ST PAUL, Minn. – Powered by a career-high 29 points from junior Ben Kopetzki, the Concordia-St. Paul men's basketball team (3-0, 1-0 NSIC) stayed unbeaten and opened NSIC play with an 83-58 win over Winona State (1-2, 0-1 NSIC) on Wednesday night at the Gangelhoff Center.

Kopetzki was dominant for the Golden Bears with a career-high 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting (52.6%), including 4-of-9 (44.4%) from deep, while adding three rebounds, two assists, and a perfect 5-of-5 mark at the foul line. The junior is now averaging 24.7 points per game this season, scoring 21 or more in all three contests.

CSP set the tone early with a dominant first half, shooting 17-of-29 (58.6%) from the floor and 8-of-15 (53.3%) from deep to lead by as many as 24 on the way to a 47-24 halftime advantage. The Golden Bears used active hands on defense to help carve out an early advantage, forcing 13 first-half turnovers and scoring 19 points off WSU miscues before the break. For the night, CSP finished with 26 points off turnovers and 13 steals while committing only 12 turnovers of its own.

The Golden Bears maintained control throughout the second half, never allowing the Warriors to get within 16 points as they closed out their first conference win of the season. CSP finished 31-of-62 (50.0%) from the field, 11-of-25 (44.0%) from deep, and assisted on 22 of its 31 made baskets, the most in a game so far this season.

Junior forward Jaden Wysocki had his strongest game as a Golden Bear with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, knocking down three triples and adding an assist and a block in 18 minutes.

Sam West impacted the game on both ends, totaling seven assists, three rebounds, two steals, and a block to go along with his three points. Junior Chet Kloss was strong on the glass with a game-high nine rebounds to go along with two assists.

CSP also showcased its depth once again, with six players scoring off the bench for a total of 30 points. Marcus Burks finished with four points, three rebounds, and a block, while Reid Patterson and Patrick Bath added eight and six points, respectively, with Patterson also coming away with three steals.

The win was CSP's first over Winona State since February 22, 2019 and the first under Head Coach Matt Fletcher. Concordia's 25-point margin of victory matched its largest since January 17, 2025, when it defeated Minnesota Crookston 93-68.

Winona State was led by Alessandro Tonelli's 14 points and two rebounds, while Aidan Bardic added 11 points and three boards. WSU shot 21-of-54 (38.9%) from the floor and just 3-of-19 (15.8%) from beyond the arc, struggling to keep pace with CSP's efficiency and ball pressure.

Concordia will now head to Springfield, Mo. For the Drury DoubleTree by Hilton Thanksgiving Classic next week, where it will take on host Drury (Mo.) on Tuesday and McKendree (Ill.) on Wednesday.