Saturday, January 24
Macomb, Ill.
4:30 p.m.
North Dakota State
at
Western Illinois
Photo by: Richard Svaleson
Bison Women Close Out First Half of Summit League Play Saturday at Western Illinois
1/23/2015 4:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game 20: at Western Illinois (11-8, 3-3 Summit League)
Saturday, Jan. 24 | 4:30 p.m.
Western Hall | Macomb, Ill.
Live Stats | Free Live Audio | Live Video
Radio: 740 The Fan (Jack Michaels, play-by-play), 4:10 p.m. airtime
TV: None
NDSU Notes (PDF) | Summit League Weekly Release (PDF)
NDSU WBB on Twitter | #SummitWBB | #March2TheSummit
Bison Women Close Out First Half of Summit League Play Saturday at Western Illinois
The NDSU women's basketball team (9-10, 5-2 Summit League) will wrap-up the first half of Summit League play on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 4:30 p.m. at Western Illinois (11-8, 3-3 Summit League).
The Series Against Western Illinois
Saturday's game at Western Illinois will be the 16th meeting in the all-time series. The Bison currently lead the series, 9-6. Last season, NDSU split the Summit League season series with WIU, winning in Macomb, Ill., 83-77, and falling in Fargo, 76-68.
About the Leathernecks
Western Illinois is 11-8 overall and 3-3 in Summit League play after losing to South Dakota State at home on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 74-61.
Through 19 games, Summit League Preseason Player of the Year Ashley Luke leads WIU and ranks second in The Summit League in scoring (18.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.3 rpg). The junior from Oak Creek, Wis., has tallied 10 double-doubles and scored at least 20 points in eight games this season.
As a team, Western Illinois is averaging 76.2 points per game while holding its opponents to just 67.7 per game. On average, the Leathernecks are outrebounding their adversaries, 39.7 to 37.7.
Catching Up With The Bison
The Bison are 9-10 overall and 5-2 in Summit League play after winning on Thursday, Jan. 22, at Omaha, 77-60. The victory was the first true road win for NDSU since Jan. 18, 2014. The Bison currently sit in second place in The Summit League, a half game behind league leader South Dakota (5-1).
Through 19 games this season, Brooke LeMar (Canyon Country, Calif.) leads the Bison and The Summit League in scoring with 19.3 points per game. LeMar also leads the Bison and is third in The Summit League in assists with 4.5 per game. Holly Johnson (Minot, N.D.) is second on the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game and rebounding with 7.1 boards per game. Marena Whittle (Vermont South, Victoria, Australia) leads the Bison and ranks fourth in The Summit League in rebounding with 7.6 rebounds per game. Emily Spier (Buffalo, Minn.) is shooting a team-high 48 percent from the field, going 43-of-89, and Taylor Thunstedt (Spicer, Minn.) leads the Bison from three-point range, going 32-for-86 for 37 percent.
As a team, the Bison are outscoring their opponents in Summit League play, 75.4 to 69.1. Overall, NDSU is being outscored by its adversaries, 72.5 to 70.2.
Home Sweet Home
The Bison are 6-2 in Fargo this season. NDSU is 4-1 in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse and 2-1 at Scheels Arena.
Welcome to the Club!
Brooke LeMar netted her 1,000th career point in the game at South Dakota on Thursday, Jan. 15. LeMar has scored 819 points as a Bison and netted 240 points in her two seasons with Southern Illinois prior to transferring to NDSU, giving her a total of 1,059 points heading into Saturday's contest at Western Illinois. She is the 31st student-athlete in NDSU history to join the 1,000 Point Club.
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 nine games in 2014-15.
Career Milestones
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 12 of 19 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 seven games, going 24-for-44 (.545). Emily Spier is second, converting 18 of 36 attempts (.500).
Thunstedt for Three!
Taylor Thunstedt is shooting a team-high 52 percent from three-point range in Summit League competition, going 16-for-31.
Inside Presence
Emily Spier leads the Bison in field-goal percentage through 19 contests, making 43 of 89 attempts for 48 percent. The Buffalo, Minn., native went 3-for-4 in NDSU's win over Fort Wayne Jan. 17.
Hitting the Offensive Boards
Holly Johnson and Liz Keena have combined for 86 offensive rebounds through 19 games, helping the Bison score an average of 9.8 second-chance points per game. Keena leads the Bison and ranks 6th in The Summit League in offensive rebounds with 2.4 per game while Johnson is second on the team and ranks 11th in the league with 2.1 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 202-of-252 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 19 contests, going 32-of-86 for 37 percent. Kahla Becken is second, making 28 of 77 attempts for 36 percent.
Securing the Perimeter
The Bison are holding opponents to just 29 percent (91-316) shooting from three-point range through 19 games. NDSU is averaging 6.6 made treys per game compared to just 4.8 for its opponents. NDSU has given up just 30 treys in its seven Summit League games compared to 48 surrendered by its opponents.
Creating Offense from Defense
In their seven league games, the Bison have scored 107 points off 108 turnovers, an average of 15.3 points per game. NDSU's opponents have only scored 80 points off 95 Bison miscues for 11.4 points per game.
Sharing the Basketball
The Bison have tallied double-digit assists in 15 of 19 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 110 points off fast break baskets through 19 games, compared to just 59 points from their adversaries. NDSU is averaging 5.8 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. 23)
Relevant Team Statistics:
Free-Throw Percentage - 58th out of 343 (.723) ... Three-Point Field Goals Per Game - 73rd out of 343 (6.6/game) ... Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage - 77th out of 343 (.339) ... Three-Point FG Defense - 84th out of 343 (28.8) ... Scoring Offense - 82nd out of 343 (70.2) ... Assist-to-Turnover Ratio - 97th out of 343 (0.91).
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Points Per Game - Brooke LeMar (40th out of 250, 19.3/game) ... Assists Per Game - Brooke LeMar (75th out of 250, 4.5/game) ... Free-Throw Percentage - Brooke LeMar (58th out of 250, .838)
NDSU in The Summit League Statistics (As of Jan. 23)
Relevant Team Statistics (All Games):
Points - 5th (70.2/game) ... Rebounds - 7th (38.1/game) ... Assists - 3rd (13.8/game) ... Steals - 3rd (7.7/game) ... Blocks - T-5th (3.2/game) ... Turnovers - 5th (16.4/game) ... Field-Goal Pct. - 6th (.406) ... Three-Point Field-Goal Pct. - 5th (.339) ... Free-Throw Pct. - 4th (.723)
Relevant Individual Statistics (All Games):
Brooke LeMar - Points: 1st (19.3/game), Assists: 3rd (4.5/game), FT Pct.: 5th (.838), Steals: 5th (1.7/game) ... Marena Whittle - Steals: 2nd (1.9/game), Defensive Rebounds: 3rd (6.2/game), Rebounds: 4th (7.6/game), Blocks: 5th (1.0/game) ... Holly Johnson - Rebounds: 5th (7.1/game), Defensive Rebounds: 5th (5.1/game), FG Pct.: 10th (.459) ... Liz Keena - Offensive Rebounds: 6th (2.4/game) ... Emily Spier - Blocks: T-10th (0.7/game)
Last Time Out: NDSU Women's Basketball Never Trails in 77-60 win at Omaha Thursday
The North Dakota State women's basketball team never trailed in a 77-60 victory at Omaha on Thursday, Jan. 22, inside Sapp Fieldhouse.
Brooke LeMar led three Bison in double figures with a game-high 26 points on 11-for-20 shooting, and Taylor Thunstedt matched her career-high for the second consecutive game with 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting. Liz Keena rounded out the Bison in double figures, scoring 10 points.
Marena Whittle led NDSU in rebounding, snagging nine boards, while Thunstedt recorded a new career-high for rebounds with six.
The Bison went 31-for-74 from the field for 42 percent and 8-for-18 from three-point range for 44 percent in the game. NDSU made 7-of-11 attempts at the free-throw line for 64 percent.
NDSU edged Omaha on the boards, 41-40, and posted 14 assists with only 10 turnovers in the contest. The Bison tallied 24 points off 24 Maverick turnovers, and outscored UNO in the paint, 34-28.
The Mavs shot 42 percent from the floor in the contest, going 23-for-55, and 5-for-17 from beyond-the-arc for 29 percent. Omaha made nine of 14 free-throws for 64 percent.
Mikaela Shaw paced Omaha with a double-double, netting 19 points and snagging 10 rebounds.
Last Time Out Against Western Illinois: Offensive Rebounds, Free Throws Costly as Bison Women Fall to Western Illinois, 76-68
The NDSU women's basketball team (6-19, 2-8 Summit) gave up 13 offensive rebounds and were outscored at the free throw line, 21-3, in a 76-68 loss to the Western Illinois Leathernecks (13-11, 5-4 Summit) Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014 inside the Bison Sports Arena in Summit League action.
The Bison were led by Brooke LeMar with 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Marena Whittle scored 14 points while Holly Johnson and Bree Whatman each tallied 13.
Miki Stephenson paced the Bison on the boards, snagging nine rebounds.
NDSU was 29-for-59 (49 percent) from the field and 7-for-16 (44 percent) from three. The Bison struggled getting to the foul line and were just 3-for-7 (43 percent) from the charity stripe.
Western Illinois shot 45 percent from the field, going 25-for-56 and were 5-for-15 (33 percent) from beyond the arc. The Leathernecks were able to get to the free throw line 32 times, making 21 charity shots for 66 percent.
WIU scored 21 second chance points compared to just five from the Bison.
The Leathernecks' Ashley Luke led all-scorers in the game, posting a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds.
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 will tip-off the second half of Summit League play on Saturday, Jan. 31, at South Dakota State. Tip-off at Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D., is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 24 | 4:30 p.m.
Western Hall | Macomb, Ill.
Live Stats | Free Live Audio | Live Video
Radio: 740 The Fan (Jack Michaels, play-by-play), 4:10 p.m. airtime
TV: None
NDSU Notes (PDF) | Summit League Weekly Release (PDF)
NDSU WBB on Twitter | #SummitWBB | #March2TheSummit
Bison Women Close Out First Half of Summit League Play Saturday at Western Illinois
The NDSU women's basketball team (9-10, 5-2 Summit League) will wrap-up the first half of Summit League play on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 4:30 p.m. at Western Illinois (11-8, 3-3 Summit League).
The Series Against Western Illinois
Saturday's game at Western Illinois will be the 16th meeting in the all-time series. The Bison currently lead the series, 9-6. Last season, NDSU split the Summit League season series with WIU, winning in Macomb, Ill., 83-77, and falling in Fargo, 76-68.
About the Leathernecks
Western Illinois is 11-8 overall and 3-3 in Summit League play after losing to South Dakota State at home on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 74-61.
Through 19 games, Summit League Preseason Player of the Year Ashley Luke leads WIU and ranks second in The Summit League in scoring (18.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.3 rpg). The junior from Oak Creek, Wis., has tallied 10 double-doubles and scored at least 20 points in eight games this season.
As a team, Western Illinois is averaging 76.2 points per game while holding its opponents to just 67.7 per game. On average, the Leathernecks are outrebounding their adversaries, 39.7 to 37.7.
Catching Up With The Bison
The Bison are 9-10 overall and 5-2 in Summit League play after winning on Thursday, Jan. 22, at Omaha, 77-60. The victory was the first true road win for NDSU since Jan. 18, 2014. The Bison currently sit in second place in The Summit League, a half game behind league leader South Dakota (5-1).
Through 19 games this season, Brooke LeMar (Canyon Country, Calif.) leads the Bison and The Summit League in scoring with 19.3 points per game. LeMar also leads the Bison and is third in The Summit League in assists with 4.5 per game. Holly Johnson (Minot, N.D.) is second on the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game and rebounding with 7.1 boards per game. Marena Whittle (Vermont South, Victoria, Australia) leads the Bison and ranks fourth in The Summit League in rebounding with 7.6 rebounds per game. Emily Spier (Buffalo, Minn.) is shooting a team-high 48 percent from the field, going 43-of-89, and Taylor Thunstedt (Spicer, Minn.) leads the Bison from three-point range, going 32-for-86 for 37 percent.
As a team, the Bison are outscoring their opponents in Summit League play, 75.4 to 69.1. Overall, NDSU is being outscored by its adversaries, 72.5 to 70.2.
Home Sweet Home
The Bison are 6-2 in Fargo this season. NDSU is 4-1 in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse and 2-1 at Scheels Arena.
Welcome to the Club!
Brooke LeMar netted her 1,000th career point in the game at South Dakota on Thursday, Jan. 15. LeMar has scored 819 points as a Bison and netted 240 points in her two seasons with Southern Illinois prior to transferring to NDSU, giving her a total of 1,059 points heading into Saturday's contest at Western Illinois. She is the 31st student-athlete in NDSU history to join the 1,000 Point Club.
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 nine games in 2014-15.
Career Milestones
- Taylor Thunstedt snagged a career-high six rebounds in NDSU's win at Omaha Thursday, Jan. 22. The Spicer, Minn., native also matched her career-high in scoring for the second straight game, netting 15 points.
- Kahla Becken netted a career-high 21 points in NDSU's win over Fort Wayne on Saturday, Jan. 17. The Lino Lakes, Minn., native went 7-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-6 from three-point range to tally 21 points. The seven made field goals and four made treys matched her career-highs.
- Marena Whittle tallied a new career-high six steals against IUPUI on Jan. 8. Whittle has recorded at least one takeaway in 14 of 17 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 12 of 19 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 seven games, going 24-for-44 (.545). Emily Spier is second, converting 18 of 36 attempts (.500).
Thunstedt for Three!
Taylor Thunstedt is shooting a team-high 52 percent from three-point range in Summit League competition, going 16-for-31.
Inside Presence
Emily Spier leads the Bison in field-goal percentage through 19 contests, making 43 of 89 attempts for 48 percent. The Buffalo, Minn., native went 3-for-4 in NDSU's win over Fort Wayne Jan. 17.
Hitting the Offensive Boards
Holly Johnson and Liz Keena have combined for 86 offensive rebounds through 19 games, helping the Bison score an average of 9.8 second-chance points per game. Keena leads the Bison and ranks 6th in The Summit League in offensive rebounds with 2.4 per game while Johnson is second on the team and ranks 11th in the league with 2.1 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 202-of-252 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 19 contests, going 32-of-86 for 37 percent. Kahla Becken is second, making 28 of 77 attempts for 36 percent.
Securing the Perimeter
The Bison are holding opponents to just 29 percent (91-316) shooting from three-point range through 19 games. NDSU is averaging 6.6 made treys per game compared to just 4.8 for its opponents. NDSU has given up just 30 treys in its seven Summit League games compared to 48 surrendered by its opponents.
Creating Offense from Defense
In their seven league games, the Bison have scored 107 points off 108 turnovers, an average of 15.3 points per game. NDSU's opponents have only scored 80 points off 95 Bison miscues for 11.4 points per game.
Sharing the Basketball
The Bison have tallied double-digit assists in 15 of 19 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 110 points off fast break baskets through 19 games, compared to just 59 points from their adversaries. NDSU is averaging 5.8 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. 23)
Relevant Team Statistics:
Free-Throw Percentage - 58th out of 343 (.723) ... Three-Point Field Goals Per Game - 73rd out of 343 (6.6/game) ... Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage - 77th out of 343 (.339) ... Three-Point FG Defense - 84th out of 343 (28.8) ... Scoring Offense - 82nd out of 343 (70.2) ... Assist-to-Turnover Ratio - 97th out of 343 (0.91).
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Points Per Game - Brooke LeMar (40th out of 250, 19.3/game) ... Assists Per Game - Brooke LeMar (75th out of 250, 4.5/game) ... Free-Throw Percentage - Brooke LeMar (58th out of 250, .838)
NDSU in The Summit League Statistics (As of Jan. 23)
Relevant Team Statistics (All Games):
Points - 5th (70.2/game) ... Rebounds - 7th (38.1/game) ... Assists - 3rd (13.8/game) ... Steals - 3rd (7.7/game) ... Blocks - T-5th (3.2/game) ... Turnovers - 5th (16.4/game) ... Field-Goal Pct. - 6th (.406) ... Three-Point Field-Goal Pct. - 5th (.339) ... Free-Throw Pct. - 4th (.723)
Relevant Individual Statistics (All Games):
Brooke LeMar - Points: 1st (19.3/game), Assists: 3rd (4.5/game), FT Pct.: 5th (.838), Steals: 5th (1.7/game) ... Marena Whittle - Steals: 2nd (1.9/game), Defensive Rebounds: 3rd (6.2/game), Rebounds: 4th (7.6/game), Blocks: 5th (1.0/game) ... Holly Johnson - Rebounds: 5th (7.1/game), Defensive Rebounds: 5th (5.1/game), FG Pct.: 10th (.459) ... Liz Keena - Offensive Rebounds: 6th (2.4/game) ... Emily Spier - Blocks: T-10th (0.7/game)
Last Time Out: NDSU Women's Basketball Never Trails in 77-60 win at Omaha Thursday
The North Dakota State women's basketball team never trailed in a 77-60 victory at Omaha on Thursday, Jan. 22, inside Sapp Fieldhouse.
Brooke LeMar led three Bison in double figures with a game-high 26 points on 11-for-20 shooting, and Taylor Thunstedt matched her career-high for the second consecutive game with 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting. Liz Keena rounded out the Bison in double figures, scoring 10 points.
Marena Whittle led NDSU in rebounding, snagging nine boards, while Thunstedt recorded a new career-high for rebounds with six.
The Bison went 31-for-74 from the field for 42 percent and 8-for-18 from three-point range for 44 percent in the game. NDSU made 7-of-11 attempts at the free-throw line for 64 percent.
NDSU edged Omaha on the boards, 41-40, and posted 14 assists with only 10 turnovers in the contest. The Bison tallied 24 points off 24 Maverick turnovers, and outscored UNO in the paint, 34-28.
The Mavs shot 42 percent from the floor in the contest, going 23-for-55, and 5-for-17 from beyond-the-arc for 29 percent. Omaha made nine of 14 free-throws for 64 percent.
Mikaela Shaw paced Omaha with a double-double, netting 19 points and snagging 10 rebounds.
Last Time Out Against Western Illinois: Offensive Rebounds, Free Throws Costly as Bison Women Fall to Western Illinois, 76-68
The NDSU women's basketball team (6-19, 2-8 Summit) gave up 13 offensive rebounds and were outscored at the free throw line, 21-3, in a 76-68 loss to the Western Illinois Leathernecks (13-11, 5-4 Summit) Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014 inside the Bison Sports Arena in Summit League action.
The Bison were led by Brooke LeMar with 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Marena Whittle scored 14 points while Holly Johnson and Bree Whatman each tallied 13.
Miki Stephenson paced the Bison on the boards, snagging nine rebounds.
NDSU was 29-for-59 (49 percent) from the field and 7-for-16 (44 percent) from three. The Bison struggled getting to the foul line and were just 3-for-7 (43 percent) from the charity stripe.
Western Illinois shot 45 percent from the field, going 25-for-56 and were 5-for-15 (33 percent) from beyond the arc. The Leathernecks were able to get to the free throw line 32 times, making 21 charity shots for 66 percent.
WIU scored 21 second chance points compared to just five from the Bison.
The Leathernecks' Ashley Luke led all-scorers in the game, posting a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds.
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 will tip-off the second half of Summit League play on Saturday, Jan. 31, at South Dakota State. Tip-off at Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D., is scheduled for 4 p.m.
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