vs.
53		118

Game Summary / GameDay Online

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary's University men's basketball coach Mike Trewick vowed before the season started that his Cardinals were going to play a more up-tempo, run-and-gun brand of basketball this season.

And in their season opener against NCAA Division II power Winona State they did just that.

Problem was, in their season opener against NCAA Division II power Winona State — the nation's top-ranked Division II team and winners of 44 straight regular-season games — SMU brought a knife to a gunfight.

The Warriors made SMU their 45th straight regular-season victim in convincing fashion Saturday, as WSU gunned down the Cardinals in convincing fashion, 118-53.

“Winona State is a very good team, but we certainly didn't help ourselves out any,” said Trewick, whose team shot a dismal 28 percent from the field. “You can't shoot that poorly against a team as talented as they are and expect to keep up with them.

“On the bright side, I was happy with the way we kept battling and never let up,” added Trewick. “It's no fun to give up 100 points, but we never stopped working, and that was good to see.”

Will Wright (Chicago, Ill.) kicked off his collegiate career in style, scoring a team-high 20 points, while Michael Rohr (Bloomingdale, Ill.), who missed most of last season with an ankle injury, pulled down 10 boards. Winona State, meanwhile, boasted six players in double figures, led by Josh Korth's game-high 28.

“It's tough to open your season against a team as talented as Winona State,” said Trewick of the Warriors, who won the NCAA Division II title two years ago, and finished runner-up last season. “But it's a great learning experience for our guys. It may not seem like it with the way the final scored ended up, but we did some nice things. Obviously, we've got to do a better job on the offensive end, but there were plenty of bright spots, too.”