Women's Basketball | 2/16/2026 8:01:00 PM

CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team is set to finish their home schedule Tuesday, February 17 at 5 p.m., against the University of Minnesota Duluth. The game was moved up a day due to inclement weather forecasted for Wednesday.

The Golden Eagles enter their final home tilt with an 8-18 (7-13 NSIC) mark. Minnesota Crookston is 3-1 in their last four games, including consecutive victories over Northern State, Jamestown, and Minot State. Minnesota Crookston is making a final charge for the NSIC Tournament. They are currently tied for fifth in the NSIC North with Minot State, and they are tied with Minot State for 11th in the overall standings. They are game ahead of Augustana University, who they hold the tiebreaker against. They are two games ahead of Bemidji State, who they play Saturday, and currently do not hold the tiebreaker over. 

Minnesota Crookston is averaging 68.7 points per game, while allowing 76.4 points per tilt to their foes. They are shooting 41.0 percent from the field, 34.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 79.0 percent from the stripe. Minnesota Crookston is being outrebounded 40.2-33.2, and are averaging 14.7 turnovers per game.

QUEEN EMMA. Emma Miller, a 5-1 senior guard, has been a staple for Minnesota Crookston, earning two All-NSIC First Team nods, an All-Region accolade, and an All-NSIC Second Team pick in her career. Miller just became the queen of women's basketball scoring in the NSIC, surpassing Brooke Olson's record of Minnesota Duluth. Miller keeps knocking off the records, now sitting at 1,654 career conference points. She also is the first player in program history to eclipse 2,000 points, and set the Minnesota Crookston scoring mark earlier this season. Miller has 2,172 career points overall. She comes into Tuesday averaging 19.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Her assists per game mark is the most in her career. She needs nine more assists to break her top single-season total. Miller is shooting 39.5 percent from the field, 29.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.5 percent from the stripe.

LONG MAY SHE RAYNA. Rayna Klejeski, a junior forward from Barnum, Minn., has made major strides in her junior season, as she has been a force to be reckoned with underneath. Klejeski has eight-consecutive double-digit scoring games. She is tallying 14.9 points per game in the last eight. In addition, Klejeski is averaging 7.5 rebounds in the same stretch, and has tallied a pair of double-doubles. Klejeski is notching 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game overall this season. She is shooting 51.2 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 85.3 percent from the stripe. Miller and Klejeski are tied for the team-lead in free throw attempts.

CLOSING IN ON A RECORD. Anna Westby (Fr., F, Eveleth, Minn.) has had a strong freshman season for the Golden Eagles, making an impact both offensively and defensively. Westby has a chance to break a single-season mark, as she is closing in on Nicole Hernandez's single-season block record set in 2024-25 with 80. Westby enters Tuesday with 71 blocked shots. She needs 10 blocks to surpass Hernandez's record. In addition, Westby comes in averaging 10.6 points and 5.1 boards per game. Westby is shooting 43.9 percent from the field, and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc.

ROYAL RILEY. Riley Jenkins (R-Jr., G/F, Galesburg, Ill.) is a major factor for the Golden Eagles this season. Jenkins is a threat from deep, shooting 36.4 percent from deep on 99 attempts this season. She was an All-NSIC Second Team pick last season. Jenkins comes into the week notching 10.7 points and 3.9 boards per game.

GIVE ME A LITTLE HOPE. Hope Dudycha (R-Jr., G, Austin, Minn.) has been a crucial player off the bench for the Golden Eagles. Dudycha is averaging 7.0 points per game in the last trio of games for Minnesota Crookston. Dudycha had 10 points in a win over Jamestown, and eight last Saturday against UMary. She is a 39.3 percent three-point shooter this season.

WINJUM MAKING HER MARK. Halle Winjum (So., G, Crookston, Minn.) is a high energy player who does a lot of the things that don't always go noticed on the court. She has started 16 games this season, and comes in averaging 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Winjum averaged 6.7 points per game in Minnesota Crookston three-consecutive wins against Jamestown, Northern State, and Minot State.

AT HOME. Minnesota Crookston has found success at home with a 5-8 mark at Lysaker Gymnasium this season. The Golden Eagles went 1-1 last weekend with a win over Minot State, and a loss to UMary. They improved at home from last season, where they finished 3-8 in home games.

AGAINST MINNESOTA DULUTH. The Golden Eagles are 4-40 all-time against the Bulldogs. They enter their final home game of the season on a 13-game losing streak against Minnesota Duluth. Minnesota Crookston's last win over the Bulldogs came January 5, 2019 with a 66-61 win at Lysaker Gymnasium.

MINNESOTA DULUTH. The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs come into the week with a 17-7 (15-5 NSIC) mark. UMD split last week with a win over Jamestown, and a loss to Northern State. The Bulldogs come in averaging 72.0 points per game, and they are limiting their foes to 63.3 points per game. UMD shoots 43.7 percent from the field, 32.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 76.1 percent from the stripe. They have a tendency to foul the opposing teams quite frequently, allowing 17.5 free throws per game to their foes. Their opponents have 127 more attempts at the line, and 104 more makes at the stripe. They narrowly outrebound squads 35.9-35.5. They averaged 15.0 assists to 12.5 turnovers per game.

SLOW DOWN MYRA. Senior guard Myra Moorjani guides UMD, averaging 13.5 points per game. She is tied with a team lead of 71 assists, for 3.1 assists per game. Moorjani is shooting 40.8 percent from the field, and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc. She is shooting 83.6 percent from the line. Moorjani had 21 points in a win over Jamestown, but was held to eight points in a loss to Northern State.

CLOSE IN ON CLAIRE. Claire Bjorge enters Tuesday averaging 13.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. She is tied for the team lead with 71 assists. Bjorge shoots 44.8 percent from the field. She has four-straight double-digit scoring games. Bjorge notched 18 against Jamestown, and 14 versus Northern State last week.

CAN'T STOP KARGE. Lexi Karge, a 6-2 senior forward, comes in averaging 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Karge is shooting 50.5 percent from the field, and has gotten to the line a team-high 75 times. Karge averaged 11.0 points last weekend. She had 22 the week prior against Minot State.

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 1 Emma Miller, 5-1, Albertville, Minn., 19.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.2 APG
So. SG 10 Halle Winjum, 5-6, Crookston, Minn., 4.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG
R-Jr. 3G 30 Riley Jenkins, 5-10, Galesburg, Ill., 10.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG
Fr. SF 12 Anna Westby, 5-11, Eveleth, Minn., 10.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.7 BPG
Jr. PF 14 Rayna Klejeski, 6-0, Barnum, Minn., 12.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG
Top Bench Players
R-Jr. G 2 Hope Dudycha, 5-5, Austin, Minn., 4.9 PPG, 1.4 RPG
So. G/F 20 Brynlea Mahlen, 5-9, Fosston, Minn., 0.9 PPG, 1.7 RPG
Sr. G 11 Natalie Mikrot, 5-6, Willow River, Minn., 3.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG

MINNESOTA DULUTH
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 11 Myra Moorjani, 5-8, Eden Prairie, Minn., 13.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.1 APG
So. SG 23 Claire Bjorge, 5-8, De Pere, Wis., 13.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.0 APG
So. 3G 12 Vanessa Bickford, 5-9, Grimes, Iowa, 5.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG
Sr. SF 4 Maria Counts, 5-11, Crystal, Minn., 6.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG
Sr. PF 42 Lexi Karge, 6-2, Mankato, Minn., 11.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG
Top Bench Players
Jr. F 24 Grace Counts, 6-1, Crystal, Minn., 8.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG
Jr. G 12 Ashley Fritz, 5-10, Hastings, Minn., 5.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG
R-Fr. F 14 Karly Jusczak, 6-1, Pine City, Minn., 3.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG

Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota Crookston
Tuesday, February 17 - 5 p.m.
Live Stats - https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
Live Video - https://nsicnetwork.com/goldeneaglesports/