MOORHEAD, Minn. - The Winona State University women's basketball team travels to Moorhead, Minnesota for the front end of a pair of NSIC contests on the road.  Head coach Scott Ballard and his team will look to extend a two-game winning streak against the Dragons, a program Winona State last faced in February of 2020. 

Winona State Warriors (7-9, 4-8 NSIC) will take on Dragons (5-7, 4-4 NSIC) as both teams look to take the edge in a tightly contested series between the the programs.  Winona State and MSU - Moorhead at 8-8 overall against each other in their last 16 matchups. 

Read on for more regarding the Winona State women's basketball team as they travel to MSU-Moorhead to take on the Dragons on Saturday, January 21. 

Who: Winona State University vs Minnesota State Moorhead

What: The Warriors (7-9, 4-8 NSIC) will face the Dragons (5-7, 4-4 NSIC) 

When: Friday, January 21 with a.5:30pm CST start.

Where: Alex Nemzek Hall on the campus of Minnesota State University Moorhead

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Winona State Warriors:

The Warriors will travel to Moorhead, Minn. and take on MSUM on Friday, Jan. 21 and then to Aberdeen, S.D. to take on Northern State on Saturday, Jan. 22. WSU is 5-5 away from home this season and 4-4 in true road games.

Winona State has not played against MSU Moorhead since the 2019-20 season. The Warriors defeated the Dragons twice that year, including in the first round of the NSIC Tournament.

Winona State features one of the best frontcourt tandems across the league in Emma Fee and Taylor Hustad. Both individuals are in the top-10 in the NSIC for rebounds and have combined for five double-figure rebound games each.

The Warriors are currently 7-9 overall and 4-8 in the NSIC.

Winona State is averaging 61.8 points/game on the offensive end and give up 64.6 points/game on the defensive end for a scoring margin of -2.8.

WSU doesn't get to the charity stripe often, but when they do, they capitalize on the opportunity as they shoot .766 from the free-throw line which is the third-highest percentage in the NSIC.

The Warriors have a balanced scoring attack, with Taylor Hustad leading the way at 11.6 points/game. Emily Kieck averages 10.4 points/game as the only other Warrior in double figures. Four other players average at least seven points/game for WSU.

Hustad also leads the team in rebounds (7.3/game) and is fifth in the NSIC in rebounding. She is also second in field goal percentage at .538.

Kieck is in the top-15 within the NSIC for assists (3.5/game) and assist/turnover ratio (1.2). She is also second in the league in free-throw percentage, shooting .852 from the line.

Caitlin Riley has been the Warriors main 3-point shooter this season, averaging 2.3 makes from deep per game, which is the fifth most int the NSIC.

Emma Fee has been a staple down low for WSU, averaging 9.3 points/game and leads Winona State with three double-digit rebounding games.

After the Warriors travel to MSU Moorhead on Friday, Jan. 21 for a 5:30 meeting, and on Saturday, Jan. 22 they tip off at Northern State at 4:00pm.
 

What's the deal with the Dragons:

The Dragons are 5-7 overall and 4-4 in the NSIC. They are currently fifth in the NSIC North.

MSU Moorhead has not played since Jan. 2nd, when they beat Northern State 67-50.

MSUM features the fourth-best scoring defense in the NSIC as they allow just 62.3 points/game to their opponents. On the offensive end, the Dragons average 58.3 points/game for a scoring margin of -4.0.

As a team, they have scored over 70 points just once this season and have kept their opponents under 70 points in all but three games.

The Dragons have the third highest assist/turnover ratio as a team in the NSIC at 1.05. They also feature a turnover margin of 2.33.

Peyton Boom leads MSUM with 16.2 points/game, which is sixth in the NSIC. Boom is shooting .523 from the field and grabs an average of 5.5 boards each game.

Natalie Jens is second for the Dragons in scoring, averaging 11.1 points/game in her team-leading 33.0 minutes/game.

Natalie Steichen is averaging 4.2 assists/game, a mark good for sixth in the conference. She is also second in the NSIC with a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio.

The Dragons host the Warriors on Friday evening, before hosting Upper Iowa Saturday afternoon.

For the most up-to-date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.

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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