SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – True freshman Connor Flack hit a pair of clutch free throws with two seconds left to lift the Winona State men's basketball team to a 70-68 win over Northern State Saturday night in the quarterfinals of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
After Riley Bambenek hit a pair of free throws with 49 seconds to play to move ahead 68-62 over the Wolves, NSU hit back-to-back 3-pointers – one with 42 seconds to play and another one with three seconds left to momentarily tie the game at 68-68. But the Warriors sent an inbounds pass to Flack, who was fouled while attempting to corral the pass. The first-year player then made both free throws to seal WSU's trip to the semifinals.
The victory advances the Warriors to the semifinals to take on the South's top seed Augustana at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Pentagon.
Bambenek led the Warriors with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting with a 3-of-5 mark from 3-point range. Kyle Bauman added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The Warriors turned in a terrific performance from 3-point range, finishing the game 13-of-23, including six of their first seven and 9-of-13 in the first half. The Wolves, meanwhile, connected on just 7-of-31 attempts from behind the arc.
WSU found itself behind for much of the first half, but a Bambenek 3-point shot at the 3:54 mark put the Warriors in front for the first time, 29-28. He then put the Warriors up 32-30 with another triple before a 3-pointer from Charlie Koontz to give WSU its largest lead of the half, 37-32, heading into the locker room.
A 3-pointer from Corey Jeffs and free throws from Mark Blacklock gave the Warriors a 42-34 lead early in the second half, but Northern State answered with a 10-0 run before Bauman stopped the run with another Warrior 3-pointer to put WSU on top 45-44.
Bambenek came up big down the stretch in a tight, back-and-forth game, hitting back-to-back jumpers with three minutes to play to put the Warriors up 63-58 before his 3-pointer at the 1:35 mark made it 66-60 and his free throws made it 68-62 prior to the wild finish.