Women's Basketball | 2/4/2026 10:58:00 AM

• THE MINNESOTA CROOKSTON women's basketball team is looking to snap a four-game skid as they hit the road to South Dakota and North Dakota this weekend. Minnesota Crookston takes on Northern State University Thursday, February 5 at 5:30 p.m., and the University of Jamestown Saturday, February 7 at 1 p.m. The Golden Eagles enter with a 5-17 (4-12 NSIC) mark. Minnesota Crookston has an important weekend. They come in ranked seventh in the NSIC North, and 15th in the overall standings. They still have a shot at making the NSIC Tournament. The Golden Eagles are currently one game back of Wayne State and Bemidji State in a tie for 13th, and two games behind St. Cloud State, Augustana, and Minot State in a tie for 10th. The Golden Eagles are ahead of Jamestown by one game. Minnesota Crookston comes in notching 68.3 points per game, and allowing 78.0 points per tilt to their foes. They are shooting 40.7 percent from the field, and 34.3 percent from distance. The
Golden Eagles are hitting from a 78.6 percent clip at the stripe. They are being outrebounded 40.7-33.0. The Golden Eagles are averaging 11.2 assists to 15.4 turnovers per game. They are turning over their opponents 15.0 times per game.

• CLOSING IN. 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 moved her way to number two on the charts in the NSIC, surpassing Concordia-St. Paul's Anna Schmitt. Miller has 1,573 points in conference play. She needs 43 points to surpass UMD's Brooke Olson for the scoring record. Olson had 1,615 points in five seasons, including the COVID season. Miller needs to averaged 7.2 points per game or more in the final six games of the 2025-26 regular season. In addition, Miller became the first player in school history to surpass the 2,000 point milestone, accomplishing the mark against Augustana. She has 2,091 points in her career. Miller comes in averaging 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Her assists number is the highest it has ever been. She is shooting 39.2 percent from the field, 28.3 percent from deep, and 82.1 percent from the line. She currently ranks sixth all-time in rebounds with 562, and second all-time in assists with 328. She is ninth all-time in steals.

• PIERSON STEPPING UP. Freshman Emma Pierson, a native of Cherry Valley, Ill., has made two of her best appearances of the season off the bench in recent weeks. Against Minnesota State, Pierson made an impact breaking the press and had seven points in 14 minutes against the second-ranked Mavericks. She had eight points in 13 minutes on 3-of-7 from the field January 23 at Sioux Falls. She will look to continue to take advantage of her opportunities moving forward.

• 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 10.7 points and 4.8 boards per game. Westby is coming off 14 points and seven boards against St. Cloud State. She was one block shy of Nicole Hernandez and Jessica Forsline's single-game block record with seven against Minnesota State. Westby has 57 blocked shots. She is 24 blocked shots away from Hernandez's single-season record with 80 in 2024-25. She would need to average 4.0 blocked shots per game in the remaining six contests. She currently ranks fifth for a single-season. She is two away from
surpassing Hernandez and Forsline for third, and eight from moving past Forsline for second.

• 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 has been one of the most consistent performers for Minnesota Crookston in 2025-26. She has 14 games with double-digit scoring. Klejeski averaged 15.0 points and 8.5 boards last weekend against Minnesota State and St. Cloud State. She had a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards against the Huskies on 4-of-8 from the field, and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. Klejeski is averaging 11.8 points and 6.1 boards per game. She is shooting 49.7 percent from the field, and 52.9 percent from distance on 17 shots. Klejeski is an 85.2 percent shooter from the stripe.

• 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 is averaging 10.6 points and 4.2 boards per game. She is a 35.8 percent shooter from beyond the arc this season. Jenkins had 14 points on 4-of-7 from the field against second-ranked Minnesota State last Friday.

• 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 comes in averaging 3.8 points and 3.4 boards per game. She has started 13 games as a sophomore. Winjum is shooting 39.7 percent from the field, and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc. Winjum averaged 5.0 points and 5.5 boards per game last weekend. She tied her season-high 11 points November 24 on the road at Southwest Minnesota State.

• ON THE ROAD. Minnesota Crookston has found it hard to get road wins this season, posting a 1-9 mark away from Lysaker Gymnasium. Their lone road win came January 21 with a 68-59 victory over Wayne State. The Golden Eagles
found success on the road last season, posting a 6-10 mark in road tilts.

• CONFERENCE PLAY. The Golden Eagles are 4-12 in conference play this season. They posted a 7-15 mark in conference games in 2024-25. Minnesota Crookston is on a four-game conference losing streak. They put together two strings of back-to-back conference wins December 17 and 20 against Jamestown and Northern State, and January 17 and 21 versus Wayne State and Augustana.

• AGAINST NORTHERN STATE  The Golden Eagles are 15-36 all-time against the Wolves. They are on a two-game winning streak against Northern State. Since 2022, they have posted a 5-3 record versus the Wolves. Minnesota Crookston has back-to-back home wins. They last won in Aberdeen December 9, 2022 with a 61-50 victory.

• AGAINST JAMESTOWN. Minnesota Crookston is 5-0 all-time against the Jimmies. The meeting December 17, 2025 was their first as NCAA Division II and NSIC foes. The Golden Eagles last won and played in Jamestown December 14, 2003 with an 85-54 victory. 


NORTHERN STATE. Northern State enters the week with a 12-10 (7-9 NSIC) mark. The Wolves picked up wins over Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State last weekend. The Golden Eagles beat Northern State in their last match-up December 20 with a 65-58 win over the Wolves. Northern State is being outscored by a narrow margin, 65.4-54.8. They come in outrebounding teams 36.7-31.9. Northern State is shooting 42.6 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from distance, and 67.5 percent from the line. They have taken 35 more free throws than their foes. Northern State is tallying 12.3 assists to 15.3 turnovers per game. They have had a consistent starting five, with the same five starters in all 22 games.

GETTING DIZZY CHASING IZZY. Izzy Moore is a key player for the Northern State Wolves, tallying 17.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. She also has a team-high 69 assists. Moore is a 5-10 guard. She also leads the team in steals. Moore is shooting 46.1 percent from the field, and 38.5 percent from distance. She has got to the charity stripe 116 times, a team high, making 73.3 percent of her shots.

MAKE IT COUNTS. Megan Counts, a six-foot forward, is the second leading scorer on the team, and has been a crucial piece of the puzzle for the Wolves. She has the highest field goal percentage, hitting 51.5 percent of her shots. She has only taken 23 threes, hitting eight. She makes the most of her appearances at the stripe, hitting 89.6 percent from the line. Counts comes in averaging 8.7 points and 4.3 boards per game.

TOOL TIME. Taylor Tool, a 6-1 center, comes in tallying 8.4 points per game. She is shooting 42.4 percent from the field, and is an inside-out threat, hitting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc on 54 attempts. Tool will be a crucial factor this week.

JAMESTOWN. The Jimmies are 5-15 (3-13 NSIC) in their first season in the conference. Jamestown split last weekend, with a loss at home to Southwest Minnesota State, and a home victory over Sioux Falls. Jamestown isn't a high-scoring team, averaging 61.7 points per game. They are allowing 73.1 points per game to their foes. They come in shooting 37.7 percent from the field, and 28.3 percent from distance. They are hitting at a 72.3 percent clip from the line. Jamestown is being narrowly outrebounded 38.2-37.8., They are averaging 10.9 assists to 19.6 turnovers per game.

MISS BERNS. Allie Berns leads the squad averaging 13.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in the post. She is shooting a team-high 50.5 percent from the field, and only 19.2 percent from beyond the arc. Berns is shooting 75.0 percent from the line. She has started all 20 games this season. Berns has five-straight games in double figures.

GET IT TO CROCKETT. Haidyn Crockett has made an impact for the Jimmies, averaging 8.9 points per game. She is shooting 30.1 percent from the field, and 26.9 percent from distance. She ia high-volume three-point shooter with 104 shots from beyond the arc. Crockett has started all 20 games for Jamestown.

LOFTY GOALS. Jessika Lofstrom comes in notching 8.8 points and a team-high 6.6 boards per game. Lofstrom is shooting 36.0 percent from the field, and 29.6 percent from deep. She has started all 20 games. Lofstrom had a strong weekend, averaging 14.5 points and 8.0 boards per game, including a double-double 11 points and 11 boards against Sioux Falls.

GAMEDAY

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON AT NORTHERN STATE
DATE: Friday, February 5
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
SITE: Aberdeen, S.D.
ARENA: Wachs Arena
LIVE STATS: https://nsuwolves.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
LIVE VIDEO: https://nsicnetwork.com/nsuwolves/
TWITTER: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON AT JAMESTOWN
DATE: Saturday, February 6
TIME: 1 p.m.
SITE: Jamestown, N.D.
ARENA: Harold Newman Arena
LIVE STATS: https://jimmiepride.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
LIVE VIDEO: https://nsicnetwork.com/jimmieathletics/
TWITTER: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB

WEEKLY SNAPSHOT

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 1 Emma Miller (5-1, Albertville, Minn.) 19.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.2 APG
So. SG 10 Halle Winjum (5-6, Crookston, Minn.) 3.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG
R-Jr. 3G 30 Riley Jenkins (5-10, Galesburg, Ill.) 10.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG
Fr. SF 12 Anna Westby (5-11, Eveleth, Minn.) 10.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.6 BPG
Jr. PF 14 Rayna Klejeski (6-0, Barnum, Minn.) 11.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG
Top Bench Contributors
R-Jr. G 2 Hope Dudycha (5-5, Austin, Minn.) 4.6 PPG, 1.2 RPG
Sr. G 11 Natalie Mikrot (5-6, Willow River, Minn.) 3.2 PPG, 1.1 RPG
Jr. F 4 Tayden Hanks (5-11, Los Lunas, N.M.) 2.0 PPG, 1.4 RPG
So. G/F 20 Brynlea Mahlen (5-9, Fosston, Minn.) 1.0 PPG, 1.6 RPG

NORTHERN STATE
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 4 Morgan Fiedler (5-8, Aberdeen, S.D.) 6.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.7 APG
Sr. SG 25 Izzy Moore (5-10, Sioux Falls, S.D.) 17.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.1 APG
R-Fr. 3G 10 Lily Klein (5-10, Flandreau, S.D.) 5.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG
Gr. SF 15 Megan Counts (6-0, Green River, Wyo.) 8.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG
So. PF 12 Taylor Tool (6-1, Delano, Minn.) 8.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG
Top Bench Contributors
Fr. G 1 Reagan Rus (5-8, Mount Vernon, S.D.) 7.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG
R-Fr. C 24 Carli Kuyper (6-2, Lennox, S.D.) 4.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG
Jr. F 35 Telia Graham (5-11, St. Paul, Minn.) 2.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG

JAMESTOWN
Projected Starters
Fr. PG 2 Haidyn Crockett (5-, Reile's Acres, N.D.) 8.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG
So. SG 3 Hali Savela (5-7, Mountain Iron, Minn.) 4.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG
Jr. SF 14 Samantha Paulsen (5-11, Zimmerman, Minn.) 7.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG
Jr. PF 20 Jessika Lofstrom (6-0, Grand Rapids, Minn.) 8.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG
Fr. C 5 Allie Berns (6-0, Plymouth, Minn.) 13.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG
Top Bench Contributors
Sr. G 4 Emily Kurkowski (5-7, Melbourne, Australia) 5.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG
So. G 10 Jordan Munson (5-8, Tracy, Minn.) 3.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG
Jr. G 15 Halle Crockett (5-9, Reile's Acres, N.D.) 2.5 PPG, 1.0 RPG
Fr. C 33 Madelyn Malmgren (6-0, St. James, Minn.) 1.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG

KEYS TO THE WEEKEND

- Can the Golden Eagles get crucial road victories?

- Will Emma Miller be able to become first all-time in NSIC scoring?

- Can the Golden Eagles get rebounds, and keep teams off the offensive glass?

- Can the Golden Eagles knock down the three ball?