Women's Basketball | 1/30/2018 3:27:00 PM

Scene Setter
            After playing five of its first seven Summit League games on the road, the North Dakota State University women's basketball team is scheduled to return home to the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex to take on Summit League preseason favorite South Dakota State Thursday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. on National Girls & Women in Sports Day. NDSU will close out the week with a road contest at current Summit League leader South Dakota Saturday, Feb. 3, at 1 p.m. in Vermillion, S.D., at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
 
Series History

• South Dakota State: Thursday's game against SDSU will mark the 87th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 1976. The Jackrabbits lead the series, 47-39, and have won the last six meetings against the Bison. North Dakota State fell to South Dakota State earlier this season on Jan. 6 in Brookings, 83-63.
• South Dakota: Saturday's tilt in Vermillion against USD will be the 70th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 1977. NDSU leads the series, 42-27. The Bison fell to the Coyotes in Fargo earlier this season on Jan. 2, 82-67.

Bison Notes

• NDSU enters the week with an overall record of 8-13 and a Summit League mark of 1-6 after falling at defending Summit League tournament champion Western Illinois, 97-72, Saturday, Jan. 27.
• Through 21 games, the Bison are led by sophomore forwards Reilly Jacobson (10.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game) and Rylee Nudell (10.1 points per game, 56 percent field-goal percentage), and sophomore guard Sarah Jacobson (10.1 points and 4.4 assists per game).
• Nudell ranks third in The Summit League in field-goal percentage (56 percent), while Sarah Jacobson ranks second in assists (4.4 per game), three-point field-goal percentage (46 percent) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6).
• Freshman forward Macey Kvilvang is second in the league in blocks (1.4 per game), and freshman guard Michelle Gaislerova is fifth in three-point field-goal percentage (44 percent).
• As a team, the Bison are averaging 69.3 points, 36.8 rebounds and 15.1 turnovers per game while their opponents are averaging 71.9 points, 39.4 boards and 13.6 turnovers per contest.
• NDSU leads The Summit League in three-point field-goal percentage (38 percent) and blocks (4.9 per game), and ranks second in assists (17.4 per game).
• The Bison were picked to finish sixth in The Summit League preseason poll.

About South Dakota State

• The South Dakota State University Jackrabbits enter Thursday with an overall record of 17-5 and a Summit League record of 6-1 after rolling to a 105-49 win over Fort Wayne Jan. 27.
• SDSU has won eight of its last nine games.
• The Jacks are ranked ninth in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
• Through 22 contests, SDSU is led by junior Macy Miller, who leads The Summit League in scoring at 18.7 points per game, and junior Madison Guebert, who is averaging 15.1 points per game.
• Sophomore forward Tagyn Larson leads the Jackrabbits in rebounding with 5.9 boards per game.
• As a team, South Dakota State is averaging 76.1 points, 39.9 rebounds and 13.8 turnovers per game while its adversaries are averaging 62.9 points, 34.2 boards and 14.8 turnovers per game.
• The Jackrabbits were picked to win The Summit League in the league's preseason poll.
• SDSU is under the direction of 18th season head coach Aaron Johnston.

About South Dakota

• The South Dakota Coyotes enter the week with an overall record of 17-5 and a Summit League tally of 8-0 after winning at Denver Jan. 27, 82-60. USD has won its last 11 games.
• South Dakota is scheduled to host Western Illinois Thursday before facing the Bison Saturday.
• The Coyotes are ranked 15th in the most recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. 
• Through 22 games, the Coyotes are led by junior guard Allison Arens (12.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game), sophomore guard Ciara Duffy (12.4 points per game, 41 percent three-point field-goal percentage) and junior guard Jaycee Bradley (10.1 points per game, 44 percent three-point field-goal percentage).
• Duffy and redshirt senior guard Jasmine Trimboli pace the Yotes on the glass with five rebounds per game.
• As a team, South Dakota is averaging 73.1 points, 32 rebounds and 13.1 turnovers per game while its opponents are averaging 58.7 points, 30.7 boards and 18.5 turnovers per game.
• The Coyotes lead The Summit League in scoring defense (58.7 points per game) and free-throw percentage (79 percent), and rank second in field-goal percentage (46.5 percent), steals (10.5 per game) and three-point field-goal percentage defense (33 percent).
• USD was picked to finish third in The Summit League preseason poll.
• South Dakota is under the leadership of second season head coach Dawn Plitzuweit.

Last Time Out: Jacobson Nets Career-High, but NDSU Women's Basketball Falls at Western Illinois
            Sophomore Sarah Jacobson netted a career-high 26 points, but it wasn't enough, as the North Dakota State University women's basketball team fell at defending Summit League tournament champion Western Illinois, 97-72, Saturday, Jan. 27, inside Western Hall.
            Jacobson made 10 field goals, including six three-point field goals during her career-best effort. She added seven rebounds and a team-high four assists in the game.
            Sophomores Rylee Nudell and Reilly Jacobson also scored in double figures for the Bison (8-13, 1-6 Summit League) with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Jacobson paced North Dakota State on the glass with eight rebounds.
            NDSU shot 49 percent from the floor and 47 percent from three-point range, and outrebounded the Leathernecks (16-6, 6-2 Summit League) 38-31 in the contest, but committed 21 turnovers which led to 25 WIU points.
            The Bison led 19-18 after Sarah Jacobson drilled a three-pointer with 2:35 remaining in the first quarter, but the Leathernecks were able to gain the advantage for the remainder of the game less than a minute later when Michelle Farrow converted a trey.
            Farrow tallied a career-best 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a 7-for-11 performance from long range, to pace three Leathernecks in double figures.
            For the game, Western Illinois shot 50 percent from the field and made a program-record 19 three-pointers.
 
On the Road
            North Dakota State and Denver each played five of their first seven Summit League contests on the road -- the most of any other league team through seven games. NDSU only played at home for two games in the month of January -- the 2nd against South Dakota and the 20th against Fort Wayne. The Bison will play five of their final seven contests at home during the second-half of league action.
 
Jacobson² Leading Bison in League Play
            Sophomores Sarah Jacobson and Reilly Jacobson are averaging a combined 24.9 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in North Dakota State's seven Summit League games. Reilly Jacobson is averaging a team-high 12.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and is shooting 51 percent from the floor, while Sarah Jacobson is averaging 12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and a team-best 3.4 assists per game in league play.
 
Jacobson among NDSU Career Leaders
            Sarah Jacobson broke into the NDSU career records top 10 in both three-point field-goal percentage and assists average after playing in her 51st career game at Western Illinois. Jacobson is second in career three-point field-goal percentage at 40 percent and seventh in career assists average with 3.9 assists per game.
 
Thunstedt Ascends NDSU Career Scoring Chart
            Senior Taylor Thunstedt moved up to 12th-place on the NDSU women's basketball career scoring records chart with 1,356 career points after NDSU's game at Western Illinois Jan. 27. She holds the NDSU career records for both three-point field goals made (271) and attempted (709), and ranks third in career three-point field-goal percentage (38 percent) and 10th in career scoring average (12.6 points per game).
 
From Downtown
             The Bison lead The Summit League and rank 17th nationally in three-point field-goal percentage at 38 percent through 21 games. Individually, NDSU has two players ranked in the top-10 in the league in three-point field-goal percentage. Sarah Jacobson is second at 46 percent while Michelle Gaislerova is fifth at 44 percent.
 
Sharing the Basketball
            Through 21 games, North Dakota State ranks second in The Summit League and 21st nationally in assists per game (17.4). The Bison rank 23rd nationally in total assists (366).
 
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 21 games. Jacobson leads NDSU and ranks second in the league with 4.4 assist per game while Fernandez is sixth with 2.9 assists per game.
 
Jacobson, for Three!
            Through seven Summit League games, Sarah Jacobson is shooting a team-high 51 percent from three-point range. The Fargo native has made 18 of 35 attempts from downtown.
 
Reilly and Rylee Making an Impact Offensively and Defensively
            Through 21 games, Reilly Jacobson and Rylee Nudell are averaging a combined 20.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Jacobson is averaging 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while Nudell is averaging 10.1 points, 3.8 boards and 2.2 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 87 shots in 156 attempts in 21 games.
 
The Bison Block Party
            Entering the week NDSU leads The Summit League in blocked shots with 102 blocks and 4.9 blocks per game. Individually, four Bison rank in the top-10 in the league in blocks. Macey Kvilvang is second with 29 blocks and 1.4 blocks per game, Reilly Jacobson is fifth with 23 blocks and 1.2 blocks per game, Marina Fernandez is ninth with 16 blocks and 0.8 blocks per game, and Autumn Ogden is 10th with 15 blocks and 0.7 blocks per game.
 
Taking Care of the Basketball
            Through 21 games, Sarah Jacobson ranks second in The Summit League in assist-to-turnover ratio. Jacobson has 93 assists and 58 turnovers.
 
Bench Contributions
            The NDSU bench has outscored opposing benches 657-409 through 21 games. NDSU is averaging 31.3 bench points per game while its opponents are only averaging 19.5 bench points per game.
 
On the Horizon
            The Bison host Oral Roberts Feb. 8 and Denver Feb. 10 at the Scheels Center.