BEMIDJI, Minn. - Taylor Hustad recorded her 17th career double double and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark as a Warrior on Wednesday, but Winona State was knocked out of the NSIC postseason by Bemidji State, falling 63-51. 

Hustad hauled in 13 rebounds and scored 20 points to lead her team in both categories but the Beavers proved to be too much on the evening as Winona State concluded the season with the setback. 

BSU jumped out to a 18-11 lead after the first ten minutes of play, looking nothing like the team that had dropped four straight games coming into the contest against the Warriors.  However, WSU responded to the strong start with an improved second quarter closing the gap with a 14-point effort.  At the break, Bemidji State led WSU, 34-25.

After halftime, Emma Fee and Caitlin Riley sparked a WSU resurgence, combining to score the first five points of the third quarter.  Winona State chipped away at the Beaver lead and drew to within one point on an Alex Dornfeld layup with under a minute to go in the third, with the score just 43-42 BSU. Unfortunately, a flurry of free throws to end the frame saw BSU re-establish their grip on the game and pulled away from Winona State in the fourth quarter. 

Bemidji State (14-12, 11-10 NSIC) outscored WSU 17-9 in the last ten minutes of play to seal the win and book their ticket to Sioux Falls, S.D for the NSIC quarterfinals. For Winona State, the loss marks the end of a season that saw two separate four-game winning streaks achieved during the year and some close calls down the stretch. Three of Winona State's final four losses in the regular season were decided by three points or less. 

Individually for Winona State, Hustad left no doubt of her intent to dent the 1,000-point mark, scoring ten first-half points and etching her name in the WSU record book in the process. In support of her double-double, Emma Fee added 10 points and seven rebounds. Dornfeld delivered 10 points off the bench, along with seven boards, while Emily Kieck handed out a team-high eight assists on the night. Hustad and Kieck each had two steals as well and Mattie Schimenz chipped in six points to the Warrior effort. 

As a team, Winona State was 23-of-68 from the floor and 2-of-18 from three-point territory. The Warriors were 3-of-7 from the foul line; WSU out-rebounded Bemidji State, 39-31 on the evening.  BSU was led by Rachael Heittola with 19 points and Trinity Yoder with 17. 

For the Warriors, seniors Taylor Hustad, Emma Fee and Emily Kieck conclude outstanding careers in which the trio combined for 357 total games played under head coach Scott Ballard.  With her milestone, Hustad becomes just the 20th player in Winona State women's basketball history to score 1,000 points or more. 

Winona State completes the 2021-22 campaign at 12-15 overall, 9-13 in the NSIC.