CROOKSTON, Minn. –Kylie Post (So., G, Corcoran, Minn.) scored 20 points on 6-of-10 from the field to lift the University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team to a 79-72 Senior Day win over St. Cloud State University. The Golden Eagles fought off the Huskies as they hit crucial shots down the stretch to stave off a late charge from St. Cloud State that dwindled the lead down to one with 4:14 left in the game. Minnesota Crookston finished the game on a 9-3 run, as they sent off their Senior Class with a win at Lysaker Gymnasium.
The Golden Eagles move to 5-21 (4-18 NSIC) with Saturday's win. Minnesota Crookston claimed the No. 7 seed in the NSIC North with the win, as the victory over the Huskies helped them win a tie-breaker with Minot State University. St. Cloud State falls to 19-7 (16-6 NSIC) with the loss. The Huskies claim the No. 2 seed in the NSIC North.
Minnesota Crookston had four players tally double-figure scoring on the game guided by Post, who was 6-of-10 from the field, and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. Post was able to get the basket at will as she played one of the best games of her young career. Post added five rebounds and four steals.
Mary Burke (R-Fr., F, Virginia, Minn.) finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Mattea Vetsch (Fr., G, Devils Lake, N.D.) came off the bench for 11 points. Emma Carpenter (Fr., G, Eagan, Minn.) chipped in 11 points and four assists, while Bren Fox (So., F/C, Norwood Young America, Minn.) finished with six points and eight boards.
Amber Schoenicke (Sr., F/C, Marshall, Wis.) got the start on Senior Day and finished with six points on 3-of-3 from the field in her final game at Lysaker Gymnasium. Schoenicke started alongside Stephanie McWIlliams (Sr., G, Grand Forks, N.D.), and Paige Weakley (Sr., G/F, Kearney, Mo.), who both saw their senior seasons end due to knee injuries. McWilliams had not played in a game all season long due to her injury. Both players were greeted by cheers as they started the game and were cheered as they went to the bench six seconds into Saturday's game. Their younger teammates helped send off the trio on a winning note in one of their best games on the 2019-20 season.
Minnesota Crookston was 27-of-54 from the field for 50.0 percent. The Golden Eagles were 8-of-20 from beyond the arc for 40.0 percent. Minnesota Crookston finished 17-of-19 from the stripe for 89.5 percent. The Golden Eagles out-rebounded the Huskies 32-28 on the game.
The Golden Eagle defense limited the Huskies to 72 points on the game. The Huskies were led by 21 points from Nikki Kilboten. Tori Wortz finished with 18 points and five rebounds, while Madelin Dammann had 16 points.
St. Cloud State shot 27-of-58 from the field for 46.6 percent. The Huskies were just 6-of-21 from behind the three-point line. St. Cloud State was 12-of-13 for 92.3 percent from the foul line. The Huskies had 19 turnovers on the tilt.
The victory for Minnesota Crookston over St. Cloud State snaps a five-game losing streak for the Golden Eagles. Minnesota Crookston's last win at their home gymnasium came Jan. 7, 2017 with a 78-76 win.
The two teams were tied up early in Saturday's affair, as a Kilboten jumper knotted it up 5-5. The Golden Eagles moved into an 11-7 lead on a Julia Peplinski (So., F, Hustisford, Wis.) old-fashioned three-point play. The Huskies countered as a pair of free throws from Kilboten cut the deficit down to 11-9.
Minnesota Crookston responded with a 4-0 run as a Burke jumper made it 15-9 with 2:20 remaining in the first quarter. The Golden Eagles would take the 19-11 lead later in the stanza on a Vetsch assist off a Peplinski helper. St. Cloud State closed out the quarter on a 4-0 run as a Kilboten jumper trimmed the Minnesota Crookston lead to 19-15 going into the break.
The Huskies moved their run to 8-0 to open the second quarter as a pair of Kilboten free throws knotted the game up 19-19 early in the stanza. Minnesota Crookston combatted the run with a 4-0 rally of their own as a Burke jumper made it 23-19 in favor of the Golden Eagles.
St. Cloud State was able to tie the game up again at 25-25 on a Kilboten jumper mid-way through the second quarter. Minnesota Crookston responded and took the 30-27 lead off a Carpenter trey with 3:20 left in the quarter.
The Huskies took over the lead on a Wortz jumper to make it 31-30. St. Cloud State went into the locker room with a one-point advantage at 37-36.
St. Cloud State opened the second half with a Wortz basket to widen the gap to 39-36. Minnesota Crookston had the answer with a Schoenicke basket and a Post steal that turned into a transition lay-in to give the Golden Eagles a 40-39 advantage.
The Huskies responded with a Wortz jumper and a Brehna Evans trey to take the 44- 40 advantage. A Kilboten basket widened the gap to 46-40 with 6:56 remaining in the third quarter. St. Cloud State pushed the lead to 53-42 on a Caitlyn Peterson bucket with 5:38 left in the third stanza.
Minnesota Crookston countered with a 5-0 run propelled by the play of Post, as she accounted for all five points to trim the deficit down to 53-47. A pair of free throws from Wortz extended the St. Cloud State lead to 55-47 with 4:40 left in the quarter.
Minnesota Crookston did not give in, as they countered with an 11-0 run to end the quarter, taking a 58-55 lead following a Post bucket off the steal.
The Golden Eagles continued to build the run into the opening of the fourth quarter guided by four more points from Post, as they extended the gap to 65-55 with 8:29 remaining in the game. St. Cloud State came back with a 10-0 run of their own as a Dammann three-pointer knotted the game up 65-65 with 5:41 left in the game.
A Burke triple put Minnesota Crookston back on top 68-65. The Huskies were able to trim the lead to 70-69 on a Wortz jumper. However, the Golden Eagles had the answer as Carpenter found Vetsch wide open on the win and she sank the trey to put Minnesota Crookston back up 72-69 with 1:53 left in the game.
The Golden Eagles were able to get the crucial hoops down the stretch, as they earned the 79-72 win.
Minnesota Crookston will be the No. 7 seed in the NSIC North and they will open the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament on Wed., 26 at 5:30 p.m., against Minnesota State University, the No. 2 seed in the NSIC South. The winner of Wednesday's game will play the winner of University of Mary and Southwest Minnesota State University Sun., March 1 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
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