THIS WEEK
The North Dakota State (1-1) women’s basketball team is set to make its home debut this week hosting Northern Iowa (1-1) on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. at Scheels Center. The Bison will wrap up the week taking on Montana (1-1) on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
BISON QUICK HITS
- NDSU enters the week with a 1-1 overall record.
- The Bison opened the season last Thursday edging Milwaukee on the road, 69-58.
- NDSU dropped a 71-54 decision at Green Bay last Saturday.
- Heaven Hamling (15.5) and Ryan Cobbins (15.0) are both averaging double digits in scoring this season.
- NDSU rolled past Northern Iowa, 85-68, to open the season last year at Scheels Center.
- The Bison posted a 9-3 record at home last season, which was their best record since 2009-10.
IN HOME OPENERS
Under head coach Jory Collins, NDSU is 1-1 overall in home openers. Last season, NDSU rolled past Northern Iowa, 85-68, behind 20 points from both Emily Dietz and Heaven Hamling, who was making her Bison debut.
THIS IS OUR HOUSE
NDSU is 454-133 all-time at home dating back to 1977-78. NDSU posted a 9-3 record at Scheels Center last season, which was the best record since 2009-10 when the Bison notched an 11-3 mark.
COBBINS STARTS FAST
Ryan Cobbins netted a game-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field in the win at Milwaukee. She also added four assists, three rebounds and one block to her stat line. It marked her first 20-point game since the 2019-20 season and second overall of her career.
BISON DEBUT
Katie Hildebrandt made her Bison debut at Milwaukee and logged five minutes of action with one assist.
DIETZ IS BACK FOR MORE
Emily Dietz is back for her fifth season and looking to leave her mark in the Bison record book with plenty of milestones within reach. Last season, she became the 31st player in school history, and fifth during the NCAA Division I era, to join the 800 points/500 rebounds club. The Fargo native has also played in 104 games with 84 starts over five seasons
She enters the season in the top 50 in Bison history in games started (17th, 84), rebounds (25th, 548), blocked shots (t-32nd, 37), field goals made (36th, 369) and scoring (42nd, 908).
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
NDSU has been picked third in the Summit League preseason poll announced on Oct. 12. South Dakota, who won its second straight Summit League title last season, picked up 20 first place votes to take the top spot, while South Dakota State garnered 18 total first place votes to be positioned second. NDSU rounded out the top three picked third. The Bison were picked inside the top five for the second consecutive season and it also marks highest ranking in the poll since 2009-10 when NDSU was positioned third.
SCOUTING NORTHERN IOWA
Northern Iowa enters the week with a 1-1 overall record and most recently came up short at Iowa, 82-61, on Sunday. Kam Finley paced the Panthers with 17 points and six rebounds.
This will mark the 11th all-time meeting between UNI and NDSU dating back to 2008. In the most recent encounter last season, NDSU had four players reach double digits in scoring to cruise past UNI, 85-68. However, the Panthers lead the all-time series, 6-2.
SCOUTING MONTANA
Montana begins the week with a 1-1 overall record and most recently dropped a 67-60 decision against Gonzaga on Sunday. Carmen Gfeller led the Griz with 19 points and four rebounds.
This will mark the third all-time meeting between NDSU and Montana dating back to 1977 with the series deadlocked, 1-1. In the most recent meeting in 2013, the Bison topped the Griz, 70-53, at the DoubleTree Los Angeles Westside Thanksgiving Classic in Los Angeles. Brooke Lemar led NDSU with a game-high 21 points.
*Myles Johnson, NDSU Athletics
