MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Winona State women's basketball team used a strong first half and balanced scoring to defeat the MSU Moorhead Dragons on the road, 75-66.

The Warriors jumped out to a 15-9 lead after the first quarter, using strong defense to hold the Dragons to just .308 from the field and denying all three 3-point attempts by MSUM.

Winona State extended their lead to 35-19 at the half, where they were led by efficient shooting and a stingy defense. Emma Fee, Taylor Hustad, and Caitlin Riley paced WSU with 10 points each on 48.3% shooting as a team. The Warrior defense held MSUM to 8-27 (.296) from the floor and 0-9 from deep.

MSU Moorhead came out firing in the third quarter and outscored Winona State 29-17 behind 75% shooting from the field and knocking down 4-7 shots from downtown. WSU's lead was cut to just four points, 52-48, heading into the final frame.

The Warriors were able to hang on to win by a score of 75-66, sinking free-throws down the stretch to seal the road victory and snap a two-game losing skid.

Winona State shot 28-57 (.491) from the field and 5-18 (27.8) from three. The Warriors went an impressive 14-14 from the line, which helped secure the win in the closing minutes. WSU scored 13 points off 13 MSUM turnovers.

MSU Moorhead knocked down 44.8% of shots from the floor and 24% from beyond the arc. The Dragons only hit eight of 15 free-throws (.533) and scored seven points off 10 WSU turnovers.

Individually, WSU had four players score in double figures led by Hustad's season-high 24 points and nine rebounds. Fee poured in 20 points on 8-13 shooting. Emily Kieck (14 points) and Riley (10 points) each sank two 3-pointers to propel the Warriors on the offensive end.

With the win, the Warriors move to 8-9 overall and 5-8 in the NSIC and will head to Northern State tomorrow, Jan. 22 for a 4:00pm tip-off to try to complete the weekend road sweep.

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