WINONA, Minn. – Winona State University, winners of eight straight games, hosts a pair of NSIC North foes this weekend to conclude a four-game homestand. The Warriors take on Minnesota Duluth on Friday night at 6 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. tipoff against St. Cloud State on Saturday in McCown Gymnasium.
WSU is a perfect 7-0 at home this season.
Both weekend games will be broadcast live on HBC25.
NOTES
WEEKEND RECAP: The Warriors opened the 2018 portion of their schedule with two victories over Southwest and Sioux Falls. Last Friday, Winona State stuck to the script they've been following all season long. The Warriors jumped out to an early lead and never really let off the gas. The only drought for WSU came in the form of a five-minute scoring slump in the fourth quarter, but managed to recover and close out another double-digit victory. Saturday, Winona State was able to avenge their only loss of the season by defeating Sioux Falls in another close matchup. The Warriors jumped out to a 10-point lead after the first quarter thanks to some hot shooting from beyond the arc. The Cougars clawed their way back in the middle part of the game, but Hannah McGlone took over for the Warriors in the fourth scoring 11 of her 21 total points to lead them to victory.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: Minnesota Duluth played a pair of close games this past weekend, winning them both. As a team, the Bulldogs shot 43 percent from the floor and 44 percent from three-point land. Minnesota Duluth doesn't give up much on the defensive end of the floor. The Bulldogs are third in the conference in points against, averaging 59.2 points per game. Sammy Kozlowski is the player to watch for in Friday night's matchup. She is averaging 12.6 points per game and isn't afraid to dish out assists with 70 on the season. St. Cloud is riding a three-game win-streak into the weekend after defeating Bemidji State and Crookston by double digit margins last weekend. The Huskies love to shoot the three, occupying the top spot in the conference at 38.2 percent. Tori Wortz is the Huskie to watch in Saturday's matchup. She averages 12.2 PPG and is a consistent threat from beyond the arc shooting 41 percent on the year.
SENIOR STANDOUT: Hannah McGlone continues to make an impact in her final season on the hardwood. This season, she is shooting a league-leading 58 percent from the field. McGlone also occupies the sixth spot on the conference scoring list (15.4 ppg), and still holds the top spot in rebounds per game (11.2). The senior is on a bit of a double-double streak, tallying her ninth of the season against Sioux Falls on Saturday. She is currently second all-time in rebounds at Winona State (807). This past weekend, she also nabbed her second NSIC Player of the Week honor after averaging 16.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 5 assists against Southwest and Sioux Falls.
MAKING THE SWITCH: Junior Rachel Novotny has added some much-needed support for Hannah McGlone under the basket this season for the Warriors. The transfer from Lake Superiors State has made an immediate impact in this season, starting every game so far and averaging a solid 8.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. She is shooting 51 percent from the field and is a solid 17-of-21 from the line. The two post players complement each other nicely and are a force to be reckoned with under the basket.
HOME SWEET HOME: McCown Gymnasium has been kind to the Warrior women in recent years. Currently undefeated on their home court, the Warriors are 46-4 in Winona dating back to the 2014-15 campaign.
