TOPEKA, Kan. - The Winona State University women's basketball team battled back to within one point of Northwest Missouri State, before falling 65-62 on the road in their first setback of the 2021-22 season.
The Bearcat's Peyton Kelderman hit a pair of free throws with ten seconds to go in the contest to put the game just out of reach of the Warriors, who outscored Northwest Missouri State 24-14 in the second half. WSU had closed the gap on the scoreboard to 63-62 Bearcats with under a minute remaining; unfortunately, Kelderman calmly hit both free throws to move the score to 65-62, and WSU was unable to convert on their last possession.
Emma Fee finished the game with a season-best 24 points, going 11-of-17 from the floor and a perfect 2-of-2 at the foul line. Fee also hauled in five rebounds to lead the team.
Taylor Hustad had 12 points as the only other Warrior in double-digits, while
Emily Kieck dished out five assists.
Momentum matters and Winona State fought back from a 41-28 halftime deficit, but the Bearcats were effective on the boards, denying Winona State an offensive rebound over the course of the entire game. Winona State held a 21-19 overall advantage in rebounds, but Northwest Missouri claimed five boards at the offensive end of the floor in the contest. For WSU, their surging fourth quarter allowed the Warriors to finish with a 59.6% overall shooting mark from the floor in the game, one of their best outings in terms of accuracy on the year.
The Bearcats were paced by Peyton Kelderman with 16 points, while Mallory McConkey had 14. McConkey and Jayna Green had five rebounds each.
Winona State (4-1, 1-0 NSIC) outscored Northwest Missouri (4-1, 0-0 MIAA) 34-24 in the second half, marking the third time in as many games the Warriors have owned the final two quarters. Unlike yesterday's 56-45 win over Washburn, Winona State was not able to take the final step against the Bearcats.
Head coach Scott Ballard and his team now move back into NSIC play when they travel to Concordia - St. Paul on Thursday, Dec. 2. The Warriors and Golden Bears will start at 7:30pm on Thursday, marking the second league outing for both teams.
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About Winona State University Athletics:
The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words:
Graduate Champions.
Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.
