GRAND FORKS, ND – The North Dakota women's basketball team opened the 2024-25 season with a 66-63 home win over Eastern Illinois. 

The defensive battle from both teams started in the opening minute of the game with a block from Walker Demers just 15 seconds in. Eastern Illinois put up the first basket with 8:29 left in the first and kept the Hawks from scoring until 6:58. Freshman Jocelyn Schiller sunk a three marking her first career points and the first bucket of the season for the Hawks. In the opening five minutes of the game there was a collective nine turnovers and five steals between both teams. NoDak's first lead of the game came at 4:13 and the Hawks held onto it for the remainder of the first quarter. 

The Hawks fell shortly behind to start the second quarter, but Skyler Volmer tied it up with her first career basket at 5:38. The Panthers and the Hawks traded the lead the rest of the quarter eventually ending the half tied at 30. Kiera Pemberton paced the quarter with six points, accounting for half of the score in the second. 

Demers opened the second half with a pair of free throws giving the Hawks a momentum boost hold a steady lead. The Panthers tied it up at 6:22 but the Hawks came back two minutes later, tying it up with a three-pointer by Mikayla Aumer. UND maintained the lead at the end of the quarter going into the fourth up 49-44. 

At 6:17 in the fourth, Kiera Pemberton hit the Hawk's first double-double of the season with a defensive rebound. UND had a steady final frame only giving up the lead once with three minutes left on the clock. Demers quickly took the lead back with a offensive rebound that lead to a jump shot in the paint. Tied with 35 seconds remaining, Demers was sent to the line where she sunk a pair of game winning free throws. 
 
North Dakota returns to action Tuesday in Bismarck to take on Dickinson State at 7:30 from the Bismarck Event Center.
 
Postgame Notes 
•    Kiera Pemberton paced the team with her fourth career double-double and first of the season, putting up 21 and a career-high 12 rebounds. 
•    Freshman Jocelyn Schiller recorded her first double-digit game in her collegiate debut. 
•    Junior Walker Demers also reached double-digits with 16 points, going 5-of-6 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. 
•    The Hawks tallied nine steals with Pemberton, Schiller, and Rakiyah Beal each notching two. 
•    UND's defensive made five blocks, each coming from a different Hawk. 
•    The Hawks led rebounds 47-37
•    UND outshot the EIU on field goals 40.8% (20-of-49) to 32.8% (22-of-67) and free throws 72.7% (24-of-33) to 62.5% (15-of-24).
  
How It Happened 
Q1: UND 17, EIU 16
Q2: UND 13, EIU 14
Q3: UND 19, EIU 14
Q4: UND 17, EIU 19

For more information on North Dakota women's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDwbasketball.