WINONA, Minn. – Kayla Timmerman recorded her second double-double of the season to lead the Winona State women's basketball team to a 70-65 victory over the University of Mary Friday night in front of 1,007 fans in McCown Gym.
Timmerman put together a complete game for the Warriors, scoring 16 points while grabbing 12 rebounds, swatting three shots and recording a career-best three steals.
It wasn't easy early on, but the Warriors were able to overcome a slow start to the game, falling behind 12-2 while missing their first eight shots while U-Mary made 6-of-8 to open the game. Timmerman kept WSU in the game, however, scoring the first three baskets for the Warriors to bring the score to 16-8. Just a few minutes later, Timmerman would score again to give her 10 points with more than 10 minutes to go in the first half, but the Warriors would still trail 16-12.
The first basket from a Warrior not named Timmerman came on a Connor Nagle jumper with 7:47 to play in the half. Alexis Foley later got the offense going with a layup followed by a 3-pointer on the next possession to cut the Marauder lead to just one at 22-21. The Warriors then got contribution off the bench, as Jenny Tuttle hit a pair of 3-pointers less than a minute after checking in. Her first 3-pointer tied the game at 24-24, and after a Foley layup to put WSU on top for the first time, Tuttle hit another one to extend the lead to 29-24 with 4:23 left in the first half as WSU hung onto the lead until the 31-28 halftime score.
Timmerman finished the first half with 12 points, while Foley had nine and Tuttle had six. Despite the lead, the Warriors shot just 34 percent (12-of-35) from the field, while the Marauders shot 44 percent (11-of-25). WSU had just three turnovers in the opening 20 minutes while forcing eight Marauder miscues.
U-Mary would get back out in front, taking a 45-43 lead on a 3-pointer, and after another basket had a 47-43 lead with 11:59 to play in the half. The Warriors would clamp down from there, going on a 13-3 run capped off by back-to-back 3-pointers by Nagle and Emily Passint to retake a 56-50 lead, one the Warriors would not relinquish.
The Marauders would come close, however, as a Dani Williams layup cut the deficit to just 62-61 with 1:29 to play, but Hannah McGlone came up with a big offensive rebound off her own miss and scored to put WSU up 64-61 with 49 seconds to play. After a pair of Nagle free throws and a crucial steal by Kali Hackmann, the Warriors had iced the game and earned the 70-65 win.
Foley led the Warriors in scoring, finishing with a game-high 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting. The junior also grabbed six rebounds and dished out a pair of assists. Nagle added 14 points with a team-high four assists and two steals as the duo along with Timmerman accounted for 49 of the Warriors' points.
For the second straight game the Warriors were outshot by their opponent, as U-Mary shot 42.9 percent compared to 38.5 percent for WSU. Winona State was better in most other facets, however, outrebounding the Maruaders 42-36, committing 11 turnovers compared to U-Mary's 15, and racking up eight steals to Mary's three.
Winona State (12-3, 8-3 NSIC) remains unbeaten at home this season and will look to continue the streak when it welcomes Minot State into McCown Gym Saturday for a 4 p.m. tipoff.
