North Dakota State Athletics
Fort Wayne
Players Mentioned
Bison Women Host Fort Wayne for Alumni Day Saturday Afternoon
1/18/2018 2:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
North Dakota State vs. Fort Wayne
Saturday, Jan. 20 | 1 p.m. | Fargo, N.D. (Scheels Center)
Radio: Bison 1660 AM, 92.7 FM, Bison1660.com, Bison 1660 app
TV: MidcoSN2, ESPN3
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio | Promotions
NDSU Notes (PDF)
NDSU WBB on Twitter: @NDSUwbb
Scene Setter
After playing three of its first four Summit League games on the road, North Dakota State is scheduled to return home to the friendly confines of the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex to take on the Fort Wayne Mastodons in a league contest Saturday, Jan. 20, at 1 p.m.
Series History
Saturday's game against Fort Wayne will be the 26th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 1996. NDSU leads the series, 16-9. Last season, the Bison split a pair of games vs. the Mastodons, winning in Fargo, 68-56, before falling in Fort Wayne, Ind., 72-68.
Bison Notes
- NDSU enters Saturday's game with a 7-11 overall record and a Summit League tally of 0-4.
- The Bison have been idle since a 98-79 loss at Denver Saturday, Jan. 13.
- Through 18 games, the Bison are led by sophomore forward Rylee Nudell (9.9 points per game, 56 percent field-goal percentage), freshman guard Michelle Gaislerova (9.7 points per game, 47 percent three-point field-goal percentage) and sophomore forward Reilly Jacobson (9.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game).
- Nudell ranks third in The Summit League in field-goal percentage (56 percent), while Gaislerova is second in three-point field-goal percentage (46 percent). Freshman Macey Kvilvang ranks second in blocks with 1.2 blocks per game, and sophomore Sarah Jacobson ranks second in assists with 4.6 assists per game.
- As a team, the Bison are averaging 69.2 points, 37.1 rebounds and 15 turnovers per game while their opponents are averaging 70.9 points, 40.6 boards and 13.9 turnovers per contest.
- NDSU leads The Summit League in three-point field-goal percentage (38 percent) and blocks (four blocks per game), and ranks second in assists (17.3 assists per game).
- The Bison were picked to finish sixth in The Summit League preseason poll.
About Fort Wayne
- The Fort Wayne Mastodons enter the week at 4-14 overall and 1-4 in league action after falling at South Dakota Jan. 13, 85-43.
- Fort Wayne is scheduled to play at Western Illinois Thursday before taking on the Bison Saturday.
- Through 18 games, Fort Wayne is led by junior guard De'Jour Young (11.5 points and six rebounds per game).
- As a team, the Mastodons are averaging 58.3 points, 32 rebounds and 17.6 turnovers per game while their opponents are averaging 72.5 points, 31.8 boards and 11.6 turnovers per contest.
- Fort Wayne was picked to finish eighth in The Summit League preseason poll.
- The Mastodons are under the leadership of second season head coach Niecee Nelson.
Last Time Out: Denver Catches Fire from Three-Point Range to Down Bison Women
The Denver Pioneers made 16 three-pointers to help guide them to a 98-79 win over the North Dakota State University women's basketball team Saturday, Jan. 13, inside Hamilton Gymnasium.
The Bison were led by sophomore Reilly Jacobson, who scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Fellow sophomore Rylee Nudell added 14 points, while senior Taylor Thunstedt and freshman Macey Kvilvang each netted 10.
For the game, NDSU shot 46 percent from the field, 37 percent from three-point range and 76 percent at the free-throw line.
NDSU jumped out to a 21-16 lead after the end of the first quarter, but Denver outscored North Dakota State in the second quarter, 31-18, to take control of the game.
Lauren Loven netted a game-high 18 points and made four three-pointers to lead the Pioneers, while Claire Gritt scored 17 points and snagged eight rebounds.
Denver shot 42 percent from the field and made 16 of 38 attempts from long range for 42 percent. The Pioneers outrebounded the Bison, 46-35, including a 20-9 advantage in offensive boards.
Denver scored 20 second-chance points and turned 18 NDSU turnovers into 17 points.
From Downtown
The Bison lead The Summit League and rank 19th nationally in three-point field-goal percentage at 38 percent through 18 games. Individually, NDSU has two players ranked in the top-10 in the league in three-point field-goal percentage. Michelle Gaislerova leads the league at 46 percent, while Sarah Jacobson is tied for seventh at 42 percent.
Sharing the Basketball
Through 18 games, North Dakota State ranks second in The Summit League and 27th nationally in assists per game (17.3). The Bison rank 25th nationally in total assists (311).
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 18 games. Jacobson leads NDSU and ranks second in the league with 4.6 assist per game while Fernandez is tied for sixth with 2.9 assists per game.
Gaislerova Finding Her Shot from Long Range
Michelle Gaislerova is averaging a team-best 11.2 points and shooting 50 percent from three-point range in her last five games, making 11 out of 22 treys.
Rylee and Reilly Making an Impact Offensively and Defensively
Through 18 games, Rylee Nudell and Reilly Jacobson are averaging a combined 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Nudell is averaging 9.9 points, 3.6 boards and 2.1 assists per game while Jacobson is averaging 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Converting Shots
Rylee Nudell leads NDSU and ranks third in The Summit League in field-goal percentage at 56 percent. She has made 74 shots in 132 attempts in 18 games.
Jacobson, Gaislerova Leading NDSU in League Action
Reilly Jacobson and Michelle Gaislerova lead the Bison through four Summit League games. Jacobson is averaging 10.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while Gaislerova is averaging 10 points and shooting 47 percent from three-point range in league action.
The Bison Block Party
Entering Saturday's contest against Fort Wayne, NDSU leads The Summit League in blocked shots with 69 blocks and 4.3 blocks per game. Individually, four Bison rank in the top-10 in the league in blocks. Macey Kvilvang is third with 22 blocks and 1.2 blocks per game, while Reilly Jacobson is fifth with 18 blocks and 1.1 blocks per game. Autumn Ogden and Marina Fernandez are tied for 10th with 13 blocks and 0.7 blocks per game.
Taking Care of the Basketball
Through 18 games, Rylee Nudell ranks second (2.3), Sarah Jacobson ranks sixth (1.7) and Marina Fernandez ranks ninth (1.5) in The Summit League in assist-to-turnover ratio. Nudell has 37 assists and 16 turnovers, Jacobson has 82 assists and 48 turnovers, and Fernandez has 52 assists and 34 turnovers.
Bench Contributions
The NDSU bench has outscored opposing benches 596-327 through 18 games. NDSU is averaging 33.1 bench points per game while its opponents are only averaging 18.2 bench points per game.
On the Horizon
The Bison travel to Omaha and Western Illinois for a pair of Summit League road games Jan. 24 and 27.
