Winhawks hold off Becker in low-scoring affair
For the first time in school history, Winona Senior High School’s girls basketball team is playing for a state championship.
The Winhawks held off Becker 37-33 Thursday in the Minnesota Class 3A semifinals.
At 6 p.m. Saturday at Williams Arena, No. 2-seeded Winona (25-6) will take on fifth-seeded Holy Angels (26-4).
OK. This is cool. Well done, Winona. #mshsl https://t.co/rAzhQ2gqOv
— John Millea (@MSHSLjohn) March 16, 2016
As the final score between Winona and Becker indicates, it was not a pretty game. The two teams combined to shoot 26-for-86 from the field (30 percent) and turned the ball over 30 times.
Winona took a went on a 7-0 run ending the first half and into the second to go up 27-18.
Then the drought began, as the Winhawks went 8 minutes, 3 seconds without a point and Becker’s 9-0 run pulled them within 28-27.
Eden Nibbelink ended that drought, however, with a 3-pointer but Becker did manage to take a 33-32 lead on a 3-pointer with 3:28 remaining.
Danneka Voegeli answered that basket with an offensive putback and Winona never looked back, making just enough free throws to hold on.
Nibbelink was 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and led Winona with 11 points. Hoeppner scored nine. Winona lost the rebounding battle 36-28, but missed 10 less shots. Becker (20-10) was 13 of 48 from the field. Winona was 13 of 38.