Friday, January 19
St. Cloud, Minn.
5:30 P.M. CT
St. Cloud State
vs
Wayne State
Photo by: Jacob Sanders
St. Cloud State Women’s Basketball Readies for Weekend Homestand
1/18/2024 1:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Huskies to host Wayne State and Augustana
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Women's Basketball (8-6 overall, 5-5 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) will host two Northern Sun opponents at Halenbeck Hall this weekend playing Wayne State (4-10, 1-10 NSIC) on Friday and Augustana (4-11, 3-8 NSIC) on Saturday. Tipoff for Friday's game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT and Saturday's game is set for 3:30 p.m. CT.
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Tickets to the game are available at scsutickets.com. The games will be streamed live for free on the NSIC Network (Friday's Stream / Saturday's Stream) and broadcasted on The Varsity Network. Steve Linzmeier, the Voice of St. Cloud State Basketball, can be heard on the livestream and the audio broadcast. Live stats will be provided by SCSU. Links to each coverage option can be found on the St. Cloud State Women's Basketball schedule page.
GAMEDAY PROMOTIONS
Friday – Double Points Night – Students who attend the game will receive double points in the SCSU mobile app.
Saturday – Blizzard's Beach Bash.
LAST TIME OUT
Last Saturday, St. Cloud State took on Minnesota Duluth at Halenbeck Hall. Halfway through the first quarter, Minnesota Duluth held a modest 8-5 lead over the Huskies. SCSU took a seven-point lead after sophomore guard Jada Eggebrecht (Phillips, Wis.) drilled back-to-back three-pointers in what was a 10-0 run for the Huskies. St. Cloud State held a 20-12 lead at the end of the quarter after sophomore forward Ashley Sawicki (Waunakee, Wis.) cashed her first three-pointer of the season to beat the buzzer. Throughout the second quarter, St. Cloud State held a comfortable lead, outscoring the Bulldogs 11-9 to go into halftime holding a 31-21 advantage.
The Huskies defense stepped up in the first half, holding UMD to 31% from the field and 25% from three-point range while forcing nine turnovers. SCSU was solid offensively, shooting 46% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc.
The Bulldogs came out of the break with a quick 6-0 run to cut the St. Cloud State lead down to four points. After the slow offensive start, the Huskies found their footing again as freshman guard Alana Zarneke (Appleton, Wis.) and senior guard Makenna Vanzant (Farmington, Ark.) nailed back-to-back three-pointers to cap off an 8-0 run for St. Cloud State. The Huskies led 43-34 going into the fourth quarter after senior guard Tori Peschel (Sauk Center, Minn.) put back an offensive rebound with two seconds left to beat the buzzer. SCSU continued their momentum in the fourth quarter, opening the period on a 9-2 run that was capped off by an and-one layup from Peschel to push the lead to 16 points. St. Cloud State went on to beat the 2022-23 National Runner-Ups, 64-47 to snap its three-game losing streak.
Eggebrecht was a flamethrower for the Huskies, scoring a season-high 20 points on a blistering 8-12 shooting. The sophomore guard also cashed three of her five three-point attempts and recorded two rebounds, two assists and one steal. Eggebrecht has now scored 16 or more points in five games this season and now in two consecutive games.
Sawicki was the only other Husky that scored in double-digits as she tallied 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steal. The sophomore extended her double-digit points streak to six games and as has grabbed six or more rebounds in four of those games. Sawicki currently sits 8th in the NSIC with 6.9 rebounds per game.
Peschel and Vanzant each stuffed the stat sheet with identical lines of seven points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal.
Senior forward Dru Henning (Mukwonago, Wis.) set a career-high with six assists while also tallying two points, four rebounds, two steals and one block.
Highlights from the game can be found on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
SERIES HISTORY
Friday's game against Wayne State will be the 24th meeting between the two programs. The Huskies hold a 9-13 record in those games. Last year's game at Halenbeck Hall was a thriller between the two teams. The first half was tightly contested, and Wayne State ended the half on a 10-4 run to take a 35-29 lead into halftime. After shooting 60% from the field in the first quarter, St. Cloud State struggled offensively shooting just 23% and were outscored 20-11 in the second quarter. The struggles continued for the Huskies to start the third quarter as Wayne State opened the frame on a 6-0 rush to push the lead to 12 points. SCSU chipped away for the remainder of the quarter and closed the period on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 45 after a layup by Makenna Vanzant with 32 seconds remaining. The fourth quarter went back-and-forth and a three-pointer by Jada Eggebrecht gave St. Cloud State a 59-58 lead with 2:38 left in the game. WSC countered with a three-pointer of its own to take the lead, but the Huskies answered right back with a three-pointer by Dru Henning to give them a one-point lead with 1:13 left in the game. Henning came up with a steal on the ensuing defensive possession which would lead to an and-one by Tori Peschel with 32 seconds left and the Huskies held a four-point lead. In desperate need of a score, the Wildcats called a timeout, but Peschel thwarted their plans, coming up with a steal to give SCSU a 65-61 victory. Eggebrecht scored a game-high 16 points and made four three-pointers while recording a steal and block. Peschel stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, five rebounds, a career-high five steals, and four assists.
Saturday's game against Augustana will be the 70th meeting between the two programs. The Huskies trail in the all-time series 32-37. In last year's meeting, St. Cloud State held a modest one-point lead with 4:08 left in the first quarter. A 10-2 run by Augustana gave them an 18-11 lead at the end of the quarter. The Vikings continued to push their lead with a 13-0 run at the start of the second quarter. Augustana led 37-20 going into halftime as the Huskies offense struggled with nine first half turnovers and only shot 34% from the field. Augustana led by 14+ points the rest of the game to come away with a 66-48 victory. Eggebrecht scored a team-high 11 points while making three three-pointers and recording two steals and a block.
SCOUTING WAYNE STATE
Wayne State heads into this matchup with a 4-10 record overall and a 1-10 conference record. The Wildcats are currently 14th in the NSIC and have lost five consecutive games by an average of 13 points.
The Wildcats are led by graduate student Britney Ho who averages 10.7 points per game and 3.9 rebounds on 42% shooting from the field. She has scored 12+ points in three of her past six games.
Junior guard Jordon Heckert is second on the team with 8.9 points per game on 37% from the field. Heckert also averages 1.8 rebounds and one steal.
Junior forward Maya Fitzpatrick is the last Wildcat that scores above eight points with an average of 8.2 points, three rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Fitzpatrick is currently 4th in the NSIC with 2.4 steals per game. Fitzpatrick has scored nine or more points in three of her past five games.
Wayne State had a lot of roster turnover last offseason, losing four of its top five scorers. Against the Huskies last year, Fitzpatrick scored a team-high 16 points on 50% shooting while recording four steals and three rebounds.
Brent Pollari is in his sixth season as the head coach of Wayne State. During his tenure with the Wildcats, Pollari has a record of 61-79 and his team went 11-16 last season. Prior to Wayne State, Pollari was the head coach of St. Mary's University in Minnesota where he registered a 50-29 record over his three seasons.
SCOUTING AUGUSTANA
Augustana comes into this matchup with a 4-11 record overall and a 3-8 record in conference play. The Vikings have won two of their past three games after losing eight of their first 10 games. They current sit in 12th in the NSIC standings.
Senior Michaela Jewett is the 8th leading scorer and the 4th leading rebounder in the NSIC with averages of 15.9 and 7.1 per game respectively. The senior has shooting splits of 40% from the field, 38% from three-point range, and 69% at the free throw line while also averaging 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Jewett has scored 16+ points in seven of her past eight games including a 23-point performance against UMary.
Senior guard Lauren Sees is the team's second leading scorer with 13.7 points per game on 40% from the field and 27% from beyond the arc. Sees also averages 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 29.3 minutes per game. Sees has exceeded 16 points in three of her past six games including a 24-point performance against Northwest Missouri State.
Jennifer Aadland is the final Viking that scores in double-digits, averaging 10.9 points per game. The 2nd leading rebounder in the NSIC, Aadland has cleaned up the glass this year with an average of 7.8 rebounds per game. Aadland is also 4th in the NSIC with 1.6 blocks per game. The Laramie, Wyo. native recorded a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double against Northern State and has registered a block in nine consecutive games.
Last year against St. Cloud State, Jewett scored a game-high 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds cashed three three-pointers, and recorded two steals. Sees scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out three assists. Aadland scored eight points while making two of her three three-point attempts in 29 minutes.
Jillian Flores Bennett is in her first season as the Vikings head coach after long time head coach Dave Krauth retired after 34 seasons. Bennett spent the previous four years at Iowa Western CC with last season being her first year as the head coach. Last year, Bennett posted a record of 26-5 and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the country.
The Vikings will travel to Bemidji State on Friday to play the Beavers before coming to St. Cloud to take on the Huskies on Saturday. Augustana currently has a record of 1-6 on the road this year.
SHINING STARS
Sophomore forward Ashley Sawicki (Waunakee, Wis.) was named to the NSIC Women's Basketball Shining 5 by the league office on Dec. 18 for her contributions throughout that week. Sawicki averaged 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in a pair of wins. Against UMary, she nearly recorded a double-double, scoring a career-high 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds with two blocks in a win. Against Bemidji State, Sawicki tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season in a home win. The honor is the first of Sawicki's career.
Sophomore guard Jada Eggebrecht (Phillips, Wis.) was named to the NSIC Women's Basketball Shining 5 by the league office on Nov. 27 for her contributions that weekend. Eggebrecht averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in 35 minutes per game while scoring a season-high 16-points against Northern Michigan. The honor is the first of Eggebrecht's career.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Women's Basketball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Tickets to the game are available at scsutickets.com. The games will be streamed live for free on the NSIC Network (Friday's Stream / Saturday's Stream) and broadcasted on The Varsity Network. Steve Linzmeier, the Voice of St. Cloud State Basketball, can be heard on the livestream and the audio broadcast. Live stats will be provided by SCSU. Links to each coverage option can be found on the St. Cloud State Women's Basketball schedule page.
GAMEDAY PROMOTIONS
Friday – Double Points Night – Students who attend the game will receive double points in the SCSU mobile app.
Saturday – Blizzard's Beach Bash.
LAST TIME OUT
Last Saturday, St. Cloud State took on Minnesota Duluth at Halenbeck Hall. Halfway through the first quarter, Minnesota Duluth held a modest 8-5 lead over the Huskies. SCSU took a seven-point lead after sophomore guard Jada Eggebrecht (Phillips, Wis.) drilled back-to-back three-pointers in what was a 10-0 run for the Huskies. St. Cloud State held a 20-12 lead at the end of the quarter after sophomore forward Ashley Sawicki (Waunakee, Wis.) cashed her first three-pointer of the season to beat the buzzer. Throughout the second quarter, St. Cloud State held a comfortable lead, outscoring the Bulldogs 11-9 to go into halftime holding a 31-21 advantage.
The Huskies defense stepped up in the first half, holding UMD to 31% from the field and 25% from three-point range while forcing nine turnovers. SCSU was solid offensively, shooting 46% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc.
The Bulldogs came out of the break with a quick 6-0 run to cut the St. Cloud State lead down to four points. After the slow offensive start, the Huskies found their footing again as freshman guard Alana Zarneke (Appleton, Wis.) and senior guard Makenna Vanzant (Farmington, Ark.) nailed back-to-back three-pointers to cap off an 8-0 run for St. Cloud State. The Huskies led 43-34 going into the fourth quarter after senior guard Tori Peschel (Sauk Center, Minn.) put back an offensive rebound with two seconds left to beat the buzzer. SCSU continued their momentum in the fourth quarter, opening the period on a 9-2 run that was capped off by an and-one layup from Peschel to push the lead to 16 points. St. Cloud State went on to beat the 2022-23 National Runner-Ups, 64-47 to snap its three-game losing streak.
Eggebrecht was a flamethrower for the Huskies, scoring a season-high 20 points on a blistering 8-12 shooting. The sophomore guard also cashed three of her five three-point attempts and recorded two rebounds, two assists and one steal. Eggebrecht has now scored 16 or more points in five games this season and now in two consecutive games.
Sawicki was the only other Husky that scored in double-digits as she tallied 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steal. The sophomore extended her double-digit points streak to six games and as has grabbed six or more rebounds in four of those games. Sawicki currently sits 8th in the NSIC with 6.9 rebounds per game.
Peschel and Vanzant each stuffed the stat sheet with identical lines of seven points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal.
Senior forward Dru Henning (Mukwonago, Wis.) set a career-high with six assists while also tallying two points, four rebounds, two steals and one block.
Highlights from the game can be found on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
SERIES HISTORY
Friday's game against Wayne State will be the 24th meeting between the two programs. The Huskies hold a 9-13 record in those games. Last year's game at Halenbeck Hall was a thriller between the two teams. The first half was tightly contested, and Wayne State ended the half on a 10-4 run to take a 35-29 lead into halftime. After shooting 60% from the field in the first quarter, St. Cloud State struggled offensively shooting just 23% and were outscored 20-11 in the second quarter. The struggles continued for the Huskies to start the third quarter as Wayne State opened the frame on a 6-0 rush to push the lead to 12 points. SCSU chipped away for the remainder of the quarter and closed the period on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 45 after a layup by Makenna Vanzant with 32 seconds remaining. The fourth quarter went back-and-forth and a three-pointer by Jada Eggebrecht gave St. Cloud State a 59-58 lead with 2:38 left in the game. WSC countered with a three-pointer of its own to take the lead, but the Huskies answered right back with a three-pointer by Dru Henning to give them a one-point lead with 1:13 left in the game. Henning came up with a steal on the ensuing defensive possession which would lead to an and-one by Tori Peschel with 32 seconds left and the Huskies held a four-point lead. In desperate need of a score, the Wildcats called a timeout, but Peschel thwarted their plans, coming up with a steal to give SCSU a 65-61 victory. Eggebrecht scored a game-high 16 points and made four three-pointers while recording a steal and block. Peschel stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, five rebounds, a career-high five steals, and four assists.
Saturday's game against Augustana will be the 70th meeting between the two programs. The Huskies trail in the all-time series 32-37. In last year's meeting, St. Cloud State held a modest one-point lead with 4:08 left in the first quarter. A 10-2 run by Augustana gave them an 18-11 lead at the end of the quarter. The Vikings continued to push their lead with a 13-0 run at the start of the second quarter. Augustana led 37-20 going into halftime as the Huskies offense struggled with nine first half turnovers and only shot 34% from the field. Augustana led by 14+ points the rest of the game to come away with a 66-48 victory. Eggebrecht scored a team-high 11 points while making three three-pointers and recording two steals and a block.
SCOUTING WAYNE STATE
Wayne State heads into this matchup with a 4-10 record overall and a 1-10 conference record. The Wildcats are currently 14th in the NSIC and have lost five consecutive games by an average of 13 points.
The Wildcats are led by graduate student Britney Ho who averages 10.7 points per game and 3.9 rebounds on 42% shooting from the field. She has scored 12+ points in three of her past six games.
Junior guard Jordon Heckert is second on the team with 8.9 points per game on 37% from the field. Heckert also averages 1.8 rebounds and one steal.
Junior forward Maya Fitzpatrick is the last Wildcat that scores above eight points with an average of 8.2 points, three rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Fitzpatrick is currently 4th in the NSIC with 2.4 steals per game. Fitzpatrick has scored nine or more points in three of her past five games.
Wayne State had a lot of roster turnover last offseason, losing four of its top five scorers. Against the Huskies last year, Fitzpatrick scored a team-high 16 points on 50% shooting while recording four steals and three rebounds.
Brent Pollari is in his sixth season as the head coach of Wayne State. During his tenure with the Wildcats, Pollari has a record of 61-79 and his team went 11-16 last season. Prior to Wayne State, Pollari was the head coach of St. Mary's University in Minnesota where he registered a 50-29 record over his three seasons.
SCOUTING AUGUSTANA
Augustana comes into this matchup with a 4-11 record overall and a 3-8 record in conference play. The Vikings have won two of their past three games after losing eight of their first 10 games. They current sit in 12th in the NSIC standings.
Senior Michaela Jewett is the 8th leading scorer and the 4th leading rebounder in the NSIC with averages of 15.9 and 7.1 per game respectively. The senior has shooting splits of 40% from the field, 38% from three-point range, and 69% at the free throw line while also averaging 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Jewett has scored 16+ points in seven of her past eight games including a 23-point performance against UMary.
Senior guard Lauren Sees is the team's second leading scorer with 13.7 points per game on 40% from the field and 27% from beyond the arc. Sees also averages 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 29.3 minutes per game. Sees has exceeded 16 points in three of her past six games including a 24-point performance against Northwest Missouri State.
Jennifer Aadland is the final Viking that scores in double-digits, averaging 10.9 points per game. The 2nd leading rebounder in the NSIC, Aadland has cleaned up the glass this year with an average of 7.8 rebounds per game. Aadland is also 4th in the NSIC with 1.6 blocks per game. The Laramie, Wyo. native recorded a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double against Northern State and has registered a block in nine consecutive games.
Last year against St. Cloud State, Jewett scored a game-high 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds cashed three three-pointers, and recorded two steals. Sees scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out three assists. Aadland scored eight points while making two of her three three-point attempts in 29 minutes.
Jillian Flores Bennett is in her first season as the Vikings head coach after long time head coach Dave Krauth retired after 34 seasons. Bennett spent the previous four years at Iowa Western CC with last season being her first year as the head coach. Last year, Bennett posted a record of 26-5 and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the country.
The Vikings will travel to Bemidji State on Friday to play the Beavers before coming to St. Cloud to take on the Huskies on Saturday. Augustana currently has a record of 1-6 on the road this year.
SHINING STARS
Sophomore forward Ashley Sawicki (Waunakee, Wis.) was named to the NSIC Women's Basketball Shining 5 by the league office on Dec. 18 for her contributions throughout that week. Sawicki averaged 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in a pair of wins. Against UMary, she nearly recorded a double-double, scoring a career-high 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds with two blocks in a win. Against Bemidji State, Sawicki tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season in a home win. The honor is the first of Sawicki's career.
Sophomore guard Jada Eggebrecht (Phillips, Wis.) was named to the NSIC Women's Basketball Shining 5 by the league office on Nov. 27 for her contributions that weekend. Eggebrecht averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in 35 minutes per game while scoring a season-high 16-points against Northern Michigan. The honor is the first of Eggebrecht's career.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Women's Basketball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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