 12 and 10 respectively.

Winona State came out and opened up an 11 point lead, 20-9, with 12:51 left in the first half. Northern State head coach Don Meyer was charged with a technical foul with 12:09 left in the first half following a couple of questionable calls.

The technical cost the Wolves only one point as Zellmann was 1-of-2 at the line and the Warriors turned the ball over on their inbounds.

The Wolves would get as close as seven before the Warriors opened up a 13 point lead with 4:49 to go in the half.

The Wolves went on a 7-0 run as they closed the lead to six at 37-31 with 3:35 to go. The Wolves continued to chip away at the lead as cut it to five, 45-40 at the intermission following a Busack three point play with 17 seconds left in the first half.

Northern State came out in the second half and cut the lead to two, 45-47 with 17:02 left before the Warriors went on a 13-0 run over a two and a half minute span. The Wolves went 3:32 without a point, and 4:52 without a field goal as they trailed by 13, 63-50 with 12:10 to go.

The Wolves did have some opportunities to make a run, but turnovers in the second half hurt them all night, along with clutch Warrior shots.

The Wolves never quit. The Warriors were up as many as 14 late in the second half, but players like Luke Wicks (R-So., F, Gillette, Wyo.) drilled some late threes as he scored a career high 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting.

Winona State will advance to the Elite 8 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, March 22, 23 and 25. They will take on the winner of the East Regional.

Full NCAA Bracket (64 Teams)

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