Thursday, December 11
Cedar Falls, Iowa
7 p.m.
North Dakota State
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Northern Iowa
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NDSU Women’s Basketball Tips-Off Four Game Road Trip at Northern Iowa Thursday
12/10/2014 9:40:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game 9: at Northern Iowa (1-6)
Thursday, Dec. 11 | 7 p.m. CT
McLeod Center (7,018) | Cedar Falls, Iowa
Live Stats | Free Live Audio | Live Video
Radio: KFGO 790-AM (Jack Michaels, play-by-play), 6:40 p.m. airtime
Complete NDSU Notes (PDF) | Summit League Weekly Notes (PDF) | NDSU WBB on Twitter
Bison Women's Basketball Tips-Off Four Game Road Trip at Northern Iowa Thursday
The NDSU women's basketball team (4-4) will tip-off a four game road swing with a contest at Northern Iowa (1-6) on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. The Bison are coming of an 83-66 win over Mayville State Monday.
The Series Against Northern Iowa
Thursday's contest in Cedar Falls, Iowa, will be the sixth meeting between the Bison and Panthers, all-time. The Bison trail UNI in the series,1-4, after falling to the Panthers in Fargo last season, 86-82. The Bison's lone win in the series was a 64-62 triumph in Cedar Falls during the 2009-10 season.
About Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa enters Thursday's game with an overall record of 1-6 after falling to Creighton on Monday, 58-56, in Cedar Falls. UNI's lone win this season was a 69-66 victory at Tulsa on Nov. 14.
Through seven games, Northern Iowa is led by three players in double figures. Sophomore guard Madison Weekly is averaging a team-high 13.6 points per game, while junior forward Jen Keitel is averaging 11.9 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game. Junior guard Stephanie Davison is averaging 12 points per game.
As a team, UNI is averaging 60.9 points per game, but giving up 70.9 per game to its opponents. Northern Iowa is being outrebounded, on average, 41.4 to 34.6.
Northern Iowa is under the direction of eighth season head coach Tanya Warren (Creighton, 1988).
Catching Up With The Bison
North Dakota State enters Thursday's game with an overall record of 4-4 after defeating Mayville State on Monday, 83-66, inside the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. The Bison received 11 votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll released Tuesday, Dec. 9.
Through eight games, senior guard Brooke LeMar leads the Bison and The Summit League in scoring (20.6 ppg) and assists (4.6 apg). Junior forward Holly Johnson is averaging 12.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and has a team-high 20 offensive boards, while fellow junior guard/forward Marena Whittle is averaging 10.3 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game to go along with 10 blocks and steals. Junior guard Kahla Becken has a team-high 16 steals through eight contests.
As a team, the Bison are averaging 71.6 points per game and allowing 75.5 ppg from their opponents. NDSU is being outrebounded, on average, 42.4 to 39.8.
Last Time Out: NDSU Leads from Start to Finish in 83-66 win over Mayville State Monday
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team (4-4) led from start to finish in an 83-66 victory over the Mayville State University Comets (7-3) on Monday night, Dec. 8, inside the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
Senior guard Brooke LeMar led the Bison with a team-high 22 points and game-high six assists, while junior forward Holly Johnson tallied a double-double with 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, and freshman guard Taylor Thunstedt netted a career-best 14 points and five assists.
The Bison shot 38 percent (28-for-74) from the field, 31 percent (11-for-36) from three-point range, and 73 percent (16-of-22) from the free-throw line in the game. NDSU dished out a season-best 18 assists and outrebounded Mayville State, 51-49.
Mayville State was paced by junior guard Jenna Lundon with 22 points on 8-for-23 shooting, while sophomore guard Kendra Heier pulled down a team-best eight boards.
The Comets went just 20-for-69 from the field (29 percent) and 7-for-32 from beyond the arc (22 percent). Mayville State went 19-of-26 from the foul line for 73 percent.
The Last Time Against Northern Iowa: NDSU WBB Sees Late Lead Slip Away, Falls to Northern Iowa, 86-82
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (1-3) saw a four-point lead with two minutes remaining slip away in the final minute of the game, falling 86-82 to Northern Iowa (2-2) Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013 inside the Bison Sports Arena.
Brooke LeMar led the Bison in scoring for the game with a career-high 24 points. Hannah Breske also scored in double figures with 15 points, while Holly Johnson had 14. Marena Whittle rounded out the Bison in double figures, scoring 11 points, respectively.
NDSU shot 35-for-62 (57 percent) from the field in the contest and were 7-for-13 (54 percent) from three-point range. The Bison made only five free throws out of 14 attempts in the game though, for 36 percent.
Jen Keitel paced Northern Iowa with a double-double, scoring 24 points while pulling down 12 rebounds.
The Panthers were 30-for-68 (44 percent) from the field and 6-for-26 (23 percent) from three in the contest. UNI was 20-for-27 at the free-throw line for 74 percent.
The Bison out-rebounded the Panthers, 38-37, but committed 18 turnovers which led to 22 Northern Iowa points. UNI only turned the ball over eight times in the game.
Breaking the 20-point Threshold
Brooke LeMar has eclipsed the 20-point threshold four times this season after scoring more than 20 points nine times in 30 games last season. LeMar matched her career-high with 33 points against North Dakota on Dec. 6, tallied 25 in the regular season opener against Kent State Nov. 16, scored 22 against Mayville State Dec. 8 and netted 21 versus NJIT on Nov. 29 in the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament.
Back-to-Back-to-Back Double-Doubles
Marena Whittle tallied back-to-back-to-back double-doubles in NDSU's games against Milwaukee, Western Michigan and Northeastern. Against Milwaukee and at Western Michigan, the Vermont South Victoria, Australia, native scored 11 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Against Northeastern, Whittle tallied 19 points and 12 boards.
Bison in the Record Books
Marena Whittle holds the career record for defensive rebounding average at NDSU with 5.0 boards per game and ranks eighth in overall career rebounding average with 7.3 per game. ... Brooke LeMar ranks seventh in career free-throw percentage, going 160-201 from the charity stripe for 79.6 percent, and holds the career minutes average record, playing an average of 35.6 minutes per game in her career at NDSU.
From Downtown!
Kahla Becken and Brooke LeMar are both shooting a team-best 36 percent from three-point range through eight games. Becken is 13-for-36 and LeMar is 15-for-42 from long range. Freshman Taylor Thunstedt is shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc, going 12-for-37, respectively.
Defending the Perimeter
NDSU is holding its opponents to just 29 percent shooting (36-for-124) from three-point range through eight games. The Bison are averaging 7.1 made threes per game, compared to 4.5 for their adversaries.
Sharing the Basketball
The Bison have tallied double-digit assists in six of eight games this season. NDSU dished out a season-high 18 assists against Mayville State, 15 against North Dakota, 12 against Kent State and Mississippi State, 17 against Milwaukee and 14 against Northeastern.
Creating Offense From Defense
NDSU has turned the ball over 124 times this season, compared to 136 miscues from its opponents. The Bison have scored 168 points off turnovers in their eight contests, an average of 21 points per game.
Getting to the Basket
The Bison have scored 58 points off fast break baskets through eight games, compared to just 26 points from their adversaries. NDSU is averaging 7.2 fast break points per game.
On the Road Again
Thursday's contest at Northern Iowa will mark the beginning of a four game road trip for the Bison that will span three different time zones, seven states, and approximately 7,786 miles. After UNI Thursday, North Dakota State will play road games at New Mexico State (Dec. 14), Cal State Fullerton (Dec. 19) and Grand Canyon (Dec. 21). NDSU won't play its next regular season home game until The Summit League opener Jan. 2 at Scheels Arena against Oral Roberts.
NDSU in the NCAA National Statistics (As of Dec. 10)
Relevant Team Statistics:
Scoring Offense - 86th out of 343 (71.6 points per game) ... Three-Point Field Goals Per Game - 57th out of 343 (7.1/game) ... Steals Per Game - 93rd out of 343 (9.6/game)
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Points Per Game - Brooke LeMar (25th out of 250, 20.6/game) ... Assists Per Game - Brooke LeMar (63rd out of 250, 4.6/game) ... Free-Throw Percentage - Brooke LeMar (92nd out of 250, .852) Double-Doubles - Marena Whittle (42nd out of 50, 3 total)
NDSU in The Summit League Statistics (As of Dec. 10)
Relevant Team Statistics:
Points - 4th (71.6/game) ... Rebounds - 7th (39.8/game) ... Assists - 5th (13.1/game) ... Steals - 2nd (9.6/game) ... Blocks - 4th (3.8/game) ... Turnovers - 4th (15.5/game) ... Field-Goal Pct. - 8th (.386) ... Three-Point Field-Goal Pct. - 7th (.326) ... Free-Throw Pct. - 6th (.703)
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Brooke LeMar - Points: 1st (20.6/game), Assists: T-1st (4.6/game), Steals: 3rd (1.9/game), FT Pct.: 5th (.852) ... Marena Whittle - Rebounds: 3rd (8.5/game), Defensive Rebounds: 3rd (6.6/game), Blocks: 6th (1.2/game), Assists: 10th (2.6/game) ... Kahla Becken - Steals: 2nd (2.0/game) ... Holly Johnson - Rebounds: 6th (7.6/game), Offensive Rebounds: T-5th (2.5/game), Defensive Rebounds: 6th (5.1/game) ... Emily Spier - Blocks: T-7th (1.0/game) ... Liz Keena - Offensive Rebounds - T-10th (2.1/game)
NDSU Women's Basketball Signs Two High School Standouts on Early Signing Day
North Dakota State women's basketball head coach Maren Walseth announced Wednesday, Nov. 12, the signing of high school standouts Kennedy Childers and Megan Gamble to National Letters of Intent to attend North Dakota State University and play basketball beginning in the fall of 2015.
Childers, a 5-foot-9 guard from West Des Moines, Iowa, has enjoyed a standout prep career at Iowa 5A powerhouse Dowling Catholic High School.
A three-star athlete who was the 31st-ranked guard in her position by ESPN, Childers has helped Dowling Catholic to two 5A state championship appearances and one state championship. She was limited to only seven games her junior season due to injury.
Childers has also excelled in the classroom, having earned Academic All-Conference for the Central Iowa Metropolitan League the past two seasons and Presidential Honor Roll honors each semester at Dowling Catholic.
Childers played AAU basketball for Kingdom Hoops Elite. This past summer she helped her team win the 2014 USJN National Championship in Augusta, Ga.
She is the daughter of Chris and Kris Childers.
Gamble, a 5-foot-7 guard from Omaha, Neb., is a two-time all-state honorable mention selection at Central High School.
A three-year starter for Central, she helped her team to a Class A state championship appearance in 2012 and a third-place state finish in 2013. Gamble averaged 13 points per game and dished out five assists per game during her junior season. The 5-foot-7 guard also earned all-Metro Team accolades and was selected as a team captain twice by her teammates.
She is the daughter of Teri Murphy and Dexter Dawson.
Bison Ninth in Summit League Preseason Poll
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team was picked ninth in The Summit League preseason poll released Tuesday, Oct. 7, by the league office.
South Dakota State was selected to capture the 2014-15 Summit League women's basketball championship after winning its third consecutive regular season title a year ago. The Jackrabbits collected 27-of-32 first-place votes and 513 points in a vote of the league's head coaches, SIDs and select media.
South Dakota, last season's tournament champion, earned four first-place votes and 420 points to place second in the poll. Regular season runner-up IUPUI was in third place followed by Western Illinois in fourth with the final first-place tally. Denver, which finished second at the tournament a year ago, came in fifth while Fort Wayne placed sixth. Oral Roberts, which returns to the league for the first time since 2011-12, Omaha and the Bison rounded out the poll.
Preseason Honors
Senior guard Brooke LeMar, the reigning Summit League Newcomer of the Year and a second team all-league selection in 2013-14, was named to the preseason Summit League first team after averaging 15.1 points and 5.3 assists per game last season.
NDSU Women's Basketball to Appear on Midco Sports Network Twice During Regular Season
The Bison will have a pair of Summit League contests carried on Midco Sports Network and ESPN3 through the league's television package. The home game at Scheels Arena on Jan. 4 against league rival South Dakota State and the road contest at South Dakota on Jan. 15 will be broadcast.
Head Coach Maren Walseth
Maren Walseth was named the 10th head women's basketball coach in NDSU history Monday, April 14, 2014.
Walseth joined the Bison after spending seven years as an assistant coach at Big Ten power Penn State University in State College, Pa., where she helped the Lady Lions to three Big Ten championships, four NCAA tournament appearances and two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances.
At Penn State, Walseth was primarily responsible for coaching the post players while also playing a significant role in recruiting and opponent scouting efforts. She was the lead academic liaison for the Lady Lions and coached 32 Academic All-Big Ten recipients.
Prior to becoming an assistant at Penn State, Walseth spent three years as an assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. While at Navy, she assisted with recruiting as well as on-court player development and scouting, and was also the academic liaison for the Midshipmen.
A native of Bloomington, Minn., Walseth was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree as a forward at Penn State from 1997-2002. She was also a key member of the 2000 Lady Lion team that advanced to the Final Four and claimed the Big Ten conference championship. Walseth also was a member of the 1998 WNIT championship team. She graduated from Penn State in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in communications.
Walseth was drafted by the Sacramento Monarchs in the third-round of the 2001 WNBA draft and spent four years playing professionally. She played for the Washington Mystics of the WNBA in 2002 before spending two years playing professionally in France. Walseth also spent a season with the Women's National Basketball League's (NWBL) Colorado Chill.
Walseth's sister, Annika, played for NDSU during the 2007-08 season.
Thursday, Dec. 11 | 7 p.m. CT
McLeod Center (7,018) | Cedar Falls, Iowa
Live Stats | Free Live Audio | Live Video
Radio: KFGO 790-AM (Jack Michaels, play-by-play), 6:40 p.m. airtime
Complete NDSU Notes (PDF) | Summit League Weekly Notes (PDF) | NDSU WBB on Twitter
Bison Women's Basketball Tips-Off Four Game Road Trip at Northern Iowa Thursday
The NDSU women's basketball team (4-4) will tip-off a four game road swing with a contest at Northern Iowa (1-6) on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. The Bison are coming of an 83-66 win over Mayville State Monday.
The Series Against Northern Iowa
Thursday's contest in Cedar Falls, Iowa, will be the sixth meeting between the Bison and Panthers, all-time. The Bison trail UNI in the series,1-4, after falling to the Panthers in Fargo last season, 86-82. The Bison's lone win in the series was a 64-62 triumph in Cedar Falls during the 2009-10 season.
About Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa enters Thursday's game with an overall record of 1-6 after falling to Creighton on Monday, 58-56, in Cedar Falls. UNI's lone win this season was a 69-66 victory at Tulsa on Nov. 14.
Through seven games, Northern Iowa is led by three players in double figures. Sophomore guard Madison Weekly is averaging a team-high 13.6 points per game, while junior forward Jen Keitel is averaging 11.9 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game. Junior guard Stephanie Davison is averaging 12 points per game.
As a team, UNI is averaging 60.9 points per game, but giving up 70.9 per game to its opponents. Northern Iowa is being outrebounded, on average, 41.4 to 34.6.
Northern Iowa is under the direction of eighth season head coach Tanya Warren (Creighton, 1988).
Catching Up With The Bison
North Dakota State enters Thursday's game with an overall record of 4-4 after defeating Mayville State on Monday, 83-66, inside the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. The Bison received 11 votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll released Tuesday, Dec. 9.
Through eight games, senior guard Brooke LeMar leads the Bison and The Summit League in scoring (20.6 ppg) and assists (4.6 apg). Junior forward Holly Johnson is averaging 12.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and has a team-high 20 offensive boards, while fellow junior guard/forward Marena Whittle is averaging 10.3 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game to go along with 10 blocks and steals. Junior guard Kahla Becken has a team-high 16 steals through eight contests.
As a team, the Bison are averaging 71.6 points per game and allowing 75.5 ppg from their opponents. NDSU is being outrebounded, on average, 42.4 to 39.8.
Last Time Out: NDSU Leads from Start to Finish in 83-66 win over Mayville State Monday
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team (4-4) led from start to finish in an 83-66 victory over the Mayville State University Comets (7-3) on Monday night, Dec. 8, inside the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
Senior guard Brooke LeMar led the Bison with a team-high 22 points and game-high six assists, while junior forward Holly Johnson tallied a double-double with 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, and freshman guard Taylor Thunstedt netted a career-best 14 points and five assists.
The Bison shot 38 percent (28-for-74) from the field, 31 percent (11-for-36) from three-point range, and 73 percent (16-of-22) from the free-throw line in the game. NDSU dished out a season-best 18 assists and outrebounded Mayville State, 51-49.
Mayville State was paced by junior guard Jenna Lundon with 22 points on 8-for-23 shooting, while sophomore guard Kendra Heier pulled down a team-best eight boards.
The Comets went just 20-for-69 from the field (29 percent) and 7-for-32 from beyond the arc (22 percent). Mayville State went 19-of-26 from the foul line for 73 percent.
The Last Time Against Northern Iowa: NDSU WBB Sees Late Lead Slip Away, Falls to Northern Iowa, 86-82
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (1-3) saw a four-point lead with two minutes remaining slip away in the final minute of the game, falling 86-82 to Northern Iowa (2-2) Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013 inside the Bison Sports Arena.
Brooke LeMar led the Bison in scoring for the game with a career-high 24 points. Hannah Breske also scored in double figures with 15 points, while Holly Johnson had 14. Marena Whittle rounded out the Bison in double figures, scoring 11 points, respectively.
NDSU shot 35-for-62 (57 percent) from the field in the contest and were 7-for-13 (54 percent) from three-point range. The Bison made only five free throws out of 14 attempts in the game though, for 36 percent.
Jen Keitel paced Northern Iowa with a double-double, scoring 24 points while pulling down 12 rebounds.
The Panthers were 30-for-68 (44 percent) from the field and 6-for-26 (23 percent) from three in the contest. UNI was 20-for-27 at the free-throw line for 74 percent.
The Bison out-rebounded the Panthers, 38-37, but committed 18 turnovers which led to 22 Northern Iowa points. UNI only turned the ball over eight times in the game.
Breaking the 20-point Threshold
Brooke LeMar has eclipsed the 20-point threshold four times this season after scoring more than 20 points nine times in 30 games last season. LeMar matched her career-high with 33 points against North Dakota on Dec. 6, tallied 25 in the regular season opener against Kent State Nov. 16, scored 22 against Mayville State Dec. 8 and netted 21 versus NJIT on Nov. 29 in the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament.
Back-to-Back-to-Back Double-Doubles
Marena Whittle tallied back-to-back-to-back double-doubles in NDSU's games against Milwaukee, Western Michigan and Northeastern. Against Milwaukee and at Western Michigan, the Vermont South Victoria, Australia, native scored 11 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Against Northeastern, Whittle tallied 19 points and 12 boards.
Bison in the Record Books
Marena Whittle holds the career record for defensive rebounding average at NDSU with 5.0 boards per game and ranks eighth in overall career rebounding average with 7.3 per game. ... Brooke LeMar ranks seventh in career free-throw percentage, going 160-201 from the charity stripe for 79.6 percent, and holds the career minutes average record, playing an average of 35.6 minutes per game in her career at NDSU.
From Downtown!
Kahla Becken and Brooke LeMar are both shooting a team-best 36 percent from three-point range through eight games. Becken is 13-for-36 and LeMar is 15-for-42 from long range. Freshman Taylor Thunstedt is shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc, going 12-for-37, respectively.
Defending the Perimeter
NDSU is holding its opponents to just 29 percent shooting (36-for-124) from three-point range through eight games. The Bison are averaging 7.1 made threes per game, compared to 4.5 for their adversaries.
Sharing the Basketball
The Bison have tallied double-digit assists in six of eight games this season. NDSU dished out a season-high 18 assists against Mayville State, 15 against North Dakota, 12 against Kent State and Mississippi State, 17 against Milwaukee and 14 against Northeastern.
Creating Offense From Defense
NDSU has turned the ball over 124 times this season, compared to 136 miscues from its opponents. The Bison have scored 168 points off turnovers in their eight contests, an average of 21 points per game.
Getting to the Basket
The Bison have scored 58 points off fast break baskets through eight games, compared to just 26 points from their adversaries. NDSU is averaging 7.2 fast break points per game.
On the Road Again
Thursday's contest at Northern Iowa will mark the beginning of a four game road trip for the Bison that will span three different time zones, seven states, and approximately 7,786 miles. After UNI Thursday, North Dakota State will play road games at New Mexico State (Dec. 14), Cal State Fullerton (Dec. 19) and Grand Canyon (Dec. 21). NDSU won't play its next regular season home game until The Summit League opener Jan. 2 at Scheels Arena against Oral Roberts.
NDSU in the NCAA National Statistics (As of Dec. 10)
Relevant Team Statistics:
Scoring Offense - 86th out of 343 (71.6 points per game) ... Three-Point Field Goals Per Game - 57th out of 343 (7.1/game) ... Steals Per Game - 93rd out of 343 (9.6/game)
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Points Per Game - Brooke LeMar (25th out of 250, 20.6/game) ... Assists Per Game - Brooke LeMar (63rd out of 250, 4.6/game) ... Free-Throw Percentage - Brooke LeMar (92nd out of 250, .852) Double-Doubles - Marena Whittle (42nd out of 50, 3 total)
NDSU in The Summit League Statistics (As of Dec. 10)
Relevant Team Statistics:
Points - 4th (71.6/game) ... Rebounds - 7th (39.8/game) ... Assists - 5th (13.1/game) ... Steals - 2nd (9.6/game) ... Blocks - 4th (3.8/game) ... Turnovers - 4th (15.5/game) ... Field-Goal Pct. - 8th (.386) ... Three-Point Field-Goal Pct. - 7th (.326) ... Free-Throw Pct. - 6th (.703)
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Brooke LeMar - Points: 1st (20.6/game), Assists: T-1st (4.6/game), Steals: 3rd (1.9/game), FT Pct.: 5th (.852) ... Marena Whittle - Rebounds: 3rd (8.5/game), Defensive Rebounds: 3rd (6.6/game), Blocks: 6th (1.2/game), Assists: 10th (2.6/game) ... Kahla Becken - Steals: 2nd (2.0/game) ... Holly Johnson - Rebounds: 6th (7.6/game), Offensive Rebounds: T-5th (2.5/game), Defensive Rebounds: 6th (5.1/game) ... Emily Spier - Blocks: T-7th (1.0/game) ... Liz Keena - Offensive Rebounds - T-10th (2.1/game)
NDSU Women's Basketball Signs Two High School Standouts on Early Signing Day
North Dakota State women's basketball head coach Maren Walseth announced Wednesday, Nov. 12, the signing of high school standouts Kennedy Childers and Megan Gamble to National Letters of Intent to attend North Dakota State University and play basketball beginning in the fall of 2015.
Childers, a 5-foot-9 guard from West Des Moines, Iowa, has enjoyed a standout prep career at Iowa 5A powerhouse Dowling Catholic High School.
A three-star athlete who was the 31st-ranked guard in her position by ESPN, Childers has helped Dowling Catholic to two 5A state championship appearances and one state championship. She was limited to only seven games her junior season due to injury.
Childers has also excelled in the classroom, having earned Academic All-Conference for the Central Iowa Metropolitan League the past two seasons and Presidential Honor Roll honors each semester at Dowling Catholic.
Childers played AAU basketball for Kingdom Hoops Elite. This past summer she helped her team win the 2014 USJN National Championship in Augusta, Ga.
She is the daughter of Chris and Kris Childers.
Gamble, a 5-foot-7 guard from Omaha, Neb., is a two-time all-state honorable mention selection at Central High School.
A three-year starter for Central, she helped her team to a Class A state championship appearance in 2012 and a third-place state finish in 2013. Gamble averaged 13 points per game and dished out five assists per game during her junior season. The 5-foot-7 guard also earned all-Metro Team accolades and was selected as a team captain twice by her teammates.
She is the daughter of Teri Murphy and Dexter Dawson.
Bison Ninth in Summit League Preseason Poll
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team was picked ninth in The Summit League preseason poll released Tuesday, Oct. 7, by the league office.
South Dakota State was selected to capture the 2014-15 Summit League women's basketball championship after winning its third consecutive regular season title a year ago. The Jackrabbits collected 27-of-32 first-place votes and 513 points in a vote of the league's head coaches, SIDs and select media.
South Dakota, last season's tournament champion, earned four first-place votes and 420 points to place second in the poll. Regular season runner-up IUPUI was in third place followed by Western Illinois in fourth with the final first-place tally. Denver, which finished second at the tournament a year ago, came in fifth while Fort Wayne placed sixth. Oral Roberts, which returns to the league for the first time since 2011-12, Omaha and the Bison rounded out the poll.
Preseason Honors
Senior guard Brooke LeMar, the reigning Summit League Newcomer of the Year and a second team all-league selection in 2013-14, was named to the preseason Summit League first team after averaging 15.1 points and 5.3 assists per game last season.
NDSU Women's Basketball to Appear on Midco Sports Network Twice During Regular Season
The Bison will have a pair of Summit League contests carried on Midco Sports Network and ESPN3 through the league's television package. The home game at Scheels Arena on Jan. 4 against league rival South Dakota State and the road contest at South Dakota on Jan. 15 will be broadcast.
Head Coach Maren Walseth
Maren Walseth was named the 10th head women's basketball coach in NDSU history Monday, April 14, 2014.
Walseth joined the Bison after spending seven years as an assistant coach at Big Ten power Penn State University in State College, Pa., where she helped the Lady Lions to three Big Ten championships, four NCAA tournament appearances and two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances.
At Penn State, Walseth was primarily responsible for coaching the post players while also playing a significant role in recruiting and opponent scouting efforts. She was the lead academic liaison for the Lady Lions and coached 32 Academic All-Big Ten recipients.
Prior to becoming an assistant at Penn State, Walseth spent three years as an assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. While at Navy, she assisted with recruiting as well as on-court player development and scouting, and was also the academic liaison for the Midshipmen.
A native of Bloomington, Minn., Walseth was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree as a forward at Penn State from 1997-2002. She was also a key member of the 2000 Lady Lion team that advanced to the Final Four and claimed the Big Ten conference championship. Walseth also was a member of the 1998 WNIT championship team. She graduated from Penn State in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in communications.
Walseth was drafted by the Sacramento Monarchs in the third-round of the 2001 WNBA draft and spent four years playing professionally. She played for the Washington Mystics of the WNBA in 2002 before spending two years playing professionally in France. Walseth also spent a season with the Women's National Basketball League's (NWBL) Colorado Chill.
Walseth's sister, Annika, played for NDSU during the 2007-08 season.
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