Balanced Scoring Pushes No. 21 Huskies to NSIC Championship with 87-82 Win over Minnesota State

Monday, March 2

Sioux Falls, S.D.

4:30 P.M.

St. Cloud State

25-5,20-2NSIC

Minnesota State

21-12,13-9NSIC

Minnesota St.

St. Cloud St.

Photo by: NSIC

Balanced Scoring Pushes No. 21 Huskies to NSIC Championship with 87-82 Win over Minnesota State

3/2/2026 10:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Five Huskies score 13+ points

Sioux Falls, S.D. – No. 21 St. Cloud State Men's Basketball (25-5, 20-2 NSIC) reached the championship game of the NSIC Tournament for the first time since the 2011 season with an 87-82 win over Minnesota State in the Semifinals. Five Huskies scored 13+ points with Luke Winkel's 25 leading the way.

Through the first six minutes, the game would be tied 12-12 in a physical battle early. Both teams were getting downhill and looking for finishes at the rim. Off the bench, Nate Dahl was a spark for SCSU who scored 10 straight for St. Cloud State as they led 20-16. Dahl connected on a pair of triples and was aggressive on drives. After a series of stops by both teams, Anish Ramlall cashed a three to push the lead to seven as Minnesota State called a timeout. SCSU caught fire from deep early as they started 4/4 from three. Out of the timeout, the Huskies pushed the lead to 13 with two layups in the paint and then free throws from Luke Winkel as the run extended to 12-0. Mankato would scrap back into the game as they pounded the paint to ultimately tie the game at 35 with 2:47 left in the half. With the game tied, Wyatt Hawks found his footing in the paint as he scored six of the final nine points for St. Cloud State in the half. Kynan Philippe added a three as they ended the half on a 9-2 run to lead 44-37. Strong shooting across the board for SCSU was key as they shot 53.6% from the field, 5/6 from three, and 9/10 from the free throw line.

Out of the break, the Huskies held a steady lead but were unable to break the game open. Each team responded to the other as it was a back-and-forth start to the half. After scoring four points in the first half, Winkel started to find a groove as a pair of three got him in a rhythm. His second triple kicked off a series of 10 straight points for the Ankeny, Iowa native. The Huskies would lead 66-59 with 8:34 left in the game after the spurt by Winkel. St. Cloud State continued to build up a lead as a tough short corner jumper by Philippe brought the lead to 12 with 5:08 left in the game. While the Mavericks increased the pace and fought back to get the game close, the Huskies did their part at the free throw line as they made 14 of their final 17 attempts in the last few minutes. Minnesota State never got closer than five points as St. Cloud State ultimately won 87-82 in the semifinals of the NSIC Tournament. Getting to the charity stripe was a key component in the win. St. Cloud State was the aggressor all night with physical rim attacks to absorb contact. They would make 28 of their 34 attempts at the free throw line.

Top Huskies

Luke Winkel led the Huskies with 25 points, three threes, two rebounds, and two assists. Winkel drew six fouls in the game and cashed those in by going 10/11 at the free throw line. 21 of his 25 points came in the second half. This was his ninth game scoring 25+ points this season.
Nate Dahl scored an efficient 18 points off the bench as he shot 6/10 from the field. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished two assists. This was his fourth game scoring 18+ points this season.
Kynan Philippe also had an efficient game as he produced 14 points (6/8) three rebounds, two assists, and a block and steal. Philippe also cashed two of his four three-pointers for his 13th multi-three game.

Notables

St. Cloud State is now 102-96 all-time against Minnesota State and have won three straight games against the Mavericks.
SCSU won their 18th straight game which is the longest streak since 1985-86 where they won 19 games in a row.
The Huskies led the game in three-pointers made (9-6), free throws made (28-12), assists (13-11), and bench points (18-12).
Anish Ramlall compiled 15 points and four rebounds. He shot 4/7 from the field, 2/3 from three, and 5/6 from the free throw line. This was his seventh game scoring 15+ points this season.
Wyatt Hawks was the final Husky in double figure scoring with 13 points. He recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. Hawks added two assists and blocks while shooting 7/8 from the free throw line.
Lee Marks III tallied two points, two rebounds, and three assists.

Up Next
St. Cloud State will be back in action tomorrow night as they take on Minnesota Duluth in the NSIC Championship game. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

For all the latest on St. Cloud State Men's Basketball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.