COLLEGE ROUNDUP: WSU women use defense to tame Mustangs
By staff and news services

MARSHALL, Minn. — The Winona State University women’s basketball team got defensive in a bounceback Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference road win.

WSU junior Jenny Steffen scored a game-high 16 points as the Warriors shut down Southwest Minnesota State and rallied for a 50-40 win on Saturday at the Recreation/Athletic Facility.
It was the third lowest opponent scoring output allowed all season by WSU, which was coming off a disappointing 68-62 loss at Wayne State (Neb.) on Friday.

“In the past three weeks we’ve played really well defensively and locked people down,” WSU coach Scott Ballard said. “And it’s a good thing we did tonight.”

WSU flexed its defensive might early Saturday, taking a 19-16 halftime lead over SMSU (11-12, 7-8).

The Mustangs came back and took a 37-36 lead with three minutes, 30 seconds to play. But the Warriors (18-7, 8-6) got a 3-pointer from Steffen to take the lead for good 39-37 and closed the game on a 14-3 run.

The Warriors forced 19 turnovers in the game and held SMSU to 30 percent shooting.

The tough defense was a must as WSU shot 27 percent and committed 15 turnovers.

Senior forward Amanda Reimer added 12 points, nine rebounds and four steals for the Warriors.

Liz Grider and Ashley Oakland paced SMSU with 10 points apiece.

Carleton 84, SMU 41

Less than a month ago Saint Mary’s beat Carleton 63-60 at SMU Gymnasium. The second meeting looked nothing like the first go around.

The Knights led the entire game, opening up a 40-20 lead at halftime. The lead ballooned as high as 49 in the second half.

Hannah Oken-Berg scored a game-high 21 points on 7-for-8 shooting for Carleton.

The Knights shot 48 percent in the game compared to 33 percent by SMU.

“We did not shoot the ball the way we need to,” SMU coach Mandy Pearson. “We had some good looks, we just couldn’t get the ball to drop.

“Carleton made life pretty difficult for us today.”

SMU senior forward Jess Weisbrod and junior forward Alyse Coates paced the Cardinals with eight points apiece. Weisbrod now has 992 points for her career with five regular season games remaining.

Men’s basketball

Carleton 72, SMU 71

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Saint Mary’s lost it’s 11th straight game in especially excruciating fashion.

The Cardinals took their first lead of the game when freshman guard Will Wright made a layup to put SMU up 71-70 with just three seconds remaining.

Following a timeout, Carleton got the ball to Zach Johnson who missed his shot but Tommy Drake tipped the ball in as time expired.

It was Drake’s only basket, as he finished 1-for-10 shooting.

“It’s tough to lose a game that way,” SMU coach Mike Trewick said. “For (Carleton) to get the ball in, miss a shot, and make the put-back — all in three seconds — that’s heartbreaking.”

Wright finished with 28 points and eight rebounds for the Cardinals, while Johnson had a career high 36 points and nine rebounds for Carleton.

Men’s tennis

WSU 9, Lewis (Ill.) 0

Winona State had little trouble defeating Lewis University in a nonconference matchup.

The Warriors swept every match from Lewis in straight sets. Gage Davidson, the Warrior’s No. 1 single’s player defeated Ben Karas 6-0, 6-2.

The Warrior also got single’s victories from Aaron Lentz (6-1, 6-0), Zack Williams (6-0, 6-0), Stuart Booth (6-0, 6-4) and Taylor Rens (7-5, 6-1). Tanner Bishop won by default.

In doubles action, it was more of the same, as the Warriors won all three matches.

Women’s tennis

WSU 5, Lewis (Ill.) 4

Winona State junior Holly Peltier and freshman Kaycee Moore each had a hand in a pair of wins to lead the Warriors to their first meet victory of the season.

Peltier teamed up with Erika Richae to win the No. 2 doubles match 8-3. Peliter also won 6-4, 6-4 at No. 5 singles.

Moore and Courtney Zinter won the No. 3 doubles match 8-1. Moore also posted a straight-set, 6-0, 6-2, win at No. 6 singles.

Women’s track and field

Eastbay Pointer Invitational

STEVENS POINT, Wis. — Allie Glasbrenner, Emily Asuncion and Kayle Johnson picked up wins in Winona State’s fourth-place finish out of 10 teams.

Glasbrenner won the 3000 yard run with a time of 10 minutes, 48.48 seconds, Asuncion (8.66) won the 55 meter hurdles and Johnson (1.6 meters) won the high jump.

Gymnastics

Best of Minnesota Invite

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Winona State finished second with a season-best score of 186.375. Only the University of Minnesota finished better at 194.274.

WSU’s Alexandra Nugent finished third in the all-around with a score of 37.725. Melissa Baudhuin finished fourth with a score of 37.675.

“It was a great place for us to show how far the Winona State program has come,” WSU coach Beckie Rolbiecki said.

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