Thursday, January 8
Fargo, N.D.
7 p.m.
North Dakota State
vs
IUPUI
Photo by: Richard Svaleson
Bison Women Host IUPUI in Summit League Contest Thursday
1/6/2015 6:38:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game 15: IUPUI (6-8, 1-0 Summit League)
Thursday, Jan. 8 | 7 p.m.
Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse | Fargo, N.D.
Live Stats | Free Live Audio | Live Video
Radio: 740 The Fan (Jack Michaels, play-by-play), 6:40 p.m. airtime
TV: None
NDSU Notes (PDF) | IUPUI Notes (PDF) | Summit League Weekly Notes (PDF)
NDSU WBB on Twitter | #SummitWBB on Twitter
Bison Women Host IUPUI in Summit League Contest Thursday
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (6-8, 2-0 Summit League) will host the IUPUI Jaguars (6-8, 1-0 Summit League) in a Summit League contest on Thursday, Jan. 8, at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse to wrap-up a three-game homestand.
The Series Against IUPUI
Thursday's game against the Jags will be the 17th meeting in the all-time series. NDSU and IUPUI are currently tied 8-8 in the series. The Jaguars have won the past four meetings against the Bison. NDSU's last triumph over IUPUI was a 71-68 win in Fargo during the 2012-13 campaign. Last season, the Bison went 0-3 against the Jags.
About the Jaguars
IUPUI enters Thursday's game with an overall record of 6-8 and a Summit League mark of 1-0 after defeating Fort Wayne in its league opener, 78-68, on Jan. 4 in Indianapolis.
Through 14 games, IUPUI is paced by three players who are averaging at least nine points per game. Preseason Summit League first team selection Nevena Markovic and Shaquira Scott are both averaging 9.6 points per game (ppg) while Akilah Sims is averaging 9.3 ppg. Markovic leads the Jags on the boards with 5.8 rebounds per game (rpg).
As a team, IUPUI is averaging 68.2 ppg while holding its opponents to 63.2 ppg. The Jaguars average 39.9 rpg compared to 31.1 rpg for their adversaries.
IUPUI is under the direction of fifth season head coach Austin Parkinson (Purdue, '04, '06).
Catching Up With The Bison
North Dakota State is 6-8 overall and 2-0 in Summit League action after defeating defending league regular season champion and mid-major No. 9 ranked South Dakota State, 83-78, at Scheels Arena on Sunday, Jan. 4. The Bison are 2-0 in league play for the first time since the 2010-11 season. If the Bison win on Thursday, they'll improve to 3-0 in league action for the first time since 2008-09.
Through 14 contests, senior point guard Brooke LeMar leads the Bison and The Summit League and ranks 35th in the nation in scoring with 19.4 ppg. LeMar also leads NDSU and is second in the league in assists per game with 4.6. Junior forward Holly Johnson is second on the team in scoring and rebounding with 12.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg, and fellow junior forward Marena Whittle leads the Bison on the glass with 7.5 boards per game. Senior forward Liz Keena paces NDSU on the offensive glass with 29 offensive boards in 14 contests.
As a team, the Bison are averaging 69 ppg while giving up 74 per game to their adversaries. NDSU is being outrebounded, on average, 37.2 to 41.4.
Last Time Out: NDSU Women's Basketball Upsets South Dakota State Sunday at Scheels Arena, 83-78
Four Bison scored in double figures to help the North Dakota State University women's basketball team (6-8, 2-0 Summit League) upset reigning Summit League regular season champion and mid-major No. 9 ranked South Dakota State (10-5, 1-1 Summit League), 83-78, at Scheels Arena on Sunday, Jan. 4.
The victory was the first for NDSU over SDSU since the 2010-11 season and the first win over the Jackrabbits in Fargo since 2004-05.
Senior guard Brooke LeMar paced all scorers in the contest, netting 30 points on 11-for-20 shooting, including a 3-for-6 mark from three-point range and a 5-for-7 performance at the free-throw line. Junior forward Holly Johnson (Minot, N.D.) added 16 points, with 12 occurring in the second half, and went a game-best 10-for-10 at the foul line, while fellow junior forward Marena Whittle pulled down a team-high nine rebounds and netted 10 points. Senior forward Liz Keena rounded out the Bison in double figures, scoring 10 points on 5-for-9 shooting.
For the game, North Dakota State shot 47 percent (18-for-33) from the floor, 39 percent (5-for-13) from beyond-the-arc and 83 percent (20-of-24) from the free-throw line. NDSU dished out 16 assists and committed 12 turnovers and scored 21 points off 16 Jackrabbit turnovers.
Senior forward Megan Waytashek led four South Dakota State Jacks in double figures with 20 points, while senior forward Mariah Clarin controlled the glass for SDSU with nine boards.
Last Time Out Against IUPUI: Second Half Rally Not Enough as Bison Fall to Jaguars in Summit League Tournament
The North Dakota State Bison (6-24) mounted a ferocious second half rally but came up short, falling to the IUPUI Jaguars (22-8), 72-64, Saturday, March 8, 2014 inside Sioux Falls Arena in The Summit League Basketball Championship Quarterfinals. The loss ends NDSU's season.
The Bison were led by four players in double figures. Brooke LeMar and Kahla Becken scored 16 points apiece to lead the team while Marena Whittle had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Holly Johnson rounded out the Bison in double figures, netting 13 points, respectively.
DeAirra Goss paced IUPUI and all-scorers with a game-high 25 points while Nevena Markovic finished with 11 points and 10 boards for the double-double.
The Bison shot 42 percent from the field for the game, going 25-for-59, and were 8-for-15 from three for 53 percent. IUPUI went 27-for-60 from the field for 45 percent and was just 1-for-12 from three for eight percent.
Brooke LeMar Named Summit League Women's Basketball Player of the Week
North Dakota State University senior point guard Brooke LeMar has been named The Summit League Women's Basketball Player of the Week for her performance Dec. 29 - Jan. 4.
LeMar collects her third career Player of the Week award and first of the season after leading the Bison to a pair of league wins. In Sunday's win over reigning regular season champion South Dakota State, the senior guard scored 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting with four assists. She added 22 points with eight assists and three rebounds in Friday's win over Oral Roberts.
For the week, LeMar averaged 26 points, six assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game with a 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio. She shot 48 percent (19-of-40) from the field and 43 percent (6-of-14) from three-point range.
Breaking the 20-point Threshold
Brooke LeMar has eclipsed the 20-point threshold seven 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, scored 30 against South Dakota State Jan. 4, posted 28 at Cal State Fullerton Dec. 19, 25 in the regular season opener against Kent State Nov. 16, 22 against Oral Roberts Jan. 2 and Mayville State Dec. 8, and 21 versus NJIT on Nov. 29 in the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament.
Inside Presence
NDSU sophomore forward Emily Spier leads the Bison in field goal percentage through 14 contests, making 30-of-61 attempts for 49 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.
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 7.2 boards per game. ... Brooke LeMar is seventh in career free-throw percentage, going 176-222 from the charity stripe for 79 percent, and holds the career minutes average record, playing an average of 35.8 minutes per game.
From Downtown!
Brooke LeMar leads the Bison from three-point range through 14 games, going 25-for-70 from downtown for 36 percent. Freshman guard Taylor Thunstedt (20-for-62) and junior guard Kahla Becken (19-for-59) are tied for second on the team at 32 percent.
Securing the Perimeter
The Bison are holding opponents to just 30 percent (68-for-224) shooting from three-point range through 14 games. NDSU is averaging 6.4 made treys per game compared to just 4.9 for its opponents.
Creating Offense from Defense
In their first two league games, the Bison have scored 31 points off 27 turnovers, an average of 15.5 per game. NDSU's opponents only averaged 19 points off 17 Bison miscues for 9.5 per game.
On the season, North Dakota State is averaging 17.3 points off turnovers, compared to 17.0 for its adversaries.
Sharing the Basketball
The Bison have tallied double-digit assists in 10 of 14 games this season. NDSU dished out a season-high 19 assists in its Summit League opener against Oral Roberts, 18 against Mayville State, 17 against Milwaukee and at Cal State Fullerton, 16 against South Dakota State, 15 against North Dakota and at New Mexico State, 12 against Kent State and at Mississippi State, and 14 against Northeastern.
Getting to the Basket
The Bison have scored 77 points off fast break baskets through 14 games, compared to just 44 points from their adversaries. NDSU is averaging 5.5 fast break points per game.
Back to the BBF
Thursday's league contest against the Jags will mark the first regular season contest NDSU has played in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse since Dec. 8. North Dakota State has played its last two regular season home games at Scheels Arena after being on the road for four straight games from Dec. 11-21. The Bison did play an exhibition game at the BBF on Dec. 29 against Brandon University (Manitoba).
NDSU in the NCAA National Statistics (As of Jan. 5)
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Points Per Game - Brooke LeMar (35th out of 250, 19.4/game) ... Assists Per Game - Brooke LeMar (66th out of 250, 4.6/game) ... Free-Throw Percentage - Brooke LeMar (85th out of 250, .827)
NDSU in The Summit League Statistics (As of Jan. 5)
Relevant Team Statistics:
Points - 5th (69.0/game) ... Rebounds - 9th (37.2/game) ... Assists - 3rd (13.4/game) ... Steals - 4th (7.7/game) ... Blocks - 4th (3.5/game) ... Turnovers - 3rd (15.1/game) ... Field-Goal Pct. - 6th (.400) ... Three-Point Field-Goal Pct. - 6th (.326) ... Free-Throw Pct. - 5th (.716)
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Brooke LeMar - Points: 1st (19.4/game), Assists: 2nd (4.6/game), FT Pct.: 5th (.827), Steals: 7th (1.4/game) ... Marena Whittle - Rebounds: 4th (7.5/game), Defensive Rebounds: 3rd (6.0/game), Blocks: T-6th (1.0/game) ... Kahla Becken - Steals: 6th (1.5/game) ... Holly Johnson - Defensive Rebounds: 5th (5.0/game), Rebounds: 6th (6.9/game) ... Emily Spier - Blocks: 10th (0.8/game) ... Liz Keena - Offensive Rebounds: 9th (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.
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.
On the Horizon
The Bison will travel to Denver for their first Summit League road contest of the season on Sunday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. MT (2 p.m. CT) before trekking to Vermillion, S.D., for a 7 p.m. league tilt against South Dakota on Thursday, Jan. 15. The USD game will be televised live on MidcoSN and ESPN3.
Thursday, Jan. 8 | 7 p.m.
Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse | Fargo, N.D.
Live Stats | Free Live Audio | Live Video
Radio: 740 The Fan (Jack Michaels, play-by-play), 6:40 p.m. airtime
TV: None
NDSU Notes (PDF) | IUPUI Notes (PDF) | Summit League Weekly Notes (PDF)
NDSU WBB on Twitter | #SummitWBB on Twitter
Bison Women Host IUPUI in Summit League Contest Thursday
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (6-8, 2-0 Summit League) will host the IUPUI Jaguars (6-8, 1-0 Summit League) in a Summit League contest on Thursday, Jan. 8, at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse to wrap-up a three-game homestand.
The Series Against IUPUI
Thursday's game against the Jags will be the 17th meeting in the all-time series. NDSU and IUPUI are currently tied 8-8 in the series. The Jaguars have won the past four meetings against the Bison. NDSU's last triumph over IUPUI was a 71-68 win in Fargo during the 2012-13 campaign. Last season, the Bison went 0-3 against the Jags.
About the Jaguars
IUPUI enters Thursday's game with an overall record of 6-8 and a Summit League mark of 1-0 after defeating Fort Wayne in its league opener, 78-68, on Jan. 4 in Indianapolis.
Through 14 games, IUPUI is paced by three players who are averaging at least nine points per game. Preseason Summit League first team selection Nevena Markovic and Shaquira Scott are both averaging 9.6 points per game (ppg) while Akilah Sims is averaging 9.3 ppg. Markovic leads the Jags on the boards with 5.8 rebounds per game (rpg).
As a team, IUPUI is averaging 68.2 ppg while holding its opponents to 63.2 ppg. The Jaguars average 39.9 rpg compared to 31.1 rpg for their adversaries.
IUPUI is under the direction of fifth season head coach Austin Parkinson (Purdue, '04, '06).
Catching Up With The Bison
North Dakota State is 6-8 overall and 2-0 in Summit League action after defeating defending league regular season champion and mid-major No. 9 ranked South Dakota State, 83-78, at Scheels Arena on Sunday, Jan. 4. The Bison are 2-0 in league play for the first time since the 2010-11 season. If the Bison win on Thursday, they'll improve to 3-0 in league action for the first time since 2008-09.
Through 14 contests, senior point guard Brooke LeMar leads the Bison and The Summit League and ranks 35th in the nation in scoring with 19.4 ppg. LeMar also leads NDSU and is second in the league in assists per game with 4.6. Junior forward Holly Johnson is second on the team in scoring and rebounding with 12.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg, and fellow junior forward Marena Whittle leads the Bison on the glass with 7.5 boards per game. Senior forward Liz Keena paces NDSU on the offensive glass with 29 offensive boards in 14 contests.
As a team, the Bison are averaging 69 ppg while giving up 74 per game to their adversaries. NDSU is being outrebounded, on average, 37.2 to 41.4.
Last Time Out: NDSU Women's Basketball Upsets South Dakota State Sunday at Scheels Arena, 83-78
Four Bison scored in double figures to help the North Dakota State University women's basketball team (6-8, 2-0 Summit League) upset reigning Summit League regular season champion and mid-major No. 9 ranked South Dakota State (10-5, 1-1 Summit League), 83-78, at Scheels Arena on Sunday, Jan. 4.
The victory was the first for NDSU over SDSU since the 2010-11 season and the first win over the Jackrabbits in Fargo since 2004-05.
Senior guard Brooke LeMar paced all scorers in the contest, netting 30 points on 11-for-20 shooting, including a 3-for-6 mark from three-point range and a 5-for-7 performance at the free-throw line. Junior forward Holly Johnson (Minot, N.D.) added 16 points, with 12 occurring in the second half, and went a game-best 10-for-10 at the foul line, while fellow junior forward Marena Whittle pulled down a team-high nine rebounds and netted 10 points. Senior forward Liz Keena rounded out the Bison in double figures, scoring 10 points on 5-for-9 shooting.
For the game, North Dakota State shot 47 percent (18-for-33) from the floor, 39 percent (5-for-13) from beyond-the-arc and 83 percent (20-of-24) from the free-throw line. NDSU dished out 16 assists and committed 12 turnovers and scored 21 points off 16 Jackrabbit turnovers.
Senior forward Megan Waytashek led four South Dakota State Jacks in double figures with 20 points, while senior forward Mariah Clarin controlled the glass for SDSU with nine boards.
Last Time Out Against IUPUI: Second Half Rally Not Enough as Bison Fall to Jaguars in Summit League Tournament
The North Dakota State Bison (6-24) mounted a ferocious second half rally but came up short, falling to the IUPUI Jaguars (22-8), 72-64, Saturday, March 8, 2014 inside Sioux Falls Arena in The Summit League Basketball Championship Quarterfinals. The loss ends NDSU's season.
The Bison were led by four players in double figures. Brooke LeMar and Kahla Becken scored 16 points apiece to lead the team while Marena Whittle had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Holly Johnson rounded out the Bison in double figures, netting 13 points, respectively.
DeAirra Goss paced IUPUI and all-scorers with a game-high 25 points while Nevena Markovic finished with 11 points and 10 boards for the double-double.
The Bison shot 42 percent from the field for the game, going 25-for-59, and were 8-for-15 from three for 53 percent. IUPUI went 27-for-60 from the field for 45 percent and was just 1-for-12 from three for eight percent.
Brooke LeMar Named Summit League Women's Basketball Player of the Week
North Dakota State University senior point guard Brooke LeMar has been named The Summit League Women's Basketball Player of the Week for her performance Dec. 29 - Jan. 4.
LeMar collects her third career Player of the Week award and first of the season after leading the Bison to a pair of league wins. In Sunday's win over reigning regular season champion South Dakota State, the senior guard scored 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting with four assists. She added 22 points with eight assists and three rebounds in Friday's win over Oral Roberts.
For the week, LeMar averaged 26 points, six assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game with a 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio. She shot 48 percent (19-of-40) from the field and 43 percent (6-of-14) from three-point range.
Breaking the 20-point Threshold
Brooke LeMar has eclipsed the 20-point threshold seven 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, scored 30 against South Dakota State Jan. 4, posted 28 at Cal State Fullerton Dec. 19, 25 in the regular season opener against Kent State Nov. 16, 22 against Oral Roberts Jan. 2 and Mayville State Dec. 8, and 21 versus NJIT on Nov. 29 in the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament.
Inside Presence
NDSU sophomore forward Emily Spier leads the Bison in field goal percentage through 14 contests, making 30-of-61 attempts for 49 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.
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 7.2 boards per game. ... Brooke LeMar is seventh in career free-throw percentage, going 176-222 from the charity stripe for 79 percent, and holds the career minutes average record, playing an average of 35.8 minutes per game.
From Downtown!
Brooke LeMar leads the Bison from three-point range through 14 games, going 25-for-70 from downtown for 36 percent. Freshman guard Taylor Thunstedt (20-for-62) and junior guard Kahla Becken (19-for-59) are tied for second on the team at 32 percent.
Securing the Perimeter
The Bison are holding opponents to just 30 percent (68-for-224) shooting from three-point range through 14 games. NDSU is averaging 6.4 made treys per game compared to just 4.9 for its opponents.
Creating Offense from Defense
In their first two league games, the Bison have scored 31 points off 27 turnovers, an average of 15.5 per game. NDSU's opponents only averaged 19 points off 17 Bison miscues for 9.5 per game.
On the season, North Dakota State is averaging 17.3 points off turnovers, compared to 17.0 for its adversaries.
Sharing the Basketball
The Bison have tallied double-digit assists in 10 of 14 games this season. NDSU dished out a season-high 19 assists in its Summit League opener against Oral Roberts, 18 against Mayville State, 17 against Milwaukee and at Cal State Fullerton, 16 against South Dakota State, 15 against North Dakota and at New Mexico State, 12 against Kent State and at Mississippi State, and 14 against Northeastern.
Getting to the Basket
The Bison have scored 77 points off fast break baskets through 14 games, compared to just 44 points from their adversaries. NDSU is averaging 5.5 fast break points per game.
Back to the BBF
Thursday's league contest against the Jags will mark the first regular season contest NDSU has played in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse since Dec. 8. North Dakota State has played its last two regular season home games at Scheels Arena after being on the road for four straight games from Dec. 11-21. The Bison did play an exhibition game at the BBF on Dec. 29 against Brandon University (Manitoba).
NDSU in the NCAA National Statistics (As of Jan. 5)
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Points Per Game - Brooke LeMar (35th out of 250, 19.4/game) ... Assists Per Game - Brooke LeMar (66th out of 250, 4.6/game) ... Free-Throw Percentage - Brooke LeMar (85th out of 250, .827)
NDSU in The Summit League Statistics (As of Jan. 5)
Relevant Team Statistics:
Points - 5th (69.0/game) ... Rebounds - 9th (37.2/game) ... Assists - 3rd (13.4/game) ... Steals - 4th (7.7/game) ... Blocks - 4th (3.5/game) ... Turnovers - 3rd (15.1/game) ... Field-Goal Pct. - 6th (.400) ... Three-Point Field-Goal Pct. - 6th (.326) ... Free-Throw Pct. - 5th (.716)
Relevant Individual Statistics:
Brooke LeMar - Points: 1st (19.4/game), Assists: 2nd (4.6/game), FT Pct.: 5th (.827), Steals: 7th (1.4/game) ... Marena Whittle - Rebounds: 4th (7.5/game), Defensive Rebounds: 3rd (6.0/game), Blocks: T-6th (1.0/game) ... Kahla Becken - Steals: 6th (1.5/game) ... Holly Johnson - Defensive Rebounds: 5th (5.0/game), Rebounds: 6th (6.9/game) ... Emily Spier - Blocks: 10th (0.8/game) ... Liz Keena - Offensive Rebounds: 9th (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.
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.
On the Horizon
The Bison will travel to Denver for their first Summit League road contest of the season on Sunday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. MT (2 p.m. CT) before trekking to Vermillion, S.D., for a 7 p.m. league tilt against South Dakota on Thursday, Jan. 15. The USD game will be televised live on MidcoSN and ESPN3.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F/G
/ Women's BasketballSunday, March 22
Friday, March 20
Thursday, March 12
Thursday, March 05
