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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Winona State University knocked off the NSIC North's top-seeded team, Northern State University, Sunday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament, 57-44.
Hannah McGlone became Winona's all-time leading rebounder in the game by pulling down seven in the game to bring her career total to 932.
NSIC Freshman of the Year Allie Pickrain lived up to her recent accolade as she scores a career-high 24 points to lead all scorers in Sunday's game. The rookie scored 15 of those points in the first half to give the Warriors a 33-22 lead at the break.
The game opened as the two teams traded baskets for the better part of the first quarter. After Julia Silloway sunk a three-pointer to put the Warriors up 9-8, the Wolves proceeded to finish the quarter on a 9-4 run.
Early in the second frame, Pickrain knocked a three-pointer in to tie the game at 17 and from then on, the Warriors would take control of the game. Outscoring Northern State 20-5 in the quarter, Winona State would take advantage of nine Wolves turnovers and head into the break with an 11-point lead.
Coming out of the break, Northern State's Miranda Ristau would knock down a jumper to cut the Warrior lead to single digits, but that was the last time Winona State would let the Wolves get that close. The Warriors would build their largest lead of the game (16) and answer every time the Wolves kept clawing back.
Leading by 12 entering the fourth, Pickrain and Ristau traded back-to-back buckets and the Warriors maintained a 12-point lead. Emily Kieck's basket gave Winona a game-high 16-point lead again which proved to be enough to hold off the Wolves.
The Warriors outscored the Wolves 44-27 in the final three quarters of the playoff game and held them to just 34 percent shooting. Northern State also went 0-13 from beyond the arc while Pickrain's 5-of-10 from three-point land helped the Warriors shoot 40 percent.
To go along with her career high, Pickrain collected three assists and one steal. Gabie Doud finished the day with 14 points.
Winona State improves to 16-12 while Northern State is eliminated from the conference tournament with a record of 25-5.
The Warriors move on to the semifinals will play Concordia-St. Paul at 5:30 p.m. Monday February 25th at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
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