Bison Women Close Regular Season at South Dakota

Saturday, February 27

Vermillion, S.D.

1 p.m.

North Dakota State Athletics

South Dakota

Photo by: Jacob Reiner

Bison Women Close Regular Season at South Dakota

2/26/2021 12:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball

NDSU Notes Live Streams

Scene Setter
The North Dakota State women's basketball team hits the road for the final weekend of the regular season, facing the South Dakota Coyotes in a pair of games Saturday, Feb. 27 and Sunday, Feb. 28. Both games will tipoff at 1 p.m. at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. Live video is available at GoYotes.com, while Sunday's game will be on MidcoSN2 and ESPN3 with Jay Elsen and David Brown on the call. Keith Brake will have the call on the radio, with Saturday's game airing on The City 94.5 and Sunday's game on Bison 1660.

South Dakota Series History
North Dakota State owns a 42-34 lead in the all-time series that dates back to a 65-61 Coyote win on Jan. 15, 1977 in Vermillion. The Bison are 17-18 all-time in Vermillion, while the Coyotes have won eight-straight in the series and seven-straight in Vermillion. The last NDSU win in Vermillion came on Feb. 2, 2013, as the Bison pulled out a 57-50 win. NDSU's last win in the series was Jan. 4, 2017, an 83-73 victory in Fargo.

Bison Notes

NDSU was swept in a weekend series for the first time this season last weekend, as #25/23 South Dakota State took a pair of games from the Bison.
Saturday's crowd of 1,955 was the largest crowd for an NDSU women's game at home since Jan. 3, 2016, when 2,422 fans attended.
Senior Emily Dietz moved into the top 50 in school history in scoring on Friday night, while posting her 40th career double digit scoring effort on Saturday night.
NDSU earned its fourth weekend sweep of the year Feb. 6 and 7 against Oral Roberts. The Bison won 70-49 on Friday and 78-63 on Saturday.
The 21 point win on Friday against Oral Roberts was the largest NDSU victory this year. With the win on Saturday, NDSU is 7-0 on the year in the second game of a weekend series.
For the second-straight weekend, and third time in conference play, NDSU split a weekend series at Kansas City Jan. 29 & 30. The Bison dropped a 53-45 decision on Friday, but bounced back for a 68-65 win on Saturday.

Scouting South Dakota

The Coyotes are 14-5 overall and 10-2 in Summit League play. South Dakota is locked into the number two seed in the conference tournament.
South Dakota is 63-4 all-time at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, including an active 18-game winning streak. The streak is the fifth longest active streak in the nation.
The Coyotes average just 11.7 turnovers per game, ranking 11th in the nation.
Chloe Lamb ranks 18th in the country in 3-point percentage at 44.2, while also ranking 52nd in makes with 46.

Bison Against the Top 25
                NDSU dropped to 0-14 all-time against teams ranked in the USA Today-WBCA and Associated Press polls after last weekend. The Bison have played three games against ranked opponents this year in Iowa State and the pair against South Dakota State. The Bison dropped two games against a ranked South Dakota squad last season.

Off to a Hot Start
                NDSU's 8-2 start was the best 10-game start against NCAA Division I opponents in school history. It marked the fourth time since 2000 that NDSU had eight victories in the first 10 games and the second in the NCAA Division I era.

Dietz Joins 800/500 Club
                Against Kansas City, Emily Dietz became the 51st player in school history to surpass 800 career points. With eight rebounds against Oral Roberts, Dietz surpassed 500 boards for her career. She became the 31st player in school history, and fifth during the NCAA Division I era, to surpass 800 points and 500 rebounds in a career.

Individual Offensive Ratings
                According to HerHoopStats.com, the Bison have four players with an individual offensive rating over 100. An advanced statistic by Dean Oliver, individual offensive rating estimates the number of points produced by a player per 100 total individual possessions. Emily Dietz leads the team with a 117.5, ranking 132nd in the country. Last year, Dietz finished the season ranked 839th with a 100.5. Michelle Gaislerova (116.2), Ryan Cobbins (107.5) and Abby Schulte (103.8) are in the 90th percentile among NCAA Division I players.

Deaton is Eligible for 2020-21 Season
                On Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 4:28 p.m., the NCAA passed a blanket waiver that allowed all transfers from one NCAA Division I school to another to be eligible this season. The waiver allowed sophomore transfer Kadie Deaton to become eligible, after her waiver had been previously denied. Deaton proceeded to score six points and grab two rebounds in 14 minutes in NDSU's victory over North Dakota later that night.

Experience on the Fly
                Seniors Emily Dietz and Michelle Gaislerova are the only two players on the NDSU roster with more than two years experience playing at the NCAA Division I level. With 84.6 percent of the NDSU roster having two years or less experience, the Bison rank 16th in the country. Murray State, Ole Miss and Indiana State all have a roster complete with players with two or less years of NCAA Division I experience.

Gaislerova, Cobbins Honored by The Summit League
                Michelle Gaislerova and Ryan Cobbins were honored by the Summit League last year. Gaislerova earned a spot on the All-Summit League Honorable Mention team, while Cobbins was named to the Summit League All-Newcomer Team.
                Gaislerova led the Bison with 13.1 points per game in league play, ranking 10th in the league. She ranked seventh in the league in 3-point percentage at 39.4, while leading the Summit League in free throw percentage at 97.4 percent. Her 28 3-pointers were the sixth most in the league.
                Cobbins averaged 10.1 points per game in league play, ranking third among newcomers to the league. She also averaged 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in league play. Cobbins ranked 10th in the league in free throw percentage at 78 percent.

Gaislerova Joins 1,000 Point Club
                Junior Michelle Gaislerova scored 18 points against Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 13, becoming the 34th member of the 1,000 point club. Needing just one point to start the game, Gaislerova scored the opening basket of the game. She is the seventh player to have done so with all years being played during the NCAA Division I era.

A New 3-Point Streak
                The Bison went 0-of-14 from 3-point range against Valparaiso last year, 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 two in each of the last 47 games.

Young and Ready to Run
                The Bison enter the 2020-21 season as one of the youngest teams in America. The Bison average 19.769 years old (year only), which ranks as the 12th youngest team in the country. Oral Roberts, LaSalle, Incarnate Word and Montana State all average 19.3 years.

Gaislerova Makes NCAA History
                With her third made free throw against Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 13, junior Michelle Gaislerova broke the NCAA Division I women's record for most consecutive free throws made with 71. Gaislerova extended the streak to 75 before missing her second attempt against North Dakota on Feb. 23. Her total is the third longest streak in all NCAA women's divisions.

Last Time Against South Dakota
                South Dakota raced out to a 12-0 lead Feb. 20, 2020 and never looked back, as the Coyotes beat the North Dakota State women's basketball team 96-57. The Coyotes entered the game ranked 15th in the USA Today/WBCA Poll and 20th in the Associated Press Top 25. South Dakota is also the top-ranked team in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll.
                The Bison dropped to 8-17 overall and 5-8 in Summit League play. South Dakota improved to 25-2 overall and 14-0 in league play. The Bison clinched a spot in the Summit League Tournament with the win, while South Dakota clinched at least a share of the Summit League title.
                Michelle Gaislerova led the Bison with 15 points, while Ryan Cobbins joined her in double figures with 10 points. It was the fifth-straight game in double figures for Gaislerova. With a pair of free throws, Gaislerova extended her NCAA Division I women's basketball record to 74 consecutive free throws made. Sofija Zivaljevic added nine points. Danneka Voegeli led the Bison with six rebounds, while Olivia Skibiel grabbed four. Zivaljevic had a pair of assists.
                With the Coyotes up 20-10, NDSU went on an 8-3 run to cut the lead to 23-18 with :30 left in the quarter. Just like the start of the game, South Dakota opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run, extending the lead to double figures for the remainder of the game. South Dakota took its largest lead of the game at 93-51 with 3:12 to play.
                The Coyotes 96 points were the most points allowed by the Bison this season. NDSU dropped to 0-11 in the NCAA Division I era against teams ranked in the top 25.

Last Time Out
                The 23rd-ranked South Dakota State Jackrabbits pulled away in the fourth quarter Saturday night, as the Jackrabbits beat North Dakota State 69-60 at the Scheels Center. The game was played before a crowd of 1,955, the largest for an NDSU women's basketball game since 2016.
                NDSU dropped to 14-6 overall and 9-5 in Summit League play, while the Jackrabbits improved to 19-2 overall and 12-0 in league play. The victory claimed at least a share of the Summit League title and the number one seed in the Summit League Tournament for the Jackrabbits.
                Ryan Cobbins led the Bison with 16 points and six rebounds, as Cobbins went over 500 points for her career. Emily Dietz had her 40th career game in double figures, finishing with 10 points and seven rebounds. Kadie Deaton added 11 points, while Michelle Gaislerova had eight points in her final game at the Scheels Center. Heaven Hamling added five assists for the Bison. Tylee Irwin led the Jackrabbits with a game-high 31 points.
                NDSU was 20-of-48 (41.7%) from the floor and 7-of-18 (38.9%) from beyond the arc. SDSU was 23-of-48 (47.9%) from the field and 7-of-19 (36.8%) from downtown. The Jackrabbits were 16-of-27 (59.3%) at the free throw line, while NDSU was 13-of-18 (72.2%). The Bison had a 12-1 advantage in second chance points, while SDSU capitalized on 18 NDSU turnovers with a 24-10 advantage in points off turnovers.
                The game was tied 13-13 after the first quarter before SDSU took a 30-24 lead at the half on a shot at the buzzer. The Bison cut the lead to 48-43 going into the fourth quarter. The lead was cut to 57-54 on a free throw by Reneya Hopkins with 4:08 to play, but the Bison couldn't get any closer.

NDSU Women's Basketball Picked Fifth In Summit League Preseason Poll
                The North Dakota State Bison women's basketball team was voted fifth in the Summit League preseason poll. This is the first time NDSU has been picked inside the top five since being projected for fourth in 2012. Defending champion South Dakota was tabbed the preseason favorite with 25 first-place votes, while South Dakota State was picked second with 11 first-place votes. Western Illinois was picked for third, while Oral Roberts was tabbed fourth. NDSU was picked for fifth, followed by Kansas City and Denver. North Dakota and Omaha round out the poll in eighth and ninth, respectively. The Bison received 371 points, sitting just five behind Oral Roberts for fourth. Kansas City, the defending WAC Champion who returns to the league this year, had 323 points.

The Jory Collins Show
                Tune in every Monday night to the Bison Basketball Radio Show with Jory Collins on Bison 1660. Collins and Keith Brake recap the last few games and preview the upcoming schedule. The show airs at 7 p.m. on the following dates: ~~Dec. 7, Dec. 14, Dec. 28, Jan. 11, Jan. 18, Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 8, Feb. 15, Feb. 22,~~ March 1 and March 15.

Bison Add Four on National Signing Day
                The North Dakota State women's basketball team has announced four additions to the roster, beginning in the 2021-22 season. Ellie Dague, a 5-10 guard from Henning, Minn., Katie Hildebrandt, a 6-2 forward from McFarland, Wis., Abbey Kubas, a 5-11 forward from Dickinson, N.D. and Sophie Olson, a 5-10 guard/forward from El Dorado Hills, Calif. are all set to join the Bison.
                Dague is ranked the fifth-best guard in Minnesota and the 13th best player overall. She was named to the Minnesota 1A All-State team while averaging 20.7 points and 5.3 rebounds as a junior.
                Hildebrandt is ranked the 18th best player and second-best small forward in Wisconsin. She averaged 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game as a junior.
                Kubas is ranked the 12th best player and fourth-best small forward in North Dakota. She hit the 1,000 point mark as a junior, while averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds per game.
                Olson is ranked the 10th best shooting guard and 43rd player overall in California. She led Oak Ridge High School to the state tournament in 2018 and 2020. Olson is the younger sister of Bison redshirt-sophomore Marie Olson.

On The Horizon
The Bison are guaranteed a Sunday game in the Summit League Tournament next weekend. NDSU will be the number three seed with a win this weekend or a loss by Kansas City at South Dakota State. The Bison would be the number four seed if they lost twice to South Dakota and Kansas City swept South Dakota State in Brookings.