North Dakota State
FIU
Players Mentioned
Bison Women Head to Miami for FIU Holiday Classic Dec. 20-21
12/17/2017 2:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball
North Dakota State at FIU
Wednesday, Dec. 20 | noon ET | Miami, Fla. (Ocean Bank Convocation Center)
Radio: 96.9 HITS FM, 969hitsfm.com, 96.9 HITS FM app
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
North Dakota State vs. Clemson or Central Arkansas
Thursday, Dec. 21 | noon ET | Miami, Fla. (Ocean Bank Convocation Center)
Radio: 96.9 HITS FM, 969hitsfm.com, 96.9 HITS FM app
Live Stats | Live Audio
NDSU Notes (PDF) | FIU Holiday Classic
NDSU WBB on Twitter: @NDSUwbb
Scene Setter
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team will look to halt a five-game losing streak when it travels to Miami, Fla., to play two games in the FIU Holiday Classic Wednesday, Dec. 20, and Thursday, Dec. 21. NDSU will take on the host Florida International Panthers Wednesday before facing either Clemson or Central Arkansas Thursday. Both games are slated to tip-off at noon ET.
Series History
- FIU: First meeting
- Clemson (possible opponent): First meeting
- Central Arkansas (possible opponent): First meeting
Bison Notes
- North Dakota State enters the week with an overall record of 5-6 after falling to Cal Poly Saturday, Dec. 16, in Fargo, 73-69.
- The Bison have lost their last five games.
- Through 11 contests, NDSU is led in scoring by senior Taylor Thunstedt, who is averaging 10.8 points per game. Sophomore Reilly Jacobson is averaging 9.8 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game, while fellow sophomore Sarah Jacobson is averaging 9.8 points and a team-best 4.9 assists per game.
- As a team, the Bison are averaging 70.5 points per game while holding opponents to 69.5 points per game. NDSU is being outrebounded, 41.9 to 38.6.
- Through 11 games, North Dakota State leads The Summit League in blocks per game (5.0), and ranks second in points per game (70.5), assists per game (18.0) and three-point field-goal percentage (37.1 percent).
- The Bison were picked to finish sixth in The Summit League preseason poll.
Scouting FIU
- The FIU Panthers are 2-7 overall entering the week after falling at Morgan State Dec. 4, 62-51. The Panthers are slated to take on South Florida Sunday, Dec. 17, before facing the Bison Wednesday.
- Through nine games, FIU is led by redshirt junior forward Kiandre'a Pound (13.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game) and junior guard Kristian Hudson (13.2 points per game).
- As a team, the Panthers are averaging 60.8 points per game while giving up 71.9 points per game. FIU is being outrebounded, 45.9 to 40.1, and is committing 20.4 turnovers per game.
- FIU was picked to finish 14th out of 14 teams in the Conference USA preseason poll.
- The Panthers are under the leadership of second season head coach Tiara Malcom.
Scouting Clemson (possible opponent)
- The Clemson Tigers enter the week at 8-2 overall after defeating Prairie View A&M, 64-58, Dec. 8. Clemson is slated to take on Jacksonville State Sunday, Dec. 17, before facing Central Arkansas in the FIU Holiday Classic Wednesday, Dec. 20.
- Through 10 games, the Tigers are led by junior guard Danielle Edwards, who is averaging 11.7 points per game. Sophomore forward Kobi Thornton paces Clemson on the glass with 7.8 rebounds per game.
- As a team, the Tigers are averaging 55.5 points per game while limiting opponents to 50.2 points per game. Clemson is outrebounding its adversaries, 41.8 to 39.0.
- Clemson was picked to finish 13th out of 15 teams in the ACC women's basketball preseason coaches' poll and 14th out of 15 in the ACC Blue Ribbon Panel preseason poll.
- The Tigers are under the direction of fourth season head coach Audra Smith.
Scouting Central Arkansas (possible opponent)
- The Central Arkansas Sugar Bears enter the week at 5-4 overall after losing at South Alabama, 64-43, on Dec. 16. UCA is scheduled to face Clemson in the FIU Holiday Classic Wednesday, Dec. 20.
- Through nine games, Central Arkansas is led by senior forward Taylor Baudoin (14.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game) and junior guard Kamry Orr (11.9 points per game).
- As a team, Central Arkansas is averaging 67.2 points per game while holding adversaries to 51.2 points per game. The Sugar Bears are outrebounding their opponents, 35.2 to 30.7, and forcing 17.1 turnovers per game.
- Central Arkansas was picked to finish second out of 13 teams in the Southland Conference preseason poll.
- UCA is under the leadership of sixth season head coach Sandra Rushing.
Last Time Out: Turnovers Plague NDSU Women's Basketball in 73-69 Loss to Cal Poly
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team suffered a 73-69 setback to the Cal Poly Mustangs Saturday, Dec. 16, inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
The Bison (5-6) committed a season-high 25 turnovers in the contest which led the 32 points off turnovers for the Mustangs (5-5).
Senior Taylor Thunstedt and freshman Michelle Gaislerova each scored 13 points to lead NDSU, while sophomores Rylee Nudell (12 points) and Sarah Jacobson (10 points) also reached double figures.
Freshman Macey Kvilvang added nine points, six rebounds and a career-best six blocks, respectively.
For the game, North Dakota State shot 45 percent from the floor, 25 percent from three-point range and 81 percent at the free-throw line.
Dynn Leaupepe led Cal Poly and tied her career-high with a game-high 31 points.
The Mustangs shot 35 percent from the field, 24 percent from beyond the arc and 88 percent at the foul line in the contest.
Cal Poly posted a 38-35 advantage in rebounding, and outscored NDSU in the paint, 40-24. The Mustangs also tallied a game-high 12 steals.
The Kvilvang, Jacobson and Ogden Block Party
Macey Kvilvang, Reilly Jacobson and Autumn Ogden rank in the top-10 in The Summit League in blocked shots through 11 games. Kvilvang leads NDSU and is second in the league with 16 blocks and 1.5 blocks per game, while Jacobson is sixth with 11 blocks and 1.2 blocks per game. Ogden is tied for eighth with 10 blocks and 0.9 blocks per game. Kvilvang swatted a career-best six shots in NDSU's game against Cal Poly Dec. 16. She ranks 83rd in the NCAA national statistics in total blocks (16).
Converting Shots
Rylee Nudell leads NDSU and ranks fourth in The Summit League in field-goal percentage at 53 percent. She has made 44 shots in 83 attempts in 11 games.
Fernandez and Jacobson Making the Pass
Sarah Jacobson and Marina Fernandez both rank in the top-10 of The Summit League in assists per game through 11 games. Jacobson leads NDSU and ranks third with 4.9 assist per game while Fernandez is fifth with 3.2 assists per game. In the NCAA national statistics, Jacobson ranks 47th in total assists (54) and 76th in assists per game.
Taking Care of the Basketball
The Bison rank second in The Summit League and 27th out of 345 in the nation with a 1.28 assist-to-turnover ratio through 11 contests. NDSU has dished out 196 assists while only turning the ball over 155 times. Individually, Marina Fernandez ranks third in the league and 85th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.19 (35 assists, 16 turnovers), and Sarah Jacobson ranks fourth in the league at 1.86 (54 assists, 29 turnovers).
Crashing the Offensive Glass
Through 11 games, Reilly Jacobson leads NDSU and ranks 10th in The Summit League with two offensive rebounds per game. She has snagged 18 offensive boards this season.
From Downtown
Two Bison are currently shooting at least 40 percent from three-point range. Michelle Gaislerova leads the team and is fifth in The Summit League at 45 percent, while Sarah Jacobson ranks second on the team and seventh in the league at 43 percent.
Bench Contributions
The NDSU bench has outscored opposing benches 358-206 through 11 games. NDSU is averaging 32.5 bench points per game while its opponents are only averaging 18.7 bench points per game.
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
The Bison host Dakota State Friday, Dec. 29, at 7 p.m. at the Scheels Center before opening Summit League play Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 5 p.m. against South Dakota.
