NSIC Player of the Week
#32 Laura Johnson
F, 6-0, Sr.,
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls HS
Sioux Falls
Johnson led the Cougars in wins of Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State as she averaged 25.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. Johnson tied her career-high in points on Saturday against Bemidji State with 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting including being 8-for-15 from behind the arc. Johnson also tied the USF school record for three-point shots made in a game with eight and moved up to eighth in USF career scoring with 1,273 points.
2013-14 NSIC Women’s Basketball Notes
AUGUSTANA - -#12 Emily Schulte (G, 5-7, Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D. / O’Gorman HS) displayed her scoring ability for the Vikings this past weekend. The senior scored 14 points on Friday in a 84-70 loss to Minnesota Duluth. The Sioux Falls, S.D. native also had three rebounds and three assists in the game. Schulte put in a career-high 27 points on Saturday in a 74-73 loss to St. Cloud State. Schulte got her 27 points on an efficient 9-of-13 shooting (69.2 percent), including going 4 of 5 from the 3-point line. She also notched five steals in the contest, all in the first half. The senior was also a perfect 5 of 5 from the foul line in the game. Schulte’s stat line for the weekend read 20.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 51.8% FG, 41.6% 3FG.
BEMIDJI STATE - #10 Morgan Lee (G, 5-7, Sr., Hayward, Wis. / Hayward HS) recorded 22 points per game and shot 45.5 percent from the field, 58.3 percent from long range in an 0-2 NSIC road weekend. Lee knocked down 7-of-12 attempts from 3-point land, went 7-for-10 from the free throw line and added four assists and three steals in the two games. She recorded her third and fourth straight 20-point games, first, Friday she totaled 23 points on 53.6 percent shooting from the field and a 7-for-10 performance from the free throw line. Saturday she hit five 3-pointers on 10 attempts, en route to 21 points. She added five rebounds and three assists in the loss.
The Beavers have lost five straight (four in a row on the road) after they dropped contests at Southwest Minnesota State (76-64) and Sioux Falls (82-73) Jan. 31-Feb. 1. Senior Kate Warmack established some important career milestones on the weekend. Friday she became the 17th player in BSU program history to reach 1,000 career points, while Saturday, her 119th career block moved her into first at Bemidji State in all-time blocks. She totaled 25 rebounds on the weekend and moved into eighth on BSU’s all-time list. The Beavers begin a four-game homestand Feb. 7-8 when Minot State and U-Mary visit BSU Gymnasium, where BSU is 6-3. On the road Jan. 24-25, BSU lost 89-83 (2OT) to U-Mary and 94-84 to Minot State. All-time, Bemidji State is 4-6 against MISU, while the team holds a 3-12 record against U-Mary.
CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL -Anika Whiting (F, 6’2”, Jr., Ashland, Wis. / HS) had a huge weekend offensively for the Golden Bears by averaging 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in a pair of wins against Minot State and U-Mary. She hit 18-34 shots from the floor (52.9%), 2-3 from beyond the arc (66.7%) and 11-12 from the free throw line (91.7%). On Friday, Whiting dropped a season-high 28 points and picked up six boards in a big win against one of the top teams in the NSIC North and followed it up with a near double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds on Saturday.
Concordia-St. Paul (17-6, 12-4 NSIC) extended their winning streak to six games with a home sweep of two of the top teams in the NSIC North in Minot State and U-Mary. On Friday, the Golden Bears used a dominant first half to build a 41-19 lead at the break and withstood a second half surge to claim the win. Concordia shot 45.9% from the field in the opening 20 minutes while holding the Beavers to just 20.6%. The momentum shifted in favor of Minot State in the second half as Minot rebounded to shoot 48.6% in the second half compared to just 26.1% for the Golden Bears, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the 22 point halftime deficit as CU claimed a 68-63 win. On Saturday, Concordia held the Marauders to just 25.3% shooting for the game and 18.5% from beyond the arc as they pulled away in the second half in the 74-55 win. CU dominated around the rim as, outscoring U-Mary by a margin of 34-18 in the paint. The Golden Bears also doubled up Mary in the blocks category by a mark of 10 to 5.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY - One of the hottest teams in the Northern Sun going into the weekend, the University of Mary had its momentum upended this weekend a pair of losses at the hands of two of the top teams in the conference. Squaring off against #24 Minnesota State on Friday, who is leading the nation in fewest turnovers per game, U-Mary picked a bad night to commit their most turnovers of the season. Twenty-eight Marauders turnovers led to 26 Mavericks points U-Mary fell 84-68. Shooting 42 percent from the field, the Marauders (23-of-55) actually outshot the Mavericks (28-of-78) by six percent. #34 Linda Murray(6-2, F, Sr., Fresno, Calif. / Edison HS / Merced CC) found her stroke going 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line as she led U-Mary with 18 points. Looking to bounce back from a disappointing performance on Friday, U-Mary failed to do so as it had its worst shooting performance of the season in a loss to Concordia University, St. Paul. Shooting just 25 percent from the field, U-Mary fell 74-55. The Marauders shot just 19-of-75 on the night to the Golden Bears 29-of-69 (.420) from the field. U-Mary was 5-of-27 from deep to CU’s 3-of-11. #42 Brittney Dietz (5-10, F, So., Beach, N.D. / Beach HS) led the Marauders in scoring with 12 points. Dietz finished the weekend with 30 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. After losing both games this weekend, U-Mary will look to bounce back as it hosts Oglala Lakota College on Monday at 6 p.m. in a late non-conference addition to its schedule.
MINNESOTA CROOKSTON - Alexa Thielman (So., G, Buffalo, Minn./Health Science) - Averaged 18 points, five rebounds and two assists per game on the weekend. Thielman had a great game against Southwest Minnesota State University, as she hit fire from beyond the arc in the second half to help guide UMC to their first road victory of the 2013-14 season over the Mustangs. Thielman had 18 points, six rebounds and four assists in the win. She was 4-of-9 from beyond the arc and 7-of-18 from the field.
Against Sioux Falls Friday, Thielman had 18 points and four rebounds. She shot 7-of-13 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc as the Golden Eagles lost to the Cougars. Thielman was a combined 6-of-13 from beyond the arc for 46.2 percent.
MINNESOTA DULUTH - UMD got back on the winning track Friday night with a dominant performance by its front court, 84-70 over Augustana, but slipped up Saturday night when Wayne State shot 62.5 percent, including 12-of-18 from three-point range to knock off the Bulldogs 81-69. Senior forward Katrina Newman had a pair of 23-point games for the Bulldogs, but had one of her best games of the season on Saturday night. Nearing a triple-double with eight rebounds and nine steals, one short of the UMD single-game record, she shot 44.4 percent from three-point range (4-of-9) and 47.4 percent (9-of-19) overall. In total, she had 46 points, 14 rebounds, 12 steals, a pair of assists, and one block on the weekend while shooting 51.4 percent in two games.
Junior guard Danielle Flood continued to be a steady offensive presence for the Bulldogs with 30 points and eight assists on the weekend, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe. Sophomore forward Taylor Meyer had one of her best games of the season on Friday night with 17 points and six rebounds and shot 50.0 percent for the weekend. Senior center Hannah Rutten, playing in just one game, had 17 points and 13 rebounds on Friday. UMD continued a trend of scoring early, out-scoring its opponents 84-77 in the opening halves, but saw both teams turn the table in the second half, outscoring UMD 74-69 out of the break. The Bulldogs will have rematches against NSIC North division opponents Northern State and MSU-Moorhead this weekend.
MINNESOTA STATE - No. 24 Minnesota State made it four straight as it earned a pair of wins against NSIC North Division foes, the University of Mary (84-68) and Minot State (80-62) improving to 15-5 overall and 12-4 in NSIC action. The Maverick defense was stifling, forcing 57 turnovers in the two games, increasing their NSIC best +6.95 turnover margin. The Mavericks posted a +15.5 turnover margin on the weekend.
Senior Karlee Gengenbacher (Quincy, Ill.) paced the Mavericks, averaging 15.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest, while connecting on 65% (13-20) of her shots from the field and 33% from behind the arc. Gengenbacher has started all 51 games she has played in at MSU and averages 10.3 points per game in her time in Purple and Gold.
MSU MOORHEAD - Megan Strese (F, 6-0, Sr., Evansville, Minn. / Brandon HS) had an excellent week in helping MSUM earn a pair of key NSIC home wins over Upper Iowa (71-55) on Friday and Winona State (79-62) on Saturday. The senior averaged 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists a game for the week while shooting 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from the field and 89.4 percent (17-of-19) from the free-throw line. Strese had 19 points and nine rebounds in the win over Upper Iowa while following with a double-double -- the 19th of her career -- with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Winona State. Senior Morgan Zabel became the 21st Dragon women’s player to reach the 1,000-point milestone for her career during the closing moments of MSUM’s win over Winona State on Saturday. Zabel is at exactly 1,000 career points and joins senior teammate Megan Strese in that club.
MINOT STATE - Minot State University had an extended swoon midway through the first half of both of its Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference road games this weekend and paid for it with two losses, falling 68-63 Friday at Concordia St. Paul and losing 80-62 to No. 24 Minnesota State. Turnovers were a factor in both losses as the Beavers finished with 17 against the Golden Bears and a season-high 29 against MSU. #40 Carly Boag (F, 6-2, Sr., Tamworth, Australia / Abbotsleigh) continued to move up the Minot State scoring list surpassing 1,600 career points and now sits just 100 points behind former MSU great Kendra Meyer as the Beavers all-time leading scorer. Boag finished averaging 20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 1.5 assists on the weekend. She pulled down a season-high 16 rebounds Friday against CSP. Up next, Minot State travels down US Highway 2 for a pair of NSIC North Division road games, taking on Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston.
NORTHERN STATE - Northern State University finished the weekend with an at home sweep of Winona State and Upper Iowa this past weekend. Game one put the Wolves on top of the Warriors 58-44, as NSU held WSU to a team field goal percentage of 27.9 from the floor. The loss marked the first time this season, outside of exhibition play, that Winona scored under 50 points. Northern broke the NSIC single game rebound record this season pulling down 62 on the night. Game two of the weekend saw the Wolves defeating the Peacocks 80-54, after scoring 50 points in the first half of play. The Wolves shot a season high 53.2 percent from the floor in the win. A big weekend awaits the Wolves as the Huskies and Bulldogs travel to Aberdeen for Friday and Saturday match-ups beginning at 6 and 5 p.m.
#10 Paige Waytashek (G, 5-11, Fr., Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) averaged 12.5 points for the Wolves in their two victories on the weekend over Winona State and Upper Iowa. Wayatshek, the first and second leading scorer in the games, shot 50 percent from the floor. She also dropped three of the teams’ ten three point baskets on the weekend, while going 6-7 from the free throw line.
SIOUX FALLS - The USF women’s basketball team was dominant in two victories this past weekend as they never trailed in wins over Minnesota Crookston (84-74) and Bemidji State (82-73). The Cougars hit 25 three-point field goals and shot 45% from downtown in the two games over the weekend. In Friday night’s victory over the Golden Eagles, USF used a suffocating defense to force 21 turnovers by UMC. In Saturday’s win, the Cougars relied on season-highs in three-point FG’s attempted (36) and three-point field goals made (16) to claim the victory. Laura Johnson (F, 6-0, Sr., Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls HS) led the Cougars charge over the weekend as she averaged 25.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. Johnson tied her career-high in points on Saturday against Bemidji State with 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting including being 8-for-15 from behind the arc. Johnson also tied the USF school record for three-point shots made in a game with eight and moved up to eighth in USF career scoring with 1,273 points.
SMSU - Alison Nagel (F, 6-3, Sr., Fort Dodge, Iowa ./ St. Edmond) came off the bench to score 30 points on 13 of 18 shooting in Southwest Minnesota State’s two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games this weekend. Nagel took down 12 rebounds and finished 4 of 4 from behind the arc. Nagel helped lead SMSU to its 76-64 win over Bemidji State on Friday by scoring 14 points on 6 of 8 shooting off the bench. In SMSU’s 76-69 loss to Minnesota Crookston on Saturday, Nagel hit 7 of 10 shots from the field, including 2 of 2 from deep and finished with a team-high 16 points. Nagel finished two boards short of a double-double in the game as she snared eight.
ST. CLOUD STATE - The St. Cloud State University women’s basketball team hosted #9 Wayne State College on Friday, Jan. 31. Both teams battled, resulting in seven tied scores and eight lead changes. The Wildcats secured a second half lead to defeat the Huskies 75-67 in final scoring. Jessica Benson (Grand Meadow) had a team-high ten rebounds and four steals in the Huskies’ loss. On Saturday, St. Cloud State took on Augustana College at 4 p.m. in Halenbeck Hall. The Huskies were able to hold onto a second half lead to defeat the Vikings 74-73 in final scoring. This is the Huskies first victory over Augustana College since the 2006 season. Senior forward Jessica Benson had an impressive night, shooting 10 of 17 from the field and eight of eight at the line to finish with a season-high 28 points. Benson pulled down 16 rebounds and collected three blocks to secure her twelfth double-double of the season. With the win, St. Cloud State improved to 13-7 overall and 9-7 in the NSIC. Over the weekend, Benson averaged 13 rebounds per game, 17.5 points per game, shot 52% from the field and 100% from the line. The Huskies will return to action on Feb. 7 and 8 as they travel to MSU Moorhead and Northern State University.
UPPER IOWA - Upper Iowa lost a pair of Northern Sun cross-division games this weekend on the road. The Peacocks dropped Friday’s contest to MSU Moorhead, 71-55, and Saturday’s game to #23 Northern State, 80-54. UIU shot 38.7% from the floor as the offense struggled. The defense did not fare well either allowing 51.9% shooting to the Dragons and Wolves. Carly Pagel led the Peacocks with 14 points per game, while adding 5 rebounds a contest. Lauren Buck joined her teammate in double figures with 10 points a game and 6.5 boards. Laura TerHark was on fire from three converting 6 of her 13 attempts for a 46.2%. The Peacocks will play at Wayne State and Augustana this Friday and Saturday.
WAYNE STATE - Ashton Yossi, a 5-8 junior guard from Dallas Center, Iowa, led Wayne State in scoring in a pair of NSIC road wins over the weekend averaging 16.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. Yossi poured in a game-high 21 points Friday in a 75-67 win at St. Cloud State, going 5 for 13 from 3-point range, and also had four steals. Saturday, she netted 11 points going 3 for 4 from downtown to help the Wildcats win 81-69 at Minnesota Duluth. For the weekend, Yossi was 10 of 25 from the field and 8 for 17 (.471) and was 4 of 5 at the foul line. Junior forward Jordan Spencer had a consistent weekend scoring and shooting for the Wildcats, averaging 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in two road wins. The Millard West graduate had 13 points and four rebounds at St. Cloud State Friday followed by a team-high 16 points and eight rebounds Saturday at Duluth. Sophomore guard Addy Roller recorded a career-high 11 assists to go along with 12 points on a perfect shooting day in Saturday’s win at Duluth. She was 2 for 2 from the field, both 3-pointers, and 6 of 6 at the free throw line. Roller also had 12 points and six assists Friday, giving her weekend averages of 12 points and 8.5 assists in two wins for the 9th-ranked Wildcats.
WINONA STATE - Tara Roelofs, Fr., G, 5-9, Vernon Center, Minn. (Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial) set a career high with 16 points against Northern State and then bettered that mark less than 24 hours later, scoring 23 for the Warriors against MSU Moorhead. Roelofs ended her weekend by averaging 19.5 points while shooting 55.6 percent (15-of-27) in the pair of Warrior losses. The freshman began her weekend by connecting on four 3-pointers to score 16 points against Northern State. She followed that effort with a career night against MSU Moorhead, going 9-of-14 from the floor while drilling three triples to reach 23 points. She hit seven shots from behind the 3-point line on the weekend, shooting at a 58.3 percent (7-of-12) clip from deep. Roelofs also averaged 2.5 rebounds per game while passing out a pair of assists and recording one steal.
Past NSIC Players of the Week
11/11/13 - Jordan Spencer - WSC
11/18/13 - Carly Boag - MISU
11/25/13 - Hannah Rutten - UMD
12/2/13 - Jordan Spencer - WSC (2)
12/9/13 - Hannah Rutten - UMD (2)
12/16/13 - Anika Whiting - CU
12/23/13 - Kate Warmack - BSU
1/6/14 - Katrina Moenkedick - UMC
1/13/14 - Sadie Stotesbery - NSU
1/20/14 - Anika Whiting - CU (2)
1/27/14 - Christina Boag - MISU
2/3/14 - Laura Johnson - USF