The Winona State University women's basketball team concludes the regular season this weekend with games at Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State Mankato. The Warriors will look to avenge losses to both squads from earlier this season while also securing a first round home game for the NSIC Tournament beginning Wednesday, February 26.
Winona State snapped a four-game skid last weekend with a home sweep over No. 12 Sioux Falls and SMSU which gave the Warriors an inside track to host the first round of the postseason tournament.
Allie Pickrain was named the NSIC South Women's Basketball Player of the Week after averaging 21.5 points, 4.5 assists, two rebounds and a steal over the weekend. She shot 47.8% (11-23) from downtown in those games, while matching a career high with seven triples made against SMSU. Pickrain leads the NSIC in three-pointers/game (2.7) and ranks second in the league in three-point shooting (39.6%).
Ahead of Pickrain's 11.8 ppg, Taylor Hustad continues to lead WSU in scoring (14.6). Hustad ranks ninth in the NSIC in scoring and fourth in rebounding (8.2). The junior has recorded 10 double-doubles on the year.
Emma Fee (9.1), Emily Kieck (8.7), Sydney Lodermeier (8.7) and Caitlin Riley (7.5) round out the Warriors' scoring leaders. Fee has posted double-digits in the scoring column five of the last eight games and registered her third double-double last Saturday.
The Warriors dished out 23 assists compared to just four turnovers on Saturday vs. SMSU and were led by Kieck's nine assists. The junior leads the NSIC in assists/game (4.8) and assist/turnover ratio (2.1).
Scouting CSP
The Golden Bears (13-13, 10-10 NSIC) have won three of their last four games. CSP bested WSU in the first meeting of the season, 89-82 back in mid-December.
Riley Wheatcraft (14.0 ppg) leads a quartet of Golden Bears averaging double digits. Danielle Schaub (12.5) is shooting 44% from downtown. Collectively, CSP ranks fifth in the NSIC in scoring (72.5), but is 14th in scoring defense (71.9). The Golden Bears are the top three-point shooting team in the league (38.1%). CSP shot 50% (12-24) against WSU from downtown last time out.
Scouting Mankato
The Mavericks (14-10, 11-9 NSIC) are also in the hunt for a home playoff game next Wednesday and are sitting just behind WSU in the South standings. Mankato was a 77-65 winner over Winona State earlier this season.
Minnesota State ranks second in scoring offense (76.3 ppg) while ranking 12th in scoring defense (71.0). Kristi Fett (10.2) leads a balance offense with three others players averaging at least 9.0 ppg. Fett (6.5) is also the Mavericks' top rebounder and is shooting 55.1% from the field while operating mostly in the paint.
