Friday, November 8
St. Cloud, Minn.
6:00 P.M.
St. Cloud State
vs
Central Oklahoma
Photo by: Jacob Sanders
St. Cloud State Women’s Basketball to Open Season in Central Region Crossover
11/6/2024 10:46:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Huskies set to host Central Oklahoma and Washburn
St. Cloud, Minn.- St. Cloud State Women's Basketball open their 2024-25 campaign this weekend as they host the Central Region Crossover this weekend. The Huskies play their first game on Friday, November 8 as they host Central Oklahoma and then play Washburn on Saturday, November 9. Friday's game is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and Saturday's game is slated for 4:00 p.m.
Follow the Huskies
Both games will be streamed live for free on the NSIC Network. Live stats will be provided by St. Cloud State for both games. Links to each option can be found on the St. Cloud State Women's Basketball schedule page. The full tournament schedule can be found here.
Gameday Promotions
Schedule posters will be given away before Friday's game. The first 100 fans will get one.
Saturday's game will be a red out, so make sure to wear red!
Series History
Friday's game against Central Oklahoma will be the first meeting between the two teams.
Saturday's game against Washburn will be the second meeting between the teams with the Ichabods taking the lone matchup 58-55 back in 2017.
Scouting Central Oklahoma
The Central Oklahoma Bronchos will kick off their season against the Huskies Friday evening. UCO is coming off an 8-20 season where they went 7-15 in conference play. The Bronchos return two of their top three scorers from a season ago, senior Karly Wadsworth and junior Reagan Fox. Wadsworth averaged a team-high nine points per game on shooting splits of 40% from the field, 35% from three, and 63% from the free throw line. Wadsworth also averaged 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and a team-high 1.4 steals per game. Fox was the second leading scorer on the team with 8.3 points per game on splits of 34.8% from the field, 38.8% from three, and 90.3% from the free throw line. She also grabbed three rebounds per game and dished 1.7 assists per game while averaging 1.3 stocks per game.
Head Coach Emma Andrews enters her third season with the Bronchos in 2024-25. Andrews has registered a record of 19-37 during her tenure. Prior to UCO, Andrews spent six seasons as the head coach of Cameron University where she totaled a 73-87 record.
Scouting Washburn
The Washburn Ichabods will also be opening their season in the Central Region Crossover where they will play NSIC foe Southwest Minnesota State on Friday before playing the Huskies on Saturday. Washburn is coming off a 2023-24 season where they went 13-16 with an 8-14 mark in conference play. The Ichabods qualified for the MIAA conference tournament but were defeated 65-72 by Nebraska Kearney in the first round.
The Ichabods return two of their top three scorers from last season including Yiibari Nwidadah and Aniah Wayne. Nwidadah nearly averaged a double-double with 12.4 points per game and 9.1 rebounds. She shot 54% from the field and 56% from the free throw line while averaging 1.5 stocks per game. Wayne was the third leading scorer on the team a season ago while averaging 7.6 points on 30.8% from the field. She also grabbed 2.6 rebounds while shooting 28.5% from three and 83.3% from the free throw line.
Head coach Lara Westling enters her third season in command of the Ichabods ahead of the 2024-25 season. During her tenure, she accumulated a 27-33 record and led Washburn to the MIAA Tournament last season. In her career, she has made stops at Illinois College and Western Colorado before landing with Washburn in 2022. Westling has totaled a 139-143 record in her coaching career.
NSIC Preseason Poll
St. Cloud State Women's Basketball was picked to finish 5th in the 2024-25 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll as announced by the league office on October 8. Junior guard Jada Eggebrecht was also named the preseason player to watch for the Huskies.
Head Coach Lori Fish enters her 17th season with St. Cloud State ahead of the 2024-25 season. Last season, Fish and the Huskies finished 7th in the NSIC standings after accumulating an 18-10 overall record with a 14-8 record in conference play. St. Cloud State reached the NSIC Tournament for the 12th consecutive season as they hosted Minot State in the first round. The Huskies took down the Beavers 78-61 to advance to the Quarterfinals, but would be defeated by UMary 61-75, ending their season.
"With no seniors on our roster we look forward to seeing how this young team develops over the course of the season. It might be the most self-motivated group we have coached, which is inspiring," said Fish.
Eggbrecht followed up her Second Team All-NSIC honors in her true freshman season by again earning Second Team All-NSIC last year. The junior led the team in scoring with an average of 12.1 points per game while shooting 43.6% from the field and team-highs of 38.3% from three-point range (on a team-high 41 makes) and 88% from the free throw line. Eggebrecht also averaged 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
"Jada has been a big part of our program the past two seasons and we are excited to see the growth as a leader on and off the court. She is a player with tremendous work ethic who doesn't shy away from being challenged and is someone her teammates can always count on," said Fish.
Along with Eggebrecht, the Huskies will also be returning Second Team All-NSIC Honoree Ashley Sawicki who had a breakout season where she averaged 10.9 points per game and team-highs of 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 stocks per game.
Other returning players include junior Kora Forsline, redshirt-freshman Kyla Hendricks, junior Madi Herkenhoff, sophomore Paige Lambe, sophomore Abigail O'Reilly, sophomore Grace Roesch, junior Alyssa Stamer, and sophomore Alana Zarneke.
In the offseason, the Huskies also brought in a strong class of freshman including Reagan Briggs, Kylan Gerads, Kristi Kottke, Rachel Kottke, and Halle Vande Hey.
Preseason Coaches' Poll Results
1. Minnesota State Mankato
2. Northern State
3. Concordia-St. Paul
4. Southwest Minnesota State
5. St. Cloud State
6. MSU Moorhead
7. Sioux Falls
8. Minnesota Duluth
9. UMary
10. Winona State
11. Augustana
12. Minnesota Crookston
13. Wayne State
14. Minot State
15. Bemidji State
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
Both games will be streamed live for free on the NSIC Network. Live stats will be provided by St. Cloud State for both games. Links to each option can be found on the St. Cloud State Women's Basketball schedule page. The full tournament schedule can be found here.
Gameday Promotions
Schedule posters will be given away before Friday's game. The first 100 fans will get one.
Saturday's game will be a red out, so make sure to wear red!
Series History
Friday's game against Central Oklahoma will be the first meeting between the two teams.
Saturday's game against Washburn will be the second meeting between the teams with the Ichabods taking the lone matchup 58-55 back in 2017.
Scouting Central Oklahoma
The Central Oklahoma Bronchos will kick off their season against the Huskies Friday evening. UCO is coming off an 8-20 season where they went 7-15 in conference play. The Bronchos return two of their top three scorers from a season ago, senior Karly Wadsworth and junior Reagan Fox. Wadsworth averaged a team-high nine points per game on shooting splits of 40% from the field, 35% from three, and 63% from the free throw line. Wadsworth also averaged 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and a team-high 1.4 steals per game. Fox was the second leading scorer on the team with 8.3 points per game on splits of 34.8% from the field, 38.8% from three, and 90.3% from the free throw line. She also grabbed three rebounds per game and dished 1.7 assists per game while averaging 1.3 stocks per game.
Head Coach Emma Andrews enters her third season with the Bronchos in 2024-25. Andrews has registered a record of 19-37 during her tenure. Prior to UCO, Andrews spent six seasons as the head coach of Cameron University where she totaled a 73-87 record.
Scouting Washburn
The Washburn Ichabods will also be opening their season in the Central Region Crossover where they will play NSIC foe Southwest Minnesota State on Friday before playing the Huskies on Saturday. Washburn is coming off a 2023-24 season where they went 13-16 with an 8-14 mark in conference play. The Ichabods qualified for the MIAA conference tournament but were defeated 65-72 by Nebraska Kearney in the first round.
The Ichabods return two of their top three scorers from last season including Yiibari Nwidadah and Aniah Wayne. Nwidadah nearly averaged a double-double with 12.4 points per game and 9.1 rebounds. She shot 54% from the field and 56% from the free throw line while averaging 1.5 stocks per game. Wayne was the third leading scorer on the team a season ago while averaging 7.6 points on 30.8% from the field. She also grabbed 2.6 rebounds while shooting 28.5% from three and 83.3% from the free throw line.
Head coach Lara Westling enters her third season in command of the Ichabods ahead of the 2024-25 season. During her tenure, she accumulated a 27-33 record and led Washburn to the MIAA Tournament last season. In her career, she has made stops at Illinois College and Western Colorado before landing with Washburn in 2022. Westling has totaled a 139-143 record in her coaching career.
NSIC Preseason Poll
St. Cloud State Women's Basketball was picked to finish 5th in the 2024-25 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll as announced by the league office on October 8. Junior guard Jada Eggebrecht was also named the preseason player to watch for the Huskies.
Head Coach Lori Fish enters her 17th season with St. Cloud State ahead of the 2024-25 season. Last season, Fish and the Huskies finished 7th in the NSIC standings after accumulating an 18-10 overall record with a 14-8 record in conference play. St. Cloud State reached the NSIC Tournament for the 12th consecutive season as they hosted Minot State in the first round. The Huskies took down the Beavers 78-61 to advance to the Quarterfinals, but would be defeated by UMary 61-75, ending their season.
"With no seniors on our roster we look forward to seeing how this young team develops over the course of the season. It might be the most self-motivated group we have coached, which is inspiring," said Fish.
Eggbrecht followed up her Second Team All-NSIC honors in her true freshman season by again earning Second Team All-NSIC last year. The junior led the team in scoring with an average of 12.1 points per game while shooting 43.6% from the field and team-highs of 38.3% from three-point range (on a team-high 41 makes) and 88% from the free throw line. Eggebrecht also averaged 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
"Jada has been a big part of our program the past two seasons and we are excited to see the growth as a leader on and off the court. She is a player with tremendous work ethic who doesn't shy away from being challenged and is someone her teammates can always count on," said Fish.
Along with Eggebrecht, the Huskies will also be returning Second Team All-NSIC Honoree Ashley Sawicki who had a breakout season where she averaged 10.9 points per game and team-highs of 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 stocks per game.
Other returning players include junior Kora Forsline, redshirt-freshman Kyla Hendricks, junior Madi Herkenhoff, sophomore Paige Lambe, sophomore Abigail O'Reilly, sophomore Grace Roesch, junior Alyssa Stamer, and sophomore Alana Zarneke.
In the offseason, the Huskies also brought in a strong class of freshman including Reagan Briggs, Kylan Gerads, Kristi Kottke, Rachel Kottke, and Halle Vande Hey.
Preseason Coaches' Poll Results
1. Minnesota State Mankato
2. Northern State
3. Concordia-St. Paul
4. Southwest Minnesota State
5. St. Cloud State
6. MSU Moorhead
7. Sioux Falls
8. Minnesota Duluth
9. UMary
10. Winona State
11. Augustana
12. Minnesota Crookston
13. Wayne State
14. Minot State
15. Bemidji State
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.
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