WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University women's basketball team use a strong outing by
Ava Sergio to deal Southwest Minnesota State a 76-61 loss on Friday, Dec. 1 in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.
Segio set a new career high with 19 points in the contest, pacing WSU to the victory and pulling the Warriors up to 1-1 in the NSIC.
Key Details: Winona State 76, Southwest Minnesota State 61
Attendance: 1,243
How it Happened
Southwest Minnesota State opened up offensively in quick fashion, racing out to a 9-0 lead in first two minutes of play.
Olivia Gamoke stopped the Mustangs scoring streak with a layup at 6:18, followed by a
Ava Sergio score and
Hailey Markworth jumper to close the gap to 11-6. Sergio's second score of the game and a bucket by
Paige Peaslee pulled WSU back into the contest. Lindsay Hahn helped the Warrior cause with her first 3-pointer of the night to give WSU their first lead at 13-11 with 90 seconds left in the first quarter.
The second quarter saw SMSU again move out to a lead, staking a six-point advantage on two different occasions.
With the Mustangs leading 28-22, WSU's
Olivia Gamoke knocked down a jumper to break a SMSU scoring streak.
Ava Sergio and
Emma Carpenter quickly added to the Warrior tally, which led to a 10-point run for WSU.
Winona State saw
Kaitlyn Schrimpf add a 3-pointer with just under a minute to play off of an assist by
Paige Peaslee; a Mustang triple narrowed the score 20 seconds later.
WSU would take a 3-point advantage into the locker room with a 26-23 lead at the break.
Halftime: Winona State 26, SMSU 23
Coming out of the locker room, SMSU hit the opening bucket of the second half, and the Mustang 3-pointer tied the score at 36-36.
However, Sergio would lead the Warrior response, scoring a layup at the 9:28 mark of the 3rd quarter, giving WSU a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way. WSU would go on to hold a 17-15 advantage after the third quarter, leading the game 53-48 heading into the final ten minutes.
A big fourth quarter for Winona State, highlighted by a
Vivica Bretton three-point-play after being fouled on a layup to start the fourth frame. Her score saw WSU salt away the game their first win of the year. The Warriors outscored SMSU 23-13 in the fourth quarter, claiming the 76-61 victory.
Final: Winona State 76, SMSU 61
Team Stat Notables
WSU was down 9-0 to start the game, but led by 3 at halftime and won by 15.
The Warriors were 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
Winona State shot 55.4% from the floor and 41.7% from behind the arc.
WSU Stat Leaders
Ava Sergio, 19 points, 8-of-9 from the field, 3-of-3 at the line.
Emma Carpenter, 15 points, 4-4 at the line, 4 rebounds.
Olivia Gamoke, 12 points, 6-of-10 from the floor
Kaitlyn Schrimpf, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks
Alex Dornfeld, 8 rebounds
Beyond the Boxscore
Madison Gehloff had 18 points for the Mustangs.
WSU snapped a two-game losing streak to SMSU.
Winona State moved to 21-5 over Southwest Minnesota State in the last 26 matchups.
Up Next
Winona State (1-5, 1-1 NSIC) will host the University of Sioux Falls on Saturday, Dec. 2. WSU and USF will tip off at 5:30pm in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.
