Mallory Bernhard talking to her athletes in a huddle during the game.
Russell Hons

Women's Basketball Candy Jimenez-Caballero, FightingHawks.com

Women's Basketball Adds Four Signees

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - - University of North Dakota head women's basketball coach Mallory Bernhard announced the signing of four future Fighting Hawks. The four newcomers are Amanda Roach from Brighton, Mich., Mikayla Aumer from Mora, Minn., Rakiyah Beal from Detroit, Mich., and Nakiyah Hurst from Milwaukee, Wisc.

"You want to be careful with superlatives, but I feel this is a very special class," said Coach Bernhard. "We feel they will help us take a huge step towards our goals in the Summit League and fill a lot of our team's needs. Beyond the talent this group brings, they will be great representatives of our program off the court and in the community."

Amanda Roach, 5-7, PG, Brighton, Mich. (Hartland HS/Michigan Mystics AAU)
"Amanda has been a special player for Hartland. She has improved every season. She aggressively attacks the opponents defense and has also become a defensive stopper for us. She is more than willing to take the big shot or shoot the critical free throw," said Roach's current head coach at Hartland, Don Palmer. "Amanda is a relentless player who will flourish in the fast-paced college game."

Roach led Hartland to a #1 state ranking in the Class A KLAA Conference and Regional Championships as they finished the 2020-21 season with a 20-1 record. She was named first team All-KLAA and first team All-Livingston County. She was named one of Top 5 Defenders in Michigan and had was ranked as the #5 Combo Guard in the state by Prep Girls Hoops.

"Amanda is one of the fiercest competitors I have had the opportunity to coach in my 17 years. Her speed in transition and ability to make the right play will have North Dakota fans going crazy for the next four years," shared Coach Rob Ruhstorfer, who coaches Roach on the Michigan Mystics AAU.

Bernhard on Roach: "I'm very excited that we have our prototype point guard in Amanda coming to the program. She is a fierce competitor and a vocal floor general. She pushes the tempo and makes everyone around her better. I'm thrilled she chose to be a Hawk."

Mikayla Aumer, 5-9, G, Mora, Minn. (Cambridge-Isanti HS/Minnesota Metro Stars AAU)
"Mikayla brings an elite work ethic with her whenever she steps into the gym. She is a very talented offensive player who can knock down the three, create her own shot, and finish at the rim," expressed Cambridge-Isanti's head coach, Jody Ledhal. "Mikayla's defense rivals her offensive game with her tremendous focus and effort on that side of the ball. She has been an absolute joy to coach."

In the 2020-21 season, Aumer led the Mississippi 8 Conference in scoring. She averaged 22.4 points, 4.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. She was ranked as the #6 Combo Guard in Minnesota by Prep Girls Hoops.

"Her work ethic is off the charts," stated Aumer's head coach at the Minnesota Metro Stars AAU, Tara Starks. "The love for her teammates and the games is undeniable. She has a wining attitude and is 100% committed to her team and coaches. North Dakota is not only getting a great player but an even better person."

Bernhard on Aumer: "One of the top basketball writers in Minnesota called Mikayla the hardest working player in the state, and I couldn't agree more. She is a player who is always in the gym, the weight room, or on the track pushing herself to get better and better. As good as she is now, a player like that can only keep improving. She has exactly the approach to the game that I want to be the standard for our program." 

Rakiyah Beal, 5-11, F, Detroit, Mich. (Hamtramck HS/Detroit Edison HS/Michigan Crossover EYBL)
"Rakiyah Beal is poised to be a breakout star on the college level," said the Director of the Michigan Crossover EYBL, Emez Oliver. "She had an outstanding showing this summer on the Nike Girls EYBL circuit."

Currently a senior at Hamtramck High School, Beal spent her freshman, sophomore and junior years at Detroit Edison High School where she won state championships in 2018 and 2019 before choosing to withdraw from the 2020-21 season. While at Edison, the team ranked #16 in USA Today's National Top 25. Beal received a 4 Star 91 scouts grade by ESPN. She has been ranked #6 overall and #1 SF in Michigan and #69 overall in the nation by Prep Girls Hoops. Along with those rankings, the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report has Beal as 48th SG in the nation and 160th overall in the nation.

Bernhard on Beal: "All eyes are drawn to Rakiyah anytime she is in the gym. She possesses elite athleticism and displays it on both ends of the floor. Add a magnetic personality and coachability and you have something special headed to Grand Forks. It has been such a pleasure to build a relationship with Rakiyah, and I look forward to mentoring her in what ought to be a memorable career."

Nakiyah Hurst, 5-11, F, Milwaukee, Wis. (Milwaukee Academy of Science HS/Wisconsin Playground Elite AAU)
"North Dakota is in for a treat," exclaimed Hurst's head coach at the Milwaukee Academy of Science, Geo Riley. "Nakiyah is a special player that can get it done in several different ways. She can beat you up inside, stretch the floor, shoot the three and put the ball on the floor to drive by bigger players."

A Blue Star All-American, Hurst has averaged 17.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in her career thus far. She received a 4 Star 91 scouts grade and ranked the #13 wing in the nation by ESPN. She is ranked #2 power forward in Wisconsin by Prep Girls Hoops. Along with those rankings, the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report has Hurst as 47th forward in the nation and 247th overall in the nation.

"I am very excited that Nakiyah Hurst signed with the University of North Dakota. She will be a player that can help their program with the versatility to play multiple positions, and she will fight for an opportunity to play minutes as a freshman," shared coach Jeff Smith of the Wisconsin Playground Elite AAU. "She is an impact player and will play a significant role for the program. She is a team player with a strong passion to win. She can score at all three levels, and her strengths will be attacking the rim and being physical on both ends of the floor."

Bernhard on Hurst: "There isn't much Nakiyah can't do with the ball in her hands. She has a very good shot with deep range, has outstanding court vision and can deliver the ball exactly where it needs to go. She is a super ball handler with the ability to create her own shot. She has an incredibly high ceiling that I can't wait to help her discover and reach."
 
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