RADLEY, Kan. (Interstat) — The Winona State Warriors and Southern Arkansas Muleriders will tip off their 2025-26 men’s basketball seasons against each other Friday at John Lance Arena.

Both teams enter the contest with 0-0 records, looking to start anew after their 2024-25 campaigns ended in defeat. The Warriors fell 70-59 to Minnesota-Moorhead in the NCAA Division II tournament on March 16. The Muleriders’ last outing was a 65-46 loss to Arkansas Tech on March 1.

The neutral-site game in Kansas is the first of a two-game trip for Winona State, which will face Washburn at the same venue on Saturday. The matchup also kicks off a challenging early-season schedule for Southern Arkansas, which hosts Bemidji State on Saturday before hitting the road for two games.

Friday’s contest will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Warriors, from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, will look to establish their tempo against the Muleriders from the Great American Conference.

The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. CST start.