Winona State 75 Wayne State 70

            Visiting Winona State used nearly 52 percent shooting and a balanced scoring attack with five players in double figures to defeat Wayne State College 75-70 in NSIC South Division women's basketball played Friday evening at Rice Auditorium in Wayne.  Winona State is now 1-4 and 1-3 in the NSIC South Division following the win with Wayne State slipping to 4-5 and 3-4 in the division.
            Wayne State started strong, taking a 13-5 lead less than three minutes into the game following a Josey Ryan layup.
            Winona State rallied and took a 20-17 lead before the two teams closed the first quarter in a 22-22 tie as both teams shot 50 percent or better in the opening quarter.  Winona State was 9-15 (60%) and WSC 9-18 (50%).
            The second quarter remained close as the visiting Warriors built a pair of five point leads with WSC battling back each time to even the score.
            WSC was down 32-27 at the 5:48 mark of the second quarter, but a basket by Autumn Mlinar and a three-point play from Erin Norling evened the score at 32-32. 
            The 'Cats held a 37-35 lead following a Josey Ryan 3-pointer at the 3:40 mark of the second quarter, but Winona State shut down WSC for the remainder of the quarter and built a 40-37 lead at intermission.
            Ryan's basket would be the final lead of the night for Wayne State. 
            WSC was within three at 43-40 following a Norling three-point play with 7:26 to go in the quarter.
            Winona State scored the next four points and had an eight point lead at 58-50 entering the fourth period.
            After Winona State took a 62-52 lead early in the fourth, WSC used back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Halley Busse to get as close as four at 62-58.
            The Warriors built the lead back to 10 at 70-60 and still held a 10 point cushion at 74-64 with 33 seconds left.
            WSC got 3-pointers from Busse and Kylie Hammer to make it a 74-70 game with nine seconds left and Winona State used an Emma Fee free throw late to make the final score 75-70.
            Norling and Halley Busse each scored 21 points to lead Wayne State in scoring.  Josey Ryan (12) and Kylie Hammer (10) also hit double digits for the 'Cats.
            WSC shot 39.7 percent from the field making 27 of 68 shots.  The 'Cats connected on 7 of 26 3-pointers and were 9 for 12 at the free throw line.
            Taylor Hustad and Fee paced Winona State with 16 points apiece.  Sydney Lodermeier scored 15 with Ava Sergio and Mattie Schimenz accounting for 10 each.
            Winona State made 28 of 54 shots for 51.9 percent, including 6 of 18 from the 3-point line.  The Warriors were 13-19 at the free throw line.
            Winona State won the rebounding battle 39-32 with Hustad hauling in 10 boards for the Warriors while Norling grabbed nine rebounds for WSC.
            Wayne State held a 17-14 edge in points off turnovers forcing 21 Warrior miscues compared to 13 by WSC.
            Norling had three assists and four steals for WSC.
            Winona State and Wayne State face each other again Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in Rice Auditorium.