Wednesday, January 18
Fargo, N.D.
7 p.m.
North Dakota State
vs
Omaha
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: Carrie Snyder
North Dakota State Hosts Omaha Wednesday in Women's Basketball
1/16/2017 11:29:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NDSU Women's Hoops on Twitter
Complete NDSU Game Notes (PDF)
North Dakota State vs. Omaha
Wednesday, Jan. 18 | 7 p.m. | Fargo, N.D. (Scheels Center)
Radio: Bison 1660 AM (Keith Brake, play-by-play; Jeremy Jorgenson, color)
TV: MidcoSN, ESPN3, WatchESPN app (Brian Shawn, play-by-play; Greg Stemen, color)
Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
The Game
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team (5-13 overall, 3-2 Summit League) is scheduled to host the Omaha Mavericks (8-10 overall, 1-4 Summit League) on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
Series History
Wednesday's game against Omaha will mark the 59th meeting in the all-time series. NDSU leads the series, 44-14. Last season, NDSU fell at Omaha, 77-52, before defeating the Mavs in Fargo, 74-67.
Bison Notes
About Omaha
Thunstedt Sets New NDSU Career Record for Threes Made, Becomes 33rd Bison to Score At Least 1,000 Points
Spier Returns to the Court
After missing the last two games due to injury, senior forward Emily Spier returned to the court on Jan. 14 at Western Illinois. The Buffalo, Minn., native scored eight points on 4-of-8 shooting and matched her career-high with four blocked shots. She also pulled down seven rebounds.
Jacobson Making the Pass
Sarah Jacobson leads North Dakota State and is tied for third in The Summit League in assists with 3.9 assists per game. The freshman from Fargo matched her career-high with eight assists in NDSU's game at Western Illinois Jan. 14. Jacobson has tallied at least one assist in every game this season, including 15 games with two or more.
Goodhope's Summit League Surge
Anna Goodhope is shooting 63 percent from the field and 54 percent from three-point range through five Summit League contests. The freshman from Sioux Falls has made 10-of-16 shots from the floor and 6-of-11 baskets from beyond-the-arc.
RJ Heating Up
Reilly Jacobson is shooting a team-best 55 percent from the floor in her last six games, making 23-of-42 shots. In the two Summit League games she has played in, she is shooting 68 percent from the field and averaging 16 points per game. Jacobson, a native of Waukee, Iowa, netted a season-best 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting in NDSU's victory at Denver Dec. 31. Jacobson has been sidelined with an injury since NDSU's contest at Denver.
Jones Crashing the Glass
Brianna Jones leads NDSU and ranks third in The Summit League with 7.9 rebounds per game. The senior from Indianapolis has three double-doubles this season and is averaging a team-high nine rebounds per game in league play.
Jones and Ogden Owning the Offensive Boards in League Action
Through five league games, Brianna Jones and freshman forward Autumn Ogden are averaging a team-high 2.4 offensive rebounds per game. Both Jones and Ogden have snagged 12 offensive boards in league action.
Jacobson Duo Making an Impact League Play
Sarah Jacobson and Reilly Jacobson are averaging a combined 30 points per game in North Dakota State's five Summit League games. Sarah Jacobson is averaging 14.6 points per game and shooting 44 percent from the floor in five contests while Reilly Jacobson is averaging 16 points per game and shooting 68 percent from the field in two games.
Field-Goal Percentage Leaders
Anna Goodhope leads North Dakota State in field-goal percentage through 18 games, making 18-of-32 attempts for 56.3 percent. Reilly Jacobson is second, making 38 out of 78 shots for 48.7 percent, while freshman forward Rylee Nudell is third, going 29-of-65 for 44.6 percent.
Taking Advantage of Second Chances
Through 18 games, NDSU is outscoring opponents in second-chance points, 222-188. The Bison are averaging 12.3 second chance points per game, while limiting adversaries to 10.4 per game.
Success Off the Bench
North Dakota State has a 362-287 bench scoring advantage through 18 games. NDSU is averaging 20.1 bench points per game while its opponents are averaging 15.9 per game. In Summit League play, the Bison bench is averaging 26.2 points per game while opposing benches are averaging just 15.6 per game.
Last Time Out: Bison Women Falter at Western Illinois
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team fell at Western Illinois, 110-81, on Saturday, Jan. 14, inside Western Hall in Macomb, Illinois.
With the loss, the Bison fall to 5-13 overall and 3-2 in Summit League play, while Western Illinois improves to 15-4 on the season and 5-1 in league action.
Sarah Jacobson matched her career-high with 18 points and eight assists, leading the Bison, while Rylee Nudell netted a career-high 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Taylor Thunstedt (13 points) and Anna Goodhope (11 points) also reached double figures for NDSU.
Emily Spier, Tyrah Spencer and Brianna Jones each pulled down seven boards, with Spier tying her career-high with four blocked shots.
NDSU shot 40 percent from the field but just 29 percent from three-point range.
The Bison outrebounded the Leathernecks, 49-43.
Morgan Blumer posted a double-double with a career-high 36 points and 15 rebounds, and matched the Western Illinois single-game program record with seven three-pointers to pace the Leathernecks, while Taylor Higginbotham tied her career-best with 28 points.
Western Illinois shot 49 percent from the floor and 46 percent from beyond-the-arc.
WIU outscored NDSU in points off turnovers, 24-0, and 46-28 in points in the paint.
Bison Women Ink Four High School Standouts on National Signing Day
North Dakota State women's basketball head coach Maren Walseth announced Wednesday, Nov. 9, that high school seniors Danneka Voegeli (C, 6-2, Winona, Minn.), Macey Kvilvang (F, 6-4, Cando, N.D.), Emily Dietz (F, 6-3, West Fargo, N.D.) and Michelle Gaislerova (G, 5-11, Trutnov, Czech Republic) have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their education and play women's basketball for the Bison starting in the fall of 2017.
NDSU Women's Basketball Picked Seventh in Summit League Preseason Poll
The North Dakota State women's basketball team was picked to finish seventh in The Summit League Preseason Poll. NDSU tallied 156 points in the poll. Defending Summit League tournament champion South Dakota State was tabbed the preseason favorite with 542 points and 30 first-place votes, while IUPUI was picked second with 438 points. South Dakota, the WNIT champion last season, rounded out the top-three in third with 393 points and three first-place votes. Oral Roberts collected the final first-place vote and was voted fourth with 391 points. Omaha, Western Illinois, NDSU, Denver and Fort Wayne rounded out the poll.
Minimum of 13 NDSU Women's Basketball Games to be Televised in 2016-17
A minimum of 13 North Dakota State University women's basketball games will be televised during the upcoming 2016-17 season as a result of a new broadcast agreement with Midco Sports Network.
MidcoSN will televise 12 of NDSU's 14 home games in high definition inside the new Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
MidcoSN will also broadcast NDSU's Summit League road game at South Dakota State Feb. 2.
The Bison's non-conference game at Milwaukee Dec. 3 will air on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
In addition to its game coverage, MidcoSN will produce and air The Bison Basketball Show during the upcoming season. The weekly, half-hour show will air Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. and will provide an inside look into the NDSU basketball teams with interviews, feature stories, and highlights of home and away contests.
On the Horizon
The Bison travel to Indianapolis to take on IUPUI on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT).
Head Coach Maren Walseth
Maren Walseth is in her third season as the head women's basketball coach at North Dakota State University.
NDSU finished the 2015-16 season with an overall record 7-22 and was 2-14 in Summit League play. Senior Marena Whittle was named to the All-Summit League first team, while sophomore Taylor Thunstedt was tabbed honorable mention all-league.
Walseth graduated from the NCAA Women Coaches Academy in 2015. The academy is an educational training open to coaches of all experience levels that offers non-sport-specific program management strategies.
In her inaugural season at NDSU in 2014-15, 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.
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.
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.
Complete NDSU Game Notes (PDF)
North Dakota State vs. Omaha
Wednesday, Jan. 18 | 7 p.m. | Fargo, N.D. (Scheels Center)
Radio: Bison 1660 AM (Keith Brake, play-by-play; Jeremy Jorgenson, color)
TV: MidcoSN, ESPN3, WatchESPN app (Brian Shawn, play-by-play; Greg Stemen, color)
Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
The Game
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team (5-13 overall, 3-2 Summit League) is scheduled to host the Omaha Mavericks (8-10 overall, 1-4 Summit League) on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
Series History
Wednesday's game against Omaha will mark the 59th meeting in the all-time series. NDSU leads the series, 44-14. Last season, NDSU fell at Omaha, 77-52, before defeating the Mavs in Fargo, 74-67.
Bison Notes
- The North Dakota State University Bison enter Saturday at 5-13 overall and 3-2 in Summit League play after losing at Western Illinois Saturday, Jan. 14, 110-81.
- Through 18 contests, junior guard Taylor Thunstedt leads the team and ranks third in The Summit League in scoring with 17.1 points per game, while senior forward Brianna Jones paces the team and ranks third in the league with 7.9 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Sarah Jacobson leads the Bison and is tied for third in the league in assists with 3.9 assists per game, and is averaging 10.6 points per game. Freshman guard/forward Anna Goodhope leads the Bison in field-goal percentage at 56.3 percent (18-of-32).
- Thunstedt ranks second in the nation in three-point field goals made with 65 treys in 18 games.
- As a team, the Bison are averaging 67.3 points per game while giving up 74.6 points per game. NDSU is outrebounding opponents, 40.6 to 38.1. NDSU's 40.6 rebounds per game leads The Summit League.
- In Summit League play only, NDSU is outrebounding adversaries, 44.4 to 35.4.
- The Bison rank 26th in the country in three-point field-goal percentage (36.9 percent), 45th in total rebounds (730) and 57th in three-point field goals made (128).
About Omaha
- The Omaha Mavericks enter the week at 8-10 overall and 1-4 in Summit League action after falling to South Dakota at home Saturday, Jan. 14, 60-52. The Mavs have dropped their last three games.
- Through 18 games, Omaha is led by senior forward Mikaela Shaw (16.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game) and redshirt senior forward Michaela Dapprich (12.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game).
- As a team, the Mavericks are averaging 68.2 points per game while holding opponents to 62.5 points per game. UNO is outrebounding its adversaries 38.2 to 32.7.
- Omaha ranks second in The Summit League in assists per game (17) and third in steals per game (7.6).
- The Mavs were picked to finish fifth in The Summit League Preseason Poll.
- Omaha is under the leadership of fourth season head coach Brittany Lange (Iowa State, 2010).
Thunstedt Sets New NDSU Career Record for Threes Made, Becomes 33rd Bison to Score At Least 1,000 Points
- Junior guard Taylor Thunstedt is the North Dakota State career leader in three-point field goals made with 202 threes. The Spicer, Minn., native surpassed former Bison Amanda Gehrke's record of 192 treys after making a three with 5:18 to go in the first quarter at Denver Dec. 31.
- Thunstedt became the 33rd NDSU women's basketball player to net at least 1,000 career points when she scored a layup in the second quarter against South Dakota Jan. 4. Entering Wednesday, Thunstedt has 1,041 career points.
Spier Returns to the Court
After missing the last two games due to injury, senior forward Emily Spier returned to the court on Jan. 14 at Western Illinois. The Buffalo, Minn., native scored eight points on 4-of-8 shooting and matched her career-high with four blocked shots. She also pulled down seven rebounds.
Jacobson Making the Pass
Sarah Jacobson leads North Dakota State and is tied for third in The Summit League in assists with 3.9 assists per game. The freshman from Fargo matched her career-high with eight assists in NDSU's game at Western Illinois Jan. 14. Jacobson has tallied at least one assist in every game this season, including 15 games with two or more.
Goodhope's Summit League Surge
Anna Goodhope is shooting 63 percent from the field and 54 percent from three-point range through five Summit League contests. The freshman from Sioux Falls has made 10-of-16 shots from the floor and 6-of-11 baskets from beyond-the-arc.
RJ Heating Up
Reilly Jacobson is shooting a team-best 55 percent from the floor in her last six games, making 23-of-42 shots. In the two Summit League games she has played in, she is shooting 68 percent from the field and averaging 16 points per game. Jacobson, a native of Waukee, Iowa, netted a season-best 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting in NDSU's victory at Denver Dec. 31. Jacobson has been sidelined with an injury since NDSU's contest at Denver.
Jones Crashing the Glass
Brianna Jones leads NDSU and ranks third in The Summit League with 7.9 rebounds per game. The senior from Indianapolis has three double-doubles this season and is averaging a team-high nine rebounds per game in league play.
Jones and Ogden Owning the Offensive Boards in League Action
Through five league games, Brianna Jones and freshman forward Autumn Ogden are averaging a team-high 2.4 offensive rebounds per game. Both Jones and Ogden have snagged 12 offensive boards in league action.
Jacobson Duo Making an Impact League Play
Sarah Jacobson and Reilly Jacobson are averaging a combined 30 points per game in North Dakota State's five Summit League games. Sarah Jacobson is averaging 14.6 points per game and shooting 44 percent from the floor in five contests while Reilly Jacobson is averaging 16 points per game and shooting 68 percent from the field in two games.
Field-Goal Percentage Leaders
Anna Goodhope leads North Dakota State in field-goal percentage through 18 games, making 18-of-32 attempts for 56.3 percent. Reilly Jacobson is second, making 38 out of 78 shots for 48.7 percent, while freshman forward Rylee Nudell is third, going 29-of-65 for 44.6 percent.
Taking Advantage of Second Chances
Through 18 games, NDSU is outscoring opponents in second-chance points, 222-188. The Bison are averaging 12.3 second chance points per game, while limiting adversaries to 10.4 per game.
Success Off the Bench
North Dakota State has a 362-287 bench scoring advantage through 18 games. NDSU is averaging 20.1 bench points per game while its opponents are averaging 15.9 per game. In Summit League play, the Bison bench is averaging 26.2 points per game while opposing benches are averaging just 15.6 per game.
Last Time Out: Bison Women Falter at Western Illinois
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team fell at Western Illinois, 110-81, on Saturday, Jan. 14, inside Western Hall in Macomb, Illinois.
With the loss, the Bison fall to 5-13 overall and 3-2 in Summit League play, while Western Illinois improves to 15-4 on the season and 5-1 in league action.
Sarah Jacobson matched her career-high with 18 points and eight assists, leading the Bison, while Rylee Nudell netted a career-high 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Taylor Thunstedt (13 points) and Anna Goodhope (11 points) also reached double figures for NDSU.
Emily Spier, Tyrah Spencer and Brianna Jones each pulled down seven boards, with Spier tying her career-high with four blocked shots.
NDSU shot 40 percent from the field but just 29 percent from three-point range.
The Bison outrebounded the Leathernecks, 49-43.
Morgan Blumer posted a double-double with a career-high 36 points and 15 rebounds, and matched the Western Illinois single-game program record with seven three-pointers to pace the Leathernecks, while Taylor Higginbotham tied her career-best with 28 points.
Western Illinois shot 49 percent from the floor and 46 percent from beyond-the-arc.
WIU outscored NDSU in points off turnovers, 24-0, and 46-28 in points in the paint.
Bison Women Ink Four High School Standouts on National Signing Day
North Dakota State women's basketball head coach Maren Walseth announced Wednesday, Nov. 9, that high school seniors Danneka Voegeli (C, 6-2, Winona, Minn.), Macey Kvilvang (F, 6-4, Cando, N.D.), Emily Dietz (F, 6-3, West Fargo, N.D.) and Michelle Gaislerova (G, 5-11, Trutnov, Czech Republic) have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their education and play women's basketball for the Bison starting in the fall of 2017.
NDSU Women's Basketball Picked Seventh in Summit League Preseason Poll
The North Dakota State women's basketball team was picked to finish seventh in The Summit League Preseason Poll. NDSU tallied 156 points in the poll. Defending Summit League tournament champion South Dakota State was tabbed the preseason favorite with 542 points and 30 first-place votes, while IUPUI was picked second with 438 points. South Dakota, the WNIT champion last season, rounded out the top-three in third with 393 points and three first-place votes. Oral Roberts collected the final first-place vote and was voted fourth with 391 points. Omaha, Western Illinois, NDSU, Denver and Fort Wayne rounded out the poll.
Minimum of 13 NDSU Women's Basketball Games to be Televised in 2016-17
A minimum of 13 North Dakota State University women's basketball games will be televised during the upcoming 2016-17 season as a result of a new broadcast agreement with Midco Sports Network.
MidcoSN will televise 12 of NDSU's 14 home games in high definition inside the new Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
MidcoSN will also broadcast NDSU's Summit League road game at South Dakota State Feb. 2.
The Bison's non-conference game at Milwaukee Dec. 3 will air on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
In addition to its game coverage, MidcoSN will produce and air The Bison Basketball Show during the upcoming season. The weekly, half-hour show will air Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. and will provide an inside look into the NDSU basketball teams with interviews, feature stories, and highlights of home and away contests.
On the Horizon
The Bison travel to Indianapolis to take on IUPUI on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT).
Head Coach Maren Walseth
Maren Walseth is in her third season as the head women's basketball coach at North Dakota State University.
NDSU finished the 2015-16 season with an overall record 7-22 and was 2-14 in Summit League play. Senior Marena Whittle was named to the All-Summit League first team, while sophomore Taylor Thunstedt was tabbed honorable mention all-league.
Walseth graduated from the NCAA Women Coaches Academy in 2015. The academy is an educational training open to coaches of all experience levels that offers non-sport-specific program management strategies.
In her inaugural season at NDSU in 2014-15, 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.
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.
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.
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