CROOKSTON, MINN. – Junior Kayla Schaefer scored a career-high 20 on Saturday afternoon at the University of Minnesota Crookston, propelling Winona State University's second-half rally in a 74-73 triumph.
Both teams struggled from the field in the opening half as WSU went into the locker room trailing, 34-26. The Warriors shot just 38 percent over the first two quarters, including an uncharacteristic 1-for-9 effort from beyond the arc.
The Golden Eagles led by as many as 16 points after starting the second quarter on a 10-0 run which blossomed into a 22-5 stretch. Alyssa Jurges knocked down the Warriors' lone three-pointer of the half late in the quarter as Winona cut its deficit back to single digits at the break.
In typical Warrior fashion, Winona State came out of the break and upped the intensity. Riding the hot hand of Liz Evenocheck, WSU cut its deficit to a single point two separate times as she heated up from beyond the arc. With one tick left on the clock in the third quarter, Rachel Novotny put Winona State up one, knocking down two shots from the free throw line.
The fourth quarter would prove to be a good one as the two teams battled to the finish line. Novotny's layup with 5:53 remaining broke a 57-all tie and put the Warriors on top for good. The Golden Eagles again made it a one possession game with 31 seconds left, but Schaefer's jump shot in the lane halted the home team's momentum, and the Warriors iced their victory at the free throw line.
Hannah McGlone notched her sixth double-double in the past eight games with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The senior even knocked down a three-point basket in the second half as Winona went 5-for-8 from downtown to close out the game.
Evenocheck chipped in 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting, including a 3-for-7 effort from beyond the arc.
Winona State improves to 10-1 (6-1 NSIC) with the hard-fought victory, while Minnesota Crookston falls to 1-9 (1-5 NSIC).
The Warriors close out the 2017 portion of their schedule tomorrow afternoon at Bemidji State. Game time is slated for 1:30 p.m.
