WINONA, Minn. -  With postseason participation on the line over the next four games, the Winona State University women's basketball team began the final stages of the NSIC regular season with the University of Sioux Falls on Friday evening at home in McCown Gymnasium.  Despite a season-high effort from Emma Fee with 24 points, the Warriors fell to USF by a score of 53 - 52.

The two teams traded leads in the opening ten minutes of play, with Winona State battling back from a 15-9 deficit to close the gap to 16-15, down just one heading into the second quarter.  WSU earned four trips to the foul line in the first frame, knocking down three while Emily Kieck hit the only triple of the quarter for head coach Scott Ballard.

The second quarter saw WSU go cold from the floor, hitting just 2-of-11 attempts in the run of play, but the home side was a perfect 3-of-3 from the foul line. The Cougars couldn't dial it in either, going just 1-for-8 from behind the arc in the second stanza.  

Although behind at the break 29-23, the Warriors' Emma Fee found home court to her liking, scoring 15 points in the first 20 minutes, the third time this season she reached 15 or more before halftime.  The senior from Burnsville, Minn. also hauled in 11 rebounds in the game, earning her second double-double of the 2021-22 campaign.
 
Down three points at 51-48, with just over three minutes remaining in the game,  WSU battled back to within one at 51-50 and then a Taylor Hustad layup with just 25 seconds left put the Warriors up 52-51. The senior from New Prague, Minn. also hauled nine rebounds in the game. 

Unfortunately for the Warriors, a final Cougar look late saw Danielle Schaub score down low, giving Sioux Falls the win at the buzzer.

Fee's 24 tied her season highest point production of the year, matching her same mark vs. Northwest Missouri State on Nov. 27.  Last season, Fee scored her career-high 30 at Sioux Falls. 

As a team, WSU was 20-of-50 (40.0%) from the floor and 4-of-15 (26.7%) from behind the arc. Winona State was 8-of-12 at the foul line. 

The Cougars were led by Dallie Hoskinson double-double with 17 points 12 boards.  USF's Olivia Gamoke scored 10 points. With the win, USF moves to 14-10, 9-8 in the NSIC.

Winona State falls to 11-12 overall and 8-11 in NSIC action.  The Warriors will look to rebound tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 11 when they host Southwest Minnesota State University.  Start time between WSU and SMSU is set for 3:30pm in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.