HONOLULU, Hawaii - Winona State opened the season with a nail-biting win, defeating Lubbock Christian University 58-54 in the opening round of the Hoops in Hawaii Classic.
Vivica Bretton and
Megan Schuman paced Winona State with 15 points, including Bretton scoring the game's final four points to secure the win for the Warriors.
A pair of Schuman free throws opened the scoring for the 2026-27 season as WSU took an early 2-0 lead, but LCU tallied seven straight points and then jumped out to a 17-5 lead with 2:41 left in the first quarter. A
Vivica Bretton layup brought the Warriors within 10, but the Lady Chaps hit a three pointer in the final seconds to take a 22-9 lead after the first.
Winona State flipped the script in the second quarter, opening the period on a 13-0 run with five Warriors scoring, capped by a
Sadie Jarmolowicz swish from beyond the arc to bring the game within one possession with 3:12 remaining in the half. The Warriors then scored the final five points in the half with Jarmolowicz notching a put-back layup as time expired to send the teams into the locker room tied at 29 apiece.
Coming out of the break, Schuman scored six quick points in the paint but a pair of three pointers from Lubbock Christian kept things within one possession. After trading buckets, an and-one from Bretton tied the game up 44-44 with 2:50 left in the third quarter. LCU knocked down a triple in the final seconds of the third to hold a 47-44 lead heading into the final quarter.
Winona State trailed by six points just 13 seconds into the fourth, but an 8-0 run over the game's next five minutes gave WSU the lead. The Warriors and Lady Chaps battled back-and-forth and LCU sunk a pair of free throws to tie it 54-54 with less than a minute to go. After an
Ana Wurtz timeout, Bretton connected on a turnaround jumper in the paint to give Winona State the lead. Lubbock Christian missed the ensuing shot and Bretton sealed the deal with a pair of free throws in the final seconds to give the Warriors a season-opening win and send them into the semifinals of the Hoops in Hawaii Classic.
CHECKING THE BOX SCORE
- Winona State earned the 58-54 win over Lubbock Christian in the opening day of the Hoops in Hawaii Classic.
- Bretton went 6-11 from the field for 15 points while adding seven boards.
- Schuman was 5-12 from the field and tallied 15 points in just 19 minutes of action.
- Myah Maull led WSU with 11 rebounds while also adding six points.
- WSU shot 34.4% from the field and 15.4% from deep while LCU went 36.2% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc.
- There were six ties and six lead changes in the game.
- The Warriors scored 21 second-chance points compared to the Lady Chaps five.
NEWS & NOTES
- Winona State moves to 1-0 with the win and 1-0 all-time against Lubbock Christian.
- This is the second consecutive year WSU has won the season opener.
- Tomorrow's game against Hawaii Pacific will be the first ever matchup between the two schools.
UP NEXT
- Winona State will take on Hawaii Pacific in the semifinals of the Hoops in Hawaii Classic on Saturday, October 31st at 7 p.m. HST (12 a.m. CST).
Stay connected with Winona State University Athletics all season long by following the Warriors on social media at @WinonaStateATH (X/Instagram), @winonastatewarriors (YouTube) and Winona State Warrior Athletics (Facebook). Catch full schedules, scores and stories at winonastatewarriors.com.
