Winona, Minn. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team opened its 2014-15 season with a 59-55 victory at NCAA Division II Winona State University (Minn.) Saturday night in McCown Gymansium.  It was also Winona State's season-opener. In the first meeting between the teams since the 1999-2000 season, UW-L earned its first win over Winona State since a 82-80 victory in 1998-99.

Winona State led throughout the first half, taking its biggest lead at halftime by the score of 33-21. The Warriors led 16-14 with 8:50 remaining in the first half when they used a 17-7 run to end the half.

Leading by as many as 15 points in the second half, including 44-29 with 14:16 left, Winona State made a pair of three-point field goals in the first half 4:22 of the half. UW-L went on a 14-3 run to cut the lead to 47-43 with 6:37 remaining on Trent Schmidt's three-pointer.  Schmidt and Cale Zuiker each scored six points in the run.

Mark Blacklock's three-point field goal with 5:24 left gave the Warriors a 50-43 advantage, but the Eagles used a 11-1 run to take their first lead of the game at 54-51 with 2:13 remaining after a Kenny Finco three-point field goal.  Zuiker hit a pair of three-pointers in the run and Schmidt tied the contest at 51-51 with a pair of free throws with 2:46 left.

Winona State cut the lead to 54-52 as Isaiah Gray hit one-of-two at the free throw line with 1:54 remaining.  Finco missed a three-point field goal for the Eagles, but Riley Bambenek mised a pair of layups for the Warriors.  Zuiker went one-of-two at the line with :45 left for a 55-52 lead before Bambenek came back to tie the game at 55-55 on a three-point field goal with :44 remaining.

Zuiker was fouled with :32 left and converted both free throws for a 57-55 advantage.  Winona State then missed three straight shots from the field before Kyle Bauman was fouled with :21 remaining.  He missed both shots and UW-L's Clint Rihn was fouled with :15 left.  Rihn converted both free throws for the final margin.

UW-L outscored Winona State, 38-22, in the second half.

UW-L shot 36.4% from the field, including 40.9% (nine-of-22) from three-point range. The Eagles shot 72.0% (18-of-25) at the free throw line. Zuiker finished with a career-high 26 points, going six-of-13 from the field, including five-of-eight from three-point range. He was nine-of-13 at the line.  Connor De Bruin added 12 points, finishing four-of-five from the field, including hitting his only three-point attempt. He was three-of-four at the line.

Winona State shot 39.6% from the field, including 41.2% (seven-of-17) from three-point range. The Warriors shot 42.9% (six-of-14) at the line. Bambenek led Winona State with 19 points while Blacklock finished with 13.

UW-L returns to action Friday, November 21 facing Aurora University (Ill.) at 6 p.m. at the Carthage College (Wis.) Tournament.