CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team officially lifts the lid on the 2021-22 season Friday, Nov. 12 and Saturday, Nov. 13. The Golden Eagles will take on No. 15/RV University of Nebraska Kearney Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo. UMN Crookston will face Northwest Missouri State University Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Maryville, Mo.
All teams come into the weekend with a 0-0 mark, as it will mark the official season opening weekend for the trio of teams and Southwest Minnesota State University, who is also participating in the tournament.
GAME INFORMATION
vs. NEBRASKA KEARNEY
Friday, November 12 - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 13 - 7:30 p.m.
Bearcat Arena - Maryville, Mo.
EXHIBITION TUNE-UPS
Minnesota Crookston played two strong teams in their exhibition tune-ups as the Golden Eagles played Division I opponents University of Minnesota and University of North Dakota. The Golden Eagles had several bright spots. UMN Crookston led UND 38-35 at the break.
Bren Fox was the leading scorer in the game with 15 points and seven boards. Fox had 11 points and six rebounds against Minnesota.
BOXED OUT BY FOX
•
Bren Fox returns for her fourth year in the Golden Eagle uniform. She is a redshirt junior this year and the 6-3 native of Norwood Young America, Minn., has been good overall in UMN Crookston's two exhibitions. Fox averaged 13 points and 6.5 rebounds against UND and Minnesota. She will look to build off the exhibitions heading into the regular-season.
SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
•
Mary Burke, a native of Eveleth, Minn., is back for her senior season for the Golden Eagles. Burke averaged 9.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game as a junior in 2020-21. Burke shot 36.8 percent from beyond the arc last year. She will look to build on her junior season heading into her final year in the Maroon and Gold.
POST PLAY
• UMN Crookston senior
Kylie Post has been a staple in the Golden Eagle line-up for the last four years. She will look to cap off her career with a strong senior season. Post tallied 9.3 points per game as a junior for the Golden Eagles. She has an ability to speed past a lot of defenders and get to the hoop. Post will look to utilize that speed for a great senior season.
MERTENS MUSINGS
• Sophomore
Jes Mertens made an instant impact as a freshman for the Golden Eagles, even leading the nation in steals for a portion of the season. Mertens was named to the All-NSIC Freshman Team and the all-defensive squad in her debut season. She led the team last season averaging 10.3 points per game. Mertens is looking for a great
sophomore season for the Golden Eagles.
NEWCOMERS
• UMN Crookston has four newcomers on the 2021-22 roster. The
Golden Eagles will look forward to seeing what
Abigail Leach,
Abi Fraaza,
Alex Page, and
Lily Orazem add to the squad this season. Leach had eight points in the exhibition against the Golden Gophers, while Fraaza notched eight points versus the Fighting Hawks.
ON THE ROAD
• Minnesota Crookston will start the season with six road games, traveling to Maryville, Mo., the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Hawai'i before finally playing their first home game Dec. 2 against St. Cloud State University.
NEBRASKA KEARNEY
NUMBER 15
• Nebraska Kearney was picked 15th in the D2SIDA preseason poll. The Lopers are coming off a 23-4 (20-3 MIAA) mark during the 2020-21 season. They made it all the way to the NCAA Central Regional, where their tournament ended in the second round to the University of Central Missouri.
BACKES ON THE BLOCK
• Elisa Backes, a 6-2 junior, returns to the Lopers after leading the way with 13.4 points per game last season. Backes shot 46.4 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc for Nebraska Kearney. She will look to continue to put up solid numbers in 2021-22.
CORRALING CARLSON
• Brooke Carlson is also back after notching 10.4 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Lopers last season. Carlson shot 50.2 percent from the field last season.
THREE-POINT STRUGGLES
• Nebraska Kearney's strength last season was their play in the post. They shot 43.9 percent from the field, but just 29.8 percent from beyond the arc. Backes was the team's top threat from deep at 39.5 percent. Haley Simentel is also a threat, as she shot 35.1 percent from deep last season.
NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE
REWIND
• Last season, the Bearcats posted a 7-15 mark on the season. They enter their fourth season under Head Coach Austin Meyer in 2021-22.
MATCH UP WITH MOLLY
• Molly Hartnett, a 5-9 guard, was the MIAA Freshman of the Year last season. Hartnett led the Bearcats last season with 14.0 points per game. She was a major threat from deep, shooting just 25.7 percent.
ALL ABOUT ATWOOD
• Emma Atwood had a shortened season last year, starting four games but missing the rest. In those four games she averaged 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
