CROOKSTON, Minn.- The Winona State University women's basketball team traveled to the University of Minnesota Crookston on Friday, Jan. 12, for the first of two games on the road.  

Winona State (4-9, 3-5 NSIC) had Emma Carpenter go 6-of-19 from the floor and collecting four assists, while Alex Dornfeld hauled in nine rebounds with four being on the offensive glass.  WSU's Olivia Gamoke notched five of the 11 Warrior steals on the night, but WSU saw a 21-point performance from the Golden Eagles' Emma Miller prove to be the difference in the contest, falling to UMC, 77-69. 

How it Happened:  

WSU's Emma Carpenter came out firing to start the game, scoring 10 of the 35 Warriors points, including going 2-for-3 behind the arc and 3-for-5 overall in the first quarter. 

Alex Dornfeld helped the Warrior cause on the glass, collecting three offensive rebounds and a pair of assists, with Warrior teammate Olivia Gamoke adding 2 more helpers.

WSU's Vanessa Alexander led the charge on the defensive end of the game having three defensive boards among her four in the first half. Both Dornfeld and Carpenter collected two assists apiece of the six total for Winona State

Minnesota-Crookston proved to be a tough matchup, with Emma Miller scoring 13 points in the first two quarters for the Golden Eagles. Nicole Hernadez and Rayna Klejeski helped UMC with four and three defensive rebounds, respectively, in the first half.  Winona State would  battle back to finish the opening 20 minutes tied at 35-35.  

Heading into the locker rooms at the half, WSU shot 15-36 (41.7%) and UMC shot 13-28 (46.4%) from the field in the opening stanza.

At Half: Winona State: 35, Minnesota Crookston: 35 

It was neck-and-neck following the break, with both the Warriors and the Golden Eagles scoring on successive possessions for the first 5 minutes of the third quarter. 

Thanks to the offensive efforts of Emma Carpenter and the defensive work of Vivica Bretton, WSU held a slight advantage to end the third quarter at 53-50.  

Unfortunately for the Warriors, the Golden Eagles took control, and with it, the lead in the fourth quarter.  With the help of Hailey Markworth, Olivia Gamoke, and Alex Dornfeld the Warriors sought to battle back in the final frame. However, with WSU force to foul, several calls at the end of the game sent the Golden Eagles to the line. 

Eventually, UMC's Hope Dudycha (2-2), Emma Miller (2-2) and Janie Tormanen (0-1) found success at the free throw line to extend the Golden Eagles lead from a two-point game to an eight-point lead, leading WSU to lost to UMC, 77-69.  

WSU Stats Standouts: 
Emma Carpenter 15 points, 4 assists
Alex Dornfeld 9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals
Olivia Gamoke 10 points, 5 steals 
Hailey Markworth 10 points, 3 assists

Team Stats Comparables: 
WSU took the lead going into the fourth quarter, 53-50
UMC's Nicole Hernandez had the Golden Eagles only 2 blocks
Both teams only allowed there to be a 6 to 8 point lead through out the whole game

Up Next: 
Winona State (4-9, 3-5 NSIC) will face Bemidji State University on Saturday, January 13 at BSU. WSU will tip off at 5:30 pm in the battle against the Beavers.