NDSU Women’s Basketball Plays Omaha Sunday in Edith Sanford Breast Foundation Pink Game

Sunday, February 14

Fargo, N.D.

2 p.m.

North Dakota State

Omaha

Photo by: Richard Svaleson

NDSU Women’s Basketball Plays Omaha Sunday in Edith Sanford Breast Foundation Pink Game

2/13/2016 2:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball

NDSU Women's Basketball on Twitter
Full Game Notes (PDF)
North Dakota State vs. Omaha | Feb. 14 | 2 p.m.
Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse | Fargo, N.D.
Edith Sanford Breast Foundation Pink Game
Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
Radio - 790 KFGO (Jack Michaels, play-by-play; Jeremy Jorgenson, color)

NDSU Women's Basketball Plays Omaha Sunday in Edith Sanford Breast Foundation Pink Game
        The North Dakota State women's basketball team will take on the Omaha Mavericks in the annual Edith Sanford Breast Foundation Pink Game on Sunday, Feb. 14, at 2 p.m. inside the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. The first 500 fans through the doors will receive a special pink T-shirt courtesy of NDSU athletics and the Edith Sanford Breast Foundation.

Series History
        Sunday's game against the Mavericks will mark the 58th meeting in the all-time series ... NDSU leads the series, 43-14, but lost to the Mavs earlier this season in Omaha, 77-52.

About Omaha
        The Omaha Mavericks enter Sunday at 12-12 overall and 5-7 in Summit League play after defeating IPFW at home on Thursday, 71-64 ... Through 24 contests, junior Mikaela Shaw (18.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game) and sophomore Remy Davenport (10.3 points per game) lead the Mavs ... Shaw leads The Summit League in points per game ... Omaha leads the league in blocked shots with 5.8 swats per game ... The Mavericks are narrowly outscoring opponents through 24 games, 64.0 to 63.3, and are being outrebounded, 36.9 to 35.8 ... UNO is under the direction of third season head coach Brittany Lange.

Catching Up with the Bison
The Bison enter Sunday with an overall record of 6-19 and are 1-11 in Summit League play after falling to IUPUI at home on Friday, 64-63 ... NDSU has dropped its last four games ... Through 25 games, Marena Whittle leads the Bison and ranks second in The Summit League in scoring with 17.5 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 16.2 points per game ... Thunstedt ranks fourth in The Summit League in points per game and sixth in three-point field-goal percentage (38.6 percent) ... NDSU ranks second in The Summit League in three-point field-goal percentage at 34.9 percent ... The Bison are averaging 64.2 points per game, but surrendering 72.3 per game ... North Dakota State is outrebounding its foes, 36.6 to 36.0.

Last Time Out: IUPUI Edges NDSU Women's Basketball Friday, 64-63
IUPUI sophomore Danielle Lawrence hit a layup with 8.3 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to lift the Jaguars to a 64-63 win over the North Dakota State University women's basketball team in a Summit League women's basketball game played before 559 spectators on Friday, Feb. 12, inside the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
        The Bison (6-19, 1-11 Summit League) had a chance to win the game with two seconds to go, but Taylor Thunstedt's three was off target, sealing the victory for IUPUI (17-7, 8-3 Summit League).
        Senior Marena Whittle tallied her team-high 11th double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bison. Thunstedt netted 13 points, and Emily Spier and Kennedy Childers both scored 12 to round out the NDSU players in double figures.
        NDSU shot 42 percent from the floor but just 29 percent from three-point range for the game.
        After posting a 23-16 advantage in rebounding in the first half, the Bison were outrebounded in the second half, 27-12, giving the Jaguars a 43-35 edge on the boards at the conclusion of the contest.
Lawrence scored 21 points to lead IUPUI in scoring, while Mikale Rogers tallied 11 rebounds to pace the Jags on the glass.
        IUPUI shot just 36 percent from the field for the game, eight percent below its season average, but outscored the Bison in the paint, 42-32, and tallied 17 second chance points compared to just six for NDSU.

Last Time Out Against Omaha: Third Quarter Surge Leads Omaha to 77-52 Win Over Bison Women
        An offensive surge in the third quarter helped the Omaha Mavericks defeat the North Dakota State women's basketball team, 77-52, in The Summit League opener for both teams on Wednesday evening, Dec. 30, in front of 506 spectators at Baxter Arena.
        Marena Whittle tallied a double-double for the fourth consecutive game with 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead NDSU (5-9 overall, 0-1 Summit).
        After the Bison took a 34-33 lead going into halftime, the Mavs (8-5 overall, 1-0 Summit) caught fire in the third stanza, outscoring NDSU, 27-11, to take control of the game and gain a 60-45 advantage at the end of the quarter.
        NDSU shot just 30 percent from the field and 31 percent from three-point range in the game and were outrebounded by Omaha, 49-40, marking the first time the Bison have been outrebounded in four games.
        Remy Davenport led the Mavs with a game-high 23 points on 6-for-14 shooting.
        Omaha shot 42 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc and posted a 42-24 advantage over NDSU in points in the paint.

From Downtown!
        The Bison rank 40th out of 344 teams in three-point field-goal percentage at 34.9 percent in the latest NCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Rankings.

Whittle Among National Leaders in Double Doubles
        Marena Whittle ranks 28th in double doubles in the latest NCAA national statistics with 11.

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 21st in the latest NCAA women's basketball national statistics in rebounding through 25 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 123-of-315 for 39 percent. Through 25 games this season, the Spicer, Minn., native leads the Bison and ranks sixth in The Summit League in three-point field-goal percentage at 38.6 percent. In the most recent NCAA national statistics, Thunstedt ranks 13th in three-point field goals made with 68 treys.

Post Presence
        Emily Spier is averaging 9.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and shooting a team-best 51.4 percent (19-of-37) from the field in her last four games.

Yaggie, Spier Excelling in League Play
        Brooke Yaggie (42.6 percent) and Emily Spier (42.2 percent) lead the Bison in field-goal percentage in Summit League play through 12 league contests.

Thunstedt Making the Pass
        Taylor Thunstedt leads the Bison through 25 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 25 games, Brianna Jones ranks second on the team and fifth in The Summit League with 7.8 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 2.3 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; 21 points, 10 rebounds vs. IUPUI, Feb. 12

Getting to the Line
        Marena Whittle (83.9 percent) ranks third, Brooke Yaggie (78.1 percent) ranks fifth and Taylor Thunstedt (75.9 percent) ranks seventh in The Summit League in free-throw percentage through 25 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 17.9 turnovers per game and have surrendered an average of 18.4 points off turnovers.

Summit League Scoring Struggles
        In 12 Summit League contests, the Bison are being outscored, 75.0 to 62.2 (-12.8). NDSU is shooting just 39 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from three-point range while allowing its adversaries to shoot 44.7 percent from the floor and 34.6 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. 13)
Team:
Points - 6th (64.2/game), Rebounds - 5th (36.6/game), Assists - 6th (12.1/game), Steals - 8th (6.6/game), Blocks - T-6th (2.8/game), Field-Goal Percentage - 6th (.408), Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage - 2nd (.349), Free-Throw Percentage - 3rd (.714), Turnovers - 9th (17.9/game)

Individual:
Marena Whittle - Points: 2nd (17.5/game), Free-Throw Percentage: 3rd (.839), Rebounds: 1st (10.4/game), Turnovers: 2nd (4.0/game), Steals: 3rd (2.3/game), Blocks: T-7th (0.9/game); Taylor Thunstedt - Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 6th (.386), Points: 4th (16.2/game), Assists: 5th (3.2/game), Turnovers: 3rd (3.8/game), Free-Throw Percentage: 7th (.759); Brianna Jones - Rebounds: 5th (7.8/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.