First Round Recap:
What month is it again? As we roll closer towards some of the best postseason action that North American sports have to offer, Winona State University opened with the opportunity to do something that has not happened since before the turn of the decade. They hosted Minot State University in McCown Gymnasium for the opening round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) tournament. With a ruckus crowd in hand, a loaded student section and a trip to the Sanford Pentagon on the line, the Warriors needed to strike fast in the early stages.
Hailey Markworth, in her final game at McCown, gave Winona State the early start they needed. She hit a quick paint jumper and a three pointer to give them a five-point lead early, while also earning her 1,000-career points. This career milestone gives the home crowd an opportunity to give the senior from LaGrange her well-deserved flowers. This celebration became the appetizer to purple success for the night, as Winona State never looked back after this moment. Bria Stenstrom hit a buzzer beater three pointer to capitalize on an 11-point quarter for second-year guard, giving her team a 25-14 lead over the Beavers
The Warriors never let go of this lead, holding as much as a 24-point lead by the fourth quarter. Sadie Jarmolowicz finished as the leading scorer with 18 points, nine rebounds and four three pointers. Markworth finished behind her with 17 points and six assists. With this victory, Winona State moved on to play University of Minnesota-Duluth on Mar. 1 in the Sanford Pentagon for the NSIC Tournament Quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals Recap:
With such a valiant effort against the Beavers in McCown, how would the Warriors respond to a veteran Duluth team? Winona State had the chance to pick up its first NSIC Tournament Semifinal appearance since 2018, where they reached the Championship game that season. But a Bulldog team that gave the purple and white hiccups at the midway point of the season came with a strong game plan. Could the Warriors fight through adversity to beat Duluth for the second time in NSIC Tournament history?
The first half filled with ups and downs for Winona State in the early stages. They trailed by as much as nine in the middle of both the first and second quarters. But they continued to show why they finished six spots higher than the NSIC pre-season coaches poll predicted. First-year guard Rylie Cother and Jarmolowicz hit back-to-back three pointers in the corner to minimize the impact that Duluth had in the early stages. The Warriors trailed 27-24 at the half against the Bulldogs.
Winona State fought hard, but the greatest defense cannot beat an unstoppable offense. As the Bulldogs opened the final quarter with a five-point lead and proceeded to shoot 75% from the field in 80% from beyond the arc before the final two minutes of the game. The Warriors would fall in the Quarterfinals 63-45, with Markworth finishing as the leading scoring with 12 points and five rebounds. This result concludes Winona State’s season; they finished 17-13 overall, 13-9 in conference and 1-1 in the NSIC Tournament. Markworth earned first-team all-conference honors for her exceptional season. Vivica Bretton picked up second-team honors for her work as well.
