Women's Basketball | 12/30/2024 12:30:00 PM

• THE MINNESOTA CROOKSTON women's basketball team comes into the weekend with a 5-7 (3-3 NSIC) mark. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 64-63 win over MSU Moorhead to close out the 2024 portion of their slate. Minnesota Crookston is averaging 68.3 points per game, while allowing 73.2 points to their foes. The Golden Eagles are shooting 40.3 percent from the field, and 29.9 percent from behind the three-point line. Minnesota Crookston is hitting at a 76.7 percent clip from the foul line. The Golden Eagles are being outrebounded 40.8-35.9 entering the weekend. The Golden Eagles are notching 11.1 assists per game, while turning the ball over 14.0 times per game. 

• SERIES HISTORY.  Minnesota Crookston has lost the last four games against Southwest Minnesota State. Their last win over the Mustangs came in Crookston with a 64-53 victory January 31, 2020. They last won in Marshall 65-61 January 12, 2018. Minnesota Crookston lost last season, 56-48 in Crookston against Sioux Falls. Minnesota Crookston last won in Crookston with a 63-60 victory January 27, 2023. The Golden Eagles haven't won in Sioux Falls. 

• BLOCK PARTY.  Nicole Hernandez (R-Sr., F/C, Oak Creek, Wis.) is second in the nation in blocked shots with 42. She is coming off a school-record tying eight blocks against MSU Moorhead. Hernandez is just trailing Shaw's Mahogany Collins in blocked shots nationally. She is notching 3.5 blocks per game. She has 127 blocked shots in her career, which is second all-time at Minnesota Crookston recently surpassing Jessica Forsline. Hernandez needs 32 blocked shots to surpass Isieoma Odor for the school record. The Golden Eagles are currently tied for seventh nationally in blocks per game, averaging 5.1 per tilt. Hernandez also had seven blocked shots against Black Hills State earlier this season.

• HALLE FROM CROOKSTON.  Minnesota Crookston guard Halle Winjum made her first two career starts against Northern State, and MSU Moorhead. The Crookston-native made an instant impact in the starting line-up, averaging 9.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game for the Golden Eagles. Winjum is averaging 2.4 points per game, and is shooting 66.7 percent from beyond the arc for Minnesota Crookston. Look for Winjum to continue to have a major impact for Minnesota Crookston. 

• 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 weekend averaging 11.3 points, and 6.0 rebounds per game. Jenkins is 
shooting 44.1 percent from the field, and 27.5 percent from distance. Jenkins has nine games with double-digit scoring this season. She had a season-high 17 points versus St. Cloud State December 7. Jenkins had double-doubles versus Minot State, and Bemidji State. 

• 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 1,269 career points. Miller ranks sixth all-time in scoring at Minnesota Crookston, most recently passing Kari Score. She needs 191 points to move past Alexa Thielman for fifth all-time at U of M Crookston. Miller is still inching in on the school record for scoring, held with 1,724 points by Jamie Zelinsky. Miller needs 456 points to move past Zelinsky. She would need to average 28.5 points per game to break Zelinsky's record this season. Miller comes in averaging 21.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Miller is shooting 42.5 percent from the field, and 27.6 percent from beyond the arc. Miller is coming off 31 points December 21 versus MSU Moorhead.

• 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 enters the weekend notching 6.8 points, and 2.3 boards per game. Dudycha is shooting 34.2 percent from beyond the arc for U of M Crookston. Her best game came with 16 points against South Dakota Mines. Dudycha had 11 points against Bemidji State, 12 versus St. Cloud State, and 11 versus UMary. 

• "THIEL"ING IT. Willow Thiel (Fr., F, Perham, Minn.) came off the bench in the last two games and it worked well for her. The newcomer averaging 9.0 points, and 5.0 rebounds against Northern State, and MSU Moorhead. Theil had 10 points versus Northern State. Thiel is averaging 8.4 points, and 5.3 boards per game. Her best game this season came with a double-double of 21 points, and 10 boards against Michigan Tech November 16. 

• TARYN IT UP. Taryn Frazer has been a key player off the bench for Minnesota Crookston. She has been Minnesota Crookston's top three-point shooter, hitting at a 44.1 percent clip for the Golden Eagles. Frazer is averaging 5.3 points per game for the U of M Crookston. Frazer's best game came with 18 points on 6-of-10 from beyond the arc against Michigan Tech. 

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE. Southwest Minnesota State comes into the weekend with an 11-2 (5-2 NSIC) record. The Mustangs are coming off three-consecutive wins over Winona State, Augustana, and Sioux Falls. Southwest 
Minnesota State has a high-scoring offense, averaging 84.8 points per game. Their defense is limiting teams to 65.9 points per game. They are shooting 48.5 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 76.2 percent from the foul line. Southwest Minnesota State is outrebounding teams 42.5-34.9. The Mustangs are averaging 15.9 assists per game, and 14.8 turnovers per tilt. 

GIVE ME SOME BRI PLEASE. Bri Stoltzmann has had an outstanding career and leads the way for the Mustangs. 
Stoltzmann is averaging 16.8 points, 5.4 rebounds per tilt. and 3.5 assists per game. Stoltzmann is shooting an amazing 56.4 percent from the field, and 35.7 percent from beyond the arc. Stoltzmann is a 76.7 percent free throw shooter. Stoltzmann has 10 games with double-digit scoring, including 28 points versus Washburn. 

P IS FOR PEYTON. Peyton Blandin has been a key cog for the Mustangs through 13 games this season. Blandin is tallying 16.2 points per game, and 4.2 boards per tilt. She is shooting 48.4 percent from the field, and 35.5 percent from beyond the arc. Blandin is an 84.6 percent free throw shooter. She has scored in double digits in all 13 games this season for Southwest Minnesota State. Blandin had a season-high 27 points November 26 against Wayne State. 

ALMOST A DOUBLE-DOUBLE. Audrey Swanson, a 5-11 junior from Waconia, Minn., comes into the weekend tallying almost a double-double for the Mustangs. Swanson is notching 14.6 points, and 9.1 rebounds per tilt. She is a 49.3 percent shooter from the field, and has some ability to step outside, hitting 27.8 percent on 36 three-point shots this season. Swanson has six double-doubles for Southwest Minnesota State. She is coming off 10 points, and 13 boards against Sioux Falls, along with 17 points, and 11 rebounds against Augustana. 

SIOUX FALLS. The Sioux Falls Cougars come into the weekend with a 6-8 (2-5 NSIC) record. The Cougars have lost four-straight games coming into the weekend. Their last win came December 7 over Minnesota Duluth. They have lost consecutive games to Winona State, Minnesota State, Wayne State, and Southwest Minnesota State. Sioux Falls is tallying 71.7 points per game, while allowing 66.9 points to their foes. They are shooting 40.8 percent from the field, 33.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 77.1 percent from the stripe. Sioux Falls is outrebounding teams 37.2-32.9. USF is averaging 14.5 assists per game, while turning the ball over 15.1 times. 

KAMI IN THE POST. Kami Wadsworth, a 5-11 post from Hayti, S.D., has had a strong start to her sophomore season. The USF offense flows through her, as she is averaging 16.3 points per game, and 4.6 boards per tilt. Wadsworth is shooting 44.0 percent from the field, and 30.6 percent from beyond the arc. Wadsworth has scored in double digits in 13 games this season. She had a season-high 27 points against nationally-ranked Minnesota State. Wadsworth notched a double-double of 17 points, and 10 boards against Augustana November 21 in the cross-town rivalry.

ROSE THE FRESHMAN. Alexis Rose has had a strong start to her collegiate career. The 5-10 freshman guard from Becker, Miss., is averaging 9.4 points per game. Rose has started seven games, and has come off the bench for seven tilts. Rose had a season-high 23 points on 8-of-11 from the field against Minnesota State. Rose has had five double-digit scoring games this season. Rose is a 42.1 percent shooter from the field, and is hitting at a 33.3 percent clip from beyond the arc. 

WHAT A VAALER. Anna Vaaler enters the weekend averaging 8.9 points, and 4.3 rebounds per tilt. Vaaler is a key player from behind the three-point line for the Cougars. She comes in shooting 38.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 49 attempts. Vaaler has started seven games, and has come off the bench in seven tilts. She averaged 14.0 points per game in her final two games of 2024, with 16 points against Wayne State, and 12 versus Southwest Minnesota State. 

GAMEDAY

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE AT MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
DATE: Friday, January 3
TIME: 5:30 p.m. C.T.
SITE: Crookston, Minn.
ARENA: Lysaker Gymnasium
LIVE STATS: https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
LIVE VIDEO: https://nsicnetwork.com/goldeneaglesports/
X: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB

SIOUX FALLS AT MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
DATE: Saturday, January 4
TIME: 3:30 p.m. C.T.
SITE: Crookston, Minn.
ARENA: 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.) 21.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.7 APG
R-So. SG 2 Hope Dudycha (5-5, Austin, Minn.) 6.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG
Fr. 3G 10 Halle Winjum (5-6, Crookston, Minn.) 2.4 PPG, 0.5 RPG
R-So. PF 30 Riley Jenkins (5-10, Galesburg, Ill.) 11.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG
R-Sr. C 4 Nicole Hernandez (6-2, Oak Creek, Wis.) 6.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 3.5 BPG
Bench
Fr. F 21 Willow Thiel (5-11, Perham, Minn.) 8.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG
Jr. G 3 Taryn Frazer (5-4, Cass Lake, Minn.) 5.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG
So. F 14 Rayna Klejeski (6-0, Barnum, Minn.) 3.4 PPG, 1.3 RPG

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 2 Bri Stoltzman (5-8, Mankato, Minn.) 16.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.5 APG
Sr. SG 21 Peyton Blandin (5-9, Farmington, Minn.) 16.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG
Jr. SF 22 Audrey Swanson (5-11, Waconia, Minn.) 14.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG
Jr. PF 1 Maddie Thorfinnson (6-0, Glenwood, Minn.) 4.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG
So. C 34 Natalie Nielsen (6-3, Akron, Iowa) 11.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG
Bench
Fr. G 4 Nicole Maenke (5-10, Shakopee, Minn.) 9.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG
Sr. F 13 Kenzie Jones (5-10, Willmar, Minn.) 6.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG
So. G 10 Brynn Busse (5-6, Winthrop, Minn.) 2.7 PPG, 2.1 RPG

SIOUX FALLS
Projected Starters
So. PG 3 Ayla Brown (5-6, Becker, Minn.) 7.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.6 APG
So. SG 14 Danielle Minsaas (5-11, Chili, Wis.) 4.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG
Fr. 3G 21 Anna Vaaler (5-10, Andover, Minn.) 8.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG
Sr. SF 24 Aby Phipps (6-0, Harrisburg, S.D.) 8.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG
So. PF 30 Kami Wadsworth (5-11, Hayti, S.D.) 16.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG
Bench
Fr. G 15 Alexis Rose (5-10, Becker, Minn.) 9.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG
Gr. G 23 Megan Fannin (5-8, Watertown, S.D.) 5.9 PPG, 0.9 RPG
So. F 2 Gracie Traphagen (5-10, Aberdeen, S.D.) 2.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG
Sr. G 12 Brecli Honner  (5-9, Harrisburg, S.D.) 1.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG

KEYS TO THE WEEKEND

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

Can Halle Winjum continue to make a major impact for Minnesota Crookston?

Will Nicole Hernandez continue to be a force defensively?

Can the Golden Eagles improve their three-point shooting?

Who will have a major impact off the bench?

Can the Golden Eagles start 2025 on a winning note?