WILLMAR -- Every win counts when you're in the hunt for a playoff spot.
The Ridgewater women's basketball team beat a MSCTC-Fergus Falls team that it was supposed to beat Wednesday, 74-59, in MCCC Southern Division action.
The win keeps the Lady Warriors (5-4, 15-7) in the fourth spot in the division, which would be the last playoff spot in the South. Anoka-Ramsey is a game behind Ridgewater and both teams have three games left.
For the Lady Warriors, Emily Mathiowetz and Hilary Groothuis combined for 52 points. Groothuis scored a game-high 30 and pulled down 13 rebounds. Mathiowetz tallied 22 points and also had seven assists.
Mathiowetz was the big factor in Ridgewater's explosive first half, which ended in a 46-28 lead at the break. Mathiowetz sank five of her six 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes and finished 6-of-9 from behind the arc.
ADVERTISEMENT
Groothuis shot 50 percent (12 of 24) from the field and made all six of her free-throw attempts.
Krista Shaikoski and Brittany Quistorff scored 22 points each for the Spartans (1-9, 12-11).
Two of Ridgewater's three remaining games are against teams currently of the Lady Warriors in the standings. Ridgewater hosts Minneapolis Saturday (1-7, 4-16), then travels to first-place Rochester (8-1, 20-3) next Wednesday before the regular-season finale hosting Minnesota West (5-4, 12-10) Feb. 16.
Ridgewater 74, MSCTC-Fergus Falls 59
Fergus Falls (1-9, 12-11) 28 31 -- 59
Ridgewater (5-4, 15-7) 46 28 -- 74
MSCTC-FERGUS FALLS - 19-59 FG (7-21 3-pt); 14-21 FT; 35 rebounds; 14 fouls ... Scoring: Heather Nelson 1-3 1-2 3, Brittany Quistorff 8-21 1-2 22, Whitney Blair 1-4 0-0 2, Maggie Kolle 0-2, 1-2 1, Deveny Moore 3-5 2-5 8, Ashley Peterson 0-3 1-2 1, Krista Shaikoski 6-18 8-8 22 ... 3-point shots: Quistorff 5-12, Shaikoski 2-6 ... Rebound leaders: Quistorff 5, Shaikoski 8 ... Assist leaders: Moore 4 ... Steal leaders: Moore 2, Peterson 2
RIDGEWATER - 28-58 FG (6-12 3-pt); 12-15 FT; 41 rebounds; 13 fouls ... Scoring: Bridget Boehlke 1-2 0-0 2, Patina Queenan 1-2 0-0 2, Danielle Goeman 1-2 1-2 3, Tara Thielke 1-7 1-1 3, Emily Mathiowetz 7-11 2-2 22, Hilary Groothuis 12-24 6-6 30, Britney Glisczinski 1-2 2-3 4, Lisa Nielsen 4-5 0-1 8 ... 3-point shots: Mathiowetz 6-9 ... Rebound leaders: Thielke 5, Mathiowetz 5, Groothuis 13, Nielsen 6 ... Assist leaders: Thielke 6, Mathiowetz 7 ... Steal leaders: Thielke 3
