Women's Basketball | 11/26/2025 3:29:00 PM

• THE MINNESOTA CROOKSTON women's basketball team is set for a rare doubleheader weekend with Northern Michigan University Saturday, November 29 at 12 p.m., and Sunday, November 30 at 12 p.m. It will be the first time the Golden Eagles have played the same opponent on back-to-back nights since the COVID-19 season of 2020-21 most recently against Bemidji State University. Minnesota Crookston comes into the weekend with a 1-3 (0-1 NSIC) mark. They are 1-0 at home with a 75-68 victory over Black Hills State November 19. The Golden Eagles are averaging 68.3 points per game, and allowing 74.3 per tilt to their foes. They come in shooting 41.6 percent from the field, and 37.2 percent from distance. The Golden Eagles are hitting at a 74.6 percent clip from the charity stripe. They are allowing teams to hit at a 42.3 percent clip from the field, but limiting teams to 28.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 65.3 percent from the stripe. Minnesota Crookston is being outrebounded 41.3-34.3, and they are committing 15.3 turnovers per game.

• IT'S EMMA. Miller, the 5-1 senior from Albertville, Minn., has made a name for herself in the NSIC, regionally, and nationally. The two-time All-NSIC First Team selection, and All-Region honoree, set the Minnesota Crookston scoring record last week against Black Hills State, surpassing Jamie Zelinsky. Miller currently has 1,759 career points. She is also moving up the charts all-time for conference points. She enters the Northern Michigan series with 1,294 points in NSIC play. She currently ranks ninth after surpassing Zelinsky on the charts. Currently she sits ahead of former Golden Eagles Zelinsky and Katrina Nordick on the charts. She needs 13 points to surpass Lauren Sees of Augustana for eighth all-time and is 29 points aweay from Cassie Askvig of UMary for seventh all-time. The record currently stands at 1,615 points by Brooke Olson of Minnesota Duluth. Miller needs 322 points or an average of 15.3 points per game in the remaining 21 conference regular-season tilts. She comes into Saturday
averaging 23.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. Miller is shooting 38.8 percent from the field, and 25.9 percent from beyond the arc.

• JENKINS JOTTINGS. Riley Jenkins, a 5-10 wing from Galesburg, Ill., enters the weekend averaging 11.5 points, and 2.8 rebounds per game. She is shooting 40.5 percent from the field, and 33.3 percent from distance. Jenkins has 439 career points as a Golden Eagle and needs just 61 points to move past the 500-point milestone. She was an All-NSIC Second Team pick in 2024-25 and is looking to continue that production in 2025-26. Jenkins had a season-high 14 points versus Pittsburg State on 5-of-11 from the field.

• FIRE AND RAYNA. Rayna Klejeski, a six-foot junior from Barnum, Minn., has been a key piece for the Golden Eagles in the post as she has made substantial improvement in her third season in the program. Klejeski comes in averaging 10.8 points, and 7.8 boards per game. She is hitting at a 50.0 percent clip from the field in 2025-26. Her season high came with 17 points and eight boards on 6-of-11 from the field against Pittsburg State. She is coming off 11 points and eight boards versus MSU Moorhead. Klejeski will look to make a major impact this weekend.

• EAST AND WESTBY. Anna Westby, a freshman from Eveleth, Minn., has jumped right on the scene as a freshman for the Golden Eagles. Westby comes in averaging 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. She has been a menace
defensively in the post, and has been dynamic on the offensive end. She is shooting 44.4 percent from the field entering Saturday. A native of Eveleth, Minn., she has had three-straight games in double digits. Westby is coming off a double-double against MSU Moorhead, the first of her career. She had 14 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocked shots against the Dragons.

• NAT COMING IN OFF THE BENCH. Senior Natalie Mikrot, a native of Willow River, Minn., has made an impact off the bench this season for the Golden Eagles. She has a pair of games where she knocked down a pair of three-pointers. Mikrot had six points against Nebraska Kearney, and is coming off six points and three rebounds on 2-of-2 from distance versus MSU Moorhead. Look for the senior to continue to impact the game off the bench.

• LOCAL GIRL. Halle Winjum, a native of Crookston, is in her sophomore season for the Golden Eagles. Winjum, a 5-6 guard, comes into the weekend averaging 2.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Winjum is hitting at a 60.0 percent clip from the field, and 66.7 percent clip from distance on three shots. Winjum impacts the game with her energy and defense, as well. She had eight points on 3-of-4 from the field against Pittsburg State.

• AT HOME. Minnesota Crookston is 1-0 at home this season after a win over Black Hills State last week. They went 3-8 in the friendly confines of Lysaker Gymnasium in 2024-25. Minnesota Crookston is looking to keep their luck at home this season against Northern Michigan.

• FIRST CAREER START. Tayden Hanks, a transfer from Pima Community College, made her first career start against MSU Moorhead Tuesday. She is averaging 11.8 minutes per game, and 1.0 points and 1.3 boards per game. Hanks had two points against Nebraska Kearney and Black Hills State, and a season-high three boards versus Nebraska Kearney.

• NON-CONFERENCE. Minnesota Crookston enters the weekend 1-2 in non-conference play with losses to Nebraska Kearney and Pittsburg State, and a win over Black Hills State. They have two games against Northern Michigan and a non-
conference tilt with South Dakota Mines January 4 remaining on their 2025-26 slate.

• AGAINST NORTHERN MICHIGAN. Minnesota Crookston has lost all six of their meetings all-time against Northern Michigan dating back to their first meeting in 2014 in Moorhead. The Golden Eagles lost 85-69 in Marquette, Mich., November 15, 2024. The closest game they played with the Wildcats was November 18, 2021 with a 50-48 loss. They also were close November 19, 2016 with a 63-60 loss in Marquette.

#Tidbits

NORTHERN MICHIGAN. The Northern Michigan Wildcats are off to a dominant 6-1 start to the season. The team has outscored their opponents by 12.3 ppg while scoring an average of 71.3 points. The Wildcats have a 42.8 FG%, going 188-of-439 They are also on fire from downtown this year, with a .40.6 FG%, hitting 65-160. This NMU team has also out rebounded their opponents by 7.1 per game. Wildcats have an overtime win over NSIC squad St. Cloud State and an 85-70 loss to Minnesota Duluth at home. They are currently ranked 18th in the nation.

JUST ABOUT JACY. Senior guard Jacy Weisbrod, a senior from La Crosse, Wis., has guided the way for Northern
Michigan. She leads the squad with an impressive 18.9 points per game. She is also averaging 4.4 rebounds per game. Weisbrod is shooting 45.7 percent from the field, and an impressive 43.9 percent from distance. She comes into Saturday with three games with 20 or more points.

FAMILIAR FOE. Alyssa Hill is the starting forward for the team. The Golden Eagles are familiar with Hill, a 6-1 senior, who transferred from Bemidji State University. She is shooting 58.7 percent from the field on all two-point attempts and She is averaging 8.3 ppg, which is second on the team, and a team-high 6.9 boards per game.

THE CREATOR. The Wildcats top assist creator on the team is CJ Romero, a 5-4 senior guard. She has 31 assists in seven games, for an average of 4.4 assists per game. Romero averaged just 3.9 points per game, but creates for other people. She is a 41.2 percent three-point shooter this season.

NOT A NEWCOMER. Her name is Newcomer, but she is a senior. Sarah Newcomer, a 5-10 native of Pewaukee, Wis., was an All-GLIAC Second team pick a season ago. She comes into the weekend averaging 9.0 points, and 3.4 rebounds per game. Newcomer is a 41.0 percent three-point shooter on 39 attempts.

WATCH OUT FOR ADDISON. Sophomore Addison Pytleski has had a strong start to the season, with 8.6 points per game. She can also shoot the trey, hitting at a 44.4 percent clip. Pytleski had a season-high 15 points versus Minnesota Duluth. 

GAMEDAY

#18 NORTHERN MICHIGAN AT MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
DATE: Saturday, November 29
TIME: 12 p.m.
SITE: Crookston, Minn.
ARENA: Gary Senske Court at Lysaker Gymnasium
LIVE STATS: https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
LIVE VIDEO: https://nsicnetwork.com/goldeneaglesports/
TWITTER: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB

#18 NORTHERN MICHIGAN AT MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
DATE: Sunday, November 30
TIME: 12 p.m.
SITE: Crookston, Minn.
ARENA: Gary Senske Court at Lysaker Gymnasium
LIVE STATS: https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
LIVE VIDEO: https://nsicnetwork.com/goldeneaglesports/
TWITTER: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON GOLDEN EAGLES
Head Coach: Natalie Moynihan
Career Record: 19-41 (Third Season at Minnesota Crookston)

NORTHERN MICHIGAN WILDCATS
Head Coach: Casey Thousand
Career Record: 66-33 (Fourth Season at Northern Michigan)

WEEKLY SNAPSHOT

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 1 Emma Miller (5-1, Albertville, Minn.) 23.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.5 APG
R-Jr. SG 2 Hope Dudycha (5-5, Austin, Minn.) 3.8 PPG, 0.3 RPG
Fr. SF 12 Anna Westby (5-11, Eveleth, Minn.) 10.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.5 BPG
Jr. PF 4 Tayden Hanks (5-11, Los Lunas, N.M.) 1.0 PPG, 1.3 RPG
Jr. C 14 Rayna Klejeski (6-0, Barnum, Minn.) 10.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG
Top Bench Contributors
So. G 10 Halle Winjum (5-6, Crookston, Minn.) 2.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG
R-Jr. G/F 30 Riley Jenkins (5-10, Galesburg, Ill.) 11.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG
Sr. G 11 Natalie Mikrot (5-6, Willow River, Minn.) 3.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG

NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 1 C.J. Romero (5-4, Brookfield, Wis.) 3.9 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 4.4 APG
So. SG 10 Addison Pytleski (5-9, Green Bay, Wis.) 8.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG
Sr. 3G 23 Jacy Weisbrod (5-10, La Crosse, Wis.) 18.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG
Sr. SF 5 Sarah Newcomer (5-10, Pewaukee, Wis.) 9.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG
Sr. PF 42 Alyssa Hill (6-1, Neguanee, Mich.) 8.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG
Top Bench Contributors
So. G/F 2 Sydney Whitehouse (5-8, Green Bay, Wis.) 7.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG
So. F 22 Madison Schroeder (5-11, Peotone, Ill.) 4.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG
Fr. G 3 Faith Walder (5-6, West De Pere, Wis.) 4.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG
Sr. G 14 Reide Osterman (5-8, Baraga, Mich.) 1.9 PPG, 1.9 RPG  

KEYS TO THE WEEKEND

- Who will step up off the bench for the Golden Eagles?

- Can the Golden Eagles be strong on the glass, both defensively and offensively?

- What newcomer can make a major impact this weekend?

- Can the Golden Eagles knock down the three ball?

- Can the Golden Eagles continue to play well at home?

- Will Anna Westby continue her strong freshman season?