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However, despite the three victories last week at the Disney Tip-Off Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., it wasn’t until the final game the Warriors truly felt they played well.
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WSU’s Josh Korth gets fouled as he goes up for a shot during the Warriors’ 144-90 exhibition win over Grinnell College Nov. 3 at McCown Gymnasium in Winona. The Warriors started the season with three wins in the Disney DII Tip-Off tournament and host Bethany Lutheran tonight for their home opener. (Photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News) |
The timing was perfect, too. WSU needed a strong effort to beat Assumption (Mass.), perhaps the best team it faced in the three-day tournament.
That 93-74 victory also gave the Warriors something to build on for their return home. They face Bethany Lutheran (Minn.) at 7 p.m. tonight in their home opener.
“If that last game had been close, I might have worried about a shaky start,” said senior center John Smith, who was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. “We didn’t play our best those first two games, but we still got the win and learned from both games.
“This is one of those teams that can learn quickly. That’s what makes good teams — if you can show improvement at a rapid pace.”
WSU, the top-ranked team in NCAA Division II, opened the season with an 88-82 victory over North Alabama in a game it led by 14 points in the first half.
The Warriors then needed to rally the next night for a 66-62 win over Philadelphia.
“It was a great experience playing that caliber of teams,” WSU coach Mike Leaf said.
“We got better each day and did play our best game of the tournament against probably the best team we saw down there in our field.
“We can build on that and continue to improve.”
That’s the goal in the next two weeks for WSU, which faces four Division III programs before opening the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference season on the road.
The Warriors (3-0) start a four-game homestand tonight against Bethany Lutheran, then host crosstown rival Saint Mary’s University on Saturday.
WSU also hosts UW-Stout on Tuesday and finishes the stretch Nov. 24 against St. Thomas.
“We need these games to start building team chemistry,” sophomore guard David Johnson said. “We have to start working better together and play a full 40 minutes.
“If we can put a whole game together, not many teams will be able to play with us.”
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