St. Cloud State
9-3,6-2NSIC
University of Minnesota Crookston
3-11,3-9NSIC
Fish notches 200th win in 72-55 win over UMC
2/13/2021 6:46:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ST. CLOUD, MINN. - There's been a lot of Greatest of All Time (GOAT) talk going around the sports world lately. As of Saturday evening at 6:01 p.m., the St. Cloud State University women's basketball team would like to make its own submission: head coach Lori Fish.
After gutting out a tight 59-49 win over the University of Minnesota-Crookston on Friday, Fish needed just one more victory to secure the 200th of her Huskies career. She certainly earned it Saturday afternoon, as Fish guided St. Cloud State to a 72-55 win over Minnesota-Crookston, notching her 200th win as the Huskies head coach and the team's ninth of the 2020-21 season.
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) North Division win certainly wasn't easy to come back, as the Golden Eagles led after the first and second quarters of play. While St. Cloud State jumped out to a 7-2 lead, Minnesota-Crookston turned the Huskies game plan on its head and used a 13-5 lead to close the first quarter with a 15-12 lead. The Golden Eagles then extended it to 32-30 at the half, though St. Cloud State closed the gap to two points on two late free throws by first year forward Tori Peschel (Sauk Centre, Minn. / Sauk Centre).
It was the third quarter where everything came together for the Huskies, as they outscored Minnesota-Crookston 22-16 to take a 52-48 lead entering the final 10 minutes of play. That was when St. Cloud State's defense took it to the next level. In a quarter that could have been both tight and nerve wracking, the Huskies ran away with their victory, as they held the Golden Eagles to just seven fourth quarter points and a .083 (1-12) field goal percentage from the floor. On the other side of the court, St. Cloud State was cooking, as the team went 9-14 in the fourth quarter, including a 2-5 mark from three-point land, to secure its 72-55 NSIC victory.
Four different Huskies scored in double-digits Saturday afternoon, including Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson), Nikki Kilboten (Eau Clarie, Wis. / Eau Claire North), Brehna Evans (De Pere, Wis. / West De Pere) and Erin Navratil (Albany, Minn. / Albany). Wortz led the way offensively, tallying 17 points on 7-14 shooting and added six rebounds, three assists and a block in the victory. Kilboten was right on her tail on the stat sheet, as she closed her outstanding weekend with a 16 point, seven rebound and two block performance.
Evans, who led the team with 10 points in the first half, closed the game with 14, while Navratil's sharp shooting helped her finish the night with 10 points and five rebounds.
Fish was the true star of the afternoon, as she navigated the game's obstacles to near perfection, keeping the game within reach when Wortz, Navratil, Evans and Katrina Theis (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) all found themselves in foul trouble. She additionally utilized her subs well, as St. Cloud State's bench scored 15 points and jump started several of the Huskies key runs.
With the win, St. Cloud State's overall record improves to 9-3, and the team is now 6-2 in NSIC North Division play. The Huskies will return to action on Friday, February 19 when they face conference rival Minnesota-Duluth in a key NSIC North Division showdown. Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Duluth, Minnesota.
