The No. 10 Winona State women's basketball team is set to play its first NSIC home games of the year, taking on Southwest Minnesota State at 6 p.m. Friday before hosting undefeated Sioux Falls at 4 p.m. Saturday.
ON A ROLL-OFS: Junior guard
Tara Roelofs has reached double figures in all but one game this season and has scored 15 or more in all but three. But Roelofs' best performance came last weekend at Upper Iowa, scoring a career high 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting while hitting 4-of-5 3-pointers. Roelofs gets it done at the line too, hitting all 19 of her free throws this season.
STILL UNBEATEN: The Warriors have lived up to their preseason praise, earning an 8-0 start this season. The Warriors swept three games at the Disney Tip-Off Classic in California before beating Saint Mary's 90-68, UW-Eau Claire and Viterbo in nonconference play in McCown Gym.
FANTASTIC FOURSOME: WSU's top four scorers have picked up where the left off from strong seasons a year ago. After each finishing in double figures in points per game last season, the tune is the same this year, as through eight games
Alexis Foley (12.8),
Tara Roelofs (14.9),
Kayla Timmerman (12.7) and
Connor Nagle (10.6) are all above 10 points per game again.
TRIPLE FOR NAGLE: Sharp-shooting senior
Connor Nagle continues to be a 3-point threat, ranking 11th in Division II with 22 3-pointers and 17th in 3-pointer percentage (53.7%). Nagle is tied for sixth in WSU history in career 3-pointers with 126.
EASY CHARITY: WSU leads Division II when it comes to free throw shooting this season, hitting 89.3 percent of its shots from the line (109-of-122). No one comes close to the Warriors, with Maryville (MO) more than six percentage points behind at 83.1 percent.
TURNOVERS IN THEIR FAVOR: WSU is ranked fourth in Division II in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.6. Not only have the Warriors taken good care of the basketball, they've been a hassle for their opponents, recently overwhelming Viterbo and Loras in back-to-back games to the tune of 29 and 27 turnovers, respectively. WSU has forced at least 13 turnovers in every game this season.
MOVIN' UP THE RANKINGS: The Warriors jumped one spot to No. 10 in this week's WBCA Top 25 Poll, it's highest-ever ranking. After making its first-ever apperance in the WBCA Preseason Top 25 Coaches' Poll with a No. 16 ranking to begin the year, WSU moved up five spots in the first regular season poll at No. 11 before its latest move.
D2SIDA POLL: The Warriors held steady in the D2SIDA (Division II Sports Information Directors of America) national poll, staying put at No. 14 this week. In the regional poll, the Warriors are ranked No. 3, behind only Emporia State and Fort Hays State.
DEFENDING McCOWN: WSU will look to repeat its success of last year in NSIC home games. WSU went 10-1 in McCown Gym in NSIC play last season, falling only to Augustana in the regular season finale. The Warriors also brought their streak of nonconferene home wins to 13 after a victory over Loras last week.
