Women's Basketball | 12/31/2017 3:09:00 PM

Scene Setter
        The North Dakota State University women's basketball team is slated to tip-off Summit League play Tuesday, Jan. 2, and Saturday, Jan. 6. The Bison are scheduled to host South Dakota at the Scheels Center Tuesday at 5 p.m. before traveling to Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D., for a 2 p.m. showdown at South Dakota State Saturday.
 
Series History

• South Dakota: Tuesday's Summit League opener vs. the South Dakota Coyotes will mark the 69th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 1977. The Bison lead the series, 42-26. Last season, NDSU split a pair of games with USD, winning in Fargo, 83-73, before falling in Vermillion, S.D., 80-48.
• South Dakota State: Saturday's contest at South Dakota State will be the 86th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 1976. The Jackrabbits lead the series, 46-39, and have won the last five meetings against the Bison. Last season, NDSU lost to SDSU in Fargo, 69-66, prior to falling in Brookings, 70-44. The Bison's last win against the Jacks was an 83-78 victory in Fargo during the 2014-15 season.

Bison Notes

• North Dakota State enters the week with an overall record of 7-7 after rolling to a 97-42 victory over Dakota State Friday, Dec. 29, at home.
• Through 14 games, the Bison are led in scoring by sophomore Rylee Nudell, who is averaging 10.5 points per game and shooting a team-best 55 percent (61-of-111) from the field. Senior Taylor Thunstedt is also averaging in double figures with 10.4 points per game.
• Freshman Michelle Gaislerova is shooting at team-best 46 percent from three-point range, making 24 of 52 attempts.
• Thunstedt (86 percent) and Gaislerova (82 percent) lead North Dakota State in free-throw percentage.
• Sophomore Reilly Jacobson paces NDSU on the glass with 63 rebounds and 5.3 boards per game, while fellow sophomore Sarah Jacobson leads North Dakota State with 69 assists and 4.9 assists per game.
• Freshman Macey Kvilvang paces the Bison in blocked shots with 20 blocks and 1.4 blocks per game.
• As a team, the Bison are averaging 70.6 points and 38.7 rebounds per game, while their opponents are averaging 67.4 points and 40.9 rebounds per game.
• NDSU ranks first in The Summit League in three-point field-goal percentage (38 percent), blocked shots (4.6 blocks per game), and three-point field-goal percentage defense (28 percent), and second in assists (18.4 assists per game).
• The Bison were picked to finish sixth in The Summit League preseason poll.

Scouting South Dakota

• The University of South Dakota Coyotes enter Tuesday with an overall record of 9-5 and are 1-0 in Summit League action after defeating Denver Friday in Vermillion, 79-51. The Yotes have won five of their last six games.
• USD received 40 votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top-25 poll.
• Through 14 games, South Dakota is led in scoring by junior guard Allison Arens (11.6 points per game, 48 percent field-goal percentage) and sophomore guard Ciara Duffy (11.3 points per game, 44 percent three-point field-goal percentage).
• Duffy also paces the Yotes on the boards with 5.4 rebounds per game.
• As a team, the Coyotes are averaging 70.1 points and 32.1 rebounds per game, while their opponents are averaging 61.6 points and 32.1 boards per game.
• USD leads The Summit League in free-throw shooting at 81 percent.
• The Yotes were picked to finish third in The Summit League preseason poll.
• South Dakota is under the leadership of second season head coach Dawn Plitzuweit.

Scouting South Dakota State

• The South Dakota State University Jackrabbits enter the week at 10-4 overall after falling at Mid-Major No. 3-ranked Florida Gulf Coast Dec. 29, 87-78.
• SDSU is scheduled to host Omaha for its Summit League opener Wednesday, Jan. 3, before facing the Bison Saturday.
• The Jacks are ranked second in the latest CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top-25 poll.
• Through 14 contests, SDSU is led in scoring by redshirt junior guard Macy Miller (18.1 points per game, 49 percent three-point field-goal percentage), junior guard Madison Guebert (14.5 points per game, 94 percent free-throw percentage) and freshman guard/forward Myah Selland (10.2 points per game).
• Miller, The Summit League Preseason Player of the Year, leads the league in scoring and ranks third in three-point field-goal percentage.
• Redshirt sophomore forward Tagyn Larson leads the Jacks on the glass with 5.5 rebounds per game.
• As a team, SDSU is averaging 73.6 points and 39 rebounds per game while its adversaries are averaging 64.4 points and 36.4 boards per game.
• South Dakota State was picked to finish first in The Summit League preseason poll.
• The Jackrabbits are under the direction of 18th season head coach Aaron Johnston.

Last Time Out: NDSU Women's Hoops Coasts to 97-42 Victory Over Dakota State
        Four Bison scored in double figures as the North Dakota State University women's basketball team coasted to a 97-42 win over the Dakota State University Lady T's on Friday, Dec. 29, inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
        Sophomore Rylee Nudell tallied a career-high 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting to lead NDSU (7-7), while freshman Michelle Gaislerova netted 16 points and drilled a game-high four three-pointers.
        Senior Taylor Thunstedt poured in 13 points, and sophomore Reilly Jacobson posted a double-double with 11 points and a game-best 10 rebounds, rounding out the Bison in double digits.
        Thunstedt added a game-high five steals, while sophomore Sarah Jacobson dished out a game-best eight assists.
        The Bison never trailed in the game and led by as much as 55 late in the fourth quarter.
        North Dakota State shot 49 percent from the field, 44 percent from three-point range and went 61 percent at the free-throw line for the game.
        The Bison outrebounded the Lady T's, 50-41, and dished out 28 assists on 38 made field goals. NDSU outscored DSU (5-11) in the paint, 42-18, and compiled 25 points off 27 Dakota State turnovers. The Bison also posted a 48-11 advantage in bench points.
 
Sharing the Basketball
        After 14 games, North Dakota State ranks second in The Summit League and 20th nationally in assists per game (18.4). The Bison rank 14th nationally in total assists (257).
 
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 14 games. Jacobson leads NDSU and ranks second in the league with 4.9 assist per game while Fernandez is tied for sixth with 2.9 assists per game. In the NCAA national statistics, Jacobson ranks 42nd in total assists (69).
 
Rylee and Reilly Making an Impact Offensively and Defensively
        Through 14 games, Rylee Nudell and Reilly Jacobson are averaging a combined 19.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and four assists per game. Nudell is averaging 10.5 points, 4.2 boards and 2.2 assists per game while Jacobson is averaging 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
 
From Downtown
        The Bison lead The Summit League and rank 28th nationally in three-point field-goal percentage at 38 percent through 14 games. Individually, NDSU has two players ranked in the top-10 in the league in three-point field-goal percentage. Michelle Gaislerova ranks fifth at 46 percent, while Sarah Jacobson ranks seventh at 43 percent.
 
Converting Shots
        Rylee Nudell leads NDSU and ranks third in The Summit League in field-goal percentage at 55 percent. She has made 61 shots in 111 attempts in 14 games.
 
The Bison Block Party
        Entering Tuesday's Summit League opener, NDSU leads The Summit League in blocked shots with 64 blocks and 4.6 blocks per game. Individually, three Bison rank in the top-10 in the league in blocks. Macey Kvilvang is second with 20 blocks and 1.4 blocks per game, while Reilly Jacobson is fourth with 13 blocks and 1.1 blocks per game. Autumn Ogden ranks ninth with 11 blocks and 0.8 blocks per game.
 
Taking Care of the Basketball
        Through 14 games, Sarah Jacobson ranks second in The Summit League with a 1.8 assists-to-turnover ratio. Jacobson has dished out 69 assists while turning the ball over 39 times.
 
Bench Contributions
        The NDSU bench has outscored opposing benches 462-232 through 14 games. NDSU is averaging 33 bench points per game while its opponents are only averaging 16.6 bench points per game.
 
Up Next
        North Dakota State travels to Tulsa, Okla., to take on Oral Roberts in a Summit League game Thursday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m., before facing Denver in a league contest Saturday, Jan. 13, at 1 p.m. MT in Denver, Colo.