WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State University Warriors produced one of their best all-around efforts of the season on Friday night inside McCown Gymnasium in a 75-55 rout of the University of Minnesota Crookston. The Warriors took a double-digit lead in the second quarter and never looked back while shooting 42 percent from downtown in the win.

Allie Pickrain finished with a season-best 21 points on 5-9 shooting from beyond the arc while Jenna Bruss scored a career-best 11 points on a perfect 3-3 effort from three-point land.

Winona State improves to 11-4 (7-4 NSIC) while handing UMC (2-13, 1-10 NSIC) its sixth straight loss.

After the Golden Eagles cracked the scoring seal on the ballgame, Winona State used a 9-0 run in an attempt to set the tone early. However, Crookston battled back in the first quarter and tied the affair at 15-15 with 51 seconds remaining before a go-ahead jumper in the paint by Taylor Hustad gave the home team a 17-15 edge heading to the second frame.

The Warriors began to pull away in the second quarter, outscoring Crookston by a 19-10 count, including another run of nine unanswered points. Pickrain chipped in eight in the quarter as the junior guard hit a pair of triples early in the frame. A steal and layup by Emily Kieck with two minutes left would give the Warriors a 36-25 lead going into the break. 

Kieck was all over the floor in the victory, tallying seven points to go along with four rebounds, nine assists and zero turnovers.

Balance was key in the third quarter, as the Warriors used eight players to outscore the Golden Eagles, 24-20. A layup by Ava Sergio off a Kieck assist halfway through the quarter gave the Warriors their largest lead of the game at 17, and three pointers by Bruss and Abby Callahan would help the Warriors close the quarter strong, leading 60-45.

With a 15-point lead going into the fourth quarter, the Warriors were content to work the shot clock to keep the lead. The Crookston came as close as 14 with four minutes left in the game, but three straight three-pointers by Pickrain and Bruss silenced the Golden Eagle hopeful and trounced and hope of a late comeback. 

The Warriors held Crookston to just 5-24 (20.8%) from beyond the arc while shooting 10-24 themselves.

Winona State will close the weekend inside McCown Gymnasium on Saturday as the Warriors host Bemidji State at 3:30 p.m. The Beavers are coming off a nail-biting 74-72 win at Upper Iowa on Friday.