Following a year off from tournament play last season, the Wayne State College women’s basketball team continued their 2024-25 campaign with a goal of advancing to the Pentagon.
From the Nemzek Fieldhouse in Moorhead, Minnesota, #10 Wayne State College visited #7 MSU Moorhead Wednesday evening during the first round of the 2025 NSIC Women’s Basketball Tournament.
The Wildcat women suffered a 57-50 loss.
Earlier this season on January 25, MSU Moorhead won 63-53 in Moorhead, Minnesota. This also marked the sixth meeting between the two clubs in the NSIC Tournament with WSC previously going 4-1 against MSU Moorhead entering this season with the most recent meeting coming 2015 at the Sanford Pentagon which was an 81-59 WSC win. Other scores came in 2010 (WSC won 77-70 in Wayne); 2006 (WSC won 73-53); 2002 (MSU Moorhead won 75-59) and 2001 (WSC won 62-53).
On Wednesday, MSU Moorhead jumped ahead 22-6 and added to their lead with a 15-13 second quarter to go up 37-19. Both teams scored 15 points in the third quarter as the Wildcats won the fourth, 15-6. Final favored #7 MSU Moorhead winning 57-50 to improve to 14-15 as #10 WSC ended their season at 11-16.
Wayne State College leaders were junior Kylah VanDonkersgoed (4-12 FG/2-6 3PT) with 10 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks as eight-point scoring came from senior Tate Norblade (1-6 FG/1-2 3PT/5-6 FT) with four rebounds, two assists and one block along with senior Carsyn Boswell (3-5 FG/2-3 3PT) with four rebounds and one assist.
Other scoring came from sophomore Brooklyn Kruse (two rebounds/one block) with seven points, senior Delaney Clark (two rebounds/one assist/one steal) added six points, junior Rachel Dahlen (six rebounds/two assists/three blocks) tacked on five points, senior Maya Fitzpatrick (four rebounds/two assists) fouled out with four points as junior Lily Fitzgerald (two rebounds/one assist) tallied two points.
The Wildcats shot 18-51 (35.3%) from the field, 8-23 (34.8%) from behind the arc and 6-7 (85.7%) at the foul line.
MSU Moorhead was led in scoring by Ashton Safranski with 17 points as Natalie Jens and Abby Berge both scored 10 points.
The Dragons finished 21-66 (31.8%) from the floor, 6-19 (31.6%) from the three-point line and 9-11 (81.8%) from the charity stripe.
MSU Moorhead outrebounded Wayne State College, 44-32 including 15 to 5 offensively which led to 12 second chance points compared to four second chance points for the ‘Cats. Wayne State College scored 13 points off of 13 Dragon turnovers while MSU Moorhead scored 22 points off of 17 Wildcat turnovers.
MSU Moorhead won the battle in the paint (28-18) and fast break scoring (9-0) as WSC won bench scoring (20-9).
