WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State University women's basketball team concludes its stretch of five consecutive games away from home with an NSIC road trip to Augustana and Wayne State. The Warriors take on the Vikings Friday at 5:30 p.m. and the Wildcats on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Winona State (5-0, 1-0 NSIC) also won five straight to begin the 2017-18 season – its two best starts since opening the 2015-16 campaign with a record of 13-0.
The Warriors rank third in the NSIC in scoring average (79.2 ppg) and are 10th in scoring defense (63.8). Winona State owns a +15.4 scoring margin through five tilts. WSU is shooting 42.6% from the field and 36.3% from downtown – a mark that ranks fifth in the league. The Warriors have also taken care of the ball well, sporting a +5.2 turnover margin and a 1.20 assist-to-turnover ratio.
This year's team features a balanced scoring attack with plenty of depth, showcasing six players averaging double figures. Emily Kieck (12.6 ppg) leads the way, followed by Allie Pickrain (11.7), Sydney Lodermeier (11.4), Taylor Hustad (11.2) and Caitlin Riley (11.0) and Emma Fee (10.6). Three of those players are shooting over 50% from the field and five of the six are shooting at least 40%.
Hustad has been a force on the boards, leading the team with 7.2 rebounds/game, followed by Fee (6.2) and Lodermeier (5.8). Kieck has dished out a team-high 26 assists while committing just eight turnovers for a league-leading 3.3 assist/turnover ratio.
After this road trip, the Warriors will return home for the first time since mid-November for a three-game homestand beginning on December 13-14.
Scouting Augustana
The Vikings (4-1, 0-1 NSIC) dropped their conference opener to Wayne State last weekend, 80-76. Augie went 22-11 (13-9 NSIC) a year ago, and swept the season series from Winona State.
Augustana ranks just behind WSU in scoring average (78.2 ppg) and is sixth in the NSIC in scoring defense (61.2). The Vikings are shooting 40% from the field, but have struggled from beyond the arc thus far to a 31% clip. Augie has also had issues at the charity stripe, shooting just 63.9% from the free throw line. A key to the game could be the Warriors ability to stop the Vikings from second-chance opportunities as Augie ranks second in the NSIC in offensive rebounds (71).
Abby Hora leads the team and ranks ninth in the NSIC in scoring (15.0 ppg), while Lauren Sees (13.0) and Vishe' Rabb (12.8) round out the scoring leaders. The next best Viking scorer is Izzy Van Veldhuizne (6.5). Hana Metoxen has a team-best 6.2 rebounds/game.
Scouting Wayne State
The Wildcats (5-1, 1-0 NSIC) host Upper Iowa on Friday before the weekend finale vs. Winona State. Wayne's lone loss thus far was an 83-79 setback to Nebraska-Kearney. The Warriors and Wildcats split last year's series, 1-1, each winning tight ballgames on their home court.
Wayne State ranks fifth in the NSIC in scoring (78.0 ppg) and 13th in scoring defense (67.3). The Wildcats are fifth in the conference in shooting percentage (43.5%) and second in three-point shooting (37.9%). Wayne is one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the league.
Erin Norling paces the NSIC in scoring (21.5 ppg) on 46.7% shooting from the field. Three other Wildcats averaging double digits in the scoring column behind Norling. The junior forward is also the team's top rebounder (7.3).
