Women's Basketball | 11/19/2024 3:44:00 PM

• THE MINNESOTA CROOKSTON women's basketball team comes into the third week of the season with a 1-3 mark. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 90-68 victory over Michigan Tech, a big victory over the Huskies. Minnesota Crookston is averaging 72.8 points per game, and allowing 86.3 per tilt to their foes. The Golden Eagles are shooting 42.7 percent from the field, 29.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 82.3 percent from the foul line. Minnesota Crookston is averaging 13.0 assists to 14.0 turnovers per tilt. They are being outrebounded 41.3-32.0. The Golden Eagles are slated to play a pair of games in the Black Hills. Minnesota Crookston will take on Black Hills State Thursday, November 21 at 6 p.m. C.T., and South Dakota Mines Friday, November 22 at 6:30 p.m. C.T. 

• SERIES HISTORY.  Minnesota Crookston is playing their first-ever games against both teams this week, Black Hills State, and South Dakota Mines. Black Hills State is coming off a 17-10 mark last season, they are 3-2 through five games. They are in their first season under alum Rachel Erickson. South Dakota Mines is in their sixth season under Jeri Owsley. They went 7-21 in 2023-24. 

• MISS T.  Minnesota Crookston guard Taryn Frazer, a junior from Cass Lake, Minn., has been a sharpshooter for the Golden Eagles. Frazer is coming off 18 points on an impressive 6-of-10 from beyond the arc last weekend against Michigan Tech. Frazer is averaging 10.8 points per game in four tilts off the bench. Frazer is 12-of-22 for 54.5 percent from beyond the arc. Frazer has had 12 three pointers this season, and only three other makes from the field inside the three-point line. She also had 11 points November 9 versus Pittsburg State.

• ROUND BALL RILEY. Riley Jenkins (R-So., G/F, Galesburg, Ill.) has been coming into her own on the court for the Golden Eagles. Jenkins first arrived in 2023-24, recovering from an injury and has continued to improve and become a bigger piece for the Golden Eagles. Jenkins comes into the week averaging 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per tilt. Jenkins is shooting 42.4 percent entering the games against Black Hills State, and South Dakota Mines. Jenkins ended the 2024-25 season well, notching a season-high 12 points against Winona State. Jenkins notched 9.0 points per game in her final two contests of her debut season with Minnesota Crookston.

• LOCAL FLAVOR. The Golden Eagles have strong connections to the local area in their incoming class. Minnesota Crookston has Crookston-native Halle Winjum (Fr., G) on the roster. In addition, Brynlea Mahlen (Fr., G, Fosston, Minn.), comes down the road from 45 minutes away in Fosston. She has deep connections to the program as her father Nate Mahlen was a long-time women's basketball assistant coach and is currently an Assistant Athletic Director for the Golden Eagles. Willow Thiel (Fr., F, Perham, Minn.) is from the region in Perham, but her mother Lacey Thiel is originally from Crookston.

• MILLER TIME. Minnesota Crookston junior guard Emma Miller had a strong first two seasons for Minnesota Crookston. Miller is a two-time All-NSIC selection, earning All-NSIC First Team as a freshman, and All-NSIC Second Team as a sophomore. She is the first player since Katrina Nordick and Alexa Thielman in 2014-15 and 2015-16 to earn back-to-back All-NSIC accolades. She became the 13th player to score 1,000 points in Minnesota Crookston history. Miller broke into the Top 10 scoring all-time for the Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team following 31 points versus Michigan Tech. Miller has a career 1,091 points. She now ranks ninth all-time in scoring for Minnesota Crookston. She moved past Stephanie Mayclin and Cathy Behr on the career scoring list. Miller needs 16 points to surpass Micaela Noga for eighth all-time. She is 634 points from the all-time scoring record set by Jamie Zelinsky. Miller has been a major part of the success for the Golden Eagles. She was named to the NSIC's Shining Five after her performance in the Upper Peninsula, averaging 28.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. 

• A LITTLE HOPE. Redshirt sophomore guard Hope Dudycha, a native of Austin, Minn., had a good first year on the court for the Golden Eagles, and will be looked to have even more of an impact in 2024-25. Dudycha started 23 games as a redshirt freshman, averaging 7.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Dudycha is tallying 5.0 points, and 2.3 boards per tilt. She comes in shooting 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. Dudycha's best performance came with 11 points versus Pittsburg State University. 

• NIKKI DOWN LOW. Redshirt senior Nicole Hernandez will be a crucial player in the post for the Golden Eagles. Hernandez returns after averaging 6.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Hernandez will be vital on the glass for Minnesota Crookston. In addition, she led the squad with 58 blocks as a junior. Hernandez started 23 games last season and will become even more important with the graduation of Janie Tormanen. Hernandez also shot 32.7 percent from beyond the arc last season. Hernandez comes into the week averaging 4.3 points, and 5.8 boards per tilt. Hernandez has also been great defensively, tallying 3.0 blocks per game for the Golden Eagles. Hernandez has been clutch on the boards in the last three tilts. She had seven rebounds against Pittsburg State, and Michigan Tech, and seven versus Northern Michigan.

• "THIEL"ING IT. Willow Thiel (Fr., F, Perham, Minn.) is coming off her best weekend as a Golden Eagle early in her career for the Golden Eagles. Thiel had a career-high 21 points in the win over Michigan Tech on 7-of-13 from the field. She is averaging 11.5 points, and 7.3 boards per game. Thiel is shooting 50.0 percent from the field, and 82.4 percent from the charity stripe. 

• RAVING ABOUT RAYNA. Minnesota Crookston sophomore Rayna Klejeski comes in notching 5.8 points per game on 60.0 percent from the field. Klejeski, a native of Barnum, Minn., had 13 points last Friday versus Northern Michigan on 5-of-9 from the field. 

BLACK HILLS STATE. The Yellowjackets come in with a 3-2 mark this season. Black Hills State is coming off a 70-51 win over the University of Sioux Falls. They fell 72-60 to Northern State University November 15. Black Hills State is 
outscoring their foes 67.2-61.6, with a 5.6 point per game edge. The Yellowjackets are outrebounding their opponents 33.6-28.0. The Yellowjackets consistently run a six man rotation, with one player averaging over 10.0 minutes per game off the bench. Black Hills State is shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 85.3 percent from the stripe. They are averaging 10.6 assist sper game, and 13.8 turnovers per tilt. 

CRAZY ABOUT KALLA. Kalla Bertram is the team's highest scorer with 14.2 points per game, she is one of the team's main guards, and surprisinly she also leads the team by doubling the numbers of the second-best rebounder with 9.0 per game. Bertram is shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 29.4 percent from distance, and 83.3 percent from the foul line.She had 16 points versus Sioux Falls.

HAYLEE IN THE POST. Haylee Weathersby, a 6-1 forward from Glendale, Ariz., has had four double-figure scoring
 performances this year. She had 17 points the last time out against Sioux Falls. Weathersby comes in averaging 13.4 points, and 5.0 rebounds per tilt. Weathersby is shooting 49.1 percent from the field. 

SCHLABS ON THE DISH. Bradie Schlabs guides the Black Hills State offense with 20 assists, 4.0 per game. She has 12 turnovers coming into the week. Schlabs is shooting 37.0 percent from the field, and is notching 10.8 points, and 5.4 boards per tilt. 

OFF THE BENCH. Maureen Ulrich is coming off the bench, notching 8.2 points, and 2.6 boards per game. Ulrich is
 shooting 69.6 percent from the field entering Thursday's tilt. 

SOUTH DAKOTA MINES. South Dakota Mines enters the week with an 0-4 mark. The Hardrockers are coming off a 78-47 loss to Sioux Falls, and an 82-68 loss to Northern State. South Dakota Mines is averaging 58.5 points per game, and allowing 73.8 points per tilt. The Hardrockers are shooting 36.4 percent from the field, 26.1 percent from distance, and 75.7 percent from the foul line. South Dakota Mines is committing 19.3 turnovers per game. They are outrebounding their opponents 35.3-32.3. 

NUGGETS ABOUT MANSFIELD. Savea Mansfield leads the way for the Hardrockers, tallying 15.3 points, and 5.0 boards per game. Mansfield is hitting at a 45.5 percent clip from the field. She has been getting to the line, where she is shooting 84.6 percent. Mansfield has scored in double figures in all four games this season. She had 11 points last time out against Northern State. 

ALL ABOUT SPOTTED BEAR. Morning Grace Spotted Bear comes in averaging 12.5 points, and 9.3 boards per game for South Dakota Mines. Spotted Bear is hitting at a 42.6 percent clip from the field, and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. Spotted Bear tallied 19 points on 7-of-16 from the field against the Wolves. 

BRAGGING ABOUT BAUER. Piper Bauer comes in averaging 10.5 points, and 3.3 rebounds per game. Bauer has led the team with 32 three-point attempts this season. She is shooting at a 25.0 percent mark. Bauer had 20 points against 
Northern State November 16. 

GAMEDAY

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON AT BLACK HILLS STATE
DATE: Thursday, November 21
TIME: 6 p.m. C.T.
SITE: Spearfish, S.D.
ARENA: Donald E. Young Center
LIVE STATS: https://bhsuathletics.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
LIVE VIDEO: https://rmacnetwork.com/bhsu/
X: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON AT SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
DATE: Friday, November 22
TIME: 6:30 p.m. C.T.
SITE: Rapid City, S.D.
ARENA: King Center
LIVE STATS: https://gorockers.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
LIVE VIDEO: https://rmacnetwork.com/sdmines/?B=1537507
X: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB


WEEKLY SNAPSHOT

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
Projected Starters
Jr. PG 1 Emma Miller (5-1, Albertville, Minn.) 21.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.8 APG
R-So. SG 2 Hope Dudycha (5-5, Austin, Minn.) 5.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG
R-So. 3G 30 Riley Jenkins (5-10, Galesburg, Ill.) 9.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG
Fr. SF 21 Willow Thiel (5-11, Perham, Minn.) 11.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG
R-Sr. C 4 Nicole Hernandez (6-2, Oak Creek, Wis.) 4.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.0 BPG
Bench
Jr. G 3 Taryn Frazer (5-4, Cass Lake, Minn.) 10.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG
So. F 14 Rayna Klejeski (6-0, Barnum, Minn.) 5.8 PPG, 1.5 RPG


BLACK HILLS STATE
Projected Starters
Fr. PG 30 Bradie Schlabs (5-6, Cheyenne, Wyo.) 10.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.0 APG
Sr. SG 5 Kalla Bertram (5-9, Colome, S.D.) 14.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG
Sr. 3G 10 Gracie Haneborg (5-8, North Platte, Neb.) 5.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG
Gr. SF 14 Morgan Hammerbeck (5-11, Hamill, S.D.) 8.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG
Sr. PF 44 Haylee Weathersby (6-1, Glendale, Ariz.) 13.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG
Bench
Fr. G 20 Maureen Ulrich (5-8, Phoenix, Ariz.) 8.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG

SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
Projected Starters
R-Fr. PG 1 Samantha Darnell (5-9, Windsor, Colo.) 2.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG
Sr. SG 21 Piper Bauer (5-7, Gig Harbor, Wash.) 10.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG
Jr. SF 3 Savea Mansfield (5-11, Washougal, Wash.) 15.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG
R-So. PF 23 Morning Grace Spotted Bear (6-0, Billings, Mont.) 12.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG
Jr. 3G 25 Miquedah Taliman (5-10, Page, Ariz.) 2.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG
Bench
R-Sr. G 11  Emma Martin (5-7, Mountain Home, Ark.) 7.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG
So. G 2 Emily Thomas (5-10, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) 1.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG
Jr. F 33 Lauren Herman (5-10, Holyoke, Colo.) 4.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG
Jr. C 40 Megan Alexander (6-1, Freedom, Wis.) 2.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG

KEYS TO THE WEEKEND

Will Emma Miller have a major impact for the Golden Eagles?

Can Taryn Frazer continue to have a big impact for the Golden Eagles after being a major impact from beyond the arc in four games?

Can Willow Thiel follow-up her 21-point 
performance against Northern Michigan?

What young players can step up for the Golden Eagles?

Can Minnesota Crookston limit turnovers?

Can the Golden Eagles limit other team's offensively?