SE Rally Falls Short in Season-Opening Road Loss

WINONA, Minn. – Southeastern nearly clawed back from a late deficit but saw its rally cut short in a 63-60 season-opening road loss to Winona State on Friday night in Winona, Minn.
 
The loss leaves the Savage Storm 0-1 to open the 2025-26 season heading into game two of the weekend road trip when it faces Minnesota Duluth at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon back in Winona, Minn.
 
Kenzli Warden led all scorers in the contest with 22 points on 9-of015 shooting while also handing out three assists, grabbing two steals, and blocking two shots.
 
Abbie Barr hit a pair of threes and finished the game with 10 points, while Tori Kilburn added 10 as well.
 
Connie Hughes and Mackenzie Espinosa each added six points off the bench.
 
The teams traded buckets out of the gate, but the Stork closed out the slow moving first quarter with five of the final six points to take a 10-6 lead at the first break.
 
A Barr three to open the second quarter quickly pushed that lead to seven points where it would hover, eventually capping at an eight-point advantage after a Breanna Lindert free throw.
 
WSU chipped away at that advantage as the Storm maintained a 19-17 edge at the halftime break.
 
Southeastern regained some control in the third quarter, pushing its lead back out to multiple possession, hitting seven points on an Espinosa three at the 7:16 mark of the third and eventually hitting double figures as Kilburn drained a three with 2:15 to play itn eh frame to take a 37-27 lead.
 
However, the Warriors again chipped away late, cutting the SE edge to five points at 39-34 heading to the fourth quarter.
 
Southeastern maintained its lead early in the frame until WSU used an 11-0 run over 3:42 to turn a four point Storm lead into a seven point deficit at 51-44.
 
SE trailed by as many as eight points with 1:17 to play, but continued to chip away in a rally, closing the gap to one possession on a Warden bucket with 17 second remaining and eventually down to one point on a Barr offensive rebound and putback with six seconds to play.
 
However, WSU hit both of its following free throws and a Storm three-quarter-court heave was off the mark, leaving the final score 63-60.