The Winona State University women's basketball team will welcome the Dragons of MSU-Moorhead Wednesday night at 5:30 for the Warrior's second straight home playoff game. While MSU-Moorhead was the fourth seed in the north and the Warriors the fifth seed in the south, Winona State owns the tiebreaker needed to host the game. The Warriors bested the Dragons 65-63 in overtime back on January 3.
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Scouting MSU Moorhead: The Dragons come into Wednesday's matchup owning a 17-12 (12-10 NSIC) record but have lost five of their last six contests. As a team the Dragons pride themselves on their defense, holding opponents to just 60 points/game. The Dragon offense runs through senior Megan Hintz who is averaging 15.1 points/game on 50% shooting from the floor. Behind Hintz, the Dragon offense is very balanced as five players average between 6.9 and 10.7 points/game. MSU-Moorhead has had postseason success recently, having qualified for the NCAA tournament in each of the previous three seasons.
Up and downs: The Warriors have had a turbulent season, having winnings streaks of six and four early on, but falling in six of their last eight games. Winona State has two signature wins over a top 15 Sioux Falls team but has also fallen to struggling teams such as Minot State and Northern State. Winona State should have an advantage being on their home court as they are 8-5 in McCown this season, while MSU-Moorhead is just 4-7 on the road.
Breakout season: After averaging just 3.0 points/game during her first two years in Winona,
Taylor Hustad has come alive in her junior year, averaging 14.2 points on 55.7% shooting. Hustad has been a consistent performer all season and leads the team with 10 double-doubles on the year. Hustad ranks sixth in the NSIC with 7.9 rebounds/game.
Making it (pick)rain: Junior guard
Allie Pickrain is currently in a tie for first in the NSIC with 2.6 threes/game. Her 200 career threes rank her in fifth place in WSU history and she needs just 55 more to pass current associate head coach
Ana Wurtz for the career mark. Pickrain is second on the team with 11.3 points/game and set a new career high with a 27-point performance against Bemidji state back in January.
Balanced lineup: The three remaining starters for the Warriors all compliment each other very well and have been crucial to their team's success this season.
Emily Kieck can dish the rock like no other and leads the NSIC with 4.7 assists/game.
Sydney Lodermeier has turned into a lockdown shooter and has hit 35 shots from behind the arc this season at a 48% clip. Center
Emma Fee ranks third on the team in scoring (9.0) and is tied for the team lead with nine blocks on the year.
Future is bright: The Warriors are rare in the fact that they have no seniors on their roster. The Warrior starting lineup consists of four juniors and a sophomore, with many underclassmen coming off the bench. With the welcome of some high profile recruits next year, the Warriors could be a dangerous team for a long time.
Ticket Information: Due to the fact Wednesday is a playoff game, ticket prices will be $12 for adults and $2 for students. The first 250 students with a valid WSU I.D. will get in free.
