Scene Setter
    The North Dakota State women's basketball team will play a pair of games this weekend, as the Bison head to Brookings, S.D. on Friday, Jan. 24, to face South Dakota State before hosting Denver on Sunday, Jan. 26 at the Scheels Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Frost Arena on Friday, while Sunday's game will start at 1 p.m. in Fargo. Both games will be televised on MidcoSN, with Friday's game also on ESPN+ and Sunday's game on ESPN3. Keith Brake will have the call of both games on Bison 1660 and 92.7 FM.

South Dakota State Series History
      The Jackrabbits own a 51-39 lead in the all-time series that dates to a 77-61 South Dakota
State win in Brookings on Dec. 3, 1976. South Dakota State has won 10-straight games in the
series, with the last Bison win coming on Jan. 4, 2015, an 83-78 win at Scheels Arena. The last win
in Brookings for NDSU was Dec. 4, 2010, a 78-71 victory at Frost Arena.

Denver Series History
       Denver owns a 10-9 lead in a series that dates back to an 86-54 Bison victory on Dec. 19, 1987 in Denver. The Pioneers have won the last five meetings, while the last NDSU victory came on Feb. 15, 2017, winning 67-58 in Fargo.

Bison Notes

• North Dakota State closed the game on a 10-1 run Sunday, as the Bison beat North Dakota 92-82.
• Senior Rylee Nudell notched her second career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds against the Fighting Hawks. 
• Junior Michelle Gaislerova and freshman Ryan Cobbins each had a season-high 22 points in the victory over North Dakota.
• South Dakota, ranked 21st in the latest USA Today/WBCA Top 25, defeated NDSU 80-36 on Jan. 16. NDSU dropped to 0-10 in the NCAA Division I era against ranked teams.
• Cobbins had a career-high 15 points in the loss against the Coyotes, while Gaislerova went over 900 points for her career.
• NDSU dropped to 0-3 in the Summit League with a 70-62 loss at Oral Roberts on Jan. 8.
• Nudell surpassed 800 points for her career with seven points against Oral Roberts.
• Gaislerova became the fourth player in school history to hit 150 or more career 3-pointers with two against the Golden Eagles.
• NDSU played the fourth double overtime game in school history Jan. 2, falling 79-78 against Western Illinois.
• Nudell turned in her first career double-double with a season-high 21 points and career-high 15 rebounds. Junior Emily Dietz had her fifth career double-double with a season-high 24 points and 12 rebounds.
• The Bison shot a season-low 54.2 percent (13-of-24) at the free throw line in the loss. NDSU was shooting 73.4 percent from the charity stripe entering the game.
• NDSU opened Summit League play on Dec. 29, dropping a 91-82 contest at Denver.
• Gaislerova tied a season-high with 21 points to lead the Bison against the Pioneers. It was the 10th career 20-plus point game for Gaislerova and the 50th double digit performance of her career.
• The Bison closed non-conference play on Dec. 22, defeating Waldorf 92-26.
• NDSU attempted 35 3-pointers, the second most in school history, while making 14, the fifth  most in school history, in the win over Waldorf.
• Gaislerova moved into fourth in school history with her 147th career 3-pointer against Waldorf.
• The Bison closed non-conference play on Dec. 22, defeating Waldorf 92-26.
• NDSU attempted 35 3-pointers, the second most in school history, while making 14, the fifth  most in school history, in the win over Waldorf.
• Gaislerova moved into fourth in school history with her 147th career 3-pointer against Waldorf.
• NDSU used a 38-7 third quarter advantage in a 97-59 victory over Mayville State on Dec. 15.
• The Bison moved to 27-0 all-time against the Comets.

Scouting South Dakota State

• The Jackrabbits enter Friday's game with a 14-7 overall record and 6-1 Summit League record.
• 21st-ranked South Dakota defeated South Dakota State 83-48 on Sunday, snapping the Jackrabbits seven-game winning streak.
• South Dakota State ranks sixth in the nation with 355 assists on the year, while ranking 28th with 16.9 per game. 
• The Jackrabbits rank 14th in the nation in free throw attempts with 395 and 21st in makes with 266, but rank 207th in percentage at 67.3
• Rylie Cascio Jensen has played 680:24 minutes, the fifth most in the nation. Cascio Jensen ranks 64th in the country with 79 assists and 43rd with a 2.19 assists-to-turnover ratio.

Scouting Denver

• The Pioneers are 8-11 overall and 2-4 in the Summit League entering Friday night's game at North Dakota.
• After defeating NDSU 91-82 in the Summit League opener, the Pioneers dropped four-straight league games against North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Western Illinois before downing Omaha on Jan. 18. 
• Denver leads the nation in free throws made with 321, while ranking sixth with 419 attempts. The Pioneers also rank 19th in the nation in percentage at 76.6.
• The Pioneers rank sixth in the nation with 810 rebounds, while ranking 14th with 16.1 offensive boards per game.
• Madison Nelson ranks third in the nation with 203 rebounds and 16th with 4.2 offensive boards per game.

Last Time Against South Dakota State
    South Dakota State (20-6, 12-1 Summit) used a 10-0 run late in the first quarter to take the lead for good, as the Jackrabbits beat North Dakota State (6-19, 3-10 Summit) 88-48 in women's basketball action at the Scheels Center.
    The Bison were up 7-6 on a 3-pointer by Tyrah Spencer with 7:07 to play in the first quarter when the Jackrabbits started the run. Macy Miller, who finished with 30 points, scored the first eight points of the run. A layup by Paiton Burckhard with :05 left in the quarter gave SDSU a 21-15 lead after the opening frame.
    A Miller 3-pointer started the second quarter, as the Jackrabbits opened the quarter on a 12-2 run to take a 33-17 lead with 4:27 left in the half. A quick 7-0 run by the Bison trimmed the lead back to single digits, but SDSU ended the half by scoring 10-straight points to take a 43-24 lead at the break.
    The Jackrabbits outscored NDSU 24-7 in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 67-31 going into the final frame. The lead would reach 48 in the fourth quarter before NDSU finished the game on a 9-1 run.
    Michelle Gaislerova finished with 16 points for the Bison, as she hit the double figures mark for the 20th time this season. With three 3-pointers, she moved into a tie for fourth in school history with 65 on the season. Emily Dietz and Sofija Zivaljevic added nine points apiece. Rylee Nudell had seven rebounds, while Marina Fernandez and Zivaljevic each had five boards, tying a career-high for Zivaljevic. Nudell led the Bison with four assists, while Zivaljevic had three.
    NDSU was 19-of-52 (36.5%) from the floor and 5-of-17 (29.4%) from 3-point range. The Jackrabbits were 36-of-61 (59%) from the field and 8-for-16 from downtown. SDSU was 8-of-12 at the free throw line, while NDSU was 5-of-6 (83.3%) at the charity stripe. The Jackrabbits had a 46-24 advantage in the paint and led in points off turnovers 22-9.

Last Time Against Denver
    Denver opened the fourth quarter on a 15-5 run, as the Pioneers defeated the North Dakota State women's basketball team 91-82 in the Summit League opener for both schools. The Bison dropped to 3-10 overall, while the Pioneers evened their record at 7-7 on the year. 
    Michelle Gaislerova tied a season-high with 21 points to lead the Bison. It was the 10th career 20-plus point game for Gaislerova and the 50th double digit performance of her career. Emily Dietz and Danneka Voegeli had 14 points each, while Sofija Zivaljevic and Rylee Nudell had 11 points apiece to join Gaislerova in double figures. It was a season-high for Voegeli. Madison Nelson led five Pioneers in double figures with 31 points, while also adding 12 rebounds. 
    Olivia Skibiel had a career-high nine rebounds, while Nudell, Dietz and Voegeli each had seven boards. Zivaljevic had five assists, while Cirkeline Rimdal had a career-high four. Gaislerova added a season-high two steals.
    The Bison were 33-of-80 (41.3%) from the floor and 6-of-25 (24%) from downtown. NDSU was 1-of-10 from 3-point range in the second half. Denver was 35-of-81 (43.2%) from the field and 9-of-25 (36%) from 3-point range, including 6-of-13 from downtown in the second half. Both teams went to the free throw line 15 times, with NDSU hitting 10 and the Pioneers connecting on 12. NDSU led for 26:27 of the game. The Pioneers had a 24-7 advantage in fast break points and a 42-19 edge in bench points.
    NDSU opened the game with a 14-4 lead in the first 4:51 of the game. The Pioneers responded with eight-straight points in less than a minute before NDSU closed the first quarter on a 10-3 run to take a 27-17 lead after the first frame. Gaislerova connected on a 3-pointer to start the second quarter, giving NDSU its largest lead of the game at 30-17. Denver cut the lead to two with 2:47 left in the half, but the Bison took a 48-42 lead at halftime. Dietz opened the third quarter with a layup before the Pioneers went on a 13-4 run over a 3:12 span to take their first lead of the game. The Bison responded with a 9-2 run to go back up 63-57 with 4:42 to play in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Lauren Loven :10 into the fourth quarter gave Denver the lead for good.

Last Time Out
    The North Dakota State women's basketball team used a 10-1 run in the final 2:23 Sunday afternoon, as the Bison beat rival North Dakota 92-82 at the Scheels Center.
    NDSU improved to 4-13 on the year and 1-4 in Summit League play with the victory, while North Dakota dropped to 12-7 overall and 3-3 in league play.
    Michelle Gaislerova and Ryan Cobbins led the Bison with a season-high 22 points apiece. It was the 11th career 20-plus point game for Gaislerova, while she moved into a tie for third in school history with 156 career 3-pointers. Sofija Zivaljevic had 15 points, while Rylee Nudell had 11. Zivaljevic was 11-for-11 at the free throw line, becoming the 16th player in school history to be perfect at the line with over 10 attempts in a game. Julia Fleecs led the Fighting Hawks with 18 points. Nudell had a game-high 11 points and a season-high four assists, as she notched her second career double-double. Zivaljevic had six rebounds, while Cobbins added three steals. 
    The Bison were 27-of-54 from the field and 6-of-16 (37.5%) from 3-point range. North Dakota was 23-of-61 (37.7%) from the floor and 7-of-19 (36.8%) from downtown. Both teams frequented the free throw line, with the Bison going 32-of-38 (84.2%) and the Fighting Hawks going 29-of-33 (87.9%). NDSU was just 1-of-6 from the floor in the fourth quarter, but went 15-of-18 at the free throw line.
    NDSU jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first minute of the game. A late 9-2 run gave NDSU a 23-19 lead after the first quarter. North Dakota took its first lead of the game with 8:21 to play in the first half, but held the lead for just 1:07. The Bison used an 18-6 run over a 4:57 span in the second quarter to take a 49-41 lead at the break. NDSU's largest lead came at 62-49 with 4:44 to play in the third quarter after a free throw from Olivia Skibiel. The Bison led by 10 with 9:30 to play before the Fighting Hawks went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 77-76 with 7:16 to play. NDSU led 82-81 following a 3-pointer by Lilly Keplin with 4:58 to play. That would be the final basket of the game for North Dakota, as the Bison closed the game on a 10-1 run, getting only a layup from Emily Dietz with 1:19 to play in the game with the rest of the points coming at the free throw line.

A New 3-Point Streak
    The Bison went 0-of-14 from 3-point range against Valparaiso on Nov. 15, ending a streak of 113-straight games with at least two 3-pointers. The last time NDSU didn't hit a 3-pointer in a game was Nov. 29, 2015 against Delaware. Since the game against Valparaiso, the Bison have hit at least three in each of the last 14 games, including a season-high nine against Iowa State.

Collins Earns 200th Career Victory
    With NDSU's win over New Hampshire on Dec. 1, head coach Jory Collins earned his 200th career victory. In his ninth season overall as a head coach, Collins earned his first win on Nov. 13, 2010, as Emporia State beat Tulsa 68-64. His 100th career win came on Nov. 25, 2014, as Emporia State beat Henderson State 93-53. 

NDSU Women's Basketball Picked Seventh In Summit League Preseason Poll
    The North Dakota State Bison women's basketball team was voted seventh in the Summit League preseason poll released by the league office. South Dakota was tabbed the preseason favorite with 20 first-place votes, while South Dakota State was picked second with 13 first-place votes. Denver, picked for third, received the remaining first place vote. 

MidcoSN to Televise 17 NDSU Women's Basketball Games in 2019-20
    Midco has announced that 17 NDSU women's basketball games during the 2019-20 season will be broadcast on the Midco Sports Network. All games will either be on MidcoSN or MidcsoSN2. In addition, all 17 Midco games, along with games at Northern Iowa and Bradley, will either be available on ESPN+ or ESPN3. 

Bison Sign Three on National Signing Day
    NDSU will add a pair of high school players, while also getting a junior college transfer, head coach Jory Collins announced on Wednesday, Nov. 14.
    Abigail Schulte, a 5-10 guard from Maple Grove, Minn., Kylie Strop, a 5-7 guard from River Falls, Wis. and Reneya Hopkins, a 5-7 junior college transfer from Redlands Community College have all signed during the first signing day for Collins.
    An all-conference junior college performer, Hopkins averaged 14.4 points, 5.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks during her freshman year at RCC. An all-state selection as a junior, Schulte averaged 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a junior. Strop is the all-time leader in scoring and steals at River Falls High School, averaging 19.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.0 steals as a junior. 

On The Horizon
    The Bison will hit the road for three-straight games, starting with a game Jan. 30 at Purdue Fort Wayne. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. (central) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The game will be played at Memorial Coliseum.