The Winona State women's basketball team is no stranger to Sioux Falls, S.D. in the postseason. The Warriors are making their fifth trip in as many years to the NSIC Quarterfinals and fill face off against the North's top-seeded MSU Moorhead Dragons. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 2.
WSU was bested by MSU Moorhead back in early January, 64-51, but the Warriors have been playing a consistent brand of basketball since the two teams met to open the 2019 portion of the schedule. Winona State looks to avenge its loss to the Dragons and earn a spot in the semifinals for yet another year.
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SCOUTING THE DRAGONS: MSU Moorhead compiled an NSIC-best 19-3 conference record this season and is on a current five-game winning streak. The Dragons put together an impressive 14-game streak through the better half of the season before Minnesota Duluth served MSUM its first conference loss. MSU Moorhead holds a 10-point margin on its opponents this season averaging 69 PPG while limiting opponents to just 59 – a mark that is second in the league. Defensively, the Dragons have nabbed the second-most rebounds in the league per game (41.2). MSUM is led by one of the NSIC's most prolific threats, Megan Hintz, who is averaging a double-double this season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Junior leads the conference in rebounding (309) and field goal percentage (55%).
INTERESTING FACT: Winona State is 3-1 over the past four seasons in the NSIC Quarterfinal round. The Warriors' last loss in a quarterfinal matchup was during the 2014-15 season to MSU Moorhead in a high-scoring affair, 93-84. WSU will look to reverse its fortunes against the Dragons in Saturday's matchup. Overall, the Warriors are 4-1 in NSIC Tournament games dating back to last year.
ALL-CONFERENCE: Two Warriors were honored with NSIC All-Conference Second Team selections Thursday. Rachel Novotny earned her first selection to the All-NSIC Team after compiling career highs in points (259) and rebounds (198) during her senior season. Novotny is ranked ninth in the NSIC in rebounds per game (7.2) and has recorded five double-doubles on the year. Allie Pickrain was named to the All-NSIC Second Team for the second straight year. Pickrain leads Winona State in scoring (11.1) and steals (25) while ranking second in assists (47).
RENEWED DISCIPLINE: Down the stretch Winona State has shown improvements on the defensive side of the ball. Over the past four games, WSU has handed out an average of 13 turnovers to the opposition, transitioning those miscues into 50 points. The Warriors have also picked up a keen eye for the ball on defense swatting 18 shots over the past five games. Rachel Novotny leads WSU in blocks (41) and has six over the last two contests. On the offensive side of the ball, Winona State continues to improve its ball control committing just 12.3 turnovers a game which is ranked 12th nationally. Additionally, the Warriors are among the top-20 in the nation, ranked 17th in fewest turnovers committed (321).
RECORD PACE: Sophomore Allie Pickrain is known throughout the league for her ability to shoot the three ball. In her rookie season, the NSIC Freshman of the Year drained an unprecedented 74 shots from beyond the arc, landing her in a tie for fifth on the Warriors all-time single-season list. The Apple Valley, Minn. native continues to electrify the crowd this season with another 63 three-pointers for a total of 137 in her young career — a mark that is currently eighth all-time in WSU history. Last month, the sophomore standout sank seven three's against Minot State to etch her name in a tie for fifth in program single-game history. If Pickrain continues to shoot at the rate she has been the past two seasons, Winona State could be seeing a new bar set for three-point shooters by the end of her career.
LEADING THE WAY: Heading into what Winona State hopes to be another deep playoff run, the Warriors look to leverage a balance of experience with a dash of young flair. The core four starters this season consist of seniors Rachel Novotny and Kayla Schaefer coupled with sophomore sensations Allie Pickrain and Emily Kieck. The experienced pair of Novotny and Schaefer bring a wealth of postseason expertise to the starting lineup as Schaefer has been a part of three Warrior squads that have made deep runs into the NSIC Tournament. Novotny, in her second season as a Warrior, will be a valued assed under the basket on defense as the senior has become a top-10 rebounder in the NSIC. The Warriors look to the sophomore duo of Pickrain and Kieck to provide the spark on offense as they each average 10-plus points a night. Pickrain is shooting a respectable 34% form beyond the arc averaging 2.4 three's per night. Kieck is the team's leading free-throw shooter sinking 89 of 117 attempts. Her ability to get to the line will be a valuable asset for the Warriors in the Tournament.
