For Immediate Release
Thursday, October 27, 2016
NSIC Media Relations
Full PDF Release

Winona State University Tabbed NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Overall & South Favorite
Northern State Picked in North

BURNSVILLE, Minn. -  Winona State University was selected by the league coaches as the overall and south division preseason favorite in the NSIC for 2016-17.  The Warriors received seven first place votes and amassed 201 points, to narrowly edge Northern State by one point. The Wolves received three first place votes, while Augustana garnered four first place votes and 195 points to rank third.  Wayne State was fourth (183) while MSU Moorhead was fifth. Minnesota State was sixth with 146 points and the other two first place votes.  WSU again edged Augie in the south standing by two points while Northern State was the pick in the north with 48 points, six ahead of MSU Moorhead.

NSIC coaches rank each team from 1 to 15 with a first place vote receiving 15 points, second place 14, third place 13, etc. Coaches do not rank their own team or vote for their own players. 

The 2016-17 women’s basketball season gets underway on Friday, November 4 with conference action beginning the week of November 21. 
 

Overall	Points		North Division	Points
1. Winona State (7)	201		1. Northern State (6)	48
2. Northern State (3)	200		2. MSU Moorhead (1)	42
3. Augustana (4)	195		3. St. Cloud State	30
4. Wayne State	183		4. University of Mary	28
5. MSU Moorhead	163		5. Minnesota Duluth	24
6. Minnesota State (2)	146		6. Minnesota Crookston (1)	23
7. Concordia-St. Paul	140		7. Minot State	15
8. St. Cloud State	124		8. Bemidji State	14
9. Sioux Falls	108		South Division	Points
10. Minnesota Duluth	107		1. Winona State (3)	42
11. Minnesota Crookston	98		2. Augustana (2)	40
12. University of Mary	93		3. Wayne State (2)	38
13. Minot State	57		4. Minnesota State (1)	32
14. Bemidji State	56		5. Concordia-St. Paul	28
15. SMSU	26		6. Sioux Falls	24
16. Upper Iowa	23		7. Upper Iowa	11
first place votes in ( )			8. SMSU	9

The regular season champion will be based on the 22-game NSIC schedule.  Each team will play teams in their division twice (14) and teams in the other division once (8).  An NSIC North and South Division Champion will also be awarded.  Divisional standings will also be based on all 22 NSIC contests played.  In the case of a tie, co-champions will be awarded. The 16-team NSIC / Sanford Health Women’s Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championships are set to take place Fri.-Tues., Feb. 25, 27-28 at the Sanford Health Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.  First round games will be played on the campus of the top eight seeds on Wednesday, Feb. 22.



#40 Jill Conrad (F, 5-11, Jr., Lino Lakes, Minn. / Centennial HS)
Northern State University
- 2015-16 Second Team All-Conference honoree
- Recorded a career high 32 points against UMC
- Led NSU in scoring (13.5 pgg), 3-point percentage (39.0), and free throw percentage (90.9)
- Recorded three double-doubles as a sophomore
- Had 15 games shooting above 50 percent from the floor
- Tallied 419 points, 215 rebounds, 59 assists, and 19 steals a season ago
- Named the NSIC North Division Player of the Week on January 25th



#52 Paige Ballinger (F, 6-1, Jr., Pender, Neb. / Pender HS)
Wayne State College
- Earned First Team All-NSIC honors
- Averaged 15.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game
- Ranked seventh in the NSIC in scoring and second in field goal % (.534)
- NSIC South Division Player of the Week on 11/19/15
- Scored career-high 36 points with 14 rebounds vs. Lindenwood
- Produced 32 points with nine rebounds vs. St. Cloud State  on 1/16/16

 

Augustana University Vikings

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
24-8, 15-7 NSIC	3 / 2	13	5th Overall, 3rd South
Team Preview
Augustana finished last season 5th overall in the conference with a record of 24-8. The Vikings made a memorable run in the NSIC Tournament defeating MSU Moorhead and Winona State on buzzer beaters to reach the Conference Tournament Championship. Augustana is going to have to replace the vocal leader of the team, Sophie Kenny, as well as all-around star Nicole Kerkhoff. They do return the best defender in the NSIC in junior Logan O’Farrell as well as All-NSIC Freshman Shelby Selland. Augustana will begin their season in Anaheim, Calif. at the Disney Tip-Off Classic. They will take on Colorado Mines, Simon Fraser and West Texas A&M. They will begin their conference season on Dec. 9 against Minot State.
Player to Watch
#30 Logan O’Farrell (G, 5-11, Jr., Summit, S.D. / Summit HS)
First game
Nov. 4 vs Colorado School of Mines in Anaheim, Calif. 6 p.m.

 

Bemidji State University Beavers

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
7-20, 3-19 NSIC	6 / 0	9 returning	15th Overall, 8th North
Team Preview
Head Coach Chelsea DeVille begins her second season with BSU and improved the program's overall record in 2015-16 from 2014-15. Seven newcomers (four true freshmen and three transfers) join the returning crew of nine Beavers student-athletes to sink a challenging schedule. All five of Bemidji State's starters return from last season, including guard Allison Cordes and forward Katie Miller who split time in the starting rotation.
Player to Watch
#12 Aimee Pelzer (G, 5-8, Sr., Upsala, Minn. / Upsala HS)
First game
Saturday, Nov. 12 vs. Mayville State – 6 p.m.

 

Concordia University, St. Paul Golden Bears

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
14-16, 9-13 NSIC	5/0	7 returning	10th Overall, 5th South
Team Preview
Concordia-St. Paul is coming off a season in which they finished 10th in the NSIC overall standings and fifth in the south division. The Golden Bears turned it on late in the season, winning nine of their last 15 games of the year to finish on a high note. CSP defeated St. Cloud State in the first round of the NSIC Tournament in 2016 before falling to Winona State in a hard fought battle in the quarterfinals at the Sanford Pentagon. Head coach Amanda Behnke will begin her first full year at the helm for CSP and she brings backs seven letter winners, including all five starters, from last year’s squad and three quality transfers led by sophomore point guard Anna Schmitt. Schmitt led all freshmen in the league in scoring (15.5), assists per game (3.7) and minutes per game (35.6) while also ranking second in three-point field goal percentage (37.1%) and three-point field goals made per game (1.6) in 2015-16. Lauren Shifflett and Mishayla Jones are also two key returners for Concordia. Shifflett finished second on the team in scoring with 14.2 ppg and led the team with 66 three-pointers made which ranked fifth in the NSIC. Jones led the team with 122 assists, ranking fifth in the conference. CSP opens up the season with four straight road games before returning home to host the Radisson Hotel MSP North Classic. Concordia begins NSIC play on Dec. 2 as they travel to Augustana for a 6 pm game time.
Player to Watch
#11 Anna Schmitt (G, 5-7, So., Waconia, Minn. / Waconia HS)
First Weekend
Friday, Nov. 11 at Central Missouri – 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 at Pittsburg State – 2 p.m.

University of Mary Marauders

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
15-16, 9-13 NSIC	3/2	7 returning	t-9th Overall, 5th North
Team Preview
The Marauders are a fairly young team with seven true freshmen, one redshirt freshman, two sophomores, two juniors, two redshirt juniors, one senior and one redshirt senior on the roster. Unfortunately, the Blue & Orange lost its leading scorer from last year in Brittney Dietz but three starters return for the 2016-2017 season. Senior guard Hannah Larson averaged 13.3 points per game last season and started all 31 games. The Bismarck, N.D., native also led the team in rebounds with 8.0 per game last year and averaged 3.1 assists per contest. Teammates redshirt junior Dani Williams and redshirt senior Rachel Weir will also be back for another season with the Marauders. Williams averaged 10.2 points per game at the guard position and started 30 games while shooting just under 40 percent from the three-point line. Weir, a native of Fargo, N.D., was fourth on the team last year with 7.5 points per game and started 22 games at the guard spot. Weir was efficient from the floor making 56 percent of her shots. After losing seven student-athletes off last years roster, the Marauders return just three student-athletes with significant playing experience. Larson and Williams played over 900 minutes last season while Weir played a total of 816 minutes. So, the Marauders will have to utilize the skills from its younger players. Sophomore Isabel Schmelzer (15.4 mpg), redshirt junior Anna Schmelzer (6.4 mpg) and sophomore Hayley Niles (12.1 mpg) all played a handful of minutes last season for the Marauders. The new faces on team this season are Alanna Sickler, Christal Hearn, Cassie Askvig, McKenna Arledge, Sawyer Kluge, Lauren Rotunda, Hannah Saliba, Jessica Hanashiro and Shea Heidlebaugh. Juniors Kluge (Umpqua CC) and Saliba (Saddleback CC) are transfers and will bring experience to the court for Mary. Kluge scored over a 1,000 points in her two years with the River Hawks, which ranks third most in Umpqua history. Saliba, a native of Chicago, Ill., spent last season averaging 28.8 minutes per game for the Saddleback Gauchos. She was second on the team in scoring, averaging 8.6 points per contest. She shot 42 percent from the floor and 46 percent from the three-point line. After sitting out last season with a medical redshirt, sophomore Gabbie Bohl "will be ready to contribute in a big way" Neumann said. The Marauders begin the 2016-2017 regular season on Nov. 4 against West Texas A&M in East Orange, Calif., at the 2016 Division II CCA Tip-Off Classic.
Player to Watch
#23 Hannah Larson (F, 6-0, Sr., Bismarck, N.D. / Century HS)
First game
Friday, Nov. 4 vs. West Texas A&M – 8:30 p.m.

 

University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
18-10, 14-8 NSIC	3/2	6/5	6th Overall, 3rd North
Team Preview
The Golden Eagles are coming off a historic season with an all-time best mark of 18-10 (14-8 NSIC) as they went to their second-consecutive NSIC/Sanford Health Quarterfinals at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. Minnesota Crookston will look to build upon their great back-to-back seasons as they embark on the 2016-17 campaign. UMC will have to replace All-NSIC First Team performers Alexa Thielman and Katrina Nordick, who were among the best players in program history. It will be a tall order but the Golden Eagles have a strong core returning. Leading the way for UMC will be juniors Micaela Noga and Emily Gruber. Both players are two-year starters and have been key players on the team. Noga averaged 8.8 points per game, while Gruber tallied 8.4 points per game. Sophomore point guard Alison Hughes will play an integral role for UMC. The All-NSIC Freshman Team pick tallied 10.3 points per game in her first season and looks poised to improve in her sophomore campaign. Also returning are key bench players Isieoma Odor and Caitlin Michaelis, who both averaged over 15 minutes per game. Odor tallied 7.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while Michaelis averaged 3.7 points per game. The Golden Eagles also return letter winner Lindsey Weber. In addition, UMC has 6-3 redshirt freshman Leanna Haugen to add to the fray, which will give UMC a strong post presence along with Gruber and Odor. Also look for newcomers Amber Schoenicke, Kelsey Stinson, Paige Weakley, Kitri Zezza and Stephanie McWilliams to make their mark for the Golden Eagles.
Player to Watch
#10 Micaela Noga (G, 5-7, Jr., Parkers Prairie, Minn. / Parkers Prairie HS)
First game
Nov. 18, at Michigan Tech - 4:30 p.m.

 

University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
7-19, 7-15 NSIC	4/1	9 returning	13th Overall, 7th North
Team Preview
The University of Minnesota Duluth will look to bounce back from a 13th place NSIC finish last season, led by four returning starters. Senior forward Taylor Meyer was named NSIC North Division Preseason Player of the Year last season, but suffered an injury and received a medical redshirt. Meyer will return this year, looking to build off of a 2014-15 season where she averaged 17.5 points per game. Seniors Allyson Harris, Kenzie Kane, and Jenna Orr will bring the Bulldogs experience following a season where the three combined to miss just one game. Head coach Mandy Pearson returns for her second season and brings in a freshmen class of six players along with senior transfer guard Jessie Mathews to help contribute.
Player to Watch
#42 Taylor Meyer (F, 6-0, Sr., Farmington, Minn. / Farmington HS)
First game
Saturday, Nov. 12 vs. Michigan Tech – 3 p.m.

Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
9-18,  8-14 NSIC	6 / 3	9 / 3	12th Overall, 6th South
Team Preview
Minnesota State finished 12th in the NSIC overall standings and sixth in the south division. The Mavericks fell to Minnesota Crookston in the opening round of the NSIC tournament, 83-72, last season. The roster this season will feature three seniors, four juniors, three sophomores, and eight freshman. Junior Claire Ziegler netted a team-high 14.0 points per game and pulled down a team-best 8.9 rebounds per game. Senior Britney Scherber also posted a team-high 14.0 points per game and contributed a .385 three point shooting percentage.
Player to Watch
#1 Britney Scherber (G, 5-7, Sr., Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson HS)
First game
Tuesday, Nov. 15 vs. Missouri Western State – 6 p.m.

 

Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
21-6, 17-5, 11-3 North	2/3	6/5	t-2nd Overall, t-1st North
Team Preview
MSUM captured the NSIC North title for the first time since the league separated into two divisions. The Dragons finished third overall in the league.  They lost their top three scorers from a year ago but return two starters – senior point guard Natalie VanWyhe and junior forward Cassidy Thorson. VanWyhe led the team in assists while Thorson averaged 9.3 points per game. Also returning with playing experience are senior guard Jessica Hart, junior forward Drew Sannes, junior forward Shannon Galegher and sophomore guard Jacky Volkert. MSUM has recorded 16 straight winning seasons under Head Coach Karla Nelson.
Player to Watch
#42 Drew Sannes (F, 6-3, Jr., Hawley, Minn./Hawley HS)
First game
Saturday, Nov. 12 vs. Harding 2 p.m. in Overland Park, Kan.

 

Minot State University Beavers

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
11-18, 8-14 NSIC	1 / 4	6 / 4	t-11th Overall, 6th North
Team Preview
Minot State will look to improve on an up and down 2015-16 season that finished 11-18 overall and 8-14 in Northern Sun play. The Beavers finished sixth in the NSIC North Division and tied for 11th overall. MSU will be very young as they return six letterwinners and one medical redshirt, but only one is a senior. The lone senior is Kori Eurich, a 5-7 guard, who started 25 games as a junior. She averaged 5.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and led the Beavers with 22 3-pointers. MSU also returns a pair of talented sophomore guards, including NSIC All-Freshman selection Kari Clements and Madison Wald. Clements averaged 9.4 points per game and dished out 41 assists. Wald averaged 5.1 points and had 25 steals. MSU will also get a boost from Diondra Denton, Gabby Wilkinson and Mariah Payne who all sat out 2015-16. As a sophomore two seasons ago, Denton, a 5-11 junior who was injured last year, averaged 9.2 points and 4.1 rebounds while hitting 23 3-pointers. Wilkinson, a 5-9 guard who sat out last year following a transfer from the University of Mary, averaged 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds as a freshman for the Marauders in 2014-15. The 5-7 guard Payne is a talented redshirt freshman from Burnie, Australia. Minot State will look for big things from its incoming “bigs” as 6-1 junior Kristal Flowers joins 6-2 freshman Haley Hildenbrand to give the Beavers some much-needed height.
Player to Watch
#12 Kari Clements (G, 5-7, So., Trevor, Wis. / Wilmot HS)
First game
Friday, Nov. 11 at Washburn University – 2 p.m.

 

Northern State University Wolves

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
23-8, 17-5 NSIC	3/2	15 returning	t-2nd Overall, 1st North
Team Preview
Northern State finished the 2015-16 season tied for second in the NSIC with their third straight North Division title. The Wolves advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third-consecutive year, however were eliminated by the number one seed, Emporia State, in the first round. NSU returns Paige Waytashek, Alexis Tappe and Jill Conrad in the starting role for the upcoming season. Conrad was the team’s long NSIC All-Conference performer after leading the team in scoring (13.5 pgg), 3-point percentage (39.0), and free throw percentage (90.9). She recorded three double-doubles on the year and tallied 419 points, 215 rebounds, 59 assists, and 19 steals. Waytashek led the team with 51 made 3-point attempts and tallied 25 steals. The Wolves also return seniors Bethany Crosswait and Jessica Anderson. Northern will look to Miranda Ristau to step into a starting role in 2016-17 after appearing in all 31 games as a reserve in 2015-16. In total the Wolves return 14 from a season ago, and well seven newcomers to the scene, two of which will redshirt this season. Head coach Curt Fredrickson enters his 38th season at the helm for the Wolves with a career record of 796-293 overall and 338-164 in the Northern Sun. Fredrickson is joined by associate head coach Paula Krueger in her second straight season with the Wolves. Northern will face off in 13 home games this season, after tallying their ninth straight NCAA National Attendance Leader crown, averaging 2,880 fans per game.
Player to Watch
#40 Jill Conrad (F, 5-11, Jr., Lino Lakes, Minn. / Centennial HS)
First game
Tuesday, Nov. 15th vs. Black Hills State at 6 p.m. – Aberdeen, S.D.

University of Sioux Falls Cougars

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
27-6, 23-5, 17-5 NSIC	3/2	7/8	T-2nd Overall, T-2 South
Team Preview
University of Sioux Falls Women’s Basketball enters the 2016-17 season as the defending NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament champions, but they will have to replace five seniors from last year’s record-breaking quad. Leading the charge is NSIC All-Tournament team honoree and senior center Sam Knecht, who will enter the season as the Cougars’ leading returning scorer and rebounder. The Platte, S.D. native averaged 11.8 points and 6.7 rebounds with three double-doubles on the season. A balanced and unselfish offense last year, the Cougars led NCAA Division II with a 1.37 assist-to-turnover ratio and were tops in the NSIC with an average of 16.9 assists per contest. At the head of the Cougars’ assist-happy squad was Madi Robson who enters her senior season after averaging 4.4 assists per game last season and sporting the second-highest assist-to-turnover ratio in the league with a 2.08 mark. Senior guard Alyson Johnsen returns after starting 19 games a year ago and follows Knecht as the second-leading scorer with a 4.9 average last season. Moira Duffy earned time in 24 contests last year as a forward and she will be joined by Jacey Huinker, who averaged nearly two rebounds a game in just 4.2 minutes of action per game. Freshmen Kaely Hummel and Andi Mataloni have warranted early playing time with their practice efforts so far this season. Cleveland State transfer Brooke Smith looks to fill a void at the guard position after starting 28 games and averaging 6.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game for CSU.
Player to Watch
#50 Sam Knecht (C, 6-2, Sr., Platte, S.D./Aberdeen Central HS)
First game
Tuesday, Nov. 15 vs. Presentation – 6 p.m.

 

Southwest Minnesota State University

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
5-24, 3-19	3/2	9 return	15th overall, 8th South
Team Preview
A new era begins for Southwest Minnesota State as Tom Webb takes over as the eighth head coach in team history. Webb, an SMSU graduate, comes to SMSU after spending eight seasons as head coach at Division II Cameron University (Okla.) SMSU is coming off a 5-24 season in 2015-16 and returns second leading scorer and top rebounder from a season ago in junior forward Lauren Hedlund. Hedlund averaged 12 points per game and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game. Also back is sophomore guard Sarah Buysse, who averaged 6.9 points, while connecting on 28 3-pointers, ranking second on the team. Another returning starter is senior Abby Connell, who finished with 22 3-pointers last season.
Player to Watch
#33 Lauren Hedlund (F, 5-11, Jr., Hinton, Iowa / Hinton HS)
First game
Friday, Nov. 11 at Missouri Western State – 5:30 p.m.

 

St. Cloud State University Huskies

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
13-14, 12-10 North	2 / 3	9 returning	8th overall, 4th  North
Team Preview
The Huskies are coming off a season where they finished a game below .500 overall and ranked eighth overall in the NSIC and fourth in the NSIC North in the standings. The program brings back 11 players with nine of those players earning court time last season. SCSU also added five newcomers to the squad including a pair of post players plus three guards to add depth. The team also welcomes back its entire starting backcourt in senior Chelsea Nooker and Betsy MacDonald. Nooker was a First Team All-NSIC selection and chosen for the league’s All-Defensive Team as a junior. Nooker started and played in all 27 games last season where she placed second on the team and 24th in the league in scoring at 13 points per game. She also ranked second on the team and 17th in the conference in rebounding despite standing below 6'0". Nooker also ranked fourth in the league in assists at 4.1 per game, second in steals (2.2 per game) and 13th in blocks (1.1 per game).  MacDonald also started all 27 games for the Huskies and ranked third on the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game. She led the team and placed sixth in the NSIC in made threes with 58. MacDonald also ranked second on the team in assists (93) and eighth in the conference in assists per game (3.4). SCSU head coach Lori Fish is entering her ninth season leading the program and 13th season overall as a collegiate head coach. Her 2015-16 squad averaged 65.7 points per game. The team was the second-best free throw shooting team in the league at 78.4 percent. The squad also placed second in the NSIC in offensive rebounds per game (13.7).
Player to Watch
#34 Chelsea Nooker (G, 5-9, Sr., Green Bay, Wis. / Boy Port HS)
First game
Saturday, Nov. 12 vs. University of Jamestown – 1 p.m.

Upper Iowa University Peacocks

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
5-24, 4-18 NSIC	3/2	7/4	14th Overall, 7th South
Team Preview
Micha Thompson takes over the program after having served as an assistant coach with the basketball program at Utah State University, a NCAA Division I member of the Mountain West Conference in Logan, Utah for the last four years. UIU wrapped up the year with a 5-24 mark overall and a 4-18 record in the Northern Sun with all four conference wins coming in the south division play. The Peacocks swept Southwest Minnesota State and extended their winning streak over the Mustangs to ninth and then knocked off Concordia-St. Paul on the road and beat Wayne State in Fayette. Carly Pagel returns to lead the Peacocks in the new era of Peacock basketball; the redshirt senior has played in 82 games making 71 starts while scoring 839 points and pulling down 470 rebounds in her three seasons. Pagel has fought through two severe knee injuries to reach her final season with the Peacocks after being named the NSIC Freshman of the Year after the 2012-13 season. UIU also returns senior Sam Ofstad, juniors Madi Meier and Blake Bergren, as well as sophomores Kari Fitzpatrick, Karlee Grabau and Haley Martin to go along with a set of new faces this season.
Player to Watch
#42 Carly Pagel (F, 6-0, Sr., Sumner, Iowa/Sumner-Fredericksburg HS)
First game
MIAA/NSIC Tournament Friday, Nov. 11 vs. Fort Hays State at 1 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo. Saturday, Nov. 12 at Missouri Western State at 6:30 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo.

 

Wayne State College Wildcats

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
17-12, 13-9 NSIC	4 / 1	8	7th Overall, 4th South
Team Preview
Wayne State returns four starters and eight letter winners from last year’s team that was 17-12 overall and fourth in the NSIC South with a 13-9 league mark.  Headlining the list of returning starters for the Wildcats are a pair of All-NSIC selections from last season.  6-1 junior forward/center Paige Ballinger was a First Team All-NSIC choice after averaging 15 points (7th-NSIC), 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game (4th-NSIC) despite missing the last seven games with a broken foot.  Ballinger also ranked second in the NSIC in field goal percentage (.534) to lead the Wildcats.  Another key player back is two-year starter Maggie Schulte, who was a Second Team All-NSIC selection last year after producing 14.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game with four double-doubles.  Schulte ranked ninth in the league in scoring last season, fourth in free throw percentage (.902) and 14th in 3-point field goal percentage (.375). The other returning starters are both seniors – 5-10 forward Anna Martensen accounted for 7.2 points and 6.3 rebounds a game with four double-doubles and 5-8 guard Haley Moore, who averaged 6.3 points a game and was second on the team with 39 3-pointers. Wayne State was 13-2 at home and just 4-9 in road games last season.  The Wildcats, who are 99-9 in Rice Auditorium over the last seven seasons, play their first three games at home that include in-state rival Nebraska-Kearney and Rockhurst, two teams that beat the ‘Cats on the road last year.
Player to Watch
#52 Paige Ballinger (C, 6-1, Jr., Pender, Neb. / Pender HS)
First game
Saturday, November 12 hosting Nebraska-Kearney 6 p.m.

 

Winona State University Warriors

Last Year	Starters Returning/Lost	Letter winners	2015-16 Standings
30-4, 20-2, 14-0 South	3 / 2	9	1st Overall, 1st South
Team Preview
After a record year last season, the Warriors will look to get even better in 2016-17. Three starters are back for coach Scott Ballard this season, who also has nine letter-winners back. Last season the Warriors outscored opponents by 16.9 points per game and averaged 73.3 points per game. The Warriors defense allowed just 56.4 points per game, best in the conference. Last year WSU led the league in field goal shooting and field goal shooting defense. Winona State will need to replace their top two scorers from last season, who were responsible for 28.1 points per game. Two double digit scorers are back, Tara Roelofs and Kayla Timmerman will look to lead WSU this season. Timmerman and Hannah McGlone combined for 14.6 rebounds per game and will try to copy those results this season. Winona State will rely on five seniors to get back to where they were lasts season. The Warriors have four players back who averaged over ten minutes per game. Timmerman ranked third in the nation in blocked shots last year with 92. The team ranked in the top-25 in 15 team categories. They were the best in the nation in free throw shooting. Winona State ranked fourth in the turnovers and fifth in the assist-to-turnover ratio. Their scoring defense and scoring margin both ranked 11th in the nation.
Player to Watch
#32  Kayla Timmerman (C, 6-3, Sr., Wayzata, Minn./ Wayzata HS)
First game
Friday, Nov. 11 vs. Puerto Rico-Bayamon - 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 vs. Puerto Rico-Mayaguez - 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 13 vs. Puerto Rico-Bayamon - 11 a.m.