MARSHALL, Minn. – Emily Kieck was all over the court Saturday evening as the sophomore scored a career-best 26 points while pulling down a season-high seven rebounds to help Winona State University wipe out a first half deficit en route to a 79-68 victory at Southwest Minnesota State University.
The win helps propel Winona State (12-8, 7-5 NSIC) ahead of SMSU (9-11, 6-6 NSIC) in the South Division standings with the conference tournament set to begin in less than two weeks.
Winona State scuffled from the field in the first half but was still able to hang with the home team – trailing just 39-32 at the break. The Warriors shot 37.5 percent with just a 1-for-7 effort from downtown over the first two quarters. Kieck and the Warriors flipped the script in the second half and were able to rally for the road win while salvaging a weekend split to bolster their conference standing.
WSU shot 5-of-10 from three-point land in the second half led by Kieck's 4-for-5 effort. The sophomore scored 20 of her 26 points over the final two quarters in the comeback victory.
The Mustangs led by as many as 11 points in the third frame that saw the Warriors' cut their deficit to just two points on three occasions. The home team padded its advantage to 55-50 late in the third quarter before Winona State ultimately made its difference-making run.
The Warriors shot out of the gate in the fourth, scoring 12 unanswered points to grab the lead for good. Senior Rachel Novotny scored the first six before Kieck splashed back-to-back triples to extend the WSU lead to 62-55. With 4:14 left on the clock, Kieck drilled her third three-pointer in a four-minute span that saw the Warriors lead swell to 69-59 and cruise to the road triumph.
Novony tallied her second double-double in as many nights for her fifth such performance on the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Gabie Doud chipped in 18 points off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting. Taylor Hustad led the way with five assists from the post.
Winona State will look to secure a home playoff berth next weekend as the Warriors wrap up the regular season in McCown Gymnasium against CSP and Mankato on February 22-23.
