WINONA, Minn. – Winona State University senior Kayla Schaefer scored 10 points in the fourth quarter of her final home game inside McCown Gymnasium Wednesday night to propel the Warriors to a gritty 63-57 victory over Minot State University in the opening round of the 2019 NSIC Women's Basketball Tournament.
After a plodding first two quarters of action in which the teams combined for just 36 points, both sides came out of the break to outscore their own first half totals in the third frame alone. The Beavers and Warriors both shot well under 40 percent in the opening half that saw WSU take a 20-16 lead into the locker room.
Defensively, Winona State held Minot State to single digits on the scoreboard in each of the first two periods while forcing 10 Beaver turnovers that the Warriors cashed into nine points offensively.
WSU led wire-to-wire in the third quarter and appeared poised to create some breathing room heading into the fourth, but Minot's dominance on the glass coupled with some clutch shots down the stretch kept it a close affair heading to the fourth. After the Beavers had slashed the Warrior lead to just one point at the 3:55 mark, the home team strung together seven straight points. Baskets by Gabie Doud and Schaefer, coupled with free throws from Emily Kieck and Taylor Hustad put Winona State up by a count of 37-29.
A Beaver three-pointer closed the frame and cut Winona State's lead to 41-36 entering the final quarter.
Minot State rallied in the fourth quarter to regain the lead, 42-41, for the first time since after the game's opening tip. The Beavers used an 11-2 run from late in the third quarter to the 8:36 mark of the fourth to pull in front for the first time since it was a 4-2 contest. The two sides traded baskets over the next few possessions until Schaefer drilled a clutch three-pointer with 4:42 left on the clock to give the Warriors the lead for good.
Doud also came up big for Winona State in the final minutes, scoring five of the Warriors' next seven points after Schaefer's three as the home team's advantage stood at 56-51 with 1:36 remaining. Following a Beaver basket on the other end, it was a one-possession game again until Schaefer put the final nail in Minot State's season with another three-point bucket.
Schaefer led WSU with 16 points on the night. Hustad netted a career-best 14 points, recording seven in the Warriors' sluggish first half. The sophomore also pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Doud chipped in 11 points off the bench – all of which came in the second half.
Winona State shot an uncharacteristic 24 percent from downtown, but was able to produce inside the arc shooting at a 48 percent clip. The Warriors were out-rebounded on the night, 37-26, but were still able to grind out the win.
Winona State improves to 15-12 on the season and will advance to the tournament quarterfinals. Minot State's season ends with a record of 13-16.
The Warriors will travel to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. to face off against the North's top-seeded MSU Moorhead Dragons on Saturday, March 2. Tipoff is slated for noon.
