Kyreese Willingham scored 25 points and Malik Willingham scored 23 as the Minnesota State Mankato men’s basketball team cruised to an 98-70 victory over Ferris State in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Elite Eight on Tuesday in Evansville, Ind.
Minnesota State Mankato men’s basketball crushes Ferris State in NCAA D-II Elite Eight
Kyreese Willingham scored 25 points and Malik Willingham scored 23 as the Mavericks (33-2) cruised to victory in Evansville, Ind., after jumping out to a 51-32 halftime lead.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 27, 2024 at 4:21AM
The Mavericks (33-2) will play West Texas A&M, which beat North Georgia, in the semifinals on Thursday.
Kyreese Willingham scored 16 points and Malik Willingham scored 13 in the first half as the Mavericks, in their first Elite Eight appearance since 2011, opened a 51-32 halftime lead.
The Mavericks, who led by one point (12-11) after six minutes of play, limited the Bulldogs to nine points over the next 10 minutes as they opened a 40-20 lead with four minutes left in the first half.
Kyreese Willingham was 10-for-13 from the field while Malik Willingham was 9-for-13 for the Mavericks, who shot 58% from the field (38 of 65) and 61% (14 of 23) from three-point range.
The Bulldogs (28-8) were led by DeSean Munson, who scored 11 points.
Biondi transfers to Notre Dame
Blake Biondi, the 2020 Minnesota Mr. Hockey award winner who has played the past four seasons at Minnesota Duluth, announced Tuesday on social media that he’ll skate next season for Notre Dame.
The 21-year-old center played 118 games for the Bulldogs, with 30 goals, before entering the transfer portal.
He played high school hockey at Hermantown, and had 37 goals and 39 assists as a senior to win Mr. Hockey.
Biondi, who is graduating from UMD with a double major in business and marketing, said on Instagram that he would pursue a master’s degree at Notre Dame.
Two offensive linemen from Lakeville, Bryce Benhart and Riley Mahlman, are standouts for Big Ten rivals of Minnesota.
