WINONA, Minn. – Winona State University junior Gabie Doud netted a season-high 27 points to match her career best Friday night as the Warriors held on in a heated NSIC South battle over Southwest Minnesota State University, 71-69.
The two teams kept fans inside McCown Gymnasium on the edge of their seats all evening in a scrappy contest that saw a combined 44 fouls called. Winona State was whistled for just 15, while four Mustangs fouled out of the game.
Despite that lopsided total, SMSU had a chance to win the ballgame in the final seconds, but the Mustangs' final attempt went off the mark and the Warriors held on for victory. Doud poured in 20 of her points in the second half of play.
The Mustangs controlled the game from the opening tip, knocking down consecutive three-pointers, which was a staple for SMSU all night as they launched 35 shots from beyond the arc. Winona State would take advantage of the Mustangs' lack of discipline, working their way back into the game by making 5-of-10 free throw opportunities to lead 18-16 after the first 10 minutes of play.
The Warriors quickly padded their lead to five points early in the second quarter with an and-one by Emily Kieck, but the Mustangs battled back to make it a one-point game before WSU pulled away in the period. The Warrior defense limited SMSU to just nine points in the frame to take a 38-25 lead into the break.
It wasn't until midway through the second quarter that Winona State finally distanced itself from the Mustangs. After a two-minute scoring drought, senior Kayla Schaefer found the bottom of the net to spark a 15-5 run that sent the teams into the locker room.
SMSU came out of halftime showing the Warriors that they weren't going away. Similar to the opening quarter, the Mustangs scored the first six points of the half and slashed the WSU lead to 40-37 midway through the frame. Doud caught fire late in the third quarter to keep the Mustangs at bay by scoring seven straight points for the Warriors to carry a 50-45 lead into the final period.
The Warriors and Mustangs continued to trade blows down the stretch. Behind 13 points from Doud in the fourth quarter, the Winona State lead swelled to 10 points with just 3:14 left on the clock before SMSU made its last push to the final whistle. The Warriors final five points all came from the free throw line in the persistent triumph.
Winona State converted 18 made free throws on the night while attempting a season-high 33 shots from the charity stripe.
Doud's performance off the bench helped WSU outscore SMSU in that category, 29-10. Winona State also squeaked out a victory on the boards with a 39-38 rebounding edge. Taylor Hustad led all players with nine boards. The Warriors owned a 34-26 scoring advantage inside the lane thanks to the slashing abilities of Doud and Kieck.
Kieck finished the game with 17 points, followed by Schaefer (12) and Allie Pickrain (11). Doud also led the team with seven rebounds.
Winona State improves to 9-8 (7-6 NSIC) while SMSU remains under the .500 mark at 8-10 (5-8 NSIC).
The Warriors will look to complete their first home sweep of the season on Saturday afternoon with the weekend finale against Sioux Falls. Tip off is set for 3:30 p.m.
