North Dakota State
Navy
Bison Women Travel to Maryland for Navy Classic Nov. 25-26
11/20/2017 5:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball
North Dakota State at Navy
Saturday, Nov. 25 | 3:15 p.m. ET | Annapolis, Md. (Alumni Hall)
Radio: Bison 1660 AM & 92.7 FM, Bison1660.com, Bison 1660 app
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
North Dakota State vs. UMBC or St. Bonaventure
Sunday, Nov. 26 | 1 p.m. ET | Annapolis, Md. (Alumni Hall)
Radio: Bison 1660 AM & 92.7 FM, Bison1660.com, Bison 1660 app
Live Stats | Live Audio
NDSU WBB on Twitter: @NDSUwbb
The Games
The North Dakota State women's basketball team will face its first road tests of the 2017-18 season when it travels to Annapolis, Md., to play two games in the Navy Classic Saturday, Nov. 25, and Sunday, Nov. 26, inside Alumni Hall at the United States Naval Academy. The Bison open the classic with a contest against host Navy Saturday before facing either UMBC or St. Bonaventure Sunday.
Series History
The Bison have never faced any of the teams participating in the Navy Classic.
Bison Notes
- North Dakota State enters the week at a perfect 4-0 overall after defeating Valley City State Sunday, 67-58, and UMass Friday, 82-70, at home.
- The Bison are off to their best start since the 2004-05 season when they won their first 24 games and finished the season at 26-1 overall.
- Through four games, NDSU is paced by senior Taylor Thunstedt (13.5 points per game), freshman Michelle Gaislerova (12.3 points per game, .563 three-point field-goal percentage), and sophomores Sarah Jacobson (12 points per game, .556 three-point field-goal percentage, 7.0 assists per game) and Rylee Nudell (11 points per game).
- Sophomore Autumn Ogden is shooting a team-best .650 from the field (13-of-20) and has a team-high seven blocks, while fellow sophomore Reilly Jacobson has five blocks. Ogden also leads the Bison in rebounding with six boards per game.
- As a team, NDSU ranks second in The Summit League in scoring offense with 85.2 points per game and leads the league in scoring defense as it is limiting opponents to just 57.2 points per game. NDSU ranks second in the league in rebounding with 46.2 boards per game and is holding opponents to only 34.8 rebounds per game -- third-best in the league.
- NDSU leads the league in field-goal percentage defense (.348), three-point field-goal percentage (.446) and three-point field-goal percentage defense (.241).
- North Dakota State was picked to finish sixth in The Summit League preseason poll.
About Navy
- The United States Naval Academy Midshipmen enter the week at 3-0 overall after defeating Norfolk State Nov. 17 in Annapolis, 70-51. Navy is scheduled to host Air Force Wednesday before facing the Bison Saturday in the Navy Classic.
- Through three games, the Mids are led by three players scoring in double figures. Senior guard Hannah Fenske leads the team with 15.7 points per game, while fellow senior guard Taylor Dunham is averaging 11.3 points per game, and freshman guard Sophie Gatzounas is averaging 10 points per game.
- Sophomore forward Kaila Clark paces Navy on the glass with 10.7 rebounds per game.
- As a team, the Midshipmen are averaging 70 points per game while holding opponents to just 55 points per game. Navy is outrebounding its adversaries, 43.3 to 42.
- Navy was picked to finish fourth out of 10 teams in the Patriot League preseason poll.
- The Mids are under the leadership of 10th season head coach Stefanie Pemper.
About UMBC (possible opponent)
- The UMBC Retrievers enter the week at 1-3 overall after falling to LIU Brooklyn Nov. 17 in Baltimore, Md., 66-52. The Retrievers are scheduled to play at Towson Nov. 21 before participating in the Navy Classic.
- Through four contests, UMBC is led offensively by freshman forward Janee'a Summers, who is averaging 9.8 points per game. Summers also paces the Retrievers on the boards with 6.3 rebounds per game.
- As a team, UMBC is averaging 56.3 points per game while surrendering 59.3 points per game. The Retrievers are being outrebounded, 43.3 to 33.8.
- UMBC was picked to finish fifth out of nine teams in the America East preseason coaches' poll.
- The Retrievers are under the direction of 16th season head coach Phil Stern.
About St. Bonaventure (possible opponent)
- The St. Bonaventure Bonnies enter the week at 2-2 overall after defeating Eastern Michigan Nov. 18 in St. Bonaventure, N.Y., 70-51. The Bonnies are slated to play at Bucknell Nov. 21 before competing in the Navy Classic.
- Through three games, SBU is paced by three players scoring in double digits. Senior guard Mariah Ruff is averaging a team-best 12.8 points per game, while junior guard McKenna Maycock is averaging 10.8 points per game, and sophomore guard Danielle Migliore is averaging 10 points per game.
- Maycock paces the Bonnies on the glass with 8.3 rebounds per game.
- As a team, St. Bonaventure is averaging 69.2 points per game while limiting opponents to 62.5 points per game. The Bonnies are being outrebounded, 40.8 to 36.8.
- The Bonnies were picked to finish 12th out of 14 teams in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll.
- St. Bonaventure is under the leadership of second season head coach Jesse Fleming.
Last Time Out: North Dakota State Claims 67-58 Victory Over Valley City State
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team claimed a 67-58 victory over the Valley City State University Vikings Sunday, Nov. 19, inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
Freshman Michelle Gaislerova scored 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the field to lead three Bison in double figures. Sophomore Rylee Nudell added 11 points, while fellow sophomore Reilly Jacobson netted 10 points and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. Jacobson also blocked a career-high five shots in the contest.
The Bison shot 40 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three-point range, and posted a 48-35 advantage in rebounding for the contest.
NDSU outscored VCSU in the paint, 34-26, and tallied 17 points off 10 Valley City State turnovers.
Lexi Lennon scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Vikings.
VCSU shot 36 percent from the field and 23 percent from three-point range.
Walseth's Navy Connection
North Dakota State head coach Maren Walseth was an assistant coach for Navy from 2004-2007.
Have a Game, Sarah Jacobson!
Sarah Jacobson had the best game of her young NDSU career in NDSU's 82-70 triumph over UMass Nov. 17. The Fargo native scored a career-high 25 points and shot a blistering 78 percent from three-point range, making seven out of nine treys. She started the game 6-for-6 from downtown and didn't miss her first trey until the third quarter. Jacobson also dished out six assists in the contest.
The Ogden and Jacobson Block Party
Autumn Ogden and Reilly Jacobson have tallied a combined 12 blocks through four games. Ogden leads the Bison with seven swats, while Jacobson has tallied five blocks -- all against Valley City State Nov. 19. Ogden tallied a career-best four blocks in NDSU's win vs. UMass Nov. 17.
Nudell, Voegeli and Kvilvang Crashing the Offensive Glass
Rylee Nudell, Danneka Voegeli and Macey Kvilvang have been a force on the offensive glass through four games for NDSU. Nudell and Voegeli have both snagged a team-best 11 offensive boards, while Kvilvang has pulled down 10 offensive rebounds.
From Downtown
Three Bison are currently shooting at least 40 percent from three-point range. Michelle Gaislerova leads the team and ranks third in The Summit League at 56.3 percent, while Sarah Jacobson is fourth in the league at 55.6 percent. Taylor Thunstedt is tied for 10th in the league at 42.9 percent. Entering the Navy Classic Thunstedt has made an NDSU career-record 241 three-pointers.
Surging Offense and Lockdown Defense
Through four games, the Bison are shooting 47 percent from the field and 45 percent from three-point range. NDSU is limiting its opponents to just 35 percent shooting from the floor and 24 percent from beyond the arc. North Dakota State is also forcing 18.3 turnovers per game and has scored 103 points off turnovers.
Bench Contributions
The NDSU bench has outscored opposing benches 157-28 through four games. NDSU is averaging 39.2 bench points per game while its opponents are only averaging seven bench points per game.
Free-Throw Woes
While the Bison are shooting the basketball very well from the field and three-point range, they have struggled at the free-throw line to start the season. NDSU is shooting only 61 percent from the foul line, making 46-of-75 charity shots. North Dakota State currently ranks last in The Summit League in free-throw percentage.
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.
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.
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.
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.
On the Horizon
North Dakota State travels to Boulder, Colo., for a game at the University of Colorado on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. MT.
