The Winona State Warrior women's basketball team looks to snap a season-long four-game losing streak this weekend as they play host to No. 12 Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. Prior to their current skid, the Warriors had won four straight. Winona State's last victory came at nationally-ranked Sioux Falls in a 78-76 contest and stands as the Cougars' last loss back on January 25th.

Notes

SCOUTING USF: The Cougars (22-3, 15-3 NSIC) are sitting comfortably atop the conference standings – leading both the NSIC South and overall league. USF is coming off a convincing 20-point victory over a good MSU Moorhead team last weekend. The Cougars dominate on both sides of the ball, as they own the best scoring offense in the NSIC (76.8 ppg) and the fifth-best scoring defense (63.6). Sioux Falls' scoring margin (13.2) ranks 34th in the nation. The Cougars' offense runs through senior Kaely Hummel, who averages 17.4 ppg. Mariah Szymanski (11.9) and Anna Goodhope (10.5) average in double figures as well. The key to the game will be three-pointers, as Sioux Falls shoots the highest percentage in the NSIC (37.9%). The Warriors were able to get the victory back in January by forcing USF to shoot just 3-12 from behind the arc – their worst output of the season.

SCOUTING SMSU: The Mustangs (13-10, 8-10 NSIC) have won four of their last five contest and are coming off a 74-49 drubbing of Northern State last Saturday. While SMSU sits at seventh in the NSIC South, they are separated from the third-place Warriors by just two games. A strong finish to the year could see the Mustangs hosting a playoff game for the first time since the NSIC moved to 16 teams. In their lone meeting this year, the Warriors used a strong second half to defeat the Mustangs by a final score of 74-58. SMSU is strong defensively, as they allow teams to shoot just 26.5% from behind the arc – the lowest mark in the NSIC. They also rank third in the NSIC in blocks (3.74). The Mustangs have a balanced offense that is paced by Meleah Reinhart (15.0 ppg). Center Abuk Akoi is strong in the paint, as her 51 blocks lead the NSIC and ranks 17th in the nation. 

LATE SEASON LULL: The Warriors have struggled as of late, losing their last four games by an average of 16 points per game. Since the Warriors' last win, they have scored over 60 points just once and have been allowing teams to score an average of 72.5 points per game on nearly 50% shooting from the field.  It's been a tale of two halves in each of those contests, as the Warriors have remained in the game for at least two quarters before the opposition pulls away. To sweep the weekend, the Warriors will have to play consistently for all four quarters.

STAT STUFFER: Even in the recent setbacks, Taylor Hustad has still been doing her part. The junior racked up her 10th double-double of the season in last Friday's loss to Minot (11 points/10 rebounds), and she put up a game-high 26 points in the Warriors' loss to U-Mary last Saturday. Hustad leads the Warriors in points (15.4), rebounds (8.6), field goal percentage (.569), is second in steals (18) and third in assists (37).

GUARD GAME: The Warriors have some high-quality guards that can change the pace of the game at any moment. Junior Allie Pickrain is the only Warrior besides Hustad averaging in double figures in points (10.9). Fellow junior Emily Kieck has exactly 100 assists on the year compared to just 52 turnovers, nearly a 2:1 ratio. Sophomore Jenna Bruss has shown flashes this year, including a strong nine-point outing with two three-pointers against Mary on Saturday.