Thursday, January 15
Vermillion, S.D.
7 p.m.
North Dakota State
at
South Dakota
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: Richard Svaleson
Bison Women Travel to South Dakota Thursday for Summit League Contest
1/14/2015 10:59:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game 17: at South Dakota (12-4, 2-1 Summit League)
Thursday, Jan. 15 | 7 p.m.
DakotaDome | Vermillion, S.D.
Live Stats | Free Live Audio | Live Video
Radio: 790 KFGO (Jack Michaels, play-by-play), 6:40 p.m. airtime
TV: MidcoSN, ESPN3 (Jay Elsen, play-by-play; Brad Newitt, analyst)
NDSU Notes (PDF) | USD Notes (PDF) | Summit League Weekly Notes (PDF)
NDSU WBB on Twitter | #SummitWBB
Bison Women Travel to South Dakota Thursday for Summit League Contest
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (7-9, 3-1 Summit League) will travel to Vermillion, S.D., on Thursday, Jan. 15, for a 7 p.m. showdown inside the DakotaDome with Summit League foe South Dakota (12-4, 2-1 Summit League). The game will be televised live on MidcoSN and ESPN3.
The Series Against South Dakota
Thursday's tilt at South Dakota will mark the 63rd meeting between the Bison and Coyotes in the all-time series. The Bison lead the 'Yotes, 41-21, but have dropped the past three meetings. NDSU's last triumph in the series was a 57-50 win in Vermillion during the 2012-13 season.
About the Coyotes
South Dakota enters Thursday's game at 12-4 overall and 2-1 in Summit League play after winning at Western Illinois on Jan. 10, 101-87. USD's lone league loss was a 65-81 setback at Oral Roberts Jan. 8. The Coyotes received 13 votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
Through 16 contests, three 'Yotes are averaging in double figures. Summit League preseason second team selection Raeshel Contreras (San Francisco, Calif.) leads the team at 16.6 points per game, while preseason first team selection Nicole Seekamp (Renmark, South Australia) is second on the team with 14.4 points per game. Margaret McCloud (Rapid City, S.D.) rounds out the double figure scorers for USD with 11.1 points per game. McCloud leads South Dakota on the boards with 7.1 rebounds per game.
The Coyotes lead The Summit League in points (80.6), field-goal percentage (.447) and three-point field-goal percentage (.365).
USD is holding opponents to just 68.1 points per game and out-rebounding opponents, 42.9 to 35.4.
Catching Up With The Bison
North Dakota State is 7-9 overall and 3-1 in Summit League action after dropping its first league contest of the season Sunday, Jan. 11, at Denver, 73-75.
Through 16 games this season, senior guard Brooke LeMar (Canyon Country, Calif.) leads the Bison and The Summit League in scoring with 18.9 points per game and assists with 4.9 assists per game. Junior forward Holly Johnson (Minot, N.D.) is second on the team in scoring with 13.6 points per game and rebounding with 7.1 boards per game, while fellow junior forward/guard Marena Whittle (Vermont South, Victoria, Australia) leads NDSU on the glass with 7.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Emily Spier (Buffalo, Minn.) is shooting a team-high 49 percent from the field, going 35-for-72, and freshman guard Taylor Thunstedt (Spicer, Minn.) along with Whittle and LeMar lead NDSU from three-point range at 35 percent each.
As a team, the Bison are averaging 69.2 points per game while allowing 73.4 per game to their adversaries.
Breaking the 30-point Threshold
LeMar has scored at least 30 points twice this season and is two 30-point games away from tying Kasey Morlock (1993-96) and Janice Woods (1982-86) for most 30-point games in a career. LeMar has exceeded 20 points in seven games in 2014-15.
Career Milestone
Marena Whittle tallied a new career-high six steals against IUPUI on Jan. 8. Whittle has recorded at least one takeaway in 13 of 16 games this season with six multiple steal games.
Dishing it Out
Brooke LeMar dished out a season-high nine assists in the Bison's win over IUPUI Jan. 8. The Canyon Country, Calif., native has at least four assists in 11 of 15 contests this season.
At the Line Down the Stretch
Brooke LeMar is 14-of-18 (.778) from the free-throw line in the final minute of games this season, including a 7-for-8 (.875) mark in the final minute of Summit League games. As a team, NDSU is 19-of-25 (.760) at the line in the last minute of games this season, four-percent better than its overall season average.
Converting Scoring Opportunities
Taylor Thunstedt leads the Bison in field-goal percentage in Summit League play through four games, going 15-for-26 (.577). Marena Whittle is second, making 19 of 36 shots (.528), and Emily Spier is third, converting 10 of 19 attempts (.526).
Thunstedt for Three!
Taylor Thunstedt is shooting a team-high 50 percent from three-point range in Summit League competition, going 10-for-20.
Inside Presence
Emily Spier leads the Bison in field-goal percentage through 15 contests, making 31-of-64 attempts for 48 percent. The Buffalo, Minn., native went an impressive 63 percent (5-of-8) from the field in the Bison's opening pair of Summit League games, including a 4-for-6 performance against South Dakota State and a 1-for-2 clip versus Oral Roberts.
Hitting the Offensive Boards
Holly Johnson and Liz Keena have combined for 69 offensive rebounds through 16 games, helping the Bison score an average of 10.2 second-chance points per game. Keena leads the Bison and ranks 5th in The Summit League in offensive rebounds with 2.4 per game while Johnson is second on the team and ranks 13th in the league with 1.9 per game.
Bison in the Record Books
Marena Whittle holds the career record for defensive rebounding average at NDSU with 5.1 boards per game. She ranks seventh in career minutes, playing an average of 28.5 minutes per game, and eighth in overall career rebounding average with 7.2 boards per game. ... Brooke LeMar is fifth in career free-throw percentage, going 189-of-235 from the charity stripe for 80 percent, and holds the career minutes record, playing an average of 36 minutes per game.
From Downtown!
Taylor Thunstedt leads the Bison from beyond-the-arc through 16 games, making 26 of 75 three-pointers for 34.7 percent, and Brooke LeMar is second, going 28-for-81 for 34.6 percent.
Securing the Perimeter
The Bison are holding opponents to just 30 percent (78-257) shooting from three-point range through 16 games. NDSU is averaging 6.6 made treys per game compared to just 4.9 for its opponents. NDSU has given up just 17 treys in its first four Summit League games compared to 28 surrendered by its opponents.
Creating Offense from Defense
In their first four league games, the Bison have scored 57 points off 51 turnovers, an average of 14.2 points per game. NDSU's opponents have only scored 44 points off 47 Bison miscues for 11 points per game.
On the season, North Dakota State is averaging 16.8 points off turnovers, compared to 16.4 for its adversaries.
Sharing the Basketball
The Bison have tallied double-digit assists in 12 of 16 games this season. NDSU matched its season-high with 19 assists in the win over IUPUI Jan. 8. The Bison also dished out 19 in the victory over Oral Roberts to open league play Jan. 2.
Getting to the Basket
The Bison have scored 83 points off fast break baskets through 16 games, compared to just 51 points from their adversaries. NDSU is averaging 5.2 fast break points per game.
NDSU Summit League Women's Basketball Player of the Week Winners
Jan. 5 - Brooke LeMar
NDSU in the NCAA National Statistics (As of Jan. 13)
Relevant Team Statistics:
Free-Throw Percentage - 65th out of 343 (.719) ... Three-Point Field Goals Per Game - 75th out of 343 (6.6/game) ... Turnovers Per Game - 92nd out of 343 (15.1/game)
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Points Per Game - Brooke LeMar (42nd out of 250, 18.9/game) ... Assists Per Game - Brooke LeMar (48th out of 250, 4.9/game) ... Free-Throw Percentage - Brooke LeMar (46th out of 250, .852)
NDSU in The Summit League Statistics (As of Jan. 13)
Relevant Team Statistics (All Games):
Points - 5th (69.2/game) ... Rebounds - 8th (37.5/game) ... Assists - 3rd (13.8/game) ... Steals - 4th (7.5/game) ... Blocks - 5th (3.3/game) ... Turnovers - 4th (15.1/game) ... Field-Goal Pct. - 6th (.403) ... Three-Point Field-Goal Pct. - 6th (.332) ... Free-Throw Pct. - 5th (.719)
Relevant Individual Statistics (All Games):
Brooke LeMar - Points: 1st (18.9/game), Assists: 1st (4.9/game), FT Pct.: 4th (.852), Steals: 6th (1.4/game) ... Marena Whittle - Steals: T-3rd (1.9/game), Defensive Rebounds: T-3rd (5.9/game), Rebounds: 4th (7.4/game), Blocks: 4th (1.1/game) ... Kahla Becken - Steals: 8th (1.3/game) ... Holly Johnson - Defensive Rebounds: 5th (5.1/game), Rebounds: 5th (7.1/game) ... Emily Spier - Blocks: T-9th (0.8/game)
Last Time Out: NDSU Women Suffer First Summit League Loss of Season at Denver Sunday, 75-73
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (7-9, 3-1 Summit League) dropped its first Summit League contest of the 2014-15 season Sunday, Jan. 11, at Denver (6-12, 3-1 Summit League) inside Magness Arena, 75-73.
Holly Johnson paced the Bison with a double-double, scoring 22 points to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds, while Brooke LeMar netted 15 points and dished out a game-high six assists.
North Dakota State went 28-for-68 (41 percent) from the field, 8-for-23 (35 percent) from three-point range and 9-of-13 (69 percent) from the free-throw line in the contest. The Bison outrebounded Denver, 47-37, but committed 14 turnovers compared to 10 for the Pioneers.
Denver was led by Jordan Johnston with 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting, including a game-high 4-for-5 performance from beyond-the-arc, while Alecia Espinoza and Jesse Spittel snagged seven rebounds each to pace the Pioneers on the boards.
The Pioneers went 25-for-62 (40 percent) from the field, 9-for-23 (39 percent) from three-point range and 16-of-22 (73 percent) from the foul line in the game. Denver shot a blistering 54 percent from long range in the second half, making seven of 13 attempts.
Last Time Out Against South Dakota: NDSU Women's Basketball Edged by South Dakota in Overtime, 95-87
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (6-22, 2-11 Summit) saw a 16-point first half lead slip away in a 95-87 overtime loss at South Dakota (16-12, 7-6 Summit) Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014 inside the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
Holly Johnson and Marena Whittle combined for 62 of NDSU's 87 points, tallying 31 each. The 31 points matched Johnson's career-high and was Whittle's second-highest scoring effort of the season. The two also led the Bison on the glass, pulling down eight rebounds apiece.
Brooke LeMar was the other Bison to reach double figures, scoring 13 while dishing out three assists.
Polly Harrington led the Coyotes with 23 points while Margaret McCloud (16 points, 11 rebounds) and Tia Hemiller (14 points, 10 rebounds) posted double-doubles for USD.
2014-15 Summit League Preseason Poll (1st-place votes in parenthesis)
South Dakota State (27) - 513 pts.
South Dakota (4) - 420 pts.
IUPUI - 408 pts.
Western Illinois (1) - 358 pts.
Denver - 253 pts.
Fort Wayne - 202 pts.
Oral Roberts - 178 pts.
Omaha - 165 pts.
North Dakota State - 158 pts.
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.
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.
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.
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.
On the Horizon
North Dakota State begins a three-game Summit League road trip Thursday, Jan. 22 at Omaha, before traveling to Western Illinois Saturday, Jan. 24. The Bison conclude the road swing on Saturday, Jan. 31, at South Dakota State.
Thursday, Jan. 15 | 7 p.m.
DakotaDome | Vermillion, S.D.
Live Stats | Free Live Audio | Live Video
Radio: 790 KFGO (Jack Michaels, play-by-play), 6:40 p.m. airtime
TV: MidcoSN, ESPN3 (Jay Elsen, play-by-play; Brad Newitt, analyst)
NDSU Notes (PDF) | USD Notes (PDF) | Summit League Weekly Notes (PDF)
NDSU WBB on Twitter | #SummitWBB
Bison Women Travel to South Dakota Thursday for Summit League Contest
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (7-9, 3-1 Summit League) will travel to Vermillion, S.D., on Thursday, Jan. 15, for a 7 p.m. showdown inside the DakotaDome with Summit League foe South Dakota (12-4, 2-1 Summit League). The game will be televised live on MidcoSN and ESPN3.
The Series Against South Dakota
Thursday's tilt at South Dakota will mark the 63rd meeting between the Bison and Coyotes in the all-time series. The Bison lead the 'Yotes, 41-21, but have dropped the past three meetings. NDSU's last triumph in the series was a 57-50 win in Vermillion during the 2012-13 season.
About the Coyotes
South Dakota enters Thursday's game at 12-4 overall and 2-1 in Summit League play after winning at Western Illinois on Jan. 10, 101-87. USD's lone league loss was a 65-81 setback at Oral Roberts Jan. 8. The Coyotes received 13 votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
Through 16 contests, three 'Yotes are averaging in double figures. Summit League preseason second team selection Raeshel Contreras (San Francisco, Calif.) leads the team at 16.6 points per game, while preseason first team selection Nicole Seekamp (Renmark, South Australia) is second on the team with 14.4 points per game. Margaret McCloud (Rapid City, S.D.) rounds out the double figure scorers for USD with 11.1 points per game. McCloud leads South Dakota on the boards with 7.1 rebounds per game.
The Coyotes lead The Summit League in points (80.6), field-goal percentage (.447) and three-point field-goal percentage (.365).
USD is holding opponents to just 68.1 points per game and out-rebounding opponents, 42.9 to 35.4.
Catching Up With The Bison
North Dakota State is 7-9 overall and 3-1 in Summit League action after dropping its first league contest of the season Sunday, Jan. 11, at Denver, 73-75.
Through 16 games this season, senior guard Brooke LeMar (Canyon Country, Calif.) leads the Bison and The Summit League in scoring with 18.9 points per game and assists with 4.9 assists per game. Junior forward Holly Johnson (Minot, N.D.) is second on the team in scoring with 13.6 points per game and rebounding with 7.1 boards per game, while fellow junior forward/guard Marena Whittle (Vermont South, Victoria, Australia) leads NDSU on the glass with 7.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Emily Spier (Buffalo, Minn.) is shooting a team-high 49 percent from the field, going 35-for-72, and freshman guard Taylor Thunstedt (Spicer, Minn.) along with Whittle and LeMar lead NDSU from three-point range at 35 percent each.
As a team, the Bison are averaging 69.2 points per game while allowing 73.4 per game to their adversaries.
Breaking the 30-point Threshold
LeMar has scored at least 30 points twice this season and is two 30-point games away from tying Kasey Morlock (1993-96) and Janice Woods (1982-86) for most 30-point games in a career. LeMar has exceeded 20 points in seven games in 2014-15.
Career Milestone
Marena Whittle tallied a new career-high six steals against IUPUI on Jan. 8. Whittle has recorded at least one takeaway in 13 of 16 games this season with six multiple steal games.
Dishing it Out
Brooke LeMar dished out a season-high nine assists in the Bison's win over IUPUI Jan. 8. The Canyon Country, Calif., native has at least four assists in 11 of 15 contests this season.
At the Line Down the Stretch
Brooke LeMar is 14-of-18 (.778) from the free-throw line in the final minute of games this season, including a 7-for-8 (.875) mark in the final minute of Summit League games. As a team, NDSU is 19-of-25 (.760) at the line in the last minute of games this season, four-percent better than its overall season average.
Converting Scoring Opportunities
Taylor Thunstedt leads the Bison in field-goal percentage in Summit League play through four games, going 15-for-26 (.577). Marena Whittle is second, making 19 of 36 shots (.528), and Emily Spier is third, converting 10 of 19 attempts (.526).
Thunstedt for Three!
Taylor Thunstedt is shooting a team-high 50 percent from three-point range in Summit League competition, going 10-for-20.
Inside Presence
Emily Spier leads the Bison in field-goal percentage through 15 contests, making 31-of-64 attempts for 48 percent. The Buffalo, Minn., native went an impressive 63 percent (5-of-8) from the field in the Bison's opening pair of Summit League games, including a 4-for-6 performance against South Dakota State and a 1-for-2 clip versus Oral Roberts.
Hitting the Offensive Boards
Holly Johnson and Liz Keena have combined for 69 offensive rebounds through 16 games, helping the Bison score an average of 10.2 second-chance points per game. Keena leads the Bison and ranks 5th in The Summit League in offensive rebounds with 2.4 per game while Johnson is second on the team and ranks 13th in the league with 1.9 per game.
Bison in the Record Books
Marena Whittle holds the career record for defensive rebounding average at NDSU with 5.1 boards per game. She ranks seventh in career minutes, playing an average of 28.5 minutes per game, and eighth in overall career rebounding average with 7.2 boards per game. ... Brooke LeMar is fifth in career free-throw percentage, going 189-of-235 from the charity stripe for 80 percent, and holds the career minutes record, playing an average of 36 minutes per game.
From Downtown!
Taylor Thunstedt leads the Bison from beyond-the-arc through 16 games, making 26 of 75 three-pointers for 34.7 percent, and Brooke LeMar is second, going 28-for-81 for 34.6 percent.
Securing the Perimeter
The Bison are holding opponents to just 30 percent (78-257) shooting from three-point range through 16 games. NDSU is averaging 6.6 made treys per game compared to just 4.9 for its opponents. NDSU has given up just 17 treys in its first four Summit League games compared to 28 surrendered by its opponents.
Creating Offense from Defense
In their first four league games, the Bison have scored 57 points off 51 turnovers, an average of 14.2 points per game. NDSU's opponents have only scored 44 points off 47 Bison miscues for 11 points per game.
On the season, North Dakota State is averaging 16.8 points off turnovers, compared to 16.4 for its adversaries.
Sharing the Basketball
The Bison have tallied double-digit assists in 12 of 16 games this season. NDSU matched its season-high with 19 assists in the win over IUPUI Jan. 8. The Bison also dished out 19 in the victory over Oral Roberts to open league play Jan. 2.
Getting to the Basket
The Bison have scored 83 points off fast break baskets through 16 games, compared to just 51 points from their adversaries. NDSU is averaging 5.2 fast break points per game.
NDSU Summit League Women's Basketball Player of the Week Winners
Jan. 5 - Brooke LeMar
NDSU in the NCAA National Statistics (As of Jan. 13)
Relevant Team Statistics:
Free-Throw Percentage - 65th out of 343 (.719) ... Three-Point Field Goals Per Game - 75th out of 343 (6.6/game) ... Turnovers Per Game - 92nd out of 343 (15.1/game)
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Points Per Game - Brooke LeMar (42nd out of 250, 18.9/game) ... Assists Per Game - Brooke LeMar (48th out of 250, 4.9/game) ... Free-Throw Percentage - Brooke LeMar (46th out of 250, .852)
NDSU in The Summit League Statistics (As of Jan. 13)
Relevant Team Statistics (All Games):
Points - 5th (69.2/game) ... Rebounds - 8th (37.5/game) ... Assists - 3rd (13.8/game) ... Steals - 4th (7.5/game) ... Blocks - 5th (3.3/game) ... Turnovers - 4th (15.1/game) ... Field-Goal Pct. - 6th (.403) ... Three-Point Field-Goal Pct. - 6th (.332) ... Free-Throw Pct. - 5th (.719)
Relevant Individual Statistics (All Games):
Brooke LeMar - Points: 1st (18.9/game), Assists: 1st (4.9/game), FT Pct.: 4th (.852), Steals: 6th (1.4/game) ... Marena Whittle - Steals: T-3rd (1.9/game), Defensive Rebounds: T-3rd (5.9/game), Rebounds: 4th (7.4/game), Blocks: 4th (1.1/game) ... Kahla Becken - Steals: 8th (1.3/game) ... Holly Johnson - Defensive Rebounds: 5th (5.1/game), Rebounds: 5th (7.1/game) ... Emily Spier - Blocks: T-9th (0.8/game)
Last Time Out: NDSU Women Suffer First Summit League Loss of Season at Denver Sunday, 75-73
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (7-9, 3-1 Summit League) dropped its first Summit League contest of the 2014-15 season Sunday, Jan. 11, at Denver (6-12, 3-1 Summit League) inside Magness Arena, 75-73.
Holly Johnson paced the Bison with a double-double, scoring 22 points to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds, while Brooke LeMar netted 15 points and dished out a game-high six assists.
North Dakota State went 28-for-68 (41 percent) from the field, 8-for-23 (35 percent) from three-point range and 9-of-13 (69 percent) from the free-throw line in the contest. The Bison outrebounded Denver, 47-37, but committed 14 turnovers compared to 10 for the Pioneers.
Denver was led by Jordan Johnston with 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting, including a game-high 4-for-5 performance from beyond-the-arc, while Alecia Espinoza and Jesse Spittel snagged seven rebounds each to pace the Pioneers on the boards.
The Pioneers went 25-for-62 (40 percent) from the field, 9-for-23 (39 percent) from three-point range and 16-of-22 (73 percent) from the foul line in the game. Denver shot a blistering 54 percent from long range in the second half, making seven of 13 attempts.
Last Time Out Against South Dakota: NDSU Women's Basketball Edged by South Dakota in Overtime, 95-87
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (6-22, 2-11 Summit) saw a 16-point first half lead slip away in a 95-87 overtime loss at South Dakota (16-12, 7-6 Summit) Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014 inside the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
Holly Johnson and Marena Whittle combined for 62 of NDSU's 87 points, tallying 31 each. The 31 points matched Johnson's career-high and was Whittle's second-highest scoring effort of the season. The two also led the Bison on the glass, pulling down eight rebounds apiece.
Brooke LeMar was the other Bison to reach double figures, scoring 13 while dishing out three assists.
Polly Harrington led the Coyotes with 23 points while Margaret McCloud (16 points, 11 rebounds) and Tia Hemiller (14 points, 10 rebounds) posted double-doubles for USD.
2014-15 Summit League Preseason Poll (1st-place votes in parenthesis)
South Dakota State (27) - 513 pts.
South Dakota (4) - 420 pts.
IUPUI - 408 pts.
Western Illinois (1) - 358 pts.
Denver - 253 pts.
Fort Wayne - 202 pts.
Oral Roberts - 178 pts.
Omaha - 165 pts.
North Dakota State - 158 pts.
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.
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.
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.
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.
On the Horizon
North Dakota State begins a three-game Summit League road trip Thursday, Jan. 22 at Omaha, before traveling to Western Illinois Saturday, Jan. 24. The Bison conclude the road swing on Saturday, Jan. 31, at South Dakota State.
Sunday, March 22
Friday, March 20
Thursday, March 12
Thursday, March 05
