BEMIDJI, Minn. – Flying high off an improbable fourth quarter comeback at Minnesota Crookston Friday night, Winona State University was grounded by Bemidji State University on Saturday in a 61-57 setback. The Warriors rallied in the fourth quarter yet again, but were unable to replicate Friday night's successful comeback formula.
Winona State returns to the .500 mark (8-8, 6-6 NSIC) with the disappointing loss, while Bemidji State (4-12, 2-10 NSIC) completes its first weekends weep of the season. The Beavers snapped a 12-game losing streak Friday night with their first conference win of the season and doubled-down Saturday over WSU.
The Warriors trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half of the interdivision battle before making it a one-possession game in the final minute of the fourth quarter. Gabie Doud, who scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half, drove in for a layup with 30 seconds left in regulation for a layup to make it a 60-57 game. A pair of missed three throws on the other end resulted in a Taylor Hustad rebound and gave WSU a chance to tie the game on the final possession following a timeout.
The Warriors rode their hot hand with a three-point attempt by Doud, but her shot was off the mark and the Beavers held on to defeat Winona State.
Bemidji State's perimeter shooting allowed the home team to control the first half of the game as the home team shot 43 percent from downtown over the first two quarters, compared to a 1-6 effort by WSU. Despite the lack of three-point attempts in the first half, the Warriors refused to let the Beavers pull away too far after WSU led 4-0 after the opening tipoff.
Back-to-back Beaver three-pointers opened the second frame and stretched their lead to nine points, but WSU answered with a six-point run of its own. The teams traded baskets throughout the remainder of the quarter that saw Rachel Novotny score six straight Warrior points to cut the BSU lead to 28-27 with 3:05 remaining before halftime. The Beavers then closed the half on a 10-piont run to carry the momentum and a 38-30 lead into the break.
The second half started off rough for both teams as the Warriors and Beavers missed a collective seven shots before BSU put points on the board and extended the lead over the Warriors to double-digits for the first time in the contest. Winona State tried to leverage the three-ball to get themselves back into the game by connected on three of seven attempts from beyond the arc as the Warriors trailed by eight heading to the final frame thanks to another late Beaver run.
Winona State slashed its deficit to a one-possession game on three occasions in the final frame, but was unable to complete its comeback bid. The Warriors fell victim to four turnovers in the fourth quarter and 15 on the night – their highest total in nearly a month.
WSU was able to dominate the offensive glass, 14-6, and score 16 second-chance points off those rebounds. Novotny pulled down a team-high 10 boards, including seven on the offensive end. It marks the senior's fifth double-digit rebounding effort of the season.
The Warriors return home to McCown Gymnasium next weekend for NSIC South contests against Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls on January 25-26.
