WAYNE, Neb. - Emma Miller (So., G, Albertville, Minn.) hit a clutch three with 35 seconds remaining as the University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team fended off Wayne State College in a 63-57 road victory in Wayne, Neb. The Golden Eagles played outstanding defense and outrebounded the Wildcats 50-32. 
 
Minnesota Crookston improved to 8-5 (5-2 NSIC) with Friday's win at Rice Auditorium. The Wildcats dropped to 4-7 (1-7 NSIC) with the loss. The Golden Eagles have lost their last three games against Wayne State. Minnesota Crookston is off to their best start since the 2018-19 season. They are off to their best start in conference play since the 2015-16 season. The Golden Eagles are 8-1 when holding their opponents to 70 points or less.
 
Emma Miller (So., G, Albertville, Minn.) paced the Golden Eagles with 18 points and added six boards. Nicole Hernandez (R-Jr., F/C, Oak Creek, Wis.) finished with a double-double of 12 points and 12 boards. Hope Dudycha (R-Fr., G, Austin, Minn.) added 12 points and five assists. Janie Tormanen (So., F/C, Menahga, Minn.) added eight points. Rayna Klejeski (Fr., F, Barnum, Minn.) added six points and eight boards.
 
The Golden Eagles were 20-of-56 for 35.7 percent. They went 6-of-22 for 27.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 17-of-20 for 85.0 percent from the line. Minnesota Crookston won the rebounding edge 50-32 but committed 20 turnovers to 12 assists.
 
The Wildcats shot 24-of-64 for 37.5 percent from the field. They went 5-of-17 for 29.4 percent and were 4-of-10 from the charity stripe. Wayne State had 15 assists to 12 turnovers. Carsyn Boswell had 14 points to lead Wayne State. Maya Fitzpatrick chipped in 11 points, while Britney Ho had nine.
 
The Golden Eagles opened the game on a 4-0 run as Hernandez put in a pair from the stripe. Wayne State cut the deficit to 4-3 with a Fitzpatrick trey. Miller used a floater to push the advantage to 8-5 with just over six minutes remaining in the first quarter. Wayne State countered with a 4-0 run as a Fitzpatrick jumper gave Wayne State the 9-8 lead. The Wildcats held the 13-10 lead after a Jordon Heckert jumper. The U of M Crookston tied the game 13-13 on a Hope Dudycha trey. Hope Dudycha drained a pair from the stripe to take the lead 15-13. 
 
Wayne State opened the second quarter with an Abby Kopecky bucket to knot the game 15-15. The Golden Eagles were able to take the lead back 19-17 with a Hope Dudycha lay-in. Brooklyn Kruse hit a basket to put the Wildcats ahead 20-19 with under six minutes left in the stanza. Hope Dudycha sank a pair of free throws, and Miller hit 1-of-2 to give the Golden Eagles a 22-20 lead with 3:55 remaining in the second stanza. Heckert brought Wayne State back within one point (22-21) with 2:03 remaining after hitting 1-of-2 from the line. On the other end, Rayna Klejeski was fouled and hit both from the stripe to give the Golden Eagles a 24-21 lead. Heckert tied the game 24-24 with a triple with a minute remaining in the quarter. Miller sank a jumper to give the Golden Eagles a 26-24 advantage going into the locker room. 
 
The Wildcats tied the game 26-26 out of the gate in the third quarter on a Britney Ho basket. Hernandez found Tormanen at the hoop for a pair to give the Golden Eagles a 28-26 advantage. A fastbreak bucket from Jenkins off a Miller dish pushed the lead to 30-26. A Tate Norblade jumper cut the Wayne State deficit to 34-32. However, Minnesota Crookston countered as Hernandez found Klejeski driving to the hoop to make it 36-32. Wayne State responded and tied the game 38-38 on a Fitzpatrick triple. Natalie Mikrot (So., G, Willow River, Minn.) came right back on the opposite end with a triple from the wing to put Minnesota Crookston ahead 41-38. Wayne State pulled back within one (44-43) after a three from Ho. Hope Dudycha hit 1-of-2 from the line to make it 45-43 going into the quarter break. 
 
To open the final stanza, Hernandez completed an old-fashioned three-point play to push the lead to 48-43. Hernandez made it six points in a row with a triple to widen the lead to 51-45. Wayne State countered with a triple from Ho to take the deficit to three (51-48). Miller fired right back with a three of her own to extend the lead to six. A put-back from Kopecky trimmed the Golden Eagle lead to four (54-50). Boswell followed suit with a jumper to trim the deficit to two. Minnesota Crookston responded in a big moment with a Hope Dudycha driving lay-up to widen the gap to 56-52. A Kopecky bucket brought Wayne State within two (56-54). Neither team scored for over five minutes prior to Ho hitting 1-of-2 from the line to cut the deficit to 56-55. Emma Miller ended the drought with a trey to give the lead to 59-55. On the opposite end, Boswell traveled giving the ball back to the Golden Eagles with under 30 seconds remaining. Wayne State got a turnover and a Boswell fastbreak to pull within 59-57 with 17.5 seconds left in the game. Hernandez was fouled and sank both from the line to push the lead to 61-57. Hernandez got a crucial block defensively and Jenkins iced the win with a pair of free throws as Minnesota Crookston won 63-57.
 
Minnesota Crookston treks to Augustana University for a road game Saturday, January 6 at 5:30 p.m., in Sioux Falls, S.D.