The Winona State University women’s basketball team packed their bags and headed west for a pair of games in North Dakota against the University of Mary and Minot State University.

The first of the two games began with a quick lead from UMary just five minutes in the first quarter before second-year Hailey Markworth brought the score to a mere one-point difference.

This lead unfortunately did not last as their opposing team would jump back into a significant lead at 20-11 and maintain as such until the second quarter.

It was then that the Warriors moved back into proximity to their opponent with the help of Markworth once again. This solid comeback effort would bring both teams up to a 28-28, but a three-point shot from UMary would once again put them in the lead as both teams headed into their locker rooms at the half.

“I feel like these girls genuinely put their all into their games,” a third-year student who frequents the team’s home games said. “Genuinely, it’s always fun attending their games and watching them play really hard. They do good.”

The third quarter began as the first did, with a quick drive from the Marauders to launch them far into the lead. Efforts from Markworth and Vivica Bretton brought the team up only a few points, but the third would end at 56-36, the Warriors remaining behind.

The last frame was a similar case as UMary jumped into a quick 23-point lead, followed by a seven-point charge from Emma Kilpatrick, Alex Dornfeld and Malia Nelson to bring the score back into a manageable distance.

Unfortunately, their opponent remained determined and finished the game with a 76-50 win after a spree of successful shots.

The Warriors’ quick turn-around to Minot State to finish off their weekend on the road would also end in a lamentable loss.

Alex Dornfeld and Olivia Gamoke held their team up in this match with 29 points between the two of them. Both found success in their own ways, Dornfeld held the highest number of rebounds for the game (11) while Gamoke hit primarily three-point shots throughout her time on the court.

After a slow-moving first quarter, the Beavers took and held the lead for the next two frames. The third quarter was a hopeful one as the Warriors were able to hit their first double-digit score of the game but could not maintain this groove.

The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth battle between both teams, both of which remained in the single digits. Ultimately, Minot State would take a slight lead and end the game at a close 45-59.

“We focus on the process and not the end result,” Head Coach Ana Wurtz said. “We hope that it leads to a good outcome obviously, but just every day, show up and get a little better.”

Winona State will keep this in mind as they make the long trek home where they will play another set of back-to-back NSIC games against Minnesota State University Moorhead and St. Cloud University on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27.