WINONA, Minn. – A career-best 20 points by sophomore Sydney Lodermeier wasn't enough on Saturday evening as Winona State University dropped a high-scoring, 89-82, decision to Concordia-St. Paul inside McCown Gymnasium.
The Warriors entered the weekend homestand on a seven-game winning streak but fall to 7-2 (3-2 NSIC) after suffering back-to-back setbacks. CSP improves to 5-5 (2-2 NSIC).
Both teams shot the ball well from beyond the arc as Winona State went 11-24 while trying to keep up with the Golden Bears' torrid 12-24 effort.
CSP and WSU traded the lead 13 times in the ballgame and combined for 39 fastbreak points as the sides raced up and down the court. In a rare occurrence, the Warrior bench was outscored by the Golden Bear reserves, 36-22.
The Golden Bears owned a 43-42 edge at halftime and entered the fourth frame with a nine-point advantage after outscoring the Warriors by eight in the third quarter. CSP would stretch its lead to 13 in the fourth quarter before a seven-point WSU run.
Lodermeier cut the Warrior deficit to 73-67 with a three-pointer at the end of the run, but the Golden Bears answered right back with seven unanswered points of their own over the next minute. CSP carried a double-digit lead until the 2:19 mark of the final frame when Emily Kieck connected from downtown on the front end of five straight points scored by herself.
Kieck struck again from three-point land with 59 seconds left to play to make it an 80-86 contest, but the Golden Bears would seal their road victory at the free throw line.
The third quarter proved to be the turning point in the tilt as WSU shot just 30 percent in the frame while CSP continued its hot-shooting effort.
Allie Pickrain scored eight of her 16 points in the first quarter that saw the Warriors claim a 23-16 advantage after the first 10 minutes of action. Taylor Hustad recorded her fifth double-double of the year with 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. The junior continues to lead the NSIC in rebounding (9.4/game). Freshman Alex Dornfeld chipped in a season-high 11 points off the WSU bench.
The Warriors close out 2019 next Saturday when they host Upper Iowa University and seek a season sweep over the Peacocks. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. in Winona.
