WINONA, Minn. – It wasn't the Senior Night celebration Winona State University had planned for, but the Warriors, along with seniors Rachel Novotny and Kayla Schaefer, will have one more chance to play in front of their home crowd next week in the NSIC Tournament after WSU dropped the final game of the regular season Saturday to Minnesota State, 55-49.
The Mavericks forced 17 Winona State turnovers which matched a season high for the Warriors. Mankato was able to turn those miscues into 16 points offensively, including 10 in the first half for 12 points. Offensively, the Warriors shot below 40 percent for the second straight contest.
Despite the sloppy first half, Winona State went into the locker room trailing just 31-30. Emily Kieck scored six of the Warriors' final eight points of the opening half.
After out-scoring the Mavericks in the second quarter, the Warrior offense went cold after the break and shot just 2-of-11 from the field. Mankato ceased the opportunity to distance themselves in the frame by padding their lead to 36-44 heading to the fourth.
Winona State didn't go away quietly in the final quarter though, and set up a competitive finish. The Warriors opened the frame with an eight-point run to erase their deficit entirely and knot the score at 44-all. Julia Silloway and Schaefer connected on threes, and a jumper by Allie Pickrain tied the game.
With the Mavericks back in front by five at the 3:38 mark, Gabie Doud drilled a three-pointer to make it a one-possession game. However, just as it did in the third quarter, the Warrior offense went silent from there. Mankato went on an eight-point run over the next two minutes as WSU was held without a field goal for the remainder of the contest.
The Mavericks out-rebounded the Warriors, 40-31, including 12 offensive boards after WSU held the advantage on the glass in the first half of play.
Pickrain was the only Warrior in double digits in the scoring column in the loss, registering 19 points. Novotny had a team-best nine rebounds.
Winona State finishes the regular season with a record of 14-12 (12-10 NSIC). Minnesota State (14-12, 11-11 NSIC) remains one game back in the final conference standings.
The Warriors will look to shake off back-to-back home losses when Winona State hosts Minot State in the opening round of the NSIC Tournament on Wednesday, February 27. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. in McCown Gymnasium.
