THIS WEEK         
The North Dakota State (22-2, 11-0 Summit) women's basketball team travels to North Dakota (7-19, 3-9 Summit) on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m., at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
 
GAME COVERAGE
Watch: The game will broadcast on the Summit League Network for subscribers.
 
Radio: Andy Rieckhoff (play-by-play) will be on the call on Bison 1660 with pregame coverage starting 30 minutes prior to tip-off. Fans can also listen to the radio broadcast for free on GoBison.com/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app.
 
GoBison.com: Live statistics, video and audio links are available on GoBison.com/coverage.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Five players reached double digits in scoring as NDSU picked up a 102-51 win at Omaha last Saturday. It marked the first time the Bison reached the 100-point scoring plateau since a 107-80 win at North Dakota in 2024. Avery Koenen led the way with 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
 
THE SERIES VS. NORTH DAKOTA
This will be the 103rd all-time meeting between NDSU and North Dakota dating back to 1967. The Bison lead the all-time series, 52-50, and are 8-2 over the last 10 meetings with the Fighting Hawks. NSDU also holds a 12-9 lead in the Division I era, including a 12-3 record in Summit League matchups. Last season, North Dakota edged NDSU, 65-60, in Grand Forks. Avery Koenen netted 29 points with 14 rebounds to pace the Bison.
 
SUNDAY FUNDAY
The Bison are set to play their second game this season on a Sunday. NDSU came up short against Nebraska, 70-82, earlier this season on a Sunday in Sioux Falls at the Sanford Pentagon.
 
20 STRAIGHT WINS
The Bison enter the week on a season-best 20-game win streak, which is their longest since 2004-05 when the Bison assembled a 24-game win streak. The 20-game win streak is tied for the second-longest active win streak in the nation behind UConn (42 straight wins). The Bison and Huskies are the only two teams in the country with an active win streak of 20 or more games.
 
EXTRA WIN STREAK NUGGETS
- The 20-game win streak spans 11 states (North Dakota, Florida, Utah, Illinois, California, Oklahoma, Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska).
- The Bison posted undefeated months of December (6-0) and January (9-0).
- Avery Koenen is averaging a team-high 18.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game over the span.
- The Bison have never trailed in 11 of the 20 wins.
- NDSU is averaging 83.6 points with a +26.2 scoring margin over the stretch.
 
ANOTHER 20-WIN SEASON
The Bison have reached the 20-win mark for the third straight season with a 22-2 overall record. It marks the first time since 2002-05 that NDSU has assembled three straight 20-win seasons. With a win on Sunday, the Bison would earn their 23rd win this season, which would be the most in the NDSU Division I era and most since NDSU posted a 26-1 record in 2004-05.
 
11-0 IN SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAY
NDSU is the only unbeaten team in Summit League play and is off to a 11-0 mark for the first time in program history. It marks the third straight season and fourth time overall that NDSU has started league play with at least a 4-0 record.
 
HANDLING BUSINESS ON THE ROAD
The Bison have started the season with an 10-0 mark in true road games this season. It marks the best start to a road schedule since 1996-97 when NDSU posted a 12-0 record. The 10-game road win streak ranks tied for the third-longest active streak in the nation. NDSU joins UConn (13), Quinnipiac (12) and UCLA (10) as the only schools with active road win streaks of 10 or more games.
 
AP TOP 25 POLL AND NCAA NET RANKINGS
The Bison received one vote in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll for the second time this season earlier this week and are currently slotted No. 41 in the NCAA NET rankings, which is the highest in the Summit League.
 
COLLEGE INSIDER MID-MAJOR TOP 25 POLL
For the eighth straight week, the Bison have been ranked in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. NDSU stayed at No. 1 for the second consecutive week and picked up 23 first-place votes, which is the highest in program history. South Dakota State (No. 8) and South Dakota (No. 23) are the only other Summit League schools in the poll.
 
ROLLED THROUGH NON-CON PLAY
The Bison assembled an 11-2 overall record in non-conference play to start the season, including a 6-0 mark in the month of December. It marked the best start to a season since 2004-05 when NDSU won each of its first 24 games before falling short at TCU on Feb. 22, 2005.
 
WIRE-TO-WIRE WINS
The Bison have notched wire-to-wire wins in 11 of the their 22 wins this season. NDSU hasn't trailed in seven of its 11 Summit League wins this season.
 
HIGH POWERED OFFENSE
NDSU enters the week ranked in the top 20 nationally in both field goal percentage (6th, 48.8) and scoring offense (18th, 81.4). NDSU has scored 90 or more points in three of its last four games, including a season-best 102 in the win at Omaha. NDSU is 13-0 this season when scoring 80 or more points.
 
WIDE MARGINS
The Bison are slotted eighth in the nation with a +22.3 scoring margin. NDSU has notched eight Summit League wins by at least 20 points. The Bison posted a +55 scoring margin in the win over Omaha on Jan. 10, which was the largest in league play.
 
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
The Bison rank 10th in the nation with 11.7 turnovers per game the season. Jocelyn Schiller leads the Summit League with a 1.80 assist/turnover ratio.
 
LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
The Bison have held seven opponents to under 50 points this season, including limiting Saint Mary's and Bethune-Cookman to a season-low 36 points. It marked the lowest point total NDSU has held an opponent to since Jamestown scored 36 points on Dec. 19, 2021. Kansas City (49), UNI (49), Campbell (49), Denver (44), Omaha (39), Bethune-Cookman (36) and Saint Mary's (36) were all held below 50 points this season.
 
BENCH PRODUCTION
The NDSU bench has netted 20 or more points in 12 games this season. Karrington Asp has come off the bench in all 24 games and has contributed 11.5 points with 5.1 rebounds over 19.6 minutes per game. She also ranks second on the team with 17 total blocks.
 
THERE'S ONLY ONE AVERY KOENEN
Avery Koenen is currently the only player in the country averaging at least 18.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 65.0 percent or better from the field.
 
KOENEN NATIONAL RANKINGS AND STREAKS
Avery Koenen is slotted inside the top 10 nationally in multiple categories: double-doubles (3rd, 16), field goal percentage (3rd, 65.0), free throw attempts (8th, 173), defensive rebounds per game (8th, 8.5) and rebounds per game (10th, 11.1).
 
Koenen started the season reaching double digits in scoring in each of the first 22 games this season. After only scoring seven points at Kansas City, it snapped a streak of 29 straight games dating back to last season with double digit scoring. She has also produced multiple double-double streaks this season, including seven straight from Jan. 1 at Oral Roberts to Jan. 24 vs. South Dakota. Koenen put together another stretch of six straight double-double performances from Nov. 29 vs. Bethune-Cookman to Dec. 17 vs. UTRGV.
 
KOENEN MILESTONE WATCH
Avery Koenen surpassed the 1,100 career points mark and has totaled 1,116 points over three seasons. Koenen became the 38th member of the Bison 1,000 career points club earlier this season. She is also one of only three players in the NDSU Division I era to surpass the 700 career rebounds mark with 702. Koenen enters the weekend two steals away from the 100 career steals mark with 98.
 
KOENEN IN BISON DIVISION I HISTORY
Avery Koenen is slotted inside the top five on the Bison Division I single-season list for free throws made (2nd, 121) and rebounds (3rd, 266). She is also positioned inside the top five in free throws made (3rd, 278) and rebounds (3rd, 702) in Bison Division I career history.
 
PEAK PERFORMER OF THE WEEK
Avery Koenen was named the Summit League Peak Performer of the Week for the seventh time this season earlier this week after averaging 11.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in road wins at Kansas City and Omaha. Her seven weekly awards this season tie Kevi Luper (2009-10) from Oral Roberts for the most in single-season in Summit League history.
 
KOENEN ON PRESEASON WATCH LIST FOR MID-MAJOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Avery Koenen was selected to the midseason watch list for the 2026 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award. Koenen becomes one of only 15 players in the nation to be named to the midseason watch list. She's also one of two players in the Summit League to earn the recognition, joining Brooklyn Meyer from South Dakota State.
 
COLLINS ON MIDSEASON WATCH LIST FOR MID-MAJOR COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Head coach Jory Collins was named to the midseason watch list for the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award. Collins is one of only 10 coaches named to the midseason watch list. He's also one of two head coaches in the Summit League on the list, joining Aaron Johnston from South Dakota State.
 
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL       
For the second time in the last three seasons, NDSU was picked to finish second in the Summit League Preseason Poll. The Bison garnered 498 total points with two first-place votes to earn the second spot. South Dakota State was picked first with 558 points and 34 first-place votes, while Oral Roberts closed out the top three with 410 points in third place.
 
All-SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON TEAM
Avery Koenen and Jocelyn Schiller were selected to the All-Summit League Preseason First Team, while Marisa Frost was named to the All-Summit League Preseason Second Team.
 
BATTLE TESTED
Following its third straight appearance in the WNIT last season, NDSU has played extended seasons deep into March. The Bison played a combined 33 games last season, tied for the second-longest season in program history. After recording the longest season in program history in 2023-24 with 34 total games, NDSU has combined to play a total of 77 games over the last two seasons. NDSU boasts a 43-24 record over that span.
 
SCHEDULE TIDBITS
The Bison are set to play 29 total regular season games with 13 games inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex. NDSU will play 13 non-conference contests and will face five opponents that participated in a postseason tournament last season, including Northern Iowa, Gonzaga, Nebraska, Campbell and Montana State. NDSU will open the 16-game Summit League schedule at Oral Roberts on Jan. 1.
 
OUR HOUSE
NDSU posted a 13-3 record inside Scheels Center last season. The Bison have won at least 13 home games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since assembling a streak of 11 straight from 1994-05. NDSU is a combined 45-6 over the last four seasons at Scheels Center, including a 13-1 mark in 2023-24.
 
THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Jory Collins is in his seventh season at NDSU and has led the Bison to three straight 20-win seasons. He recently reached the 100-win mark with a 120-84 overall record. His 120 wins are the most in the NDSU Division I era and the second-most in Bison history behind Amy Ruley (671 wins). Collins also reached the 300 career win mark with a 319-142 overall record, which includes eight seasons at Emporia State from 2010-18. Collins is the second-longest tenured coach in the Summit League in his seventh season.
 
Under Collins, the Bison made their first-ever appearance in the Summit League Championship game in 2024 and three straight appearances in WNIT. NDSU has also had at least one All-Summit League First Team and an All-Summit League Freshman Team selection each of the last two seasons.
 
UP NEXT
NDSU, who play three of its last four games at home, will be back in action hosting St. Thomas on Thursday, Feb. 19. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.