Scene Setter
    The North Dakota State women's basketball team hits the road for a pair of games this week, traveling to Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday, Jan. 30 and Western Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 1. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. (central) against the Mastodons in Fort Wayne, Ind., while the Bison will take on the Leathernecks at 4:30 p.m. in Macomb, Ill. Keith Brake will have the call for both games on Bison 1660 and 92.7 FM. The game against Purdue Fort Wayne will be available on YouTube.com, while the game against Western Illinois will air on either ESPN+ or ESPN3.

Purdue Fort Wayne Series History
       North Dakota State leads the all-time series 18-10, going back to a 79-68 Bison victory in Fargo on Jan. 21, 2006. NDSU is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings with the Mastodons.

Western Illinois Series History
       The Leathernecks own a 16-10 lead in the all-time series that dates to a 72-67 Western Illinois victory on Jan. 12, 2008 in Macomb. The Leathernecks have won 11 of the last 12 meetings, with NDSU's last victory in Macomb coming on Jan. 18, 2014 by a score of 83-77.

Bison Notes

• North Dakota State defeated Denver 85-80 Sunday in overtime at the Scheels Center. It was the first overtime victory for NDSU since beating Oral Roberts 75-72 on March 1, 2008.
• Senior Rylee Nudell and junior Emily Dietz each had a double-double for the Bison. Dietz finished with 21 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, while Nudell had 18 points and 12 rebounds.
• North Dakota State led through three quarters Friday night in Brookings before falling 60-52 to defending Summit League Champion South Dakota State.
• Junior Michelle Gaislerova moved into third in school history in 3-pointers made, as she now has 161 after hitting five against the Jackrabbits.
• North Dakota State closed the game on a 10-1 run last Sunday, as the Bison beat North Dakota 92-82.
• Nudell notched her second career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds against the Fighting Hawks. 
• 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. 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.

Scouting Purdue Fort Wayne

• The Mastodons are 5-15 overall and 1-6 in the Summit League after a 58-57 victory over Omaha on Sunday. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak.
• Thursday's game will be played at Memorial Coliseum, where the Mastodons are 1-4 in the last seven years. It is the only scheduled game at Memorial Coliseum this year for PFW.
• Purdue Fort Wayne ranks 24th in the country in free throw percentage at 75.8 percent. The Mastodons rank 274th in free throws made with 194 and 308th in attempts with 256.
• Sh'Toya Sanders ranks 31st in the nation with 2.12 blocks per game and 43rd with 36 blocks on the year.
• Anna Lappenkuper ranks 31st in the country with 36.44 minutes played per game, while Hannah Albrecht ranks 58th with 35.6 per game.

Scouting Western Illinois

• The Leathernecks are 11-10 overall and 5-3 in the Summit League after a  77-71 loss at North Dakota on Sunday. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak.
• Western Illinois ranks second in the nation in free throw attempts with 500 and fifth in makes with 313, but ranks 305th in percentage at 62.6 percentage. 
• The Leathernecks rank sixth in the nation with 580 3-point attempts and 10th in makes with 175.
• Olivia Kaufmann ranks ninth in the nation with 137 free throw attempts, while ranking 23rd with 90 makes. Kaufmann also ranks 42nd in the country with 351 points.
• Evan Zars ranks 16th in the country with 205 rebounds and 36th with 9.8 per game.

Last Time Against Purdue Fort Wayne
     Purdue Fort Wayne outscored the North Dakota State women's basketball team 30-14 in the fourth quarter, as the Mastodons beat the Bison 66-46 in the regular season finale for both teams.
    The Bison (7-21, 4-12 Summit) entered the game locked into the seven seed in the Summit League Tournament, while the Mastodons (7-21, 3-13 Summit) were fighting for the final spot in the tournament.
    NDSU struggled in the first quarter, shooting just 17.6 percent (3-of-17) and trailed 12-9 after Purdue Fort Wayne hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Purdue Fort Wayne took a 27-23 lead at the break. 
    Purdue Fort Wayne was 12-of-16 from the field, while connecting on all three 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter. The Bison were 6-of-9 in the final quarter, but turned the ball over six times, which led to 12 Mastodon points.
    Rylee Nudell led the Bison with 14 points, while Michelle Gaislerova joined her in double figures with 12. Gaislerova moved into sole possession of third in school history with 74 3-pointers made on the season. Sh'Toya Sanders led the Mastodons with a game-high 22 points. Gaislerova led the Bison with six rebounds, while Tyrah Spencer and Danneka Voegeli had five boards apiece. Spencer also had a team-high three assists.
    NDSU was 18-of-49 (36.7%) from the floor and 4-of-17 (23.5%) from 3-point range. The Mastodons were 26-of-50 (52%) from the field and 6-of-12 from downtown. Purdue Fort Wayne was 8-of-18 (44.4%) from the free throw line, while NDSU was 6-of-7 (85.7%) at the charity stripe. The Mastodons held advantages in points in the paint (36-16) and points off turnovers (23-6).

Last Time Against Western Illinois
     A 3-pointer by Western Illinois with :13 left in double overtime gave the Leathernecks a 79-78 victory over the North Dakota State women's basketball team at the Scheels Center. It was the first double overtime game for the Bison in nearly four years.
    The Bison dropped to 3-11 overall and 0-2 in the Summit League, while Western Illinois improved to 7-8 overall and 1-1 in league play.
    A pair of North Dakota natives paced the Bison, as Rylee Nudell and Emily Dietz each finished with a double-double. It was the fifth career double-double for Dietz with a season-high 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Nudell tallied her first career double-double with a season-high 21 points and career-high 15 rebounds. It was the fifth career 20-plus point game for Dietz, while it was the second for Nudell. Michelle Gaislerova added 12 points. Olivia Kaufmann led the Leathernecks with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Evan Zars had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
    Dietz added a career-high five assists. Danneka Voegeli had eight rebounds, while Sofija Zivaljevic tied a career-high with two steals. Cirkeline Rimdal had a career-high two blocked shots.
    The Bison were 31-of-83 (37.3%) from the field and 3-of-22 (13.6%) from 3-point range. Western Illinois was 28-of-77 (36.4%) from the floor and 4-of-24 (16.7%) from downtown. The Leathernecks were 19-of-33 (57.6%) at the free throw line, while NDSU was 13-of-24 (54.2%) at the charity stripe. It was a season-low shooting percentage from the free throw line for NDSU, as the Bison entered the game ranked 63rd in the nation shooting 73.4 percent from the line.
    Western Illinois jumped on the Bison early thanks to a 13-1 run in the first quarter. The Bison slowly chipped away at the lead, taking the first lead of their own after six-straight points from Nudell in the fourth quarter, as the Bison led 54-53 with 7:29 to play. The Leathernecks responded with a 7-2 run before baskets by Nudell with 2:51 to play and a layup by Dietz with :04 left sent the game to overtime. A baseline jumper by Sam Pryor at the buzzer in overtime forced a second overtime at 68-68. NDSU led by as much as five with 3:50 to play in the second overtime before Pryor hit her third 3-pointer of the game with :13 to play to give the Leathernecks the 79-78 victory. The Bison had a shot at the buzzer, but couldn't get it to fall. 

Last Time Out
    The North Dakota State women's basketball team scored the final six points of regulation to force overtime, where the Bison beat Denver 85-80 Sunday afternoon at the Scheels Center.
    NDSU improved to 5-14 overall and 2-5 in the Summit League with the victory. The Pioneers dropped to 9-12 overall and 3-5 in league play. The two teams split the season series, as the Pioneers won the Summit League opener for both schools on Dec. 29 in Denver.
    Emily Dietz and Rylee Nudell each had a double-double to lead the Bison. Dietz finished with 21 points and tied a career-high with 13 rebounds, while Nudell had 18 points and 12 rebounds. It was the fifth double-double of the season for Dietz and the third for Nudell. Dietz went over the 20 point mark for the fifth time in her career. Ryan Cobbins had 14 points, while Nicole Scales had a season-high 11 points. Cobbins had a season-high five assists, while Dietz dished out four. Nudell tied a career-high with three steals, while Sofija Zivaljevic and Cobbins each had two, tying a career-high for Zivaljevic. Nudell moved into eighth in school history with her 97th career start. Madison Nelson, the second-leading scorer and leading rebounder in the Summit League, finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds. 
    Denver had a 32-9 advantage in points off turnovers, as the Pioneers capitalized on 32 NDSU turnovers. The Bison had a season-high 54 points in the paint. NDSU was 32-of-59 (54.2%) from the field and 4-of-18 (22.2%) from 3-point range. Denver was 30-of-80 (37.5%) from the floor and 6-of-27 (22.2%) from downtown. NDSU was 17-of-24 (70.8%) at the free throw line, while Denver was 14-of-18 (77.8%).
    The Pioneers had their largest lead of the game in the first quarter, using a 13-4 run over a 5:15 span to take a 19-11 lead after the first quarter. The Bison slowly cut into the lead, using a 12-4 run over the final 4:23 of the first half to tie the game at 33-33 at the break. Denver again pushed the lead to eight late in the third quarter on a 10-2 run. NDSU used a 19-7 run over a 5:28 span late in the third quarter into the fourth quarter to take a 60-56 lead with 6:17 to play. The Pioneers responded with a 13-3 run, taking a 69-63 lead with 1:33 to play on back-to-back jumpers by Meghan Boyd. A layup by Dietz with :06 to play in regulation tied the game before Cobbins stole the Denver inbounds pass to send the game to overtime. NDSU opened overtime with an 8-3 run and never trailed in the extra period.
    The overtime victory was the first for the Bison since defeating Oral Roberts 75-72 in overtime on March 1, 2008.

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 16 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 continue the three-game road trip next week at Omaha, facing the Mavericks at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6 at Baxter Arena.