Women's Basketball | 1/13/2026 2:49:00 PM

• THE MINNESOTA CROOKSTON women's basketball team enters the week with a 3-13 (2-8 NSIC) mark. The Golden Eagles are looking to bounce back off four-straight losses to open the 2026 calendar year. Minnesota Crookston returns home to face Wayne State College Friday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m., and Augustana University Saturday, January 17 at 3:30 p.m. The Golden Eagles are averaging 67.2 points per game, and allowing 77.8 to their foes. They come in shooting 40.4 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 76.1 percent from the foul line. Minnesota Crookston is being outrebounded 40.4-32.9 this season. The Golden Eagles come in averaging 10.8 assists to 13.8 turnovers per game. They are forcing 13.5 turnovers per tilt.

• 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 earlier this season. She is now moving up the charts in the NSIC record books. Miller currently is third all-time in NSIC scoring. She currently has 1,461 points in conference play, and needs 26 points to surpass Concordia-St. Paul's Anna Schmitt for second all-time. Miller is 155 points from passing Minnesota Duluth's Brooke Olson for the all-time record. Olson had 1,615 points in five seasons, including the COVID season. Miller needs to averaged 12.9 points per game or more in the final 12 games of the 2025-26 regular season. Additionally, she has 1,979 career points overall in her career. She needs 21 points to become the first Golden Eagle in program history to score 2,000 or more points in a career. Miller comes in averaging 19.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. She is shooting 38.4 percent from the field, and 25.3 percent from distance. Miller is hitting at an 81.2 percent clip from the stripe.

• WATCH OUT FOR WESTBY. Anna Westby, a freshman from Eveleth, Minn., has been a key player for the Golden
Eagles, and has really come into her own this season. Westby is a factor both offensively and defensively. She comes in tallying 10.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. Westby is shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.3 percent from the line. Westby's best games came with 20 points against Minot State December 13, and 21 versus Jamestown December 17. Westby has 10 double-digit scoring games as a freshman. Her best game on the glass came with 12 rebounds against MSU Moorhead November 25. Westby had a season-hight six blocks December 17 against Jamestown.

• 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 enters the week averaging 11.0 points and 5.4 boards per game. Klejeski is shooting 49.6 percent from the field, 60.0 percent on 15 attempts from beyond the arc, and 83.3 percent from the line. Klejeski has nine double-digit scoring games. She had 16 points on 6-of-10 from the field against Concordia-St. Paul. Her season best came with 17 against Pittsburg State.

• JENKINS JOTTINGS. Riley Jenkins, a 5-10 wing from Galesburg, Ill., was a All-NSIC Second Team selection last season, and continues to be an important player for the Golden Eagles during the 2025-26 season. Jenkins comes in notching 11.2 points and 4.4 boards per game. Jenkins is hitting at a 40.3 percent clip from the field, and is shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. Jenkins is a 77.8 percent free throw shooter. She has put together three-consecutive strong performances, averaging 16.3 points on 18-of-36 from the field for 50.0 percent. Jenkins is coming off 18 points on 7-of-12 from the field versus Concordia-St. Paul.

• EARNING HER STARTS. Sophomore guard Halle Winjum, a Crookston-native, is a player who gives high effort every time she is on the court and does a lot of the little things. Winjum has started the last seven games, and comes in averaging 3.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. She had a season-high seven boards January 4 against South Dakota Mines. In the last four games, Winjum is averaging 3.5 points and 4.3 rebounds. She comes in shooting 39.6 percent from the field, and 47.8 percent from deep on 23 attempts. Winjum had a season-high 11 points December 13 versus Minot State.

• WATCH OUT FOR HOPE. Redshirt junior guard Hope Dudycha, an Austin, Minn. native, moved to the bench in the last five games but is still finding an impact. Dudycha is averaging 4.8 points per game. She comes in shooting 39.5 percent from beyond the arc on 38 attempts. Dudycha had a season-high 16 points December 6 against Bemidji State. She is coming off four points against Concordia-St. Paul.

• BRYNLEA OFF THE BENCH. Brynlea Mahlen, who grew up around the program with her Dad Nate Mahlen, a former Golden Eagle assistant coach and current assistant athletic director. Mahlen has played an increasing role in the last nine games, averaging 14.2 minutes per game. Mahlen had back-to-back games scoring five points against Minot State and Jamestown. She notched a season-high five boards against MSU Moorhead January 3.

• HOMEWARD BOUND. Minnesota Crookston comes in with a 3-5 record at home. They have been more successful at Lysaker Gymnasium compared to in their road games this season. The Golden Eagles have home wins over Black Hills State, Northern state, and Jamestown. Last season, they posted a 3-8 record in the friendly confines of Lysaker Gymnasium.

• CONFERENCE PLAY. The Golden Eagles enter the weekend with a 2-8 record in conference play. They currently are in a tie for seventh place in the NSIC North with Jamestown, but currently have the tiebreaker over the Jimmies. The Golden Eagles are two games back of Northern State, Bemidji State, and Minot State. A lot of ground can be made up this weekend. Augustana is currently 3-7 in NSIC play and sit in a tie with Wayne State for sixth place in the NSIC South.

• AGAINST WAYNE STATE. Minnesota Crookston has found a lot of success against the Wildcats in recent seasons posting a 4-1 mark over Wayne State since 2019. The Golden Eagles are 2-1 in their last three games at home against Wayne State.  The Wildcats have a 24-12 edge all-time over Minnesota Crookston entering Friday's game.

• AGAINST AUGUSTANA. Augustana has posted the last eight wins in the series. Minnesota Crookston's last victory over the Vikings came December 12, 2015 with a 76-57 victory over the Vikings in Crookston. Augie has won the last four meetings in Crookston.

 WAYNE STATE. Wayne State enters the weekend with an 8-8 (3-7 NSIC) mark. The Wildcats have won two of their last three games, including their last two over Northern State and Jamestown. Wayne State comes in with a 3-7 mark in conference play. The Wildcats are in their first year under Head Coach Brian Ortmeier, who comes over from Briar Cliff.  Wayne State plays nine plays most games, led their normal starters Kylah vanDonkersgoed, Rachel Dahlen, Tenleigh Smith, Kelsey Willems, and Meg Rietz. Wayne State comes in averaging 64.3 points per game, while allowing 62.7 to their foes. They are shooting 38.3 percent from the field, 27.6 percent from distance, and 68.8 percent from the line. Wayne State is even on the glass this season, 38.6-38.6. They are averaging 12.4 assists to 17.1 turnovers per game.

RACHEL! Senior Rachel Dahlen, a Devils Lake, N.D. native, has been a key player for the Wildcats. She comes in
averaging 11.6 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game. Dahlen is shooting 44.8 percent from the field. She is much of a three-point threat, only hitting 2-of-11 attempts, and is hitting at a 72.0 percent clip from the line. Dahlen
averaged 11.5 points and 6.0 boards per game in wins over Northern State and Jamestown last weekend.

WATCH OUT FOR VANDONKERSGOED. Kylah vanDonkersgoed leads the way for Wayne State averaging 11.8 points per game. She also is notching 6.1 boards per tilt. VanDonkersgoed is shooting 39.9 percent from the field, and 23.9
percent from deep on 67 attempts. She is shooting 68.4 percent from the line, and gets to the line the most of the Wayne State players. VanDonkersgoed had an impressive game with 31 against Northern State on 12-of-17 from the field. She averaged 25.0 points per game in wins over Northern State and Jamestown.

MISS SMITH. Tenleigh Smith, a grad transfer from Idaho State, has made an immediate impact for Wayne State. She has been the starting point guard, leading the way with 50 assists for the Wildcats. Smith is shooting 32.8 percent from the field, and 31.0 percent from distance. She is a 73.9 percent shooter from the stripe. She has six double-digit scoring games. Smith had 18 points January 3 against Augustana. Last weekend, she was held to only 3.5 points per game, but averaged 5.0 boards per game.

AUGUSTANA. Augustana is coming into the weekend with a 6-10 (3-7 NSIC) mark. The Vikings are coming off a split last weekend with a win over Jamestown, and a loss to Northern State. Augie has been outscored by nearly six points per game this season allowing 74.8 to their foes, and scoring 68.8 points per game. They come in shooting 42.1 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from deep, and 66.0 percent from the line. Augustana struggles with ball control, turning it over 19.9 times per game, compared to 16.2 for their foes.

IT'S ALL ABOUT ISABELLA. Isabella Sanneh, a six-foot forward from Woodbury, Minn., leads the way averaging a double-double of 14.5 points and 10.1 boards per game. A sophomore, Sanneh is shooting 49.1 percent from the field, and 50.0 percent from beyond the arc on just 14 attempts. She struggles at the line, hitting 60.3 percent.

EDMONDS FROM THREE. Kristin Edmonds is the top deep threat for Augustana. She has shot 95 three-pointers to lead the Vikings. Edmonds is shooting 41.0 percent from the field, and 95.0 percent from three. All but 27 of her attempts from the field have been from three this season. She is averaging 9.0 points per game for the Vikings.

HARDY GIRL. Payton Hardy comes in notching 8.7 points and 6.1 boards per game. Hardy is shooting 39.1 percent from the field, and 31.1 percent from beyond the arc. She has been held in check in recent games, averaging just 4.7 points per game in the last three. Hardy had 10 points against Concordia-St. Paul, and 14 versus Hastings. 

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON GOLDEN EAGLES
Head Coach: Natalie Moynihan
Career Record: 21-51 (Third Season at Minnesota Crookston)

WAYNE STATE WILDCATS
Head Coach: Brian Ortmeier
Career Record: 8-8 (First Season at Wayne State)

AUGUSTANA VIKINGS
Head Coach: Nate Vogel
Career Record: 12-31 (Second Season at Augustana)

WEEKLY SNAPSHOT

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 1 Emma Miller (5-1, Albertville, Minn.) 19.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.8 APG
So. SG 10 Halle Winjum (5-6, Crookston, Minn.) 3.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG
R-Jr. 3G 30 Riley Jenkins (5-10, Galesburg, Ill.) 11.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG
Fr. SF 12 Anna Westby (5-11, Eveleth, Minn.) 10.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.2 BPG
Jr. PF 14 Rayna Klejeski (6-0, Barnum, Minn.) 11.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG
Top Bench Contributors
R-Jr. G 2 Hope Dudycha (5-5, Austin, Minn.) 4.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG
Jr. F 4 Tayden Hanks (5-11, Los Lunas, N.M.) 2.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG
So. G/F 20 Brynlea Mahlen (5-9, Fosston, Minn.) 1.0 PPG, 1.6 RPG

WAYNE STATE
Projected Starters
Gr. PG 10 Tenleigh Smith (5-9, Inkom, Idaho) 8.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.1 APG
R-Jr. SG 5 Kelsey Willems (5-8, Chaska, Minn.) 7.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG
Sr. 3G 33 Meg Rietz (6-0, Huxley, Iowa) 5.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG
Sr. SF 25 Kylah vanDonkersgoed (6-1, Sioux Falls, S.D.) 11.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG
Sr. PF 21 Rachel Dahlen (6-2, Devils Lake, N.D.) 11.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG
Top Bench Contributors
So. G 15 Emma Frost (5-11, Andover, Minn.) 5.4 PPG, 1.8 RPG
Sr. G/F 22 Lily Fitzgerald (5-11, Mandurah, Australia) 4.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG
So. F 23 Ella Sharar (6-0, Iowa Falls, Iowa) 3.5 PPG, 1.1 RPG
Fr. G 3 Cassie Allen (5-6, Crofton, Neb.) 2.6 PPG, 1.3 RPG

AUGUSTANA
Projected Starters
Jr. PG 30 Maliyah Elliott (5-3, Auburn, Wash.) 7.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 3.0 APG
Jr. SG 24 Kristin Edmonds (5-7, Lick Creek, Ill.) 9.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG
Fr. 3G 20 Clarissa Sauer (5-9, Lewiston, Minn.) 6.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG
Jr. SF 12 Payton Hardy (6-0, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa) 9.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG
So. PF 23 Isabella Sanneh (6-0, Woodbury, Minn.) 14.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.6 APG
Top Bench Contributors
Fr. G 2 Addie Hanna (5-6, Maple Grove, Minn.) 5.7 PPG, 2.1 RPG
Sr. G 3 Miranda Lomax (5-5, Cathlamet, Wash.) 5.2 PPG, 1.5 RPG
So. G 22 Ava Pautz (5-11, Phoenix, Ariz.) 4.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG
So. F/C 42 Mia Donald (6-0, North Olmsted, Ohio) 4.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG