North Dakota (4-5) at Northern Iowa
DATE: Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016 | 2:00 p.m. CT
SITE: Cedar Falls, Iowa (McLeod Center)
RADIO: KSNR 100.3-FM (Mitch Wigness)
WEB VIDEO: ESPN3
WEB AUDIO: UNDsports.com
LIVE STATS: statbroadcast.com
TWITTER: @UNDWBasketball
North Dakota at San Diego (6-3)
DATE: Wednesday, Dec. 21 2016 | 7:00 p.m. CT
SITE: San Diego, Calif. (Jenny Craig Pavilion)
RADIO: KSNR 100.3-FM (Mitch Wigness)
WEB AUDIO: UNDsports.com
LIVE STATS: usdtoreros.com
TWITTER: @UNDWBasketball
ON TAP
UND takes to the road for the final non-conference games with a Dec. 18 battle at Northern Iowa before a visit to San Diego three days later. The Big Sky Conference season begins Dec. 29 as Portland State visits Grand Forks.
ON THE HORIZON
At the turn of the calendar to January, UND will head to Northern Arizona and Southern Utah on Jan. 5 and 7, respectively, after missing that trip last season.
RECAP vs. MARY
The University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks women's basketball team defeated Mary, 79-67, on Tuesday night at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. UND (4-5) picks up back-to-back wins for the first time this season and closes out the home portion of its non-conference schedule with a win. The Fighting Hawks were led by Jill Morton; who tallied career-highs in points (21), 3pt. makes (4), and rebounds (7). Senior Samantha Roscoe also added 19 points and five rebounds off the bench for the Fighting Hawks as the UND reserves combined for 56 points in the win.
ALL-TIME SERIES vs. NORTHERN IOWA
UND trails 2-3
Home: 2-0, Away: 0-2, Neutral: 0-1
2/4/78 L 50-68 (N)
12/18/10 L 54-78 (A)
12/17/11 W 74-70 (H)
11/12/13 L 56-61 (A)
12/5/15 W 64-59 (H)
ALL-TIME SERIES vs. SAN DIEGO
First meeting
I don't know how to put this, but I'm kind of a big deal
Head coach Travis Brewster is undefeated against North Dakota State after his team's 76-55 win Saturday in Fargo. His five wins mark the most against any non-conference opponent.
Coach Brewster most wins vs. opponents
Weber State 6-2
Idaho State 6-3
Montana 6-4
North Dakota St. 5-0
Northern Ariz. 5-2
Portland State 5-2
Northern Colo. 5-3
Eastern Wash. 4-3
You stay classy, San Diego
UND and San Diego will meet up for the first time when North Dakota heads to southern California on Dec. 21. The Toreros were 24-8 last season en route to an appearance in the WNIT.
I'm in a glass case of emotion
North Dakota has only been beat on the glass twice this season, averaging a +5.7 rebounding margin through nine games. Mary out-boarded UND, 31-30, in UND's win Tuesday, the first time an opponent claimed an advantage on the boards since the season opener (Drake, 40-36).
Boy, that escalated quickly
Sophomore Jill Morton scored a career-high 21 points in the Dec. 13 win over Mary. She did so with the help of a fourth-quarter burst that saw her score 11 points in a 90-second span. She tripled to make it 59-47, then hit another three in the left corner and followed that with a drive and finish with the free throw on a conventional three-point play. Her final bucket staked UND to a 68-51 lead, its largest of the evening.
Don't act like you're not impressed
UND piled up the career highs in the win over Mary on Dec. 13. The bench scored 56 points, most since Mar. 9, 2012 in a Great West Conference Tournament win over UT-Pan American (now UT-Rio Grande Valley). Some highlights of career highs set in that game:
Points
Morton- 21
Burroughs- 5
Rebounds
Morton- 7
Assists
Sawatzke- 6
Steals
Morton- 5
Franklin- 4 (tied)
Roscoe- 3 (tied)
The human torch was denied a bank loan
Sophomore Lexi Klabo has a team-leading nine rejections this season, all coming in the last seven games. She has three games with multiple blocks, UND is 2-1 in those contests (Iowa, North Dakota State, Mary).
60% of the time, it works everytime
Lexi Klabo currently leads the Big Sky Conference with a .602 field-goal percentage on the season. She has two games in which she has not missed a shot from the floor (5-5 at NDSU, 4-4 vs. Drake) and she has only missed more than three shots in a game twice this season. To boot, she's boosted her free throw percentage by making 16 of her last 19 attempts (.842) to get to .689 for the season.
DEEP THOUGHTS
North Dakota banged home 11 three-point shots in the win over San Francisco (Dec. 3), the most in a six-year span. The last time UND had as many as 11 threes was back on Jan. 29, 2011, a 50-point blowout of Houston Baptist. Current assistant coach Mallory Bernhard (Youngblut) had six of them in the win.
EIGHT AINT ENOUGH
UND has already had three games with eight triples made or more this season, more than the four combined seasons under coach Brewster. North Dakota has made 11 and 10 threes, respectively, in two of their last fourgames.
DOUBLING UP FROM DOWNTOWN
With the first nine games as an indication, UND is making nearly double the amount of threes per game as last season. North Dakota shot just 11.3 per game last year, making 3.4 per game (.301). This season, the shots are up to 20.9 per contest and making 6.8 a game, a .324 clip.
IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...
North Dakota has seen its opponents grab the upper hand in the first quarter this season to the tune of a 177-134 disadvantage thus far through eight games. UND has only held the lead after one quarter twice this season, both by a single point (15-14 vs. Mayville, 18-17 vs. Mary).
ON SECOND THOUGHT!
North Dakota has dominated the second quarter, out-scoring its foe, 189-134. The 189 points are the most in any period for UND while the 134 represent the lowest point total for an opponent. UND blitzed Kansas, 22-10, in the second on Nov. 27, including a half-ending 13-0 run to head into the locker room leading by four. UND has held the edge in second-quarter scoring in all but three games this season (16-16 vs. Iowa, 16-14 vs USF, 22-19 vs SDSU).
TOP OF THE SUMMIT
North Dakota played four Summit League teams last season and boasts an 11-3 all-time mark against that conference in Division I play.
11/25/11 vs. Southern Utah* W, 62-61
11/30/12 at North Dakota St. W, 73-63
11/17/13 South Dakota W, 65-61
12/14/13 North Dakota St. W, 88-83
11/26/14 at Omaha W, 72-52
11/29/14 at Western Ill. W, 85-77
12/6/14 at North Dakota St. (ot) W, 90-87
12/21/14 at South Dakota L, 81-86
11/17/15 Omaha W, 67-52
12/8/15 Western Illinois W, 78-67
12/12/15 North Dakota St. W, 71-54
12/19/15 South Dakota L, 70-73
12/6/16 South Dakota St. L, 72-83
12/10/16 at North Dakota St. W, 76-55
*now in the Big Sky Conference
HOMETOWN HERO
Lexi Klabo etched her second career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win over North Dakota State. The Fargo, N.d.. native tied career highs with both numbers and did not miss from the floor in the win (5-5 FG, 1-1 3FG).
TWENTY SOMETHINGS
UND has already had five 20-point performances this season, two in the opener vs. Drake, another at Texas Tech followed by Makailah Dyer's 20-point effort at NDSU Dec. 10 and Jill Morton's 21-point game vs. Mary on Dec. 13. Leah Szabla has turned the trick twice to give her four 20-point performances in her career. Active career 20-point games:
Makailah Dyer 14
Leah Szabla 4
Sam Roscoe 2
Jill Morton 1
MAK'S SIX PACK
Makailah Dyer set a new career standard with six three-point baskets in the season opener vs. Drake. She hit four of those in the first half en route to a 24-point night, which was her 13th 20-point game of her career.
COACHES PICK FIGHTING HAWKS SECOND
The University of North Dakota women's basketball team was picked second by the league's coaches in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Poll. UND was slotted fifth in a tight media poll that had five different schools with at least one first-place vote. Defending league champion Idaho took the coaches poll, edging out UND by just three points, while regular-season champ Montana State was the media's top selection.The UND women have been picked in the top two spots of the coaches poll in each of the past three seasons and have a conference title (2014) and a runner-up finish (2016) while qualifying for a postseason tournament in each of the past three seasons as well (NCAA in 2014, WBI in 2015 and 2016).
LOADED SCHEDULE
UND has yet another solid pre-conference schedule, loaded with postseason regulars. A peek at how tough the non-conference slate is for North Dakota:
Only three Division I teams on UND's non-conference schedule did not make the postseason and two are from Power 5 conferences (Texas Tech, Kansas, NDSU). Six of UND's nine non-conference D-1 opponents played past their league tournaments last season.
HOME OPPONENTS
Opp. PS 15-16 Rec.
Drake WNIT 23-10
Iowa WNIT 19-14
Mayville St. -- 16-13
San Francisco NCAA 21-12
South Dakota St NCAA 27-7
Mary -- 15-16
ROAD OPPONENTS
Opp. PS 15-16 Rec.
Texas Tech -- 13-18
Kansas -- 6-25
North Dakota St -- 7-22
Northern Iowa WNIT 24-11
San Diego WNIT 24-8
SENIOR CAPTAINS NAMED
Leah Szabla, Samantha Roscoe, Makailah Dyer have been chosen by their teammates to represent the leadership group for the Fighting Hawks as they eye another postseason run. The trio of Szabla, Roscoe and Dyer have been part of one of UND's most successful runs. This class was the catalyst for North Dakota's 11-game turnaround in their freshmen season, a memorable Big Sky Conference championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance. Since, UND has appeared in the postseason in each of the next two seasons as well, hosting and winning its first Division I postseason game last year against Grand Canyon in the Women's Basketball Invitational.
RECORD REWIND
The University of North Dakota women's basketball program holds an 877-371 (.705) record all-time since the first game was played in 1974.
All-time, North Dakota is 485-104 (.827) when it comes to defending its own court. The team played at the UND Fieldhouse/Hyslop Sports Center before moving into its current home at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in 2004-05.
HOW TO FOLLOW?
You can follow UND women's basketball on twitter @UNDWbasketball for in-game scores, notes and links to live stats and how to watch.
YOU BETTY-CHA!
North Dakota is 151-35 (.811) all-time at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, which opened prior to the 2004-05 season.
Season records at 'The Betty'
2004-05 -------------------- 13-2
2005-06 -------------------- 19-1
2006-07 -------------------- 17-2
2007-08 -------------------- 14-1
2008-09 -------------------- 13-0
2009-10 -------------------- 8-4
2010-11 -------------------- 9-5
2011-12 -------------------- 10-3
2012-13 -------------------- 8-6
2013-14 -------------------- 15-1
2014-15 -------------------- 10-3
2015-16 -------------------- 12-4
2016-17 -------------------- 3-3
FIND UND ON THE TUBE... NATIONALLY
UND will enjoy the national spotlight a total of nine times this season with eight home games televised and an additional road contest available on a national platform.
Midco Sports Network (MidcoSN) will produce five home women's basketball games, including the big showdown against Big Ten Conference opponent Iowa on Nov. 16. Alex Heinert returns as the play-by-play voice while former UND women's basketball player and assistant coach Val Sussex will serve as the analyst for the women's tilts on MidcoSN. There will also be a road tilt at NDSU that will air on MidcoSN2.
FSN or FSN Plus will air three women's basketball games, including the women's game against Montana State on Jan. 12 in a game that features two of the top three teams in the Preseason Big Sky Conference coaches poll. These contests will be produced by UND Athletics staff, professional freelancers and UND students. UND Athletics' Video Production Coordinator David Folske will produce the broadcasts while Assistant Athletics Director for New Media and Video Production Matt Schill will serve as a key crew member. Assistant Media Relations Director Mitch Wigness will provide the play-by-play for women's contests with Sussex.
2016-17 Television Coverage
Date Opponent Channel
Nov 13 Texas Tech FOX Sports SW+
Nov 16 Iowa MidcoSN
Dec 6 South Dakota State MidcoSN
Dec 10 at North Dakota St MidcoSN2
Jan 12 Montana State FSN
Jan 14 Montana MidcoSN
Jan 26 Southern Utah MidcoSN
Jan 28 Northern Arizona FSN +
Feb 16 Idaho State MidcoSN
Feb 25 Northern Colorado FSN +
FOLLOW UND ON MOBILE
Take North Dakota women's basketball with you wherever you go with UNDsports.com's mobile app. Download it to your computer or your smart phone for free and follow your team wherever they go.
CAN I GET A WIGNESS?
All UND games can be heard live on KSNR 100.3 FM, the flagship for UND basketball. Mitch Wigness returns for his fifth season behind the mic providing the play-by-play.
LEAGUE TOURNEYS AGAIN HEAD TO RENO
The Big Sky Conference is in year two of a three-year agreement that sees its basketball championships held in Reno, Nev.
As in 2015-16, the Big Sky Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will be played downtown at the Reno Events Center. The REC was constructed in 2005 and can accommodate roughly 5,000 fans in a basketball configuration.
All 12 men's and women's teams from the conference will participate in the championship. The tournament starts Mar. 6 and runs through Mar. 11.
