Tuesday, December 8
Fargo, N.D.
7 p.m.
North Dakota State
vs
Grand Canyon
Photo by: Richard Svaleson
Bison Women Return Home to Host Grand Canyon Tuesday Evening
12/7/2015 3:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball
NDSU Women's Basketball on Twitter
Full Game Notes (PDF)
NDSU vs. Grand Canyon | Dec. 8 | 7 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Audio (Free) | Live Video (PPV)
Radio - 790 KFGO (Jack Michaels, play-by-play; Jeremy Jorgenson, color)
Bison Women Return Home to Host Grand Canyon Tuesday
The North Dakota State women's basketball team will look to snap a four game losing streak when it returns home to the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse to host the Grand Canyon University Antelopes on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m.
NDSU, Sanford Children's Hospital Partner for Holiday Toy Drive
The North Dakota State University Student-Athlete Advisory Council is hosting its inaugural holiday toy drive benefiting Sanford Children's Hospital.
Collection of new, unwrapped, non-wooden toys will take place November 16 through December 9 during regular business hours at the Fargodome administrative offices.
The NDSU SAAC will also collect toys at the main entrance of the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse at Tuesday's game against Grand Canyon.
Series History:
Tuesday's contest against Grand Canyon will be the fifth meeting in the all-time series. NDSU leads the series, 3-1, but fell to the Antelopes last season in Phoenix, 69-54.
Scouting Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon University Antelopes enter Tuesday at 3-6 overall after splitting a pair of games in the Air Force Classic Dec. 4-5. The Lopes fell to Abilene Christian in the first game, 75-71, before defeating the host Air Force Falcons in the second contest, 73-39. The win over Air Force snapped a five game skid for GCU. Through nine games, Cheyenne Hedrington leads the Antelopes offensively with 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while Courtney Hayes has a team-high 49 assists and 24 steals. As a team, Grand Canyon is being outscored, 64.3 to 59.3, and outrebounded, 38.4 to 35.8. The Antelopes are under the leadership of ninth season head coach Trent May.
Catching Up with the Bison
The Bison are 2-5 entering Tuesday's game after losing at Kent State on Dec. 5, 75-54. NDSU has dropped its last four games after winning two of its first three contests to open the season. Through seven games, Marena Whittle leads the Bison offensively with 17.8 points per game and ranks second on the team and in The Summit League with nine rebounds per game. Taylor Thunstedt is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game, and is shooting a team-best 39 percent from three-point range, going 16-for-41 from beyond the arc. Emily Spier is averaging 10.1 points per game, and Brianna Jones is averaging a double-double with 10 points and a team and Summit League-high 10.6 rebounds per game. As a team, the Bison are averaging 64.4 points per game but surrendering 72.4 per game to their opponents. NDSU is outrebounding its adversaries, on average, 38.4 to 32.0.
Last Time Out: NDSU Women's Basketball Falters at Kent State Saturday, 75-54
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team fell at Kent State, 75-54, at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center in front of 451 spectators on Saturday, Dec. 5.
Emily Spier led the Bison with 14 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field, while Megan Gamble also reached double figures, recording a season and career-best 12 points. Marena Whittle paced North Dakota State on the glass, snagging a game-high 14 rebounds.
The Bison shot 46 percent from the field, making 25 of 55 attempts, but were just 2-for-9 from three-point range for 22 percent.
NDSU outrebounded Kent State, 42-26, but committed a season-high 34 turnovers compared to just 15 for the Golden Flashes.
Jordan Korinek led Kent State with a game-high 27 points to go along with a team-high seven boards.
The Golden Flashes shot 47 percent from the floor, going 31-for-66, and 80 percent from the free-throw line, going 12-of-15.
Kent State outscored NDSU in the paint, 50-32, and posted a 36-14 advantage in points off turnovers.
Last Time Out Against Grand Canyon: NDSU Women's Basketball Falls at Grand Canyon, 69-54
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (4-8) fell at Grand Canyon University (4-7), 69-54, on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 21, 2014, inside GCU Arena.
Senior Brooke LeMar scored 12 points in the second half to finish with a team-high 14, and junior Holly Johnson netted 13 points in the second stanza to also finish in double figures for the Bison. Senior Liz Keena pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds to pace NDSU on the boards.
The Bison shot 36 percent from the field for the game, going 21-for-59, but were held to just 19 total points and 25 percent (7-for-28) shooting in the opening half. North Dakota State was outrebounded by Grand Canyon in the contest, 44-32, including a 12-7 deficit on the offensive boards.
The Antelopes were paced by three players in double figures, led by Tori Morris' 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting. Courtney Hayes netted a double-double for Grand Canyon with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Astrea Reed also tallied a double-double with a team-high 11 rebounds and 10 points.
Grand Canyon went 43 percent from the field in the game, going 26-for-60, and scored 23 points off 16 North Dakota State turnovers.
Turnover Woes
North Dakota State has struggled taking care of the basketball so far this season. The Bison are averaging a Summit League-high 19.6 turnovers per game and have surrendered an average of 20.7 points off turnovers. NDSU committed a season-high 34 miscues in its loss at Kent State Dec. 5.
Whittle Crashing the Boards
Marena Whittle holds the career record for defensive rebounding average at NDSU through seven games with 5.2 boards per game and ranks eighth in overall career rebounding average with 7.3 per game.
Jones Controlling the Glass
Brianna Jones has led the Bison in rebounding in five of seven games this season. The Indianapolis native snagged 19 boards in the season opener against New Mexico State, the most rebounds in a single game since Marena Whittle pulled down 20 boards at Omaha last season, to go along with nine against College of St. Mary, eight against Valley City State, six against Maine, 12 at San Diego State, 14 against Delaware and six at Kent State. Jones leads the Bison and The Summit League, and ranks 22nd in the latest NCAA statistics through seven games with 10.6 rebounds per game.
Whittle Approaching Milestone
Marena Whittle is 49 points away from scoring her 1,000th career point. The Vermont South, Victoria, native sits at 951 points through 94 career games at North Dakota State.
Double-Double Performances
Getting to the Line
North Dakota State has reached the free-throw line 109 times this season. The Bison lead The Summit League in free-throw shooting, going 77-of-109 from the charity stripe for 71 percent. Marena Whittle ranks second in The Summit League in free-throw percentage at 80 percent through seven contests.
Thunstedt Ascending the NDSU Career Record Books
Taylor Thunstedt already ranks second in career three-point field goal percentage at North Dakota State as a sophomore, going 71-for-180 for 39.4 percent.
NDSU Women's Hoops Inks Seven High School Standouts on National Signing Day
North Dakota State University women's basketball head coach Maren Walseth announced on Wednesday, Nov. 11, that high school seniors Rylee Nudell (Buffalo, N.D./Maple Valley HS), Tyrah Spencer (Oakdale, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), Anna Goodhope (Sioux Falls, S.D./Sioux Falls Washington HS), Autumn Ogden (Marshall, Wis./Monona Grove HS), Liz Bulver (Belton, Mo./Belton HS), Sarah Jacobson (Fargo, N.D./Shanley HS) and Reilly Jacobson (Waukee, Iowa/Waukee HS) have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their education and play women's basketball for North Dakota State beginning in the fall of 2016.
The 2016 class brings a tremendous amount of prep success to the Bison. Seven total championships and multiple runner-ups highlight the class and each player's ability to elevate their team's success.
The 2016 class of Bison will be the first recruiting class to play in the newly renovated Sanford Health Athletic Complex beginning in the fall.
NDSU in The Summit League Statistics (as of Dec. 7)
Team:
Points - 7th (64.4/game), Rebounds - 5th (38.4/game), Assists - 8th (11.1/game), Steals - 9th (6.3/game), Blocks - T-7th (2.0/game), Field-Goal Percentage - 3rd (.424), Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage - 5th (.315), Free-Throw Percentage - 1st (.706), Turnovers - 9th (19.6/game)
Individual:
Marena Whittle - Points: 3rd (17.8/game), Free-Throw Percentage: 2nd (.800), Rebounds: 2nd (9.0/game), Turnovers: T-4th (3.8/game), Steals: 4th (2.2/game); Taylor Thunstedt - Assists: 7th (3.1/game), Turnovers: 2nd (4.4/game); Brianna Jones - Rebounds: 1st (10.6/game), Turnovers: 3rd (4.0/game)
Bison Women Sixth in Summit League Preseason Poll; Johnson Named Preseason All-League
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team was picked to finish sixth in The Summit League preseason poll unveiled Wednesday night, Oct. 14, by the league office on "Inside The Summit League."
The Bison tallied 250 points in the poll.
Senior forward Holly Johnson, an honorable mention All-Summit League selection last season, was named to the preseason all-league second team after averaging 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 2014-15. The Minot, N.D., native enters 2015-16 ranked fourth in NDSU career defensive rebounding average with 3.9 boards per game and tied for ninth in career defensive rebounds with 336.
South Dakota State was selected to capture the 2015-16 Summit League women's basketball championship after winning The Summit League tournament last season. The Jackrabbits collected 17 first-place votes and 508 points in a vote of the league's head coaches, SIDs and select media. South Dakota's Nicole Seekamp was tabbed as the preseason Player of the Year.
South Dakota, last season's regular season champion, earned 15 first-place votes and 502 points to place second in the poll. IUPUI was picked third with 379 points followed by Oral Roberts in fourth with one first-place vote and 317 points. Western Illinois came in fifth followed by the Bison in sixth and Omaha in seventh. Denver and Fort Wayne rounded out the poll in eighth and ninth.
Six NDSU Women's Basketball Games to be Televised During 2015-16 Regular Season
The North Dakota State women's basketball team will be featured on television six times during the 2015-16 regular season, NDSU athletics and The Summit League announced Friday, Nov. 6.
The Bison's game at North Dakota on Dec. 12 will be carried on Midco Sports Network (MidcoSN), while NDSU's Summit League contest against South Dakota State at Scheels Arena on Jan. 3 will be televised regionally on MeTV. The television network is available via over-the-air channels in Bismarck (5.2), Minot (10.2), Williston (8.2) and Dickinson (7.2) as well as through additional providers.
The Bison's Feb. 20 league contest at Scheels Arena against Denver will air in high definition on NBC North Dakota and ESPN3, and NDSU's league game at Western Illinois Feb. 25 will be televised on WIUTV and ESPN3.
North Dakota State will also have a pair of Summit League contests carried on MidcoSN and ESPN3 through the league's television package. The game on Jan. 30 at South Dakota and the contest on Feb. 6 at South Dakota State will be broadcast.
Head Coach Maren Walseth
Maren Walseth is in her second season as the head coach of the North Dakota State University women's basketball team.
In her inaugural season at NDSU, she helped guide the Bison to an 11-17 overall record and a 7-9 Summit League mark. North Dakota State finished sixth in The Summit League, the highest finish for NDSU women's basketball since the 2011-12 season.
Walseth helped coach the Bison to several milestone victories during the 2014-15 season. The first occurred on Jan. 2, when NDSU claimed a 77-64 triumph over Oral Roberts at Scheels Arena, marking the first win for the Bison over the Golden Eagles since the 2009-10 season. The win also snapped a five-game losing skid to ORU. Just two days later on Jan. 4, the Bison stunned the then defending Summit League regular season champion South Dakota State Jackrabbits, defeating SDSU in front of 1,782 spectators at Scheels Arena, 83-78. The victory was the first over the Jacks since 2010-11 and the first at home since 2004-05.
North Dakota State also captured the Florida Atlantic Thanksgiving Tournament title with wins over Northeastern (Mass.) and NJIT Nov. 28-29 in Boca Raton, Fla.
Under Walseth's leadership, three student-athletes were named All-Summit League, the most since NDSU joined the league in 2007. Senior point guard Brooke LeMar was selected first team all-league, junior Holly Johnson was named honorable mention all-league, and freshman Taylor Thunstedt was voted to the all-newcomer team.
Walseth joined the Bison in April, 2014, 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. 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.
Full Game Notes (PDF)
NDSU vs. Grand Canyon | Dec. 8 | 7 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Audio (Free) | Live Video (PPV)
Radio - 790 KFGO (Jack Michaels, play-by-play; Jeremy Jorgenson, color)
Bison Women Return Home to Host Grand Canyon Tuesday
The North Dakota State women's basketball team will look to snap a four game losing streak when it returns home to the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse to host the Grand Canyon University Antelopes on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m.
NDSU, Sanford Children's Hospital Partner for Holiday Toy Drive
The North Dakota State University Student-Athlete Advisory Council is hosting its inaugural holiday toy drive benefiting Sanford Children's Hospital.
Collection of new, unwrapped, non-wooden toys will take place November 16 through December 9 during regular business hours at the Fargodome administrative offices.
The NDSU SAAC will also collect toys at the main entrance of the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse at Tuesday's game against Grand Canyon.
Series History:
Tuesday's contest against Grand Canyon will be the fifth meeting in the all-time series. NDSU leads the series, 3-1, but fell to the Antelopes last season in Phoenix, 69-54.
Scouting Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon University Antelopes enter Tuesday at 3-6 overall after splitting a pair of games in the Air Force Classic Dec. 4-5. The Lopes fell to Abilene Christian in the first game, 75-71, before defeating the host Air Force Falcons in the second contest, 73-39. The win over Air Force snapped a five game skid for GCU. Through nine games, Cheyenne Hedrington leads the Antelopes offensively with 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while Courtney Hayes has a team-high 49 assists and 24 steals. As a team, Grand Canyon is being outscored, 64.3 to 59.3, and outrebounded, 38.4 to 35.8. The Antelopes are under the leadership of ninth season head coach Trent May.
Catching Up with the Bison
The Bison are 2-5 entering Tuesday's game after losing at Kent State on Dec. 5, 75-54. NDSU has dropped its last four games after winning two of its first three contests to open the season. Through seven games, Marena Whittle leads the Bison offensively with 17.8 points per game and ranks second on the team and in The Summit League with nine rebounds per game. Taylor Thunstedt is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game, and is shooting a team-best 39 percent from three-point range, going 16-for-41 from beyond the arc. Emily Spier is averaging 10.1 points per game, and Brianna Jones is averaging a double-double with 10 points and a team and Summit League-high 10.6 rebounds per game. As a team, the Bison are averaging 64.4 points per game but surrendering 72.4 per game to their opponents. NDSU is outrebounding its adversaries, on average, 38.4 to 32.0.
Last Time Out: NDSU Women's Basketball Falters at Kent State Saturday, 75-54
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team fell at Kent State, 75-54, at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center in front of 451 spectators on Saturday, Dec. 5.
Emily Spier led the Bison with 14 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field, while Megan Gamble also reached double figures, recording a season and career-best 12 points. Marena Whittle paced North Dakota State on the glass, snagging a game-high 14 rebounds.
The Bison shot 46 percent from the field, making 25 of 55 attempts, but were just 2-for-9 from three-point range for 22 percent.
NDSU outrebounded Kent State, 42-26, but committed a season-high 34 turnovers compared to just 15 for the Golden Flashes.
Jordan Korinek led Kent State with a game-high 27 points to go along with a team-high seven boards.
The Golden Flashes shot 47 percent from the floor, going 31-for-66, and 80 percent from the free-throw line, going 12-of-15.
Kent State outscored NDSU in the paint, 50-32, and posted a 36-14 advantage in points off turnovers.
Last Time Out Against Grand Canyon: NDSU Women's Basketball Falls at Grand Canyon, 69-54
The North Dakota State women's basketball team (4-8) fell at Grand Canyon University (4-7), 69-54, on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 21, 2014, inside GCU Arena.
Senior Brooke LeMar scored 12 points in the second half to finish with a team-high 14, and junior Holly Johnson netted 13 points in the second stanza to also finish in double figures for the Bison. Senior Liz Keena pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds to pace NDSU on the boards.
The Bison shot 36 percent from the field for the game, going 21-for-59, but were held to just 19 total points and 25 percent (7-for-28) shooting in the opening half. North Dakota State was outrebounded by Grand Canyon in the contest, 44-32, including a 12-7 deficit on the offensive boards.
The Antelopes were paced by three players in double figures, led by Tori Morris' 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting. Courtney Hayes netted a double-double for Grand Canyon with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Astrea Reed also tallied a double-double with a team-high 11 rebounds and 10 points.
Grand Canyon went 43 percent from the field in the game, going 26-for-60, and scored 23 points off 16 North Dakota State turnovers.
Turnover Woes
North Dakota State has struggled taking care of the basketball so far this season. The Bison are averaging a Summit League-high 19.6 turnovers per game and have surrendered an average of 20.7 points off turnovers. NDSU committed a season-high 34 miscues in its loss at Kent State Dec. 5.
Whittle Crashing the Boards
Marena Whittle holds the career record for defensive rebounding average at NDSU through seven games with 5.2 boards per game and ranks eighth in overall career rebounding average with 7.3 per game.
Jones Controlling the Glass
Brianna Jones has led the Bison in rebounding in five of seven games this season. The Indianapolis native snagged 19 boards in the season opener against New Mexico State, the most rebounds in a single game since Marena Whittle pulled down 20 boards at Omaha last season, to go along with nine against College of St. Mary, eight against Valley City State, six against Maine, 12 at San Diego State, 14 against Delaware and six at Kent State. Jones leads the Bison and The Summit League, and ranks 22nd in the latest NCAA statistics through seven games with 10.6 rebounds per game.
Whittle Approaching Milestone
Marena Whittle is 49 points away from scoring her 1,000th career point. The Vermont South, Victoria, native sits at 951 points through 94 career games at North Dakota State.
Double-Double Performances
- Brianna Jones - 12 rebounds, 10 points at San Diego State, Nov. 27; 14 rebounds, 10 points vs. Delaware, Nov. 29
- Marena Whittle - 32 points, 10 rebounds vs. Valley City State, Nov. 19; 23 points, 10 rebounds vs. Delaware, Nov. 29
Getting to the Line
North Dakota State has reached the free-throw line 109 times this season. The Bison lead The Summit League in free-throw shooting, going 77-of-109 from the charity stripe for 71 percent. Marena Whittle ranks second in The Summit League in free-throw percentage at 80 percent through seven contests.
Thunstedt Ascending the NDSU Career Record Books
Taylor Thunstedt already ranks second in career three-point field goal percentage at North Dakota State as a sophomore, going 71-for-180 for 39.4 percent.
NDSU Women's Hoops Inks Seven High School Standouts on National Signing Day
North Dakota State University women's basketball head coach Maren Walseth announced on Wednesday, Nov. 11, that high school seniors Rylee Nudell (Buffalo, N.D./Maple Valley HS), Tyrah Spencer (Oakdale, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), Anna Goodhope (Sioux Falls, S.D./Sioux Falls Washington HS), Autumn Ogden (Marshall, Wis./Monona Grove HS), Liz Bulver (Belton, Mo./Belton HS), Sarah Jacobson (Fargo, N.D./Shanley HS) and Reilly Jacobson (Waukee, Iowa/Waukee HS) have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their education and play women's basketball for North Dakota State beginning in the fall of 2016.
The 2016 class brings a tremendous amount of prep success to the Bison. Seven total championships and multiple runner-ups highlight the class and each player's ability to elevate their team's success.
The 2016 class of Bison will be the first recruiting class to play in the newly renovated Sanford Health Athletic Complex beginning in the fall.
NDSU in The Summit League Statistics (as of Dec. 7)
Team:
Points - 7th (64.4/game), Rebounds - 5th (38.4/game), Assists - 8th (11.1/game), Steals - 9th (6.3/game), Blocks - T-7th (2.0/game), Field-Goal Percentage - 3rd (.424), Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage - 5th (.315), Free-Throw Percentage - 1st (.706), Turnovers - 9th (19.6/game)
Individual:
Marena Whittle - Points: 3rd (17.8/game), Free-Throw Percentage: 2nd (.800), Rebounds: 2nd (9.0/game), Turnovers: T-4th (3.8/game), Steals: 4th (2.2/game); Taylor Thunstedt - Assists: 7th (3.1/game), Turnovers: 2nd (4.4/game); Brianna Jones - Rebounds: 1st (10.6/game), Turnovers: 3rd (4.0/game)
Bison Women Sixth in Summit League Preseason Poll; Johnson Named Preseason All-League
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team was picked to finish sixth in The Summit League preseason poll unveiled Wednesday night, Oct. 14, by the league office on "Inside The Summit League."
The Bison tallied 250 points in the poll.
Senior forward Holly Johnson, an honorable mention All-Summit League selection last season, was named to the preseason all-league second team after averaging 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 2014-15. The Minot, N.D., native enters 2015-16 ranked fourth in NDSU career defensive rebounding average with 3.9 boards per game and tied for ninth in career defensive rebounds with 336.
South Dakota State was selected to capture the 2015-16 Summit League women's basketball championship after winning The Summit League tournament last season. The Jackrabbits collected 17 first-place votes and 508 points in a vote of the league's head coaches, SIDs and select media. South Dakota's Nicole Seekamp was tabbed as the preseason Player of the Year.
South Dakota, last season's regular season champion, earned 15 first-place votes and 502 points to place second in the poll. IUPUI was picked third with 379 points followed by Oral Roberts in fourth with one first-place vote and 317 points. Western Illinois came in fifth followed by the Bison in sixth and Omaha in seventh. Denver and Fort Wayne rounded out the poll in eighth and ninth.
Six NDSU Women's Basketball Games to be Televised During 2015-16 Regular Season
The North Dakota State women's basketball team will be featured on television six times during the 2015-16 regular season, NDSU athletics and The Summit League announced Friday, Nov. 6.
The Bison's game at North Dakota on Dec. 12 will be carried on Midco Sports Network (MidcoSN), while NDSU's Summit League contest against South Dakota State at Scheels Arena on Jan. 3 will be televised regionally on MeTV. The television network is available via over-the-air channels in Bismarck (5.2), Minot (10.2), Williston (8.2) and Dickinson (7.2) as well as through additional providers.
The Bison's Feb. 20 league contest at Scheels Arena against Denver will air in high definition on NBC North Dakota and ESPN3, and NDSU's league game at Western Illinois Feb. 25 will be televised on WIUTV and ESPN3.
North Dakota State will also have a pair of Summit League contests carried on MidcoSN and ESPN3 through the league's television package. The game on Jan. 30 at South Dakota and the contest on Feb. 6 at South Dakota State will be broadcast.
Head Coach Maren Walseth
Maren Walseth is in her second season as the head coach of the North Dakota State University women's basketball team.
In her inaugural season at NDSU, she helped guide the Bison to an 11-17 overall record and a 7-9 Summit League mark. North Dakota State finished sixth in The Summit League, the highest finish for NDSU women's basketball since the 2011-12 season.
Walseth helped coach the Bison to several milestone victories during the 2014-15 season. The first occurred on Jan. 2, when NDSU claimed a 77-64 triumph over Oral Roberts at Scheels Arena, marking the first win for the Bison over the Golden Eagles since the 2009-10 season. The win also snapped a five-game losing skid to ORU. Just two days later on Jan. 4, the Bison stunned the then defending Summit League regular season champion South Dakota State Jackrabbits, defeating SDSU in front of 1,782 spectators at Scheels Arena, 83-78. The victory was the first over the Jacks since 2010-11 and the first at home since 2004-05.
North Dakota State also captured the Florida Atlantic Thanksgiving Tournament title with wins over Northeastern (Mass.) and NJIT Nov. 28-29 in Boca Raton, Fla.
Under Walseth's leadership, three student-athletes were named All-Summit League, the most since NDSU joined the league in 2007. Senior point guard Brooke LeMar was selected first team all-league, junior Holly Johnson was named honorable mention all-league, and freshman Taylor Thunstedt was voted to the all-newcomer team.
Walseth joined the Bison in April, 2014, 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. 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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Thursday, March 12
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