UP NEXT FOR NORTH DAKOTA
Following a 1-1 showing on the road during Thanksgiving Week, the Fighting Sioux return to Grand Forks to play their third home game of the 2009-10 season. On Sunday, Nov. 29 UND will entertain Ball State. Tipoff between the Sioux and the Cardinals is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
SERIES HISTORY
Sunday's contest will mark the second meeting between North Dakota and Ball State. The two teams first met last season on Jan. 27 in Muncie, Ind., with the Cardinals coming away with the 88-80 overtime win.
ON THIS DAY IN FIGHTING SIOUX HISTORY
North Dakota is an even 6-6 when playing on Nov. 29. The Fighting Sioux are 2-1 at home, 4-4 on the road and 0-1 when playing on neutral territory. Through 12 games, the Sioux have out-scored their foes 889-779 ... That's an average score of 74-64.
UND played it's first game and captured it's first win on the 333rd day of the year in 1978 when it defeated N.D. State College of Science 65-53 at home. The Sioux suffered their first loss on that day in 1980 when they lost on the road to Bethany (Kan.) 82-68.
The Fighting Sioux are currently on a four-game winning streak when playing on the 29th of November.
RECORD REWIND
The University of North Dakota women's basketball program holds a 752-272 (.732) record all-time since the first game was played in 1974. Under head coach Gene Roebuck, UND is 576-108 (.842).
NOTING THE FIGHTING SIOUX
North Dakota captured it's first win of the season with a 57-50 road victory over New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M. Three players finished in double-figures. Senior Kayla Bagaason (Clearbrook, Minn.) led the team with 19 points, junior Mallory Youngblut (Davenport, Iowa) followed with 17 points and senior Jossy Bergan (Valley City, N.D.) scored 12 points.
Bagaason leads the team with 73 total points and is averaging 14.6 per game. She is also UND's top three-point shooter with a 48.3 (14-for-19) shooting percentage.
North Dakota's top rebounder is Youngblut who grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds at Wisconsin (Nov. 15). She is averaging 8.2 rebounds per game.
As a team the Fighting Sioux are shooting 31.7 percent (86-for-271) from the field and 60 percent (54-for-90) from the free throw line. The Sioux are also averaging 38.8 rebounds per contest.
NOTING THE CARDINALS
Ball State was on a two-game winning streak before falling to North Dakota State 65-57 on Friday in Fargo, N.D.
The squad is led by Emily Maggert who is scoring 15.2 points and averaging 11.6 rebounds per game. Three other players are also in double-figures. Patrice King is averaging 11.6 points, Danielle Gratton 11 points, and Audrey McDonald 10.6 points per game. Gratton is the three-point leader with a .364 shooting average.
As a team, the Cardinals are shooting 39.3 percent from the field, 32.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 71.3 percent at the free throw line.
BALL STATE HEAD COACH KELLY PACKARD
Kelly Packard is in her second season as the head coach of the Ball State University women's basketball team. In her inaugural year on the sidelines, Packard led the Cardinals to the most successful season in program history, and became the first coach in Ball State's women basketball history to win 26 games in a rookie season. The 2008-2009 historical season included the Cardinals posting their best ever overall and home records, 26-9 and 14-1, respectively. Ball State also had its best Mid-America Conference showing, turning in a 14-2 ledger.
In just her first season Packard guided Ball State to its third straight MAC West Division title, its first MAC Tournament championship and its first NCAA Tournament berth. Packard and the Cardinals stunned the women's basketball world when she coached her team to a first round win in the NCAA tournament against two time defending national champions, the University of Tennessee, 71-55. With the win Ball State managed to extend its win streak to 12 straight victories which was the longest win streak in program history. Packard's 2008-2009 Cardinals finished with the Mid American Conference's highest RPI (45) and SOS (strength of schedule) ranking (91).
MEDIA INFORMATION
The game against Ball State will be broadcast on 100.3 FM CatCountry with Paul Ralston handling the play-by-play.
All Fighting Sioux women's basketball games - home and away - can be heard on CatCountry 100.3 FM and on stations across the Fighting Sioux radio network.
Stay tuned for any schedule changes.
Links for live stats, live audio, and live audio/video can be found on the Official Site of Fighting Sioux athletics, www.FightingSioux.com.
PROTECT AND SERVE
All-time, the Fighting Sioux are 410-76 (.843) when it comes to defending their own court and are 314-32 (.907) under the tutelage of Gene Roebuck.
Since the program's beginning in 1974, the Green and White have gone undefeated in Grand Forks six times, including back-to-back seasons from 1997-1999. In those years, the Sioux were national champions.
LET'S GET BETTY TO RUMBLE
UND is 81-8 (.910) all-time at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, which opened prior to the 2004-05 season.
- Go Sioux -
