St. JOSEPH, Mo. - The 2023-24 Winona State University women's basketball campaign will commence for the Warriors over the weekend of Friday, Nov. 10 and Saturday, Nov. 11, as WSU will take part in the 2023 Central Region Showcase, hosted by Missouri Western State University and conducted at the Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Mo. 

Winona State (0-0, 0-0 NSIC) will face the host Missouri Western State on Friday, Nov. 10, with a 7:30 p.m. tip off scheduled against the Griffons and will then take on Southeast Oklahoma State on Saturday, Nov. 11 in a 5:15 p.m. contest against the Savage Storm.


WINONA STATE STORYLINES
- Winona State earned Special Mention status by the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls this past August. 
- Winona State battled at NCAA Division I Drake in preseason, leading the Bulldogs 25-16 after the 1st quarter. 
- WSU trailed by just one at halftime vs. Drake (39-38) before falling 94-60 in Des Moines. 
- Last year WSU was 11-17 overall and 5-17 in NSIC play in 2022-23. 
- Winona State was selected 12th in the 2023-24 NSIC Coaches Poll.
- This weekend marks the second time WSU has played MWSU and the first meeting ever against Southeast Oklahoma State.
- Alex Dornfeld was tabbed as the Winona State Player to Watch in the NSIC Poll.
- The 2023-24 WSU roster features three seniors, seven juniors, three sophomores and three freshman.
- The addition of former Winona State standout Emily Kieck gives Winona State an all-alumnae coaching staff, with Wurtz, Hannah McClone and Kieck all former WSU players. 
- McGlone heads into her second season as an assistant coach for Wurtz. McGlone also has college experience at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). 
- The 2023-24 campaign is the 50th year of women's basketball at Winona State. 

Missouri Western State STORYLINES
- MWSU and WSU have played just once previously, a  55-42 Griffon victory on Dec. 3, 2004, in Warrensburg, Mo.
- Missouri Western is returning three All-MIAA picks. Brionna Budgetts scored 523 points scored last winter and is the 2nd-best returning scorer in the MIAA.
- Joining Budgetts is Connie Clarke and Johnni Gonzalez, both All-MIAA players in the 2022-23 season. 
- MWSU was unbeaten in preseason, defeating MidAmerica Nazarene 81-44 on Oct. 25 at home and Missouri State 65-57 on Nov. 1 in Springfield, Mo.
- The win over Missouri State was the first Griffon win over a NCAA Division I team since 2012. 
- After taking on WSU, the Griffons will play Concordia-St. Paul in the Central Region Challenge in their second contest of the tournament. 
- Head coach Candi Whitaker has been with the Griffons since April, 2019. 

Southeast Oklahoma State STORYLINES
- Southeastern was picked to finish 8th in the Great American Conference Preseason Poll. 
- Southeastern is coming off its lowest finish since 2005, going 7-20 overall and 5-17 in conference play to finish 12^th last season.
- The Storm women return all-conference honoree and leading scorer Caitlin Kobiske (17.3 ppg). 
- Southeastern return 4 of the next 5 scorers behind Kobiske, with Grace Alverson, Holli Lindley and Abbie Barr each scoring five or more points per game.
- The Storm will face Concordia-St. Paul in the Central Region Challenge in their first game before taking on the Warriors. 
- Head coach Darvin Grover has been with the Storm since 2005. 
 
WARRIOR NOTABLES 

• The Warriors were selected 12th overall in the 2023-24 NSIC Coaches Poll. This season marks the first single-division format within NSIC basketball. 
• Head coach Ana Wurtz and assistant coaches Hannah McGlone and Emily Kieck are the only all-female coaching staff in the NSIC that also competed at their alma mater as student-athletes.
• The first Winona State women's basketball season was in 1973-74, with the squad going 9-5 overall. 

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.