WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State women's basketball team turned the tables on the University of Sioux Falls, avenging a December defeat with a 69-52 win over the Cougars Friday night in Winona.

The Warriors, who fell to the Cougars 82-65 on Dec. 6, were in control from the get-go in the rematch while holding the Cougars to just one point shy of their season-low point performance and just 29 percent for the game.

After a quick 4-0 Cougar lead to start the game, the Warriors came right back and a Connor Nagle 3-pointer gave the Warriors their first lead at 5-4 with three minutes off the clock. WSU would hold a 12-11 lead with 10:43 to play before it went on a 9-2 run capped off by a Caitie Zepczyk layup to open up a 21-13 lead.

A few minutes later, sophomore guard Emily Passint drained a 3-pointer with 5:45 to play to push the lead to double digits at 26-16 and later an Alexis Foley move to the basket made it 30-18 with under four minutes to play. Foley then hit a 3-point shot – one of her team-high nine first-half points – to give the Warriors their largest lead of the half at 35-21 before settling for a 39-27 halftime advantage.

The Warriors shot 47 percent (15-of-32) in the opening half while holding USF to just 33 percent (9-of-27). Freshman Hannah McGlone had a fine half, putting up six points and five rebounds in 10 minutes of action.

WSU was cold to start the second half, missing its first eight shots, but the Cougars weren't able to take advantage of the drought, only cutting the Warrior lead to nine at 41-32 with 13:41 to play. After a Passint jumper and Foley's second 3-point basket of the game, the Warriors upped their lead back to 14 at 48-34. By the 10-minute media timeout the Warriors had their largest lead of the game at a 50-34 score.

After a quick spurt from the Cougars, Kali Hackmann sank a 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer – her first points of the game – and then Connor Nagle followed suit with one of her own to give the Warriors a 58-41 lead with 4:12 to play. Another attempt by USF to get back into it with a 5-0 run was countered by a Tara Roelofs 3-point play and a Timmerman layup to bring it to 63-46 with just over two minutes left.

The Warriors cooled off in the second half considerably, shooting just 32 percent to finish the game shooting 39 percent (25-of-63). The Cougars however, struggled mightily in the second half, shooting just 25 percent (8-of-32).

Despite shooting just 4-of-13 from the field, Nagle finished with a team-high 16 points on the strength of four 3-pointers while grabbing five rebounds, dishing out four assists and accumulating a pair of steals. Alexis Foley finished with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists. Kayla Timmerman finished just a basket shy of a double-double, recording 12 rebounds and eight points.

Winona State (10-3, 6-3 NSIC) returns to McCown Gym Saturday afternoon to take on Southwest Minnesota State at 4 p.m.