Women's Basketball | 11/15/2017 10:52:00 AM

North Dakota State vs. UMass
Friday, Nov. 17 | 7 p.m. | Fargo, N.D. (Scheels Center)
TV: MidcoSN, ESPN3, WatchESPN.com, WatchESPN app
Radio: Bison 1660 AM & 92.7 FM, Bison1660.com, Bison 1660 app
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio

North Dakota State vs. Valley City State
Sunday, Nov. 19 | 2 p.m. | Fargo, N.D. (Scheels Center)
TV: MidcoSN2, ESPN3, WatchESPN.com, WatchESPN app
Radio: Bison 1660 AM & 92.7 FM, Bison1660.com, Bison 1660 app
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
NDSU WBB on Twitter: @NDSUwbb

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The Games
        The North Dakota State women's basketball team is scheduled to wrap up its season-opening four-game homestand with a pair of games Friday, Nov. 17, and Sunday, Nov. 19, inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex. NDSU is slated to face UMass Friday at 7 p.m. before battling Valley City State Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
Series History

• UMass: Friday's showdown against the UMass Minutewomen will mark the second meeting in the all-time series. The Bison dropped the inaugural meeting with UMass last season in Amherst, Mass., 70-58.
• Valley City State: Sunday's contest against the Valley City State Vikings will be the 35th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 1968. The Bison lead the series, 26-8, and have won every meeting with the Vikings since joining Division I. NDSU defeated VCSU in Fargo, 85-77, in the last meeting during the 2015-16 season.

Bison Notes

• North Dakota State enters the weekend at 2-0 overall after rolling to a pair of wins over Mayville State and NJIT Nov. 10 and 12.
• The Bison defeated Mayville State Nov. 10, 87-43, before reaching the century mark in a 105-58 rout of NJIT Nov. 12.
• The 105 points against NJIT were the most points in a single game for NDSU since 2013 when the Bison tallied 112 points in a win over Mayville State.
•  Through two games, five Bison have posted double-figure scoring averages. Senior Taylor Thunstedt leads the team, averaging 16 points per game (ppg), while freshman Michelle Gaislerova is averaging 13.5 ppg. Sophomores Autumn Ogden and Rylee Nudell are both averaging 11 ppg, and freshman Macey Kvilvang is averaging 10 ppg.
• Freshman Danneka Voegeli leads NDSU on the boards with 8.5 rebounds per game, while sophomore Sarah Jacobson is averaging a team-best eight assists per contest.
• As a team, the Bison are averaging 96 points per game while holding opponents to just 50.5 points per game. NDSU is outrebounding its adversaries, 50 to 34.
• North Dakota State was picked to finish sixth in The Summit League preseason poll.

About UMass

• The University of Massachusetts Minutewomen enter the weekend at 2-0 on the season after defeating Maine-Fort Kent and Towson Nov. 10 and 12 in Amherst, Mass.
• Through two games, UMass is paced offensively by junior guard/forward Genesis Rivera, who is averaging 17 points per game.
• Senior center Maggie Mulligan leads the Minutewomen on the boards with nine rebounds per game.
• As a team, UMass is outscoring opponents, 91.5 to 47, and has a 42 to 28 advantage in rebounding.
• The Minutewomen were picked to finish 10th out of 14 teams in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll.
• UMass is under the leadership of second season head coach Tory Verdi.

About Valley City State

• The Valley City State University Vikings enter the week with an overall record of 3-0 after earning wins over College of Saint Mary (Neb.), Johnson & Wales (Fla.) and Warner (Fla.).
• VCSU is slated to take on Crown College Saturday at home before facing the Bison Sunday.
• Sunday's game will be an exhibition contest for the Vikings.
• Through three games, VCSU is led in scoring by senior guard Lexi Lennon with 23 points per game.
• Junior forward Alli Vandal paces the Vikings in rebounding with 9.7 boards per game.
• As a team, Valley City State is outscoring its opponents, 81 to 65.7, and outrebounding them, 38.3 to 30.
• VCSU was picked fourth out of nine teams in the North Star Athletic Association preseason poll.
• Valley City State is under the direction of first season head coach Vanessa Keeler-Johnson.

Last Time Out: NDSU Women's Basketball Hits Century Mark in 105-58 Rout of NJIT
        Seven Bison scored in double figures to help the North Dakota State University women's basketball team rout NJIT, 105-58, Sunday, Nov. 12, inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
        The 105 points were the most points scored in a game by NDSU (2-0) since 2013-14 when the Bison netted 112 points in a victory over Mayville State.
        Michelle Gaislerova led all scorers with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a 3-of-4 showing from three-point range, while Sarah Jacobson and Autumn Ogden both tallied double-doubles. Jacobson scored 13 points and dished out a career-high 10 assists, and Ogden posted a career-best 12 points and snagged a game-high 10 rebounds.
        Macey Kvilvang added 12 points, while Taylor Thunstedt and Danneka Voegeli each scored 11. Kennedy Childers rounded out the Bison in double figures, netting 10 points, respectively.
        North Dakota State shot a blistering 59 percent from the floor and added a 44 percent effort from three-point range in the contest while posting a 51-32 advantage in rebounding. NDSU scored 27 points off 15 NJIT turnovers and owned the paint, outscoring the Highlanders on the inside, 40-20.
        NDSU never trailed in the game and led by as much as 50 points early in the fourth quarter.
        Ellyn Stoll scored 13 points to lead NJIT (0-2).
        The Highlanders shot just 32 percent from the field and 18 percent from three-point range.
 
Blistering Offense and Lockdown Defense
        Through two games, the Bison are shooting a blistering 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point range. NDSU is limiting its oppnents to just 28 percent shooting from the floor and 21 percent from beyond the arc. North Dakota State is also forcing 22.5 turnovers per game and has scored 66 points off turnovers.
 
Bench Contributions
        The NDSU bench has outscored opposing benches 92-25 through two games. The Bison bench outscored the Mayville State bench, 38-10, and the NJIT reserves, 54-15.
 
Friendly Confines
        NDSU will play its first four games in the friendly confines of the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex. The Bison won't go on the road until they travel to Annapolis, Md., to take part in the Navy Classic Nov. 25-26.
 
International Playing Experience

• Freshman guard Michelle Gaislerova played for the U16, U17 and U20 Czech Republic National Team. Last summer, she averaged 12.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in seven contests for the Czech Republic in the 2017 FIBA U20 European Championship.
• Junior guard Marina Fernandez played for BF Sant Adria and CEJ Hospitalet in Spain in high school. At BF Sant Adria, her team won the Regional Catalan Championship and placed seventh at the Spanish U18 Championship.

Thunstedt Tabbed Preseason All-League for Second Straight Season
        Taylor Thunstedt was voted to the preseason all-league second team for the second straight season after averaging a team-high 14.5 points per game and tallying an NDSU single-season record 92 three-pointers last season. A native of Spicer, Minn., Thunstedt enters the 2017-18 season as the North Dakota State career leader in three-pointers made with 229 treys.
 
NDSU Women's Basketball Inks Reagan Heun on National Signing Day
        North Dakota State University women's basketball head coach Maren Walseth announced Wednesday, Nov. 8, the signing of high school standout Reagan Heun to a National Letter of Intent to attend NDSU and play basketball starting in the fall of 2018.
 
Reagan Heun
G | 5-10
Spring Branch, Texas (Canyon Lake HS)
Plays for coach Zach Burleson at Canyon Lake High School … First all-time in scoring, three-point field goals made and free-throws made at Canyon Lake … Averaged 18 points and seven rebounds last season as a junior … Last season, led her high school team in points scored, rebounds, three-pointers, free-throws and blocks, while being second on her team in assists and steals … Was 136-of-151 from the foul line for 90 percent … All-District first team last season … Played for Texas Elite Adidas GATA AAU team … Shot 52 percent from three last summer with her AAU team … National Honor Society Office, Senior Class Vice President and Student Council Member … Daughter of Lisa and Scott Heun … Her father, Scott, played football for Kansas State.
 
2017-18 NDSU Women's Basketball Team Captains Announced
        Taylor Thunstedt, Sarah Jacobson and Tyrah Spencer were voted team captains for the Bison for the upcoming 2017-18 season.
 
NDSU Women's Basketball Picked 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 released Wednesday, Oct. 4, by the league office. The Bison tallied 150 points in the poll. South Dakota State was tabbed the preseason favorite to win the league with 380 points and 16 first-place votes, while defending Summit League regular season and tournament champion Western Illinois was picked second with 372 points and 12 first-place votes. South Dakota was voted third with 307 points, rounding out the top-three. Oral Roberts was fourth, followed by Omaha and NDSU in fifth and sixth. Denver and Fort Wayne rounded out the poll in seventh and eighth.
 
MidcoSN to Televise Every NDSU Women's Basketball Home Game in 2017-18
        The North Dakota State University women's basketball program and Midco announced Friday, Sept. 29, that all 15 NDSU home games during the 2017-18 season will be broadcast live on Midco Sports Network.
        MidcoSN will televise every Bison home contest in high definition, starting with the exhibition game against Minnesota-Morris Nov. 2. All regular season North Dakota State home games will also be available on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
        In addition, MidcoSN will broadcast the road contest at North Dakota Dec. 9. Other away contests may be added to the broadcast schedule at a later date.
 
On the Horizon
        NDSU travels to Annapolis, Md., to play two games in the Navy Classic Nov. 25-26.
 
Head Coach Maren Walseth
        Maren Walseth enters her fourth season as the head women's basketball coach at North Dakota State University.
        In her inaugural season at NDSU in 2014-15, Walseth 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.
        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.
        The Bison concluded the 2016-17 season with a 6-24 overall record and a Summit League mark of 4-12. NDSU defeated 2015-16 WNIT and Summit League regular season champion South Dakota, 83-73, Jan. 4 inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex. The Coyotes also entered the game ranked fifth in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. Freshman point guard Sarah Jacobson was named to The Summit League 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.
        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.