WINONA, Minn. – Four players scored in double figures and the Winona State men's basketball team played outstanding defense, posting a 73-57 victory over No. 14 Minnesota State Friday inside a raucous McCown Gymnasium.

Kellen Taylor led the Warriors with 17 points and 10 rebounds, his sixth double-double of the season. Conrad Masberg and Kyle Bauman each added 12 points as Winona State shot 46 percent from the floor.

Taylor Cameron had a fantastic all-around game, scoring 10 points while grabbing eight rebounds and handing out eight assists. Riley Bambenek also made huge all-around contributions, scoring five points while collecting eight rebounds and handing out eight assists of his own.

WSU played outstanding defense throughout the game, holding MSU to 32.2 percent shooting and just an 18.2 percent (4-of-22) mark from behind the 3-point line.

The Warriors jumped out to an early lead, holding as large as a 17 point advantage in the opening half, before ultimately holding a 12 point lead at the break. The Mavericks chipped away in the second half, pulling to within seven on two different occasions.

WSU held a seven point lead, 60-53, with 5:23 to play before Cameron nailed a 3-pointer and Bauman connected on a jumper to move the Warrior advantage quickly to 12, 65-53, with 3:47 remaining. The WSU lead would never move out of double digits from there, ultimately ending with a 16 point Warrior victory.

The win moves Winona State to 16-4 overall and 11-2 in the NSIC, giving the Warriors sole possession of first place in the conference. The Warriors have now posted four consecutive wins over Minnesota State, with all four victories coming over ranked MSU teams.

Winona State moved the ball extremely well, recording 20 assists on 29 made field goals. The team knocked down eight shots from behind the 3-point line, with Taylor, Masberg and Cameron each connecting on two.

Stout defense staked the Warriors to a 39-27 halftime advantage, with WSU holding the Mavericks to 31 percent (9-of-29) from the floor in the opening period. Taylor scored 12 points and grabbed seven boards in the opening 20 minutes, with the Warriors shooting 51.5 percent (17-of-33) as a team.

The Warriors will return to the court Saturday when it hosts Concordia-St. Paul at 6 pm.