Women's Basketball | 12/2/2024 3:03:00 PM

• THE MINNESOTA CROOKSTON women's basketball team opened NSIC play 1-0 with a victory last Tuesday over Minot State University. The Golden Eagles look to take the positive momentum into their first home games of the 2024-25 season against Bemidji State University, and St. Cloud State University. Minnesota Crookston has a 3-4 mark coming into Lysaker 
Gymnasium Friday and Saturday. The Golden Eagles are averaging 71.0 points per game, while allowing 76.1 to their foes. Minnesota Crookston has been playing significantly better defense the last four games, as they are allowing just 64.0 points per game and have gone 3-1 in those games. In their first three games, the Golden Eagles allowed 92.3 points per tilt. Minnesota Crookston is shooting 41.5 percent from the field, 30.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 82.5 percent from the foul line. They are being edged on the boards 40.7-35.9, and are averaging 11.9 assists per game, to 14.4 turnovers per tilt. 

• SERIES HISTORY.  The Golden Eagles have the edge 24-22 over Bemidji State since 2000. The Beavers won the last meeting February 8, 2024 87-70. Prior to that, Minnesota Crookston had won three games in a row. Bemidji State's longest streak was six games from 2019-22. The 87-70 win for Bemidji State happened at Gary Senske Court at Lysaker Gymnasium. Minnesota Crookston's last win at home over the Beavers came December 17, 2022 with a 76-64 victory. Minnesota Crookston won last season's conference home opener 67-54 over Minot State. The Golden Eagles have lost eight-straight games to St. Cloud State. Their last win was a 79-72 victory over the Huskies February 22, 2020 at Lysaker Gymnasium. 

• BLOCK PARTY.  Nicole Hernandez (R-Sr., F/C, Oak Creek, Wis.) comes into the weekend ranked third in the nation with 23 blocks, and 3.29 blocks per game. She has been a force defensively for the Golden Eagles. Minnesota Crookston is 
currently tied for 31st in the nation for blocks per game with 4.4. Hernandez has also been a stalwart on the boards in recent games. She is averaging 12.5 rebounds per game in the last two tilts. Hernandez comes into the weekend notching 7.9 boards per tilt. 

• MISS T.  Minnesota Crookston guard Taryn Frazer, a junior from Cass Lake, Minn., comes into the weekend averaging 7.2 points, and 2.2 rebounds per game. Frazer comes in shooting 40.5 percent from the field, and 48.0 percent from beyond the arc. Frazer is 12-of-25 from distance this season. Frazer is averaging 16.5 minutes per game. Frazer's best game came with 18 points on 6-of-10 from beyond the arc in a win over Michigan Tech. She also notched 11 points versus Pittsburg State. Frazer has come off the bench in six games this season. She will look to have an impact against Bemidji State, and St. Cloud 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 conference home opener notching 11.3 points, and 6.4 boards per game. Jenkins is coming off one of her best games as a Golden Eagle against Minot State. She had a double-double of 15 points and 11 points on 7-of-13 from the field. Jenkins is notching 15.5 points, and 9.0 rebounds per game in her last two games for the Golden Eagles. Jenkins comes in shooting 48.4 percent from the field, and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc. In addition, she is an astounding 92.9 percent from the stripe on 14 attempts this season. 

• 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 is in the Top 10 all-time for scoring for the Golden Eagles. She comes into the weekend with 1,163 career points. Miller currently ranks eighth all-time in scoring at Minnesota Crookston. She needs 42 points to surpass Brittani Wiese for seventh all-time in scoring at Minnesota Crookston. Miller is 562 points away from surpassing Jamie Zelinsky as the program's all-time leading scorer. She is having her best season from a scoring standpoint, notching 22.4 points per tilt. If she is to continue on her average of 22.4 points per game, she would score 470 more points in the regular season, which would put her just 92 points shy of Zelinsky. Miller is also notching 5.7 boards per tilt, and 2.9 assists per game. Miller has 800 career points in NSIC play. She is 161 points from breaking into the top 37 all-time in scoring in the conference. Brooke Olson of Minnesota Duluth has the all-time conference scoring record with 1,615 points in conference play. Zelinsky ranks seventh all-time in conference scoring with 1,280 career points. Katrina (Moenkedick) Nordick is eighth, Isieoma Odor is 12th, and Alexa Thielman is 15th. 

• 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 comes in averaging 6.4 points, and 3.4 rebounds per game. She is shooting 37.5 percent from the field, and 27.8 percent from beyond the arc. Dudycha is also an 83.3 percent shooter from the foul line. Dudycha's best game came with 16 points on 7-of-11 from the field in a win over South Dakota Mines. She also had 11 points against Pittsburg State. 

• "THIEL"ING IT. Willow Thiel (Fr., F, Perham, Minn.) has made an instant impact as a freshman for the Golden Eagles. Thiel is averaging 10.4 points, and 5.9 rebounds for Minnesota Crookston. She comes in shooting 42.3 percent from the field. Thiel leads the team with 10 offensive boards this season. She had a season-high 21 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Michigan Tech November 16. Thiel tallied 16 points in a win over South Dakota Mines, and 14 points against Pittsburg State. 

BEMIDJI STATE. The Bemidji State Beavers come in with a 2-2 mark. BSU's last game was November 23 with a 64-61 win at home over Valley City State University. The Beavers are in their 10th season under Head Coach Chelsea 
Stoltenberg. The Beavers went 6-20 in 2023-24. Bemidji State's best season under Stoltenberg was 2021-22, when they went 14-13. Bemidji State comes in averaging 62.8 points per game, and allowing 69.3 to their foes. They are shooting 41.4 percent from the field, 32.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 70.0 percent from the foul line. Bemidji State is being edged on the glass 36.0-32.0. They are averaging 14.5 assists, and 14.5 turnovers per game. BSU's two losses came to common opponents to Minnesota Crookston, as they fell 85-57 to Michigan Tech, and 80-51 to Northern Michigan.

DOWN LOW. Bemidji State has started a pair of 6-2 players this season with junior Rachel Koenig from Nodine, Minn., and senior Ella Giorgi from Coon Rapids, Minn. Koenig comes in notching 9.7 points, and 3.3 rebounds per game for the Beavers, while Giorgi is notching 9.8 points, and 5.0 boards per game. Koenig is shooting 50.0 percent from the field, as is Giorgi, while Giorgi is hitting at a 28.6 percent clip from beyond the arc. 

"TIER" DROPS ON MY GUITAR. Tieryn Plasch is the top guard on the Beavers this season. She comes in averaging 9.0 points, and 3.3 rebounds, and has a team-high 3.0 assists per game. Plasch is a 47.4 percent three-point shooter entering the weekend. The sophomore from Lake Nebagamon, Wis., is an 87.5 percent free throw shooter this season. She had 13 points against Northern Michigan, and 11 in a win over Valley City State.

IMPACT FRESHMAN. Freshman Aubrey Heyer, a native of Chaska, Minn., has made an immediate impact for Bemidji State. Heyer is notching 7.8 points, and 2.3 rebounds per game. Heyer is shooting 41.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 48.1 percent from the field. She had back-to-back double-figure scoring games against Minnesota Morris, and Valley City State. Heyer notched 16 in the win over Valley City State. 

ST. CLOUD STATE. The Huskies come into the weekend with a 3-2 record. The match-ups this weekend will be the first in the NSIC for St. Cloud State. They are coming off consecutive losses to Northern Michigan, and University of 
Wisconsin-Parkside. The Huskies have wins over Michigan Tech, Washburn, and Central Oklahoma. St. Cloud is averaging 63.2 points per game, and has a strong defense limiting teams to 58.1 points per tilt. The Huskies are shooting 39.7 percent from the field, and 32.8 percent from beyond the arc. They are hitting at a 72.5 percent clip from the stripe. St. Cloud State is outrebounding foes 36.1-34.2 this season. They are tallying 14.8 assists to 14.5 turnovers per game, and are turning over opponents 16.4 times per game. 

JADA WITH THE JUMPER. Jada Eggebrecht leads the way for the Huskies with 15.0 points per game. She is the only St. Cloud State player averaging double figures this season. Eggebrecht is shooting 38.2 percent from the field, and 32.0 percent from beyond the arc. Eggebrecht is also tallying 2.6 rebounds per tilt. She was the team's leading scorer last season, and is a back-to-back Second Team All-NSIC selection. The junior has scored in double figures in four games this season, with 21 points against Parkside November 30. 

ABBY O. Sophomore Abigail O'Reilly enters the weekend notching 9.0 points, and 8.6 rebounds per game. O'Reilly is shooting 44.1 percent from the field. She has been a major factor for the Huskies. She scored 13 points versus Central Oklahoma, and has tallied three double-figure scoring outings this season. O'Reilly is averaging 11.5 rebounds in the last two games for St. Cloud State.

STAMER ON THE DISH. Point guard Alyssa Stamer has been an elite distributor through the first five games. The 5-7 junior from Hutchinson, Minn., is averaging 4.8 assists per game through five games. In addition, she has just seventurnovers this season. Stamer is also notching 6.6 points, and 2.4 rebounds in five starts. Stamer is coming off eight assists, and just one turnover against Parkside. She also had six assists versus Michigan Tech, and five against Central Oklahoma.

GAMEDAY

BEMIDJI STATE AT MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
DATE: Friday, December 6
TIME: 5:30 p.m. C.T.
SITE: Crookston, Minn.
ARENA: Gary Senske Court and Lysaker Gymnasium
LIVE STATS: https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
LIVE VIDEO: https://nsicnetwork.com/goldeneaglesports/
X: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB

ST. CLOUD STATE AT MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
DATE: Saturday, December 7
TIME: 7:30 p.m. C.T.
SITE: Crookston, Minn.
ARENA: Gary Senske Court and Lysaker Gymnasium
LIVE STATS: https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
LIVE VIDEO: https://nsicnetwork.com/goldeneaglesports/
X: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB


WEEKLY SNAPSHOT

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
Projected Starters
Jr. PG 1 Emma Miller (5-1, Albertville, Minn.) 22.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.9 APG
R-So. SG 2 Hope Dudycha (5-5, Austin, Minn.) 6.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG
R-So. 3G 30 Riley Jenkins (5-10, Galesburg, Ill.) 11.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG
Fr. SF 21 Willow Thiel (5-11, Perham, Minn.) 10.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG
R-Sr. C 4 Nicole Hernandez (6-2, Oak Creek, Wis.) 5.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 3.3 BPG
Bench
Jr. G 3 Taryn Frazer (5-4, Cass Lake, Minn.) 7.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG
So. F 14 Rayna Klejeski (6-0, Barnum, Minn.) 4.3 PPG, 1.3 RPG


BEMIDJI STATE
Projected Starters
So. PG 10 Tieryn Plasch (5-7, Lake Nebagamon, Wis.) 9.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.0 APG
Sr. SG 0 Erin Barrette (5-7, Menominee, Mich.) 5.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG
Fr. 3G 22 Aubrey Heyer (5-11, Chaska, Minn.) 7.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG
So. SF 2 Ashlynne Guenther (5-11, Duluth, Minn.) 4.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG
Sr. PF 34 Ella Giorgi (6-2, Coon Rapids, Minn.) 9.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG
Bench
Jr. F 20 Rachel Koenig (6-2, Nodine, Minn.) 9.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG
Sr. G 12 Sydney White (5-8, Andover, Minn.) 4.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG
Jr. F 33 Brooke Theis (6-1, Shawano, Wis.) 3.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG
Gr. G 32 Janette Hanni (5-8, Oulu, Finland) 3.5 PPG, 1.0 RPG
So. G 3 Sage Ganyo (5-5, Britt, Minn.) 2.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG
So. G 24 Beth Bolte (5-10, Bemidji, Minn.) 0.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG

ST. CLOUD STATE
Projected Starters
Jr. PG 10 Alyssa Stamer (5-7, Hutchinson, Minn.) 6.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 4.8 APG
Jr. SG 11 Jada Eggebrecht (5-9, Phillips, Wis.) 15.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG
So. 3G 24 Alana Zarneke (6-1, Appleton, Wis.) 8.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG
So. SF 2 Abigail O'Reilly (6-1, Elgin, Minn.) 9.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG
So. PF 12 Paige Lambe (6-2, Veronia, Wis.) 6.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG
Bench
Jr. F 40 Ashley Sawicki (6-1, Waukanee, Wis.) 6.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG
Fr. G 4 Reagan Briggs (5-8, Verona, Wis.) 4.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG
Fr. F 33 Kylan Gerads (5-11, Avon, Minn.) 5.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG
Fr. G 1 Rachel Kottke (5-8, Buffalo Lake, Minn.) 3.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG


KEYS TO THE WEEKEND

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

Can Willow Thiel continue to be a major force for the Golden Eagles?

Can Nicole Hernandez be a defensive 
menace for Minnesota Crookston?

Can the Golden Eagles use their home court to their advantage?

Will Riley Jenkins continue her strong play of late?

Who can hit crucial shots for the Golden Eagles?

Can Minnesota Crookston continue to be strong defensively?