Sports

Competitive basketball before playoffs

Pronob Kumar, Business & Distribution Manager

February 25, 2026

Winona State’s women’s basketball team took home another win this week against St. Cloud State University.

The Winona State University women’s basketball team won against St. Cloud State University on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2026. This was the last game for the Warriors before the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) playoffs. This match was a decider for Winona State if they were getting their first round NSIC matchup at home.

The Warriors were attacking from the beginning of the first quarter. They scored by making two points, without taking risks. They had an early lead of 8-4 against the Huskies.

After the first five minutes of the game, St. Cloud changed four players of their starting five. The change of strategies did not help them much. The Warriors kept on increasing their lead.

In this quarter, the Warriors were mostly dependent on their passing strategies and clever finishes. On the other hand, St. Cloud was going for 3-point shots. There were multiple misses and rebounds from both sides.

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The quarter ended 21-15, with the Warriors in the lead. The highest points difference was 17-9. The Warriors were at 8 points lead.

In the second quarter, the Warriors kept on pushing their lead. Within the first 5 minutes they made 11 points lead by taking the score to 30.

St. Cloud made a big comeback after that. They scored nine points without letting their opponents score one. The quarter ended with 40-34 points. The Warriors were in the lead.

After half time break, St. Cloud changed the match scenario. They had a good combination of defense and fast-paced attacks. They scored multiple points with a good layup and 3-point shots. They equalized the match while both teams were reaching 50 points.

St. Cloud got the lead of the match for the first time in this quarter. The quarter ended with 55-52 on the board. St. Cloud was leading the match at that time.

In the last quarter, Winona State came out with a surprising attack. They got their second-year guard, Bria Stenstrom, to take the 3-pointers. She attempted 5 shots and got 4 of them successful.

“It’s really fun to be a part of a team where my teammates trust me,” Stenstrom said.

The match became more interesting in the last three minutes. The score was 67 on both sides. The Warriors again tried their trick of scoring in the paint.

After two failed attempts to score, St. Cloud fell under time pressure. They made some desperate attempts, which resulted in free throws for the Warriors. The match ended with 75-70 points. The Warriors won the match with 5 points.

“I’m super proud of the team this season. And I am happy that we ended the regular season on a good, competitive game,” Hailey Markworth, Winona State player, said.

After this match Winona State was 5th in the NSIC rankings. They are going to face Minot State University for their first-round match in the NSIC Tournament. It will be a home match on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 6:00 p.m.

About the Contributors

Pronob Kumar, Business & Distribution Manager

Pronob Kumar (he/him) is a Business Manager, Sports Reporter, and Photographer for the Winonan as of Spring 2022. Pronob is currently in his fourth year at Winona State University, majoring in Applied Computer Science & Data Science and with minors in Physics & Mathematics. In addition to working for the Winonan, Pronob is also a part of the IT Infrastructure team in Winona State. He is also a Teaching Assistant for the Computer Science department. In addition to that, he is also a Senior tutor for the tutoring services. Outside of university, Pronob loves to spend time with his friends. He also enjoys cooking, board games, hiking, and fishing. Besides all this Pronob loves to have a long sleep (for like 12+ hours) on the weekends.

Alex Mitchell, Cartoonist

Marissa Meyer, Photo Editor

Marissa Meyer (she/they) is a third-year Psychology major with a minor in Business Administration and Women’s Gender & Sexuality Studies at Winona State University. They are the photo editor for The Winonan for the 2025-2026 academic year. She has had the roles of photographer and now photo editor. Meyer has been on the Winonan staff for two years now. In addition to working for the Winonan, Meyer works at the Winona State University Children’s Center as a teacher’s aide. Outside of school, Meyer enjoys spending time with her friends, reading all kinds of books, and going to coffee shops.

Larissa Lopez, Film Reviewer & Illustrator

Larissa Lopez (she/her/hers) is the Movie Reviewer and Illustrator for The Winonan for the 2025-2026 academic year. Lopez is an international student from Santa Cruz, Bolivia and is currently in her fourth year at Winona State University, majoring in Finance with a minor in Investments and Economics.  In addition to working for The Winonan, Lopez is also a Conway Resident Assistant, head of Finance of the Case Competition Club and Business Law Association, member of the Sales Team, and member of the COB Dean’s Advisory Board.  Outside of university, Lopez loves to spend time playing video games, hanging out with friends, and baking sweet treats.  She also enjoys listening to music at almost all times, and has a passion for film, with her favorite film of all time being Everything Everywhere All at Once, and her favorite show being Succession.  Find her star ratings in Letterboxd at: LarissaWatches 

Elly Herrick, Features Editor

Elly Herrick (she/they) is the Features Editor for the Winonan. Herrick is currently in her fourth year at Winona State University, majoring in Mass Communications: Public Relations with minors in Photography and Creative Digital Media. In addition to working for the Winonan, she is also an Production Assistant with KQAL and a Resident Assistaint for East Lake. She also works in TV Services and will most likely be found in Phelps Hall. Outside of school, Herrick loves to spend time with loved ones and being outside. She also loves long walks outside and seeing live music.

Cassandra Raymond, Photographer

Cassandra Raymond (she/her/hers) is a photographer for the Winonan as of fall 2025. Raymond is in her second year at Winona State University, majoring in Recreational Tourism while also minoring in Adventure Education. In addition to working for the Winonan, Raymond is also a Resident Assistant in the Quad and enjoys planning events and such for students to enjoy. Adding to that, she is a part of the Treble Choir on Campus as well and loves to sing with her friends. Outside of school, Raymond loves to play guitar, draw, listen to music, make people laugh, watch Marvel movies, and adventure outdoors. Raymond has travelled all over the United States with her family in an RV and plans to someday study abroad to experience more.