Bison Women Welcome IUPUI to Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse Friday

Friday, February 12

Fargo, N.D.

7 p.m.

North Dakota State

IUPUI

Photo by: Kim Hill

Bison Women Welcome IUPUI to Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse Friday

2/11/2016 10:25:00 AM | Women's Basketball

NDSU Women's Basketball on Twitter
Full Game Notes (PDF)
North Dakota State vs. IUPUI | Feb. 12 | 7 p.m.
Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse | Fargo, N.D.
Live Stats | Live Audio (Free) | Live Video
Radio - 790 KFGO (Jeremy Jorgenson, play-by-play)

Bison Welcome IUPUI to Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse Friday
        The North Dakota State University women's basketball team welcomes the IUPUI Jaguars to the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. for a Summit League game.

Series History
        Friday's contest against the Jaguars will be the 20th meeting in the all-time series ... IUPUI leads the series, 10-9, after defeating the Bison in Indianapolis earlier this season, 67-44.

About IUPUI
        Entering the week, IUPUI is 16-7 overall and 7-3 in The Summit League ... The Jaguars are coming off a 96-87 victory over Western Illinois on Feb. 6 at home ... Through 23 contests, sophomore Danielle Lawrence (13.6 points per game), junior Mikale Rogers (13.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game) and senior Akilah Sims (11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game) lead the Jaguars ... IUPUI ranks second in The Summit League in scoring defense, limiting opponents to just 60 points per game ... The Jags are outscoring adversaries, 70.1 to 60.0 (+10.1), and outrebounding opponents, 38.7 to 34.3 ... IUPUI is under the leadership of sixth season head coach Austin Parkinson.

Catching Up with the Bison
            The Bison enter Friday with an overall record of 6-18 and are 1-10 in Summit League play after falling at South Dakota State on Feb. 6, 81-47 ... NDSU has dropped its last three games ... Through 24 games, Marena Whittle leads the Bison and ranks second in The Summit League in scoring with 17.3 points per game ... Whittle leads the team and the league on the boards with 10.4 rebounds per game ... Taylor Thunstedt is also averaging in double figures for NDSU with 16.7 points per game ... Thunstedt ranks third in The Summit League in points per game and sixth in three-point field-goal percentage (39.4 percent) ... NDSU ranks second in The Summit League in three-point field-goal percentage at 35.2 percent ... The Bison are averaging 64.2 points per game, but surrendering 72.6 per game ... North Dakota State is outrebounding its foes, 36.6 to 35.7.

Last Time Out: South Dakota State Downs Bison Women in Brookings Saturday
        The Mid-Major No. 8-ranked South Dakota State University Jackrabbits posted an 81-47 victory over the North Dakota State University women's basketball team in Summit League basketball action on Saturday, Feb. 6, in front of 3,236 spectators inside Frost Arena.
        Marena Whittle led the Bison (6-18, 1-10 Summit League) in the game, scoring 14 points and pulling down eight rebounds, while Emily Spier added 13 points and eight boards. Taylor Thunstedt also reached double figures for NDSU, scoring 10 points.
        North Dakota State shot just 32 percent from the floor and 20 percent from three-point range in the contest, compared to the Jackrabbits (19-4, 9-1 Summit League), who shot 54 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc.
        Clarissa Ober paced the Jacks with a double-double, netting 17 points and snagging 11 boards, while Macy Miller scored 15 and Madison Guebert tallied 14. Kerri Young rounded out the Jackrabbits in double digits with 11 points.
        SDSU outrebounded the Bison in the game, 43-30, and scored 22 points off 19 NDSU turnovers. The Jacks also controlled the paint, outscoring North Dakota State on the inside, 46-24, and dished out 20 assists, compared to just six for the Bison.

Last Time Out Against IUPUI: IUPUI Defeats NDSU Women's Basketball Saturday, 67-44
        The North Dakota State University women's basketball team fell at IUPUI, 67-44, on Saturday, Jan. 16, in front of 422 spectators inside The Jungle in downtown Indianapolis.
        Taylor Thunstedt scored 14 points and tallied a game-best five steals to lead the Bison (5-14, 0-6 Summit League), while Brooke Yaggie also reached double figures with 11 points.
        Brianna Jones pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to lead NDSU on the boards.
        North Dakota State shot just 32 percent from the field and 18 percent from three-point range in the game.
        Mikale Rogers paced the Jaguars (13-5, 4-1 Summit League) with a game-high 19 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field to go along with a team-high eight rebounds.
        IUPUI outrebounded the Bison, 38-34, and posted a 36-20 advantage in points scored in the paint.
        The Jags shot 45 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc in the contest.

From Downtown!
        The Bison rank 38th out of 344 teams in three-point field-goal percentage at 35.2 percent in the latest NCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Rankings.

Whittle Among National Leaders in Double Doubles
        Marena Whittle ranks 35th in double doubles in the latest NCAA national statistics with 10.

Whittle Controlling the Glass
        Marena Whittle holds the career record for defensive rebounding average at NDSU with 5.6 boards per game and ranks seventh in overall career rebounding average with 7.9 per game. The Victoria, Australia, native leads the Bison and The Summit League and ranks 19th in the latest NCAA women's basketball national statistics in rebounding through 24 games with 10.4 boards 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 122-of-309 for 39.5 percent. Through 24 games this season, the Spicer, Minn., native leads the Bison and ranks sixth in The Summit League in three-point field-goal percentage at 39.4 percent. In the most recent NCAA national statistics, Thunstedt ranks 12th in three-point field goals made with 67 treys.

Sophomores Excelling in League Play
        Sophomores Taylor Thunstedt (40.1 percent) and Brooke Yaggie (43.9 percent) lead the Bison in field-goal percentage in Summit League play through 11 league contests.

Thunstedt Making the Pass
        Taylor Thunstedt leads the Bison through 24 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 24 games, Brianna Jones ranks second on the team and fifth in The Summit League with 7.9 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), Grand Canyon (13) and IUPUI (11).

Takeaway Leader
        Marena Whittle leads the Bison and ranks third in The Summit League with 2.2 steals per game. Whittle tallied a career-high tying six takeaways against Prairie View A&M on Dec. 19 in the Wichita State Shocker Winter Classic.

Summit League Player of the Week

Marena Whittle - Dec. 20, Jan. 25

Double-Double Performances

Brianna Jones - 12 rebounds, 10 points at San Diego State, Nov. 27; 14 rebounds, 10 points vs. Delaware, Nov. 29
Emily Spier - 17 points, 12 rebounds vs. Western Illinois, Jan. 21
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; 21 points, 10 rebounds vs. South Dakota, Jan. 14; 16 points, 14 rebounds vs. Western Illinois, Jan. 21; 33 points, 18 rebounds vs. IPFW, Jan. 23

Getting to the Line
        Marena Whittle (84.1 percent) ranks third, Brooke Yaggie (78.1 percent) ranks fifth and Taylor Thunstedt (75.3 percent) ranks eighth in The Summit League in free-throw percentage through 24 contests.

Clutch at the Foul Line
        Brooke Yaggie is shooting 84.6 percent from the free-throw line in the last five minutes of games this season, going 22-of-26.

Turnover Woes
        North Dakota State has struggled taking care of the basketball this season. The Bison are averaging a Summit League-high 17.6 turnovers per game and have surrendered an average of 18.3 points off turnovers.

Summit League Scoring Struggles
        In 11 Summit League contests, the Bison are being outscored, 76.0 to 62.1 (-13.9). NDSU is shooting just 38.7 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three-point range while allowing its adversaries to shoot 45.5 percent from the floor and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc.

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.

NDSU in The Summit League Statistics (as of Feb. 10)
Team:
Points - 6th (64.2/game), Rebounds - 5th (36.6/game), Assists - 6th (11.9/game), Steals - 8th (6.6/game), Blocks - 6th (2.7/game), Field-Goal Percentage - 6th (.407), Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage - 2nd (.352), Free-Throw Percentage - 3rd (.713), Turnovers - 9th (17.6/game)

Individual:
Marena Whittle - Points: 2nd (17.3/game), Free-Throw Percentage: 3rd (.841), Rebounds: 1st (10.4/game), Turnovers: 3rd (3.7/game), Steals: 3rd (2.2/game), Blocks: 7th (1.0/game); Taylor Thunstedt - Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 6th (.394), Points: 3rd (16.3/game), Assists: 5th (3.2/game), Turnovers: 2nd (3.8/game), Free-Throw Percentage: 8th (.753); Brianna Jones - Rebounds: 5th (7.9/game); Brooke Yaggie - Free-Throw Percentage: 5th (.781); Emily Spier - Blocks: 10th (0.8/game)

Bison Women Sixth in Summit League Preseason Poll
        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.
        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.

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.