GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Fans saw quite a few new faces when North Dakota stepped on the floor Monday evening to play an exhibition game against Jamestown, but the outcome was oh-so-familiar. With four players in double figures, the Fighting Sioux defeated the Jimmies 87-60.
"We're going to have to take this game and really break it down to show the players what they need to do," said head coach Gene Roebuck. "We can definitely improve on this."
Freshman Allyssa Wall (North Sioux City, S.D.) led the Sioux with a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double. She finished 7-for-9 from the free throw line and shot 3-for-7 from the field. Wall led the team with six offensive boards and was a major factor in UND's 49-36 rebounding advantage.
"When Allyssa got in the game, she was really active right away," said Roebuck. "She was very aggressive on the floor and just played really well. I'm really impressed by the way she stepped onto the floor and competed."
Leading UND in scoring was sophomore Nicole Smart. The Ada, Minn., native went 5-for-8 from behind the arc to tie her career-high 15 points.
"Nobody has worked as hard as Nicole," said Roebuck. "Nicole is one of those players that can see the future, so to speak, and the opportunities that she can have. More importantly, she works for those opportunities.
Senior captains Mallory Youngblut (Davenport, Iowa) and Corey Lof (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Lof finished a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 from the charity stripe.
"Yeah, we put up a lot of points, but we really need to do a better job on the defensive end," said Roebuck.
On top for the Jimmies were Bridget Schuneman and Krista Shaikoski. Schuneman shot 5-for-7 from both the field and the free throw line to lead the team with 15 points. Shaikoski was 4-for-5 from three-point range and 2-for-2 at the line.
North Dakota lit up the board first as Youngblut made a pair of shots from the free throw line, but the Jimmies quickly took a one-point lead with a three-pointer by Shaikoski. UND recovered to regain the lead, but it was short-lived as Schuneman scored back-to-back baskets to give Jamestown a 7-4 lead at 17:33.
The Sioux rebounded with a turnaround jumper by Wall and a three-pointer by Youngblut to gain an 8-7 lead, a lead they would not relinquish for the remaining 25 minutes of the game.
UND slowly built a 14-7 lead, but with back-to-back field goals by Carly Jensen, the UND lead was chipped down to one point once again.
And that is when the momentum of the half moved solely into the hands of the Sioux.
Kick started by a jumper by Corey Lof at 9:01, the Sioux set out on a four and a half minute, 15-2 run to move out to a 29-15 lead with 4:24 left in the half. Inside the run, Wall scored six of her eight first half points.
The Sioux went into the halftime break with a 42-26 lead.
Inside the new half, UND quickly built onto its advantage as Youngblut, Charnay Mothershed (Phoenix, Ariz.), and Smart combined for eight points to give the Sioux a 49-29 lead. Jamestown fired back, but each Jimmie basket was answered on the other end by UND.
With a three-pointer by freshman Megan Lauck (Arden Hills, Minn.), North Dakota took its biggest lead yet, a 22-point advantage.
That margin would be bettered inside the two-minute mark as sophomore Shyla Kuehl (Hustisford, Wis.) drained a pair of free throws to give the Sioux a 78-55 lead.
With the final seconds ticking off of the clock, sophomore Carly Rothfusz (Eden Prairie, Minn.) banked in a three-pointer and Wall hit another pair of free throws to give UND the 26-point win.
On Friday, Nov. 5, North Dakota will play its second and final exhibition game of the season when it hosts Minnesota, Crookston. Tip-off between the Sioux and the Golden Eagles is set for 5 p.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
GAME NOTES: Charnay Mothershed recorded her first start as a Fighting Sioux ... Katie Houdek recorded her first collegiate start ... Against the Jamestown, North Dakota holds an undefeated 18-0 record. The Sioux have gone 17-0 in Grand Forks and 1-0 in Jamestown.
- Go Sioux -
