Jan. 28—WILLMAR — Ridgewater stayed with the best women’s basketball team in the nation for a while.
Then came the third quarter.
Nothing the Warriors tried seemed to work. It’s when Minnesota West Community College took control. The Bluejays beat Ridgewater 81-61 on Wednesday.
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“I think we came out a little flat in the third quarter,” said Warriors head coach Ryan Schultz. “And it doesn’t help that they’re a good basketball team and they shoot it pretty well.
“To go blow for blow against a team like that when you’re not shooting well. … it’s pretty hard to do.”
Minnesota West, the No. 1 team in this week’s NJCAA Division III rankings, is now 5-0 in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference’s South Division and 16-5 overall. Ridgewater fell to 3-2 in the MCAC South and is 9-12 overall.
The Warriors were outscored 19-10 in the third quarter. Ridgewater wound up shooting 34.8% from the field, making 23 of 66 shots. The Warriors were 6-for-22 from three-point range, 27.3%. The Bluejays, meanwhile, shot 45.3% from the field and out-rebounded Ridgewater 43-28.
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“We really struggled with our rebounding in the first half,” Schultz said. “In the second half, I thought we did a better job. But they just pulled up and made shots and we couldn’t answer. It made the difference there.”
The Bluejays were led by Katrina Schutz, a sophomore center/forward from Eden Valley-Watkins who is about 6-foot-1. She had 20 points, 13 rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals. She was 7-for-12 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line.
Ridgewater, which has only one player taller than 5-9 on its roster — 5-11 freshman Kelsey Jaeger — had no answer.
Sadie Krahling, a sophomore guard from Adrian, added 19 points and three assists for Minnesota West on 8-for-18 shooting and a 2-for-2 effort from the free throw line. She made one three. Three others scored in double figures for the Bluejays, who suited up eight players.
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Ridgewater played nine. Madison Norsten, the 5-9 freshman forward/guard from Willmar, led the Warriors with 14 points. Norsten was named the MCAC South Division’s Athlete of the Week for Jan. 19-25. She was 5-for-10 from the field and 1-for-1 from three-point range.
Aly Wendlandt, a freshman guard/forward from New London-Spicer, added 12 points for the Warriors.
Ridgewater plays Anoka-Ramsey Community College, which is ranked third in the NJCAA Division III rankings, at 1 p.m. Saturday in Coon Rapids.
