Women's Basketball 2/16/2017 7:12:00 PM Shawn Smith, Sports Information Director

Minnesota Crookston Closes Out Regular-Season at Lysaker Against Minot State and U-Mary

CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team will close out the 2016-17 regular-season at home against Minot State University and University of Mary. The Golden Eagles will take on the Beavers Fri., Feb. 17 at 6 p.m., and the Marauders Sat., Feb. 18 at 4 p.m.

Minnesota Crookston comes in with a 6-18 (6-14 NSIC) mark on the season. Minot State has posted a 4-22 record (2-18 NSIC), while U-Mary is 13-15 (8-12 NSIC).

Friday will be UMC's Play4Kay Breast Cancer Awareness game. Fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness. Saturday UMC will honor their corporate partners. It would normally be Senior Day for the Golden Eagle women's basketball team, but this year UMC does not have any seniors.

Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Mike Roysland
Record at UMC: 103-190 Season at UMC: 11th Season

Minot State Beavers
Head Coach: Sheila Green-Gerding
Record at MINOT: 361-279 Season at MINOT: 22nd Season

U-Mary Marauders
Head Coach: Rick Neumann
Record at MARY: 74-71 Season at MARY: Fifth Season

Feb. 17, 2017 • Crookston, Minn. • Lysaker Gymnasium • 6 p.m.
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/crk/#liveEventsTab
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/umcrookston/wbball/
Radio: 1260 KROX AM/105.7 FM

Feb. 18, 2017 • Crookston, Minn. • Lysaker Gymnasium • 4 p.m.
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/crk/#liveEventsTab
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/umcrookston/wbball/
Radio: 1260 KROX AM/105.7 FM

#5StoryLines
1. Can Emily Gruber and Micaela Noga be consistent in both games for the Golden Eagles?

2. Can UMC slow down U-Mary's inside presence of Gabbie Bohl and Hannah Larson?

3. Can UMC slow down Minot State's Kari Clements?

4. Can Isieoma Odor have a big weekend in the post?

5. Will the Golden Eagles play consistent and solid defense in both games?

Weekly Snapshot
Minnesota Crookston
Projected Starters
Jr. PG 10 Micaela Noga (5-7, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) 9.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.3 APG
So. SG 14 Alison Hughes (5-7, Janesville, Wis.) 16.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG
So. 3G 3 Caitlin Michaelis (5-8, Marshfield, Wis.) 4.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG
Jr. SF 22 Emily Gruber (5-11, Monticello, Minn.) 8.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG
R-So. PF 15 Isieoma Odor (6-0, Bloomington, Minn.) 12.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG
Top Bench Players
Fr. G 5 Stephanie McWilliams (5-8, Grand Forks, N.D.) 2.4 PPG, 1.9 RPG
Fr. G/F 32 Paige Weakley (5-9, Kearney, Mo.) 3.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG

Minot State
Projected Starters
So. PG 12 Kari Clements (5-7, Trevor, Wis.) 10.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.3 APG
Sr. SG 33 Kori Eurich (5-7, Pueblo, Colo.) 8.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG
So. 3G 3 Madison Wald (5-6, Minot, N.D.) 9.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG
Jr. SF 44 Diondra Denton (5-10, Great Falls, Mont.) 7.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG
Jr. PF 40 Kristal Flowers (6-1, Collins, Miss.) 8.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG
Top Bench Players
Fr. F 22 Haley Hildenbrand (6-2, Parker, Colo.) 6.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG
R-Fr. G 4 Mariah Payne (5-7, Burnie, Australia) 9.8 PPG, 3.1 APG
So. G 32 Gabby Wilkinson (5-9, Bismarck, N.D.) 3.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG
Fr. F 42 Reina Strand (6-1, Keizer, Ore.) 2.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG

U-Mary
Projected Starters
R-Jr. PG 3 Dani Williams (5-9, Gillette, Wyo.) 8.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.1 APG
R-Sr. SG 30 Rachel Weir (5-10, Fargo, N.D.) 6.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG
Fr. 3G 24 Lauren Rotunda (6-0, Fargo, N.D.) 8.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG
Sr. SF 23 Hannah Larson (6-0, Bismarck, N.D.) 13.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG
R-Fr. PF 32 Gabbie Bohl (6-2, Minot, N.D.) 14.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG
Top Bench Players
Fr. F 12 Cassie Askvig (6-2, Minot, N.D.) 7.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG
Fr. G 2 Christal Hearn (5-11, Mequon, Wis.) 1.5 PPG, 1.3 RPG
Jr. G 21 Sawyer Kluge (5-10, Bremerton, Wash.) 2.2 PPG, 2.0 RPG

#IsyTime
UMC redshirt sophomore Isieoma Odor has had a strong 2017 for the Golden Eagles. Whether it is as a starter or off of the bench, Odor has been able to come into her own in the post for the Golden Eagles. Odor is averaging 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds on the season. She averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds last weekend. Against Augustana, Odor had a double-double of 22 points and 17 rebounds. She will look to channel her performance against the Vikings as she heads into the final two games of the regular-season.

#HughesLeadingTheWay
Alison Hughes continues to have a strong showing this season for the Golden Eagles. Hughes is among the top five in scoring in the league this season. The Janesville, Wis. native is leading the team with 16.7 points per game. Hughes leads the NSIC in free throw shooting at 93.3 percent. She is also among the leaders beyond the arc, shooting 42.9 percent on the season. Hughes will look to have a pair of big games on the final weekend of the regular-season.

#LeadershipDownTheStretch
UMC junior guard Micaela Noga will look to give UMC leadership and will hopefully improve her consistency down the stretch. Noga has had several big games in the last few weeks, but she is looking for added consistency. Noga averaged seven points, 5.5 rebounds and four assists in two games last week. She can a little bit of everything, but she will be looked to score more in the final two regular-season games. Noga tallied 29 points Feb. 3 at Augustana University.

#BreakoutGame
UMC freshman guard Stephanie McWilliams, a Grand Forks, N.D. native, has started to come on in the last couple of months. Her biggest game came last weekend agaist MSU Moorhead. The guard, who has become known for her defense, had an offensive showcase. McWilliams came off the bench for 15 points on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. She added five rebounds on the night. McWilliams will look to spring board off of her big game as she heads into the final regular-season games.

#Tidbits
- Minnesota Crookston enters the weekend with a 6-18 (6-14 NSIC) mark. The Golden Eagles are currently in sixth place in the NSIC North. For the first time since 2014, UMC will not host a first round playoff game at Lysaker Gymnasium. However, the Golden Eagles are looking to end the 2016-17 season with positive momentum going into the 2017-18 season. Minnesota Crookston is slated to return everyone going into next year as nobody graduates for the Golden Eagles.

-UMC still has a shot this weekend to change their seeding heading into the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament. They are No. 6 in the NSIC North, but with a weekend sweep and a loss for U-Mary at Bemidji State they would earn the No. 5 seed. The Golden Eagles swept U-Mary and Minot State, but it will be a tough task to get the season sweep of both teams.

- Minnesota Crookston is led on the season by Alison Hughes' 16.7 points per game, while Odor adds 12.8 points per game. Noga is tallying 9.1 points per game. Minnesota Crookston is averaging 66.2 points per game and giving up 74.2 points to their opponents. They lead the NSIC with a 77.8 percent free throw shooting percentage. The Golden Eagles are shooting 38.0 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from beyond the arc.

- Minot State comes in with a 4-22 (2-18 NSIC) mark. The Beavers have been battling injuries all season long. Minot State looks to guard Kari Clements to lead the way. She is averaging 10.6 points per game. Madison Wald is tallying 9.8 points per game and shooting 36.0 percent from beyond the arc. The Beavers shoot 38.0 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from beyond the arc.

-U-Mary enters the weekend with a 13-15 (8-12 NSIC) record. The Marauders look to the post where led are led by 6-2 freshman Gabbie Bohl's 14.7 points per game, while Hannah Larson is tallying 13.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. The Marauders are shooting 42.0 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from beyond the arc.

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