Thursday, January 7
Denver, Colo.
8 p.m.
North Dakota State
at
Denver
Photo by: Richard Svaleson
NDSU Women’s Basketball Treks to Denver Thursday for Summit League Contest
1/5/2016 7:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
NDSU Women's Basketball on Twitter
Full Game Notes (PDF)
North Dakota State at Denver | Jan. 7 | 7 p.m. MT (8 p.m. CT)
Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
Radio - 740 The Fan (Jack Michaels, play-by-play)
NDSU Women's Basketball Treks to Denver Thursday for Summit League Contest
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team will trek to Denver to take on the Denver Pioneers in a Summit League game on Thursday, Jan. 7, inside Magness Arena.
Series History:
Thursday's game at Denver will mark the 11th meeting between the Bison and Pioneers in women's hoops. The Bison lead the series, 7-3. Last season, NDSU split the season series with Denver, losing on the road and winning in Fargo.
Scouting Denver
The Denver Pioneers enter Thursday's game at 2-13 overall and 0-2 in Summit League play after falling at South Dakota on Jan. 1, 85-60 ... Denver has lost its last five contests ... Through 15 games, Paige Bradley (11.6 points per game) and Samantha Romanowsk (11.3 points per game) lead the Pioneers offensively, while Jesse Spittel leads Denver on the glass with 6.8 rebounds per game ... Denver has struggled scoring the basketball so far this season and ranks ninth in The Summit League in points per game (52.2), field-goal percentage (.375) and three-point field-goal percentage (.271) ... Denver also ranks ninth in the league in rebounds per game (31.3) ... The Pioneers have excelled at the free-throw line, though, and lead the league with a .701 free-throw percentage ... Denver is being outscored by its opponents, 65.0 to 52.2, and outrebounded, 36.2 to 31.3 ... The Pioneers are under the leadership of fourth season head coach Kerry Cremeans.
Catching Up with the Bison
The Bison enter Thursday at 5-10 overall and 0-2 in Summit League action after falling to South Dakota State on Sunday, Jan. 3, at home at Scheels Arena, 81-63 ... Through 15 games, Marena Whittle (17.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game) and Taylor Thunstedt (17.1 points and 3.2 assists per game) lead North Dakota State ... Whittle leads The Summit League in rebounds per game and free-throw percentage (.873) and ranks second in points and steals per game, while Thunstedt ranks second in three-point field-goal percentage (.442) ... As a team, the Bison are averaging 64.9 points per game but allowing 71.0 points per game ... Through 15 contests, NDSU is outrebounding its adversaries, 38.1 to 34.9 ... The Bison have turned the ball over an average of 17.5 times per game, compared to 13.1 miscues for their opponents.
Last Time Out: Thunstedt Nets Career-High, but Bison Women Fall to South Dakota State Sunday, 81-63
Sophomore guard Taylor Thunstedt scored a career-high 28 points, but it wasn't enough, as the North Dakota State University women's basketball team fell to Summit League rival and Mid-Major No. 4-ranked South Dakota State, 81-63, on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 3, at Scheels Arena.
Marena Whittle also scored in double figures for the Bison (5-10 overall, 0-2 Summit League), posting her fifth consecutive double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds to go along with a team-high three steals.
North Dakota State shot 37 percent from the field for the game, including a 7-of-14 performance from beyond the arc, but were outrebounded, 41-34.
Sophomore Macy Miller led South Dakota State (12-3 overall, 2-0 Summit League) with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor, while Ellie Thompson posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 boards.
Last Time Out Against Denver: NDSU Women's Basketball Defeats Denver on Senior Night Thursday, 87-68
Five Bison scored in double figures to help the North Dakota State women's basketball team (11-17, 7-9 Summit League) post an 87-68 victory over the Denver Pioneers (8-21, 5-10 Summit League) before 648 spectators on Senior Night Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
NDSU senior Brooke LeMar led all scorers in her final game played under the lights of the BBF, tallying 20 points on 6-for-17 shooting, marking the 14th time the Canyon Country, Calif., native has scored at least 20 points in a game this season. Freshman Taylor Thunstedt added a career-high 19 points on 5-for-7 shooting from three-point range, and junior Holly Johnson tallied 18 points. Fellow junior Marena Whittle chipped in 10, while senior Liz Keena rounded out the Bison in double figures, scoring 10 points and snagging a game-high nine rebounds.
North Dakota State shot 45 percent from the field in the game, making 29-of-64 shots, and 5-for-15 from three-point range for 33 percent. The Bison went an impressive 92 percent from the free-throw line, making 24 out of 26 attempts.
NDSU was outrebounded by Denver, 46-39 but netted 17 points off 16 Pioneer turnovers.
Morgan Van Riper-Rose paced four Pioneers in double digits with 16 points on 6-for-14 shooting. Jordyn Alt led Denver on the boards, snagging eight rebounds.
The Pioneers shot 38 percent for the game, going 29-for-76, and were 4-for-12 from the perimeter for 33 percent.
From Downtown!
The Bison rank 15th out of 344 teams in three-point field-goal percentage at 38.3 percent in the latest NCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Rankings.
Whittle Among National Leaders in Double Doubles
Marena Whittle ranks 16th in double doubles in the latest NCAA national statistics with seven. She has recorded a double-double in her last five games.
Whittle Controlling the Glass
Marena Whittle holds the career record for defensive rebounding average at NDSU with 5.5 boards per game and ranks eighth in overall career rebounding average with 7.7 per game. The Victoria, Australia, native leads the Bison and The Summit League, and ranks 18th in the latest NCAA national statistics in rebounding through 15 games with 10.9 board per game.
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 101-of-243 for 41.6 percent. Through 15 games this season, the Spicer, Minn., native leads the Bison and ranks second in The Summit League from beyond the arc at 44.2 percent. In the latest NCAA national statistics, Thunstedt ranks second in three-point field goals made with 46 treys and 33rd in three-point field goal percentage at 44.2 percent.
Thunstedt Making the Pass
Taylor Thunstedt leads the Bison through 15 games with 3.2 assists per game. The sophomore guard dished out a career-best seven assists in NDSU's season opener against New Mexico State on Nov. 13.
Jones Crashing the Boards
Through 15 games, Brianna Jones ranks second on the team and in The Summit League with 8.6 rebounds per game. 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. She also tallied double-digit rebounds against San Diego State (12), Delaware (14) and Grand Canyon (13).
Takeaway Leader
Marena Whittle leads the Bison and ranks second in The Summit League with 2.5 steals per game. Whittle has tallied at least three steals in eight of NDSU's 15 contests this season, including a career-high tying six takeaways against Prairie View A&M on Dec. 19 in the Wichita State Shocker Winter Classic.
Whittle Nets 1,000th Career Point
Marena Whittle scored her 1,000th career point in the Bison's win over Prairie View A&M on Dec. 19 in the Shocker Winter Classic. Whittle became the 32nd member of the NDSU women's basketball 1,000 point club after she converted a layup with 4:53 to go in the third quarter.
Summit League Player of the Week
Double-Double Performances
Getting to the Line
Marena Whittle (87 percent) ranks first and Taylor Thunstedt (71 percent) is tied for seventh in The Summit League in free-throw percentage through 15 contests.
Turnover Woes
North Dakota State has struggled taking care of the basketball so far this season. The Bison are averaging 17.5 turnovers per game and have surrendered an average of 18.8 points off turnovers.
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 Jan. 5)
Team:
Points - 7th (64.9/game), Rebounds - 6th (38.1/game), Assists - 5th (11.9/game), Steals - 7th (6.9/game), Blocks - 6th (2.6/game), Field-Goal Percentage - 4th (.411), Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage - 2nd (.383), Free-Throw Percentage - 6th (.671), Turnovers - 8th (17.5/game)
Individual:
Marena Whittle - Points: 2nd (17.6/game), Free-Throw Percentage: 1st (.873), Rebounds: 1st (10.9/game), Turnovers: 2nd (3.9/game), Steals: 2nd (2.5/game); Taylor Thunstedt - Points: 4th (17.1/game), Assists: 6th (3.2/game), Turnovers: 4th (3.6/game), Free-Throw Percentage: T-7th (.712); Brianna Jones - Rebounds: 2nd (8.6/game), Turnovers: 7th (2.9/game); Emily Spier - Blocks: 7th (0.8/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.
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 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)
North Dakota State at Denver | Jan. 7 | 7 p.m. MT (8 p.m. CT)
Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
Radio - 740 The Fan (Jack Michaels, play-by-play)
NDSU Women's Basketball Treks to Denver Thursday for Summit League Contest
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team will trek to Denver to take on the Denver Pioneers in a Summit League game on Thursday, Jan. 7, inside Magness Arena.
Series History:
Thursday's game at Denver will mark the 11th meeting between the Bison and Pioneers in women's hoops. The Bison lead the series, 7-3. Last season, NDSU split the season series with Denver, losing on the road and winning in Fargo.
Scouting Denver
The Denver Pioneers enter Thursday's game at 2-13 overall and 0-2 in Summit League play after falling at South Dakota on Jan. 1, 85-60 ... Denver has lost its last five contests ... Through 15 games, Paige Bradley (11.6 points per game) and Samantha Romanowsk (11.3 points per game) lead the Pioneers offensively, while Jesse Spittel leads Denver on the glass with 6.8 rebounds per game ... Denver has struggled scoring the basketball so far this season and ranks ninth in The Summit League in points per game (52.2), field-goal percentage (.375) and three-point field-goal percentage (.271) ... Denver also ranks ninth in the league in rebounds per game (31.3) ... The Pioneers have excelled at the free-throw line, though, and lead the league with a .701 free-throw percentage ... Denver is being outscored by its opponents, 65.0 to 52.2, and outrebounded, 36.2 to 31.3 ... The Pioneers are under the leadership of fourth season head coach Kerry Cremeans.
Catching Up with the Bison
The Bison enter Thursday at 5-10 overall and 0-2 in Summit League action after falling to South Dakota State on Sunday, Jan. 3, at home at Scheels Arena, 81-63 ... Through 15 games, Marena Whittle (17.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game) and Taylor Thunstedt (17.1 points and 3.2 assists per game) lead North Dakota State ... Whittle leads The Summit League in rebounds per game and free-throw percentage (.873) and ranks second in points and steals per game, while Thunstedt ranks second in three-point field-goal percentage (.442) ... As a team, the Bison are averaging 64.9 points per game but allowing 71.0 points per game ... Through 15 contests, NDSU is outrebounding its adversaries, 38.1 to 34.9 ... The Bison have turned the ball over an average of 17.5 times per game, compared to 13.1 miscues for their opponents.
Last Time Out: Thunstedt Nets Career-High, but Bison Women Fall to South Dakota State Sunday, 81-63
Sophomore guard Taylor Thunstedt scored a career-high 28 points, but it wasn't enough, as the North Dakota State University women's basketball team fell to Summit League rival and Mid-Major No. 4-ranked South Dakota State, 81-63, on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 3, at Scheels Arena.
Marena Whittle also scored in double figures for the Bison (5-10 overall, 0-2 Summit League), posting her fifth consecutive double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds to go along with a team-high three steals.
North Dakota State shot 37 percent from the field for the game, including a 7-of-14 performance from beyond the arc, but were outrebounded, 41-34.
Sophomore Macy Miller led South Dakota State (12-3 overall, 2-0 Summit League) with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor, while Ellie Thompson posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 boards.
Last Time Out Against Denver: NDSU Women's Basketball Defeats Denver on Senior Night Thursday, 87-68
Five Bison scored in double figures to help the North Dakota State women's basketball team (11-17, 7-9 Summit League) post an 87-68 victory over the Denver Pioneers (8-21, 5-10 Summit League) before 648 spectators on Senior Night Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
NDSU senior Brooke LeMar led all scorers in her final game played under the lights of the BBF, tallying 20 points on 6-for-17 shooting, marking the 14th time the Canyon Country, Calif., native has scored at least 20 points in a game this season. Freshman Taylor Thunstedt added a career-high 19 points on 5-for-7 shooting from three-point range, and junior Holly Johnson tallied 18 points. Fellow junior Marena Whittle chipped in 10, while senior Liz Keena rounded out the Bison in double figures, scoring 10 points and snagging a game-high nine rebounds.
North Dakota State shot 45 percent from the field in the game, making 29-of-64 shots, and 5-for-15 from three-point range for 33 percent. The Bison went an impressive 92 percent from the free-throw line, making 24 out of 26 attempts.
NDSU was outrebounded by Denver, 46-39 but netted 17 points off 16 Pioneer turnovers.
Morgan Van Riper-Rose paced four Pioneers in double digits with 16 points on 6-for-14 shooting. Jordyn Alt led Denver on the boards, snagging eight rebounds.
The Pioneers shot 38 percent for the game, going 29-for-76, and were 4-for-12 from the perimeter for 33 percent.
From Downtown!
The Bison rank 15th out of 344 teams in three-point field-goal percentage at 38.3 percent in the latest NCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Rankings.
Whittle Among National Leaders in Double Doubles
Marena Whittle ranks 16th in double doubles in the latest NCAA national statistics with seven. She has recorded a double-double in her last five games.
Whittle Controlling the Glass
Marena Whittle holds the career record for defensive rebounding average at NDSU with 5.5 boards per game and ranks eighth in overall career rebounding average with 7.7 per game. The Victoria, Australia, native leads the Bison and The Summit League, and ranks 18th in the latest NCAA national statistics in rebounding through 15 games with 10.9 board per game.
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 101-of-243 for 41.6 percent. Through 15 games this season, the Spicer, Minn., native leads the Bison and ranks second in The Summit League from beyond the arc at 44.2 percent. In the latest NCAA national statistics, Thunstedt ranks second in three-point field goals made with 46 treys and 33rd in three-point field goal percentage at 44.2 percent.
Thunstedt Making the Pass
Taylor Thunstedt leads the Bison through 15 games with 3.2 assists per game. The sophomore guard dished out a career-best seven assists in NDSU's season opener against New Mexico State on Nov. 13.
Jones Crashing the Boards
Through 15 games, Brianna Jones ranks second on the team and in The Summit League with 8.6 rebounds per game. 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. She also tallied double-digit rebounds against San Diego State (12), Delaware (14) and Grand Canyon (13).
Takeaway Leader
Marena Whittle leads the Bison and ranks second in The Summit League with 2.5 steals per game. Whittle has tallied at least three steals in eight of NDSU's 15 contests this season, including a career-high tying six takeaways against Prairie View A&M on Dec. 19 in the Wichita State Shocker Winter Classic.
Whittle Nets 1,000th Career Point
Marena Whittle scored her 1,000th career point in the Bison's win over Prairie View A&M on Dec. 19 in the Shocker Winter Classic. Whittle became the 32nd member of the NDSU women's basketball 1,000 point club after she converted a layup with 4:53 to go in the third quarter.
Summit League Player of the Week
- Marena Whittle - Dec. 20
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; 24 points, 17 rebounds vs. Prairie View A&M, Dec. 19; 24 points, 13 rebounds at NJIT, Dec. 22; 20 points, 17 rebounds vs. Cal State Fullerton, Dec. 28; 19 points, 15 rebounds at Omaha, Dec. 30; 14 points, 12 rebounds vs. South Dakota State, Jan. 3
Getting to the Line
Marena Whittle (87 percent) ranks first and Taylor Thunstedt (71 percent) is tied for seventh in The Summit League in free-throw percentage through 15 contests.
Turnover Woes
North Dakota State has struggled taking care of the basketball so far this season. The Bison are averaging 17.5 turnovers per game and have surrendered an average of 18.8 points off turnovers.
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 Jan. 5)
Team:
Points - 7th (64.9/game), Rebounds - 6th (38.1/game), Assists - 5th (11.9/game), Steals - 7th (6.9/game), Blocks - 6th (2.6/game), Field-Goal Percentage - 4th (.411), Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage - 2nd (.383), Free-Throw Percentage - 6th (.671), Turnovers - 8th (17.5/game)
Individual:
Marena Whittle - Points: 2nd (17.6/game), Free-Throw Percentage: 1st (.873), Rebounds: 1st (10.9/game), Turnovers: 2nd (3.9/game), Steals: 2nd (2.5/game); Taylor Thunstedt - Points: 4th (17.1/game), Assists: 6th (3.2/game), Turnovers: 4th (3.6/game), Free-Throw Percentage: T-7th (.712); Brianna Jones - Rebounds: 2nd (8.6/game), Turnovers: 7th (2.9/game); Emily Spier - Blocks: 7th (0.8/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.
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 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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