St. Cloud State
12-3,10-2NSIC
Winona State University
7-9,4-8NSIC
Women's basketball prevails for 69-60 win over Winona State
1/15/2022 7:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Erin Navratil leads with 13 points on 4-7 shooting
WINONA, MINN. – The St. Cloud State University women's basketball team is headed back to central Minnesota with a win. After dropping its weekend opener to Upper Iowa on Friday, the Huskies rebounded with a big road win over Winona State on Saturday, prevailing for a 69-60 win over the host Warriors. With the victory, St. Cloud State is now 12-3 overall with a 10-2 mark in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play.
ROAD WARRIORS
St. Cloud State looked to rebound from its Friday night loss, but the team's scoring struggles continued throughout the first quarter. After jumping out to a 7-2 lead, the Huskies fell behind 14-9 after going four consecutive offensive possessions without a basket. It resulted in an 18-15 deficit after the first quarter for St. Cloud State.
The Huskies quickly tied the game at the start of the second, as Erin Navratil (Albany, Minn. / Albany) made a corner three to even the score 18-18. That three seemed to ignite St. Cloud State's offense, as the team closed the quarter on a 9-0 run to hold a 36-28 lead entering the locker room at half.
Navratil again jump-started the Huskies offense in the third quarter, hitting a big three to extend the team's lead to double-digits. The Warriors, though, continued to pester St. Cloud State on both offense and defense, whittling the lead back down to single digits halfway through the quarter. The Huskies persevered, though, and maintained a 54-44 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Things got interesting in the fourth quarter. After holding Winona State at bay in the second and third quarter, the Warriors seemingly cracked the St. Cloud State defense, cutting the lead to 59-51 with five minutes remaining in the fourth. The Huskies, naturally, maintained composure, using back-to-back baskets from Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson) and Caitlyn Peterson (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville North) to regain a 63-51 advantage with 4:24 remaining in regulation.
Winona State once again made a push in the final two minutes, cutting the St. Cloud State lead to 65-60 with 1:13 remaining in regulation. In the end, it came down to free throws, and the Huskies were without Wortz, as the fifth year senior fouled out in the final two minutes. St. Cloud State stayed calm and collected and prevailed for a 69-60 win over the Warriors.
TOP HUSKIES
- Erin Navratil (Albany, Minn. / Albany) was pretty spectacular for the Huskies, as she led the team with 13 points on 4-7 shooting including a 3-5 mark from three-point range. Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson) and Katrina Theis (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) scored 10 points a piece.
- Brehna Evans (De Pere, Wis. / West De Pere) had a career day on the boards, nabbing 15 rebounds in St. Cloud State's victory. The senior also led the way with four assists and two steals.
UP NEXT
The Huskies will hit the road again next weekend, as they are scheduled to take on Wayne State and Augustana. Tip of in Wayne, Nebraska is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Friday, January 21.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Women's Basketball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
