Saturday, February 11
Fort Wayne, Ind.
2 p.m.
North Dakota State
at
Fort Wayne
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Christian Dudzik
Bison Women Travel to Fort Wayne Saturday for Crucial Summit League Game
2/10/2017 10:12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NDSU Women's Basketball on Twitter
Complete NDSU Game Notes (PDF)
North Dakota State at Fort Wayne
Saturday, Feb. 11 | 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT) | Fort Wayne, Ind. (Gates Sports Center)
Radio: Bison 1660 AM (Keith Brake, play-by-play)
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
The Game
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team (5-19 overall, 3-8 Summit League) is scheduled to travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., to take on the Fort Wayne Mastodons (4-20 overall, 1-10 Summit League) in a crucial Summit League game Saturday, Feb. 11, at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT).
Series History
Saturday's contest against Fort Wayne will be the 25th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 1996. The Bison lead the series, 16-8. Earlier this season, NDSU defeated Fort Wayne in Fargo, 68-56.
Bison Notes
About Fort Wayne
Defensive Struggles
North Dakota State has struggled defensively during its seven-game skid. The Bison have given up an average of 81.1 points per game and allowed opponents to shoot 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range. NDSU has also turned the ball over an average of 18 times, compared to only 8.9 miscues for its opponents.
Thunstedt Nearing Another Milestone
Taylor Thunstedt is two three-pointers away from breaking her NDSU single-season record for threes made (82), set last season. She is currently at 81 treys on the season.
Nudell Finding Her Shooting Rhythm in League Play
Rylee Nudell is shooting 53 percent from the floor and 58 percent from three-point range in North Dakota State's 11 Summit League contests. The freshman from Buffalo, N.D., has gone 31-for-58 from the field and 7-for-12 from downtown.
RJ Converting Shots
Reilly Jacobson is shooting a team-best 55 percent from the field in the eight Summit League games she has played in. 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. She added 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting at IUPUI Jan. 21.
Jones Crashing the Glass
Brianna Jones leads NDSU and is third in The Summit League with 7.7 rebounds per game. The senior from Indianapolis has four double-doubles this season and is averaging a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game in league play. Entering Saturday, she ranks ninth in NDSU career rebounding average with 7.7 boards per game and second in defensive rebounding average with 4.8 defensive rebounds per contest.
Goodhope's Good Shooting
Anna Goodhope is shooting 53 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range through 11 Summit League contests. The freshman from Sioux Falls has made 25-of-47 shots from the floor and 12-of-27 baskets from beyond-the-arc.
Jacobson Making the Pass
Sarah Jacobson leads North Dakota State and is fourth in The Summit League in assists with 3.7 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 20 games with two or more.
Jones Owning the Offensive Boards in League Action
Through 11 league games, Brianna Jones is averaging 2.3 offensive rebounds per game. Jones has pulled down 25 offensive boards.
Thunstedt Sets New NDSU Career Record for Threes Made, Becomes 33rd Bison to Score At Least 1,000 Points
Success Off the Bench
North Dakota State has a 490-380 bench scoring advantage through 24 games. NDSU is averaging 20.4 bench points per game while its opponents are averaging 15.8 per game. In Summit League play, the Bison bench is averaging 23.5 points per game while opposing benches are averaging just 15.5 per game.
Last Time Out: Big Third Quarter Lifts Western Illinois to Win over NDSU Women's Basketball
The Western Illinois University Leathernecks outscored the North Dakota State University women's basketball team 24-13 in the third quarter to lift them to an 87-60 win over the Bison Wednesday, Feb. 8, in front of 712 spectators inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
NDSU falls to 5-19 on the season and 3-8 in Summit League action with the loss, while WIU improves to 19-6 overall and 9-3 in league play.
Junior guard Taylor Thunstedt scored 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field to lead the Bison, while senior forward Brianna Jones snagged a team-high 11 rebounds.
Freshman guard Sarah Jacobson added a team-best seven assists.
The Bison shot 40 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range, and outrebounded Western Illinois, 44-41, but turned the ball over 22 times.
Morgan Blumer posted a double-double with a game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Leathernecks, while reigning Summit League Player of the Week Emily Clemens added 19 points and eight assists.
WIU shot 41 percent from the floor and 37 percent from three-point range, and outscored North Dakota State in the paint, 34-20, and off turnovers, 19-2.
The Leathernecks tallied 13 steals and only five turnovers in the contest.
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
North Dakota State returns home to the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. for a key Summit League contest against the Denver Pioneers.
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 at Fort Wayne
Saturday, Feb. 11 | 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT) | Fort Wayne, Ind. (Gates Sports Center)
Radio: Bison 1660 AM (Keith Brake, play-by-play)
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
The Game
The North Dakota State University women's basketball team (5-19 overall, 3-8 Summit League) is scheduled to travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., to take on the Fort Wayne Mastodons (4-20 overall, 1-10 Summit League) in a crucial Summit League game Saturday, Feb. 11, at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT).
Series History
Saturday's contest against Fort Wayne will be the 25th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 1996. The Bison lead the series, 16-8. Earlier this season, NDSU defeated Fort Wayne in Fargo, 68-56.
Bison Notes
- The North Dakota State University Bison enter Saturday at 5-19 overall and 3-8 in Summit League action after falling to Western Illinois at home Wednesday, 87-60. The Bison have dropped their last seven games after starting league play 3-1.
- Through 24 contests, junior guard Taylor Thunstedt leads the team and ranks sixth in The Summit League in scoring with 15.9 points per game, while senior forward Brianna Jones paces the team and is third in the league with 7.7 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Sarah Jacobson leads the Bison and is fourth in the league in assists with 3.7 assists per game. Freshman guard/forward Anna Goodhope leads the Bison in field-goal percentage at 52 percent (33-of-63), while freshman forward Reilly Jacobson ranks second at 48 percent (51-of-107).
- Thunstedt ranks fifth in the nation in three-point field goals made with 81 treys in 24 games.
- As a team, the Bison are averaging only 63.8 points per game while giving up 75 points per game. NDSU is outrebounding opponents, 38.9 to 37.2. NDSU's 38.9 rebounds per game leads The Summit League.
About Fort Wayne
- The Fort Wayne Mastodons enter the weekend at 4-20 on the season and 1-10 in Summit League play after losing to South Dakota at home Thursday, 88-52. The Mastodons have dropped their last three games.
- Through 24 games, Fort Wayne is led in scoring and rebounding by sophomore guard De'Jour Young with 12.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
- As a team, Fort Wayne is averaging 56.8 points per game while giving up 70.7 points per game. The Mastodons are being outrebounded 34.0 to 29.6.
- Fort Wayne is ninth out of nine teams in The Summit League in points per game (56.8), rebounds per game (29.6), assists per game (10.0), field-goal percentage (38.1) and three-point field-goal percentage (26.7).
- The Mastodons were picked to finish ninth in The Summit League Preseason Poll.
- Fort Wayne is under the leadership of first season head coach Niecee Nelson.
Defensive Struggles
North Dakota State has struggled defensively during its seven-game skid. The Bison have given up an average of 81.1 points per game and allowed opponents to shoot 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range. NDSU has also turned the ball over an average of 18 times, compared to only 8.9 miscues for its opponents.
Thunstedt Nearing Another Milestone
Taylor Thunstedt is two three-pointers away from breaking her NDSU single-season record for threes made (82), set last season. She is currently at 81 treys on the season.
Nudell Finding Her Shooting Rhythm in League Play
Rylee Nudell is shooting 53 percent from the floor and 58 percent from three-point range in North Dakota State's 11 Summit League contests. The freshman from Buffalo, N.D., has gone 31-for-58 from the field and 7-for-12 from downtown.
RJ Converting Shots
Reilly Jacobson is shooting a team-best 55 percent from the field in the eight Summit League games she has played in. 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. She added 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting at IUPUI Jan. 21.
Jones Crashing the Glass
Brianna Jones leads NDSU and is third in The Summit League with 7.7 rebounds per game. The senior from Indianapolis has four double-doubles this season and is averaging a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game in league play. Entering Saturday, she ranks ninth in NDSU career rebounding average with 7.7 boards per game and second in defensive rebounding average with 4.8 defensive rebounds per contest.
Goodhope's Good Shooting
Anna Goodhope is shooting 53 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range through 11 Summit League contests. The freshman from Sioux Falls has made 25-of-47 shots from the floor and 12-of-27 baskets from beyond-the-arc.
Jacobson Making the Pass
Sarah Jacobson leads North Dakota State and is fourth in The Summit League in assists with 3.7 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 20 games with two or more.
Jones Owning the Offensive Boards in League Action
Through 11 league games, Brianna Jones is averaging 2.3 offensive rebounds per game. Jones has pulled down 25 offensive boards.
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 218 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 the weekend, Thunstedt has 1,115 career points.
Success Off the Bench
North Dakota State has a 490-380 bench scoring advantage through 24 games. NDSU is averaging 20.4 bench points per game while its opponents are averaging 15.8 per game. In Summit League play, the Bison bench is averaging 23.5 points per game while opposing benches are averaging just 15.5 per game.
Last Time Out: Big Third Quarter Lifts Western Illinois to Win over NDSU Women's Basketball
The Western Illinois University Leathernecks outscored the North Dakota State University women's basketball team 24-13 in the third quarter to lift them to an 87-60 win over the Bison Wednesday, Feb. 8, in front of 712 spectators inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
NDSU falls to 5-19 on the season and 3-8 in Summit League action with the loss, while WIU improves to 19-6 overall and 9-3 in league play.
Junior guard Taylor Thunstedt scored 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field to lead the Bison, while senior forward Brianna Jones snagged a team-high 11 rebounds.
Freshman guard Sarah Jacobson added a team-best seven assists.
The Bison shot 40 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range, and outrebounded Western Illinois, 44-41, but turned the ball over 22 times.
Morgan Blumer posted a double-double with a game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Leathernecks, while reigning Summit League Player of the Week Emily Clemens added 19 points and eight assists.
WIU shot 41 percent from the floor and 37 percent from three-point range, and outscored North Dakota State in the paint, 34-20, and off turnovers, 19-2.
The Leathernecks tallied 13 steals and only five turnovers in the contest.
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
North Dakota State returns home to the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. for a key Summit League contest against the Denver Pioneers.
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.
NDSU Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference - March 22, 2026
Sunday, March 22
NDSU Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference - March 19, 2026
Friday, March 20
The Bison Basketball Show - March 11, 2026
Thursday, March 12
The Bison Basketball Show - March 4, 2026
Thursday, March 05
