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THIS WEEK
The North Dakota State (12-9, 6-2 Summit) women’s basketball team travels to Kansas City (10-14, 1-8 Summit) on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. The Bison conclude the trip at Omaha (5-17, 1-8 Summit) on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m., at Baxter Arena.
GAME COVERAGE
Watch: Both contests will be available on the Summit League Network for subscribers.
Radio: Andy Rieckhoff (play-by-play) will be on the call on Bison 1660 for both games.
GoBison.com: Live statistics, audio and video links are available on GoBison.com.
BISON QUICK HITS
- NDSU enters the week after picking up a 101-85 win over North Dakota on Saturday to improve to 12-9 (6-2 Summit) on the season. The Bison currently sit in second place in the Summit League standings behind South Dakota State (17-5, 9-0 Summit).
- Kansas City begins the week on a four-game losing streak and most recently fell short against St. Thomas, 75-55.
- Omaha enters the week having lost 11 of its last 12 games and most recently dropped a 88-83 decision at St. Thomas last week. The Mavericks only win over the last 12-game stretch was an 80-77 victory against Denver on Jan. 27.
- In Summit League play, Elle Evans leads the conference in scoring (21.5), three-point field goal percentage (.565), three-point field goals per game (3.3) and free throw percentage (.994).
- Elle Evans has tallied double digits in scoring in each of the last eight games, including five 20-point performances.
- Heaven Hamling has totaled 245 three-pointers over four seasons and moved into second place on the all-time NDSU list. She’s 34 triples away from passing Taylor Thunstedt (2014-18) for the top spot in NDSU history with 279.
- Heaven Hamling is the leading scorer in the NDSU Division I era and ranks seventh on the all-time Bison scoring list with 1,526 points.
- NDSU posted its most wins in a single-season since 2004-05 with an 18-12 (12-6 Summit) overall record and advanced to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) for the first time in program history last season.
- NDSU enters the season picked second in the Summit League Preseason Coaches’ Poll, which is the highest ranking since joining the conference in 2007-08.
- Heaven Hamling and Elle Evans were also both selected to the Preseason All-Summit League First Team making NDSU the only team in the conference to have multiple first team selections.
LAST TIME OUT
Elle Evans netted a career-high 33 points to help lift NDSU past North Dakota, 101-85, in front of 2,913 fans at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Saturday afternoon. Heaven Hamling also reached double digits in scoring for the third straight game with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Abby Schulte handed out a team-best six assists with seven points, while Avery Koenen added in nine points off the bench.
THE SERIES VS. KANSAS CITY
This will be the 24th all-time meeting between NDSU and Kansas City dating back to 2008 with the Roos holding the slight edge, 12-11. In their most recent meeting earlier this season, NDSU overcame a 16-point deficit to earn a 63-60 win over Kansas City on Jan. 11. Abbie Draper led the way for the Bison netting a game-high 18 points with six rebounds and three assists.
THE SERIES VS. OMAHA
This will be the 74th all-time meeting between NDSU and Omaha dating back to 1980 with the Bison leading the series, 52-21. NDSU is 8-2 against Omaha in the last 10 matchups and most recently topped the Mavericks earlier this season, 87-69, on Jan. 13. Five Bison reached double figures in scoring with Elle Evans setting the pace with a team-best 17 points and game-high five assists.
CAREER DAY IN GRAND FORKS
Elle Evans posted a career-high 33 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and 11-of-12 from the free throw line in the 101-85 win over North Dakota. The Edwardsville, Ill., native also snatched a game-high 10 rebounds to log her third double-double of the season. Her 33 points rank tied for the eighth-most in a single-game in NDSU history and marked her fourth game in the last five with at least 20 points. Additionally, Evans was one of only five players in the country last week (1/29-2/4) to record at least 33 points and 10 rebounds, joining Juju Watkins (Southern California), Aaliyah Edwards (UConn), Chloe Webb (California Baptist) and Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech).
EVANS OVER THE LAST EIGHT GAMES
After being held scoreless for the first time in her career at Montana State, Elle Evans has responded with double digits in all eight games since, including five 20-point performances and two double-doubles. She’s averaging a team-best 22.9 points per game, while shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 58.3 percent from three over that span.
PEAK PERFORMER OF THE WEEK
Elle Evans was named the TicketSmarter Summit League Peak Performer of the Week for the first time in her career on Jan. 29. She logged her third straight 20-point game with a career-high 29 points on 7-of-7 shooting from three and 9-of-14 from the field against St. Thomas. Her seven triples rank tied for the fourth-most in a single-game in NDSU history and were two shy of the program record of nine, which was set by Beth Bue against Northern Colorado on Feb. 26, 2002. Evans also connected on all four free throw attempts and notched a game-high three blocks.
BY THE NUMBERS IN SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAY
79.6 – NDSU ranks second in conference play in scoring with 79.6 points per game.
56.5 – Elle Evans paces the Summit League in conference play shooting 56.5 percent from three.
36.1 – The Bison rank third in Summit League play shooting 36.1 percent beyond the arc.
34 – Elle Evans has drained 34-of-36 free throws in conference play.
21.5 – Elle Evans leads the conference in Summit play in scoring averaging 21.5 points per game.
16 – Heaven Hamling ranks third in Summit League play with 16 steals.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Bison boast an 8-1 mark in Scheels Center this season and started the season winning the first eight straight before falling short against South Dakota State. Over the last two seasons, NDSU is 19-2 at home. NDSU is 480-143 all-time at home dating back to 1977-78. NDSU finished last season with an 11-1 mark at Scheels Center after starting the season 9-0. It marked the most home wins since 2009-10.
GOT IT DONE ON BOTH ENDS
The Bison put together one of their best offensive and defensive performances of the season in the 85-52 win over St. Thomas. NDSU shot a season-best 64.7 percent (11-17) from three, which marked first time since 2015 that the Bison shot 60.0 percent or better from downtown. NDSU shot 61.5 percent (8-13) against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 28, 2015. The Bison also limited St. Thomas to only six points in the third quarter and held the Tommies to a season-low 52 points. It marked the fifth time this season that NDSU has limited an opponent to 60 points or less.
DUB IN THE MILE HIGH CITY
NDSU used a key 11-0 run in the fourth quarter to help secure a 84-63 win at Denver last week. It marked the first time since 2016 that NDSU has won at Denver. It also helped the Bison improve to 4-0 in Summit League play for the first time since the 2009-10 season. Elle Evans led the way for NDSU with game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds.
GOT THE THREE LOCKED IN
The Bison have found their rhythm from beyond the arc after notching a season-high 13 triples against Eastern Michigan and Mayville State. That mark is tied for the eighth-most in Bison history. NDSU ranks third in the Summit League shooting 34.8 percent from beyond the arc. Elle Evans leads the Summit League and ranks 19th in the nation shooting 43.6 percent from three.
YOUNG BISON PRODUCING
All four true freshmen on the roster have seen action in at least 17 games this season and average at least seven minutes per game. Abby Krzewinski, who has started each of the last 18 games, leads the freshmen group with 6.9 points over 22.1 minutes per game.
MOVING UP THE ALL-TIME SCORING LIST
Heaven Hamling has begun her ascent of the NDSU all-time scoring list and has surpassed 1,500 career points with 1,526, which is the most in the NDSU Division I era. She currently ranks seventh on the Bison all-time scoring list and is 32 points away from passing Nadine Schmidt (1989-93), who scored 1,558 career points.
THE THREE-POINT CHASE IS ON
Heaven Hamling has connected on 46 three-pointers and pushed her career total at NDSU to 245 over four seasons, which ranks second all-time in Bison history. Hamling is 34 triples away from passing Taylor Thunstedt (2014-18) for the top spot with 279. Thunstedt connected on 278 triples over four seasons from 2014-18.
COLLEGE INSIDER MID-MAJOR TOP 25 POLL
NDSU debuted at No. 24 in the College Insider Mid-Major Preseason Top 25 Poll earlier this season after climbing as high as No. 19 last year. The Bison earned their first win over a team ranked in the poll since 2020 after downing then-ranked No. 21 South Dakota earlier this season.
HIGH SCORING HOME OPENER
NDSU rolled past Jamestown in its home opener at Scheels Center, 112-59, with all 13 players on the roster reaching the scoring column. It ranks tied as the third-most points in NDSU history and is the most scored under head coach Jory Collins over the last five seasons.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
NDSU was selected second in the Summit League Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Bison garnered 526 total points and five first-place votes to earn their highest ranking in the preseason poll since joining the Summit League in 2007-08. South Dakota State was picked first with 577 points and 27 first-place votes. South Dakota closed out the top three in third place with 485 points and two first-place votes.
PRESEASON ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE FIRST TEAM
Heaven Hamling and Elle Evans were also both selected to the Preseason All-Summit League First Team making NDSU the only team in the Summit League to have multiple first team selections. Hamling, who was named to the All-Summit League First Team last season, ranked fourth in scoring in the conference in 2022-23 after averaging a team-best 16.5 points per game. Evans, who was named the Summit League Freshman of the Year last season, averaged 13.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in her freshman season.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST SEASON
NDSU put together one of the most successful seasons in the Division I era last season after posting its most wins since 2004-05 with an 18-12 overall record and advancing to the WNIT for the first time in program history. The Bison also notched a 12-6 mark in Summit League play and finished in second place in the conference.
PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE IN THE LINEUP
The Bison return six players this season, including two seniors: Heaven Hamling and Abby Schulte. Hamling and Schulte provide the most experience in the lineup combining for 155 career starts entering the season. Hamling has started a team-high 83 games (includes one start at Stephen F. Austin State) over four seasons, while Schulte has started 72 games over three seasons at NDSU.
WELCOME TO THE SQUAD
The roster features four newcomers to the roster this season: Taryn Hamling, Avery Koenen, Miriley Simon and Abby Krzewinski.
TWICE THE HAMLING FUN
Heaven Hamling is joined by her sister, Taryn Hamling, on the roster this season. The two were briefly teammates at Grand Rapids High School in basketball when Heaven Hamling was in her senior season and Taryn Hamling was in seventh grade. The duo also played tennis together with Heaven Hamling on varsity and Taryn Hamling on junior varsity.
GEISSERT ELEVATED
Dylan Geissert was elevated to associate head coach over the offseason. He has spent the last four seasons with the Bison as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Prior to joining NDSU in 2019, Geissert was a graduate student manager at the University of Kansas from 2017-19. He got his start in coaching as a male practice player for the Emporia State women’s basketball program and served as a student assistant under current NDSU head coach Jory Collins for three seasons.
250 CAREER WINS
Following the victory over South Dakota on Feb. 2, 2023, head coach Jory Collins earned his 250th career win. He has currently amassed a 266-125 overall record spanning 13 seasons. He notched a 199-58 mark during eight seasons at Emporia State. Collins has posted a 67-67 mark at NDSU over his first four seasons. His 67 wins at NDSU rank third all-time in Bison history behind Amy Ruley (671 wins) and Carolyn DeHoff (72 wins).
HEAVEN DOING HEAVEN THINGS
Heaven Hamling enters the 2023-24 season with the chance to leave her mark in NDSU history and currently ranks in the top 10 in points (7th, 1526), scoring average (6th, 14.7), three-point field goals made (2nd, 245), three-point field goal percentage (3rd, .379), free throw percentage (5th, .852), defensive rebounds (6th, 387), defensive rebounding average (T7th, 3.7), games started (9th, 103) and minutes average (4th, 32.1).
Hamling has also reached the 1,700 career points scoring mark with 1,700. She started her career at Stephen F. Austin State for one season in 2018-19 and netted 174 points. Hamling has totaled 1,526 points over the last four seasons at NDSU.
Among active players in NCAA Division I women’s basketball and including one season at Stephen F. Austin State, Hamling has drained 285 three-pointers, which ranks tied for 15th in the nation. Caitlin Clark (Iowa) leads the country with 469 career triples.
HISTORIC FRESHMAN SEASON
Elle Evans wasted no time making an impact in her freshman season after becoming the first player in program history to be named the Summit League Freshman of the Year. The Edwardsville, Ill., native was also the first player to earn Summit League All-Defensive Team honors in program history.
Evans ranked fifth in the Summit League shooting 43.8 percent from the field and averaged 13.4 points with 4.9 rebounds per game. She reached double digits in scoring in 26 of 30 games, including 14 straight to close the season. She was also a force on the defensive side of the floor and ranked second in the Summit League with a team-high 42 blocks.
BALL MOVEMENT
Heaven Hamling and Abby Schulte both reached the 100-assist mark last season and it marked the first time since the 2003-04 season that NDSU had two different players record 100 or more assists in a single-season. Hamling passed out the most assists by a Bison player since 2018 with a career-high 112, while Schulte handed out a career-best 103 assists of her own.
STARTING A NEW 3-POINT STREAK
NDSU shot 1-of-17 from three against Central Michigan on Dec. 20 and ended a streak of 61 straight games that the Bison have netted at least two triples. The Bison have bounced back hitting at least two triples in each of the last 10 games.
NDSU has a recent history of assembling lengthy three-point streaks. The Bison went 0-of-14 from three-point range against Valparaiso on Nov. 15, 2019, ending a streak of 113 straight games with at least two 3-pointers.
UP NEXT
NDSU will return home hosting Oral Roberts on Thursday, Feb. 15. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m., at Scheels Center.
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