Tuesday, December 17
St. Cloud, Minn.
5:30 P.M.
St. Cloud State
vs
UMary
St. Cloud State Women’s Basketball Hosts UMary, Travels to Bemidji to close 2024
12/16/2024 5:19:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Huskies look to continue winning ways
St. Cloud, Minn.- St. Cloud State Women's Basketball (6-3, 3-1 NSIC) close out 2024 by hosting UMary on Tuesday, December 17 and then traveling to Bemidji State on Thursday, December 19. Both games are set for 5:30 p.m.
Follow the Huskies
Live Stats will be provided by St. Cloud State for Tuesday's game while they will then be provided by Bemidji State on Thursday. Both games will also be streamed live for free on the NSIC Network and broadcasted on the Varsity Network. Steve Linzmeier, the Voice of St. Cloud State Basketball, can be heard on the audio broadcast for both games.
Last Time Out
St. Cloud State kicked off their home conference schedule as they hosted MSU Moorhead and Northern State this past weekend.
Against MSU Moorhead, the Huskies offense in the first quarter was unable to find a rhythm as they were held to 3/16 shooting and recorded a four-minute stretch where they were unable to make a field goal. Despite the shooting woes, SCSU only found themselves down 17-13 heading into the second quarter after going 7/8 from the free throw line. The Huskies were unable to get going in the second quarter as they shot 4/14 from the field for 11 points. St. Cloud State stayed solid defensively as they kept within striking distance as they held the Dragons to 15 points and went into halftime trailing 32-24. MSUM would push that lead up to 12 with a 4-0 run in the third quarter, but Alana Zarneke knocked down a three-pointer as St. Cloud State began to makes its run. The tandem of Kylan Gerads and Abigail O'Reilly scored the next eight points for the Huskies as a layup by Gerads, assisted by O'Reilly, cut the Dragon lead down to four with 4:33 left in the third quarter. Moorhead would not be fazed by the Huskies' new momentum as they closed the half on a 9-4 run to lead 48-39 going into the final period. The offense began to click for SCSU in the fourth as a layup by O'Reilly cut the Dragon lead down to three points with 6:10 remaining. St. Cloud State continued to fight in the fourth as a jumper by Jada Eggebrecht again brought them within three points with 5:15 left. The Dragons would score on their next two possessions as they pushed the lead back up to seven points. St. Cloud State would get within five points late in the game, but MSUM sealed the game late by making three of their four free throw attempts with 25 seconds remaining as they defeated St. Cloud State 63-55. The Huskies would shoot 35% from the field for the game and 14% from beyond the arc. Alana Zarneke led the Huskies in scoring with a season-high of 15 points on 6/10 shooting. She also grabbed five rebounds for the fourth consecutive game while tallying three stocks. She has recorded 3+ stocks in four consecutive games. Jada Eggebrecht scored 11 points which was her fifth consecutive game scoring 11+ points. She also dished out three assists and nabbed two steals.
After a back-and-forth start to the game, Northern State used a 7-0 run to take a 19-13 lead at the 2:13 mark of the first quarter. St. Cloud State would respond as Alana Zarneke knocked down a jumper and then cashed a three-pointer as the Huskies got back within one-point. The Wolves ultimately held a 23-20 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter started off as a scoring barrage by Abigail O'Reilly as she scored the first eight points in the quarter for the Huskies. Jada Eggebrecht joined the party as she cashed a three to give St. Cloud State a 31-29 lead with 3:22 left in the half. The duo continued to thrive as they scored all 18 points in the quarter as SCSU led 38-31 going into halftime after holding NSU to 27% from the field in the second. The third quarter continued the back-and-forth play that was present in the first quarter as the Huskies held a 48-42 lead halfway through the third. SCSU started to push their lead open as Rachel Kottke knocked down consecutive triples. O'Reilly would finish a layup assisted by Kottke as the Huskies would now lead by nine points with 2:43 remaining. St. Cloud State would head into the fourth quarter holding a nine-point lead and would lead 63-53 with 4:03 left in the game. Over the next three minutes, the Wolves went on a 10-0 run as they tied the game with 58 seconds remaining. On the ensuing offensive possession for SCSU, Alana Zarneke came up with a huge corner three to give the Huskies a 66-63 lead with 40 seconds left. The Wolves scored on their next possession and then fouled Alyssa Stamer with 23 seconds left. Stamer knocked down both of her attempts as St. Cloud State would now lead 68-65. The patented St. Cloud defense came up with a big stop as Rachel Kottke grabbed a big rebound and would be fouled. Kottke pushed the lead up to five with 18 seconds left after making both free throws. The Wolves would not go away as they finished a layup which would ultimately lead to two free throws for the Huskies. O'Reilly knocked down both attempts, but NSU made a three-pointer with nine seconds left to set the score at 72-70 with the Huskies leading. Kottke would get fouled and split her free throws to give St. Cloud State a three-point lead. From the opposite baseline, Northern finished a layup almost instantly as it was again a one-point game with four seconds left. Eggebrecht was fouled and step to the line where she pushed the lead back up to three-point after making both shots. Northern State was unable to get a shot off with three seconds remaining as St. Cloud State held on for a 75-72 victory against the Wolves. Abigail O'Reilly was dominant as she poured in a career-high of 31 points while shooting 13/19 from the field. She also went 5/7 from the free throw line after drawing eight fouls in the game while also grabbing five rebounds. Rachel Kottke has a career-game as she totaled 15 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, all of which were career-highs. Kottke also made three three-pointers while nabbing two steals.
St. Cloud State Statistical Leaders (total-average)
St. Cloud State Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
(all stats accumulated December 16)
Series History
Tuesday's game against UMary will be the 32nd all-time meeting between the teams with the Huskies holding a 20-11 advantage. The teams played each other three times last year with St. Cloud State winning two of the three games.
The first quarter of the game in Bismark went back and forth but UMary led 17-14, at the end of the period. Early in the second quarter, the Huskies fell behind by eight points in part to an 8-3 run by UMary. Dru Henning scored four of the final six points for the Huskies who went into halftime trailing 28-23. Offense was hard to come by for St. Cloud State in the first half as they shot 32% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc.
The Huskies went on an 8-2 run with 5:38 left in the 3rd quarter to cut what was once a nine-point deficit to three points. The Marauders ended the third quarter on an 8-4 run and led 42-35 heading into the final frame. The Huskies again struggled offensively as they shot 23% from the field, but the tides would begin to turn at the start of the fourth quarter. UMary held a 48-41 lead with 4:40 left in the game, but their lead would be very short lived. Ashley Sawicki started the comeback by making a layup off a Henning assist. Henning split a pair of free throws and cut the deficit to four points with 3:43 remaining. Tori Peschel was freed up by an off-ball screen by Sawicki and capitalized on a wide-open layup to bring the Huskies within two points. St. Cloud State then forced a turnover on the defensive end and Sawicki tied the game, knocking down a baseline jump shot off a series of pump fakes. The Huskies forced another miss on defense and Jada Eggebrecht blew by her defender on the baseline and made a floater to give St. Cloud State a 50-48 lead with 1:44 remaining in the game. The Huskies iced the game at the free throw line, knocking down all eight of their attempts in the final 84 seconds of the game to earn a 60-53 victory. St. Cloud outscored the Marauders 25-11 in the fourth quarter and ended the game on a 19-5 run.
With the second game being played at Halenbeck, the Huskies got out to a strong start against UMary, opening the game on an 8-2 run, with Ashley Sawicki scoring four of those points. SCSU held onto the lead for most of the quarter, but UMary closed the period on an 8-2 run, tying the game at 14. The second quarter was tightly contested, but the Huskies were able to build up another six-point lead with a 6-0 run that included Jada Eggebrecht knocking down two mid-range shots. St. Cloud State went into halftime leading 26-22.
The Huskies defense shined in the first half, holding the Marauders to 33% shooting from the field and 14% from beyond the arc. Despite its defensive prowess, SCSU had its own offensive struggles, committing 12 first half turnovers. St. Cloud State shot 37% from the field, but only connected on one of its five three-point attempts.
UMary started to find its offense, coming out of the halftime break on a 7-0 run, giving itself a 29-28 lead with 3:53 left in the third. The Marauders pushed their lead up to three points, but SCSU finished the quarter on a 6-2 run to take a 36-35 lead going into the final quarter. The Huskies started to take command of the game, using an 8-2 run to give them a 44-37 lead. Six points of the eight points came from Sawicki. UMary started to rally, and Megan Zander scored the next six points for the Marauders. With just over five minutes in the game, the Marauders only trailed by a single point. In dire need of a momentum swing, Makenna Vanzant came down the lane and finished a layup while getting fouled for a huge and-one. Vanzant converted the free throw, giving the Huskies a 47-43 lead. UMary scored on its next possession, bringing it within a single possession. With the score set at 47-45 with three minutes left in the game, Morgan Draheim drained a clutch three-pointer off an Eggebrecht assist, giving the Huskies a 50-45 lead. SCSU forced a miss on the other end and on the ensuing offensive possession, Vanzant delivered a three-point dagger, giving the Huskies a 53-48 lead. St. Cloud State went on to win 58-45 and finished the game on an 11-0. The Huskies held UMary scoreless over the final 4:30 of the game.
With the final game being played in the NSIC Quarterfinals, SCSU jumped out to a quick, 8-1 lead behind early three-pointers from Jada Eggebrecht and Tori Peschel. The Marauders stormed back, scoring eight unanswered points to take a 9-8 lead with four minutes left in the first. The Huskies finished the quarter strong, taking a 15-11 lead into the second.
The Marauders held a three-point halftime lead after finishing the half on a 10-4 run. Megan Zander and Bergen Kinnebrew paced UMary in the quarter with eight points apiece. Zander poured in 14 first half points while Kinnebrew and NSIC Player of the Year Lexie Schneider had eight at the break. Eggebrecht led the Huskies in the first half with nine points, followed by Ashley Sawicki who had eight. The third quarter went back and forth. It saw the UMary lead get as low as one point and as large as 10 – it carried a six-point advantage into the final frame. Eggebrecht scored seven more on a perfect 2-of-2 from the field including 1-of-3 from three and 2-of-2 from the free throw line.
SCSU ran out of steam in the fourth quarter and trailed by 10+ points in the final five minutes of the game as they would be defeated 75-61, ending their season.
Thursday's game against Bemidji State will be the 70th meeting between the programs with St. Cloud State holding a 51-18 advantage. The Huskies have won six of the past seven meetings against the Beavers, including last years lone meeting.
The Beavers jumped out to a 15-7 lead just under six minutes into the game. Paige Lambe drop-stepped her defender in the paint to create space and knocked down a fall-away jump shot to start a run for the Huskies. Jada Eggebrecht blew by her defender with a behind-the-back dribble and made a floater while getting fouled. Eggebrecht converted the and-one opportunity at the free throw line, capping off a 7-1 run for St. Cloud State, bringing them within two points. The second quarter bounced back-and-forth with four lead changes in the period. The Huskies led 27-26 going into halftime after Ashely Sawicki knocked down a free throw with 23 seconds remaining.
SCSU struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 29% from the field and 11% from beyond the arc. Despite the offensive struggles, the Huskies made 10 of their 13 free throw attempts in the half to give them a lead. The Beavers shot 44% from the field and 28% from three-point range but turned the ball over seven times.
The third quarter was tightly contested, but St. Cloud State ended the period on a 9-3 run to give them a 46-39 lead heading into the final frame. The Huskies found their offensive groove in the third quarter outscoring the Beavers 19-13, making 61% of their shots. BSU cut the lead to five points early in the fourth quarter, but Morgan Draheim started a game-sealing run by finishing a layup off an assist by Tori Peschel. Eggebrecht drilled a jumper, pushing the lead to nine for St. Cloud State. Peschel dropped another dime, throwing a shovel pass to a cutting Sawicki on a fast break. Dru Henning dropped the curtains on Bemidji State, cashing in on a three pointer off an assist by Draheim to give the Huskies a 14-point lead. During the 9-0 run, SCSU's defense kept the Beavers scoreless for over five minutes. The Huskies would put the game away at the free throw line by making three of their four attempts in the final 40 seconds as they closed out 2023 with a 60-52 victory.
Scouting UMary
The University of Mary Marauders come into this matchup holding a 5-3 record with a 2-2 mark in conference play. In conference play, UMary has beaten Minot State and Minnesota Crookston while losing to MSU Moorhead and Northern State. Coming into this season, UMary was projected to finish ninth in the NSIC after going 22-11 with a 16-6 record in conference play to place second. The Marauders reached the NSIC Championship game where they were defeated by the eventual National Champion Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks. The offseason saw the Marauder lose their three All-Conference performers from a year ago including NSIC Player of the Year Lexie Schneider, First Team All-Conference Megan Zander, and Second Team All-Conference Mariah McKeever. Both Zander and McKeever returned to the team this year as assistant coaches.
Through eight games, UMary holds only one player that scores in double figures in Bergan Kinnebrew. She totals 15.6 points per game on 39.8% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc. Kinnebrew is also shooting 93% from the free throw line while grabbing 4.1 rebounds and dishing 2.0 assists per game.
Head Coach Rick Neumann enters his 13th season with UMary ahead of the 2024-25 season. During his tenure, Neumann has compiled an 183-157 record with a 133-118 mark in NSIC play.
UMary Statistical Leaders (total-average)
UMary Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
Scouting Bemidji State
The Bemidji State Beavers come into this matchup with the Huskies holding a 2-6 record with a 0-4 mark in conference play. The four conference losses have come against Minnesota Crookston, Minot State, Northern State, and MSU Moorhead. Coming into this season, the Beavers were projected to finish 15th in the NSIC after a 2023-24 campaign where they went 6-20 with a 3-19 record in conference play. The offseason saw the Beavers lose their lone All-Conference performer in Alyssa Hill who made Second Team All-Conference last year.
Through eight games, Tieryn Plasch is the team's leading scorer with nine points per game on 41% from the field and 42.5% from three-point range. She also averages 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Head Coach Chelsea Stoltenberg enters her 10th season with Bemidji State in the 2024-25 season. In her nine year tenure, Stoltenberg has accumulated a 71-160 record with a 46-141 mark in conference play.
Bemidji State Statistical Leaders (total-average)
Bemidji State Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
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
Live Stats will be provided by St. Cloud State for Tuesday's game while they will then be provided by Bemidji State on Thursday. Both games will also be streamed live for free on the NSIC Network and broadcasted on the Varsity Network. Steve Linzmeier, the Voice of St. Cloud State Basketball, can be heard on the audio broadcast for both games.
Last Time Out
St. Cloud State kicked off their home conference schedule as they hosted MSU Moorhead and Northern State this past weekend.
Against MSU Moorhead, the Huskies offense in the first quarter was unable to find a rhythm as they were held to 3/16 shooting and recorded a four-minute stretch where they were unable to make a field goal. Despite the shooting woes, SCSU only found themselves down 17-13 heading into the second quarter after going 7/8 from the free throw line. The Huskies were unable to get going in the second quarter as they shot 4/14 from the field for 11 points. St. Cloud State stayed solid defensively as they kept within striking distance as they held the Dragons to 15 points and went into halftime trailing 32-24. MSUM would push that lead up to 12 with a 4-0 run in the third quarter, but Alana Zarneke knocked down a three-pointer as St. Cloud State began to makes its run. The tandem of Kylan Gerads and Abigail O'Reilly scored the next eight points for the Huskies as a layup by Gerads, assisted by O'Reilly, cut the Dragon lead down to four with 4:33 left in the third quarter. Moorhead would not be fazed by the Huskies' new momentum as they closed the half on a 9-4 run to lead 48-39 going into the final period. The offense began to click for SCSU in the fourth as a layup by O'Reilly cut the Dragon lead down to three points with 6:10 remaining. St. Cloud State continued to fight in the fourth as a jumper by Jada Eggebrecht again brought them within three points with 5:15 left. The Dragons would score on their next two possessions as they pushed the lead back up to seven points. St. Cloud State would get within five points late in the game, but MSUM sealed the game late by making three of their four free throw attempts with 25 seconds remaining as they defeated St. Cloud State 63-55. The Huskies would shoot 35% from the field for the game and 14% from beyond the arc. Alana Zarneke led the Huskies in scoring with a season-high of 15 points on 6/10 shooting. She also grabbed five rebounds for the fourth consecutive game while tallying three stocks. She has recorded 3+ stocks in four consecutive games. Jada Eggebrecht scored 11 points which was her fifth consecutive game scoring 11+ points. She also dished out three assists and nabbed two steals.
After a back-and-forth start to the game, Northern State used a 7-0 run to take a 19-13 lead at the 2:13 mark of the first quarter. St. Cloud State would respond as Alana Zarneke knocked down a jumper and then cashed a three-pointer as the Huskies got back within one-point. The Wolves ultimately held a 23-20 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter started off as a scoring barrage by Abigail O'Reilly as she scored the first eight points in the quarter for the Huskies. Jada Eggebrecht joined the party as she cashed a three to give St. Cloud State a 31-29 lead with 3:22 left in the half. The duo continued to thrive as they scored all 18 points in the quarter as SCSU led 38-31 going into halftime after holding NSU to 27% from the field in the second. The third quarter continued the back-and-forth play that was present in the first quarter as the Huskies held a 48-42 lead halfway through the third. SCSU started to push their lead open as Rachel Kottke knocked down consecutive triples. O'Reilly would finish a layup assisted by Kottke as the Huskies would now lead by nine points with 2:43 remaining. St. Cloud State would head into the fourth quarter holding a nine-point lead and would lead 63-53 with 4:03 left in the game. Over the next three minutes, the Wolves went on a 10-0 run as they tied the game with 58 seconds remaining. On the ensuing offensive possession for SCSU, Alana Zarneke came up with a huge corner three to give the Huskies a 66-63 lead with 40 seconds left. The Wolves scored on their next possession and then fouled Alyssa Stamer with 23 seconds left. Stamer knocked down both of her attempts as St. Cloud State would now lead 68-65. The patented St. Cloud defense came up with a big stop as Rachel Kottke grabbed a big rebound and would be fouled. Kottke pushed the lead up to five with 18 seconds left after making both free throws. The Wolves would not go away as they finished a layup which would ultimately lead to two free throws for the Huskies. O'Reilly knocked down both attempts, but NSU made a three-pointer with nine seconds left to set the score at 72-70 with the Huskies leading. Kottke would get fouled and split her free throws to give St. Cloud State a three-point lead. From the opposite baseline, Northern finished a layup almost instantly as it was again a one-point game with four seconds left. Eggebrecht was fouled and step to the line where she pushed the lead back up to three-point after making both shots. Northern State was unable to get a shot off with three seconds remaining as St. Cloud State held on for a 75-72 victory against the Wolves. Abigail O'Reilly was dominant as she poured in a career-high of 31 points while shooting 13/19 from the field. She also went 5/7 from the free throw line after drawing eight fouls in the game while also grabbing five rebounds. Rachel Kottke has a career-game as she totaled 15 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, all of which were career-highs. Kottke also made three three-pointers while nabbing two steals.
St. Cloud State Statistical Leaders (total-average)
- Points- Jada Eggebrecht (130-14.4)
- Rebounds- Abigail O'Reilly (58-6.4)
- Offensive rebounds- Abigail O'Reilly (28-3.1)
- Assists- Alyssa Stamer (36-4.0)
- Steals- Alana Zarneke (17-1.9)
- Blocks- Alana Zarneke (9-1.0)
- Stocks- Alana Zarneke (26-2.9)
- Field goals made- Jada Eggebrecht (50-5.6)
- Three-point field goals made- Jada Eggebrecht (13-1.4)
- Free throw makes- Abigail O'Reilly (30-3.3)
- Minutes- Jada Eggebrecht (294-32.7)
St. Cloud State Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
- 65.9 points per game (11th) | 63.2 points per game allowed (3rd) | 2.7 scoring margin (6th)
- 41.3 field goal percentage (8th) | 30.2 three-point percentage (9th) | 74.8 free throw percentage (5th)
- 43.0 opponent field goal percentage (12th) | 33.0 opponent three-point percentage (10th)
- 37.0 rebounds per game (9th) | 12.3 offensive rebounds per game (2nd)
- 33.6 opponent rebounds per game (3rd) | 3.4 rebounding margin (8th)
- 14.0 turnovers per game (2nd) | 2.78 turnover margin (2nd)
- 3.11 blocks per game (9th)
- 8.78 steals per game (3rd)
- 16.44 assists per game (1st)
- 5.7 three-point field goals made per game (11th)
(all stats accumulated December 16)
Series History
Tuesday's game against UMary will be the 32nd all-time meeting between the teams with the Huskies holding a 20-11 advantage. The teams played each other three times last year with St. Cloud State winning two of the three games.
The first quarter of the game in Bismark went back and forth but UMary led 17-14, at the end of the period. Early in the second quarter, the Huskies fell behind by eight points in part to an 8-3 run by UMary. Dru Henning scored four of the final six points for the Huskies who went into halftime trailing 28-23. Offense was hard to come by for St. Cloud State in the first half as they shot 32% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc.
The Huskies went on an 8-2 run with 5:38 left in the 3rd quarter to cut what was once a nine-point deficit to three points. The Marauders ended the third quarter on an 8-4 run and led 42-35 heading into the final frame. The Huskies again struggled offensively as they shot 23% from the field, but the tides would begin to turn at the start of the fourth quarter. UMary held a 48-41 lead with 4:40 left in the game, but their lead would be very short lived. Ashley Sawicki started the comeback by making a layup off a Henning assist. Henning split a pair of free throws and cut the deficit to four points with 3:43 remaining. Tori Peschel was freed up by an off-ball screen by Sawicki and capitalized on a wide-open layup to bring the Huskies within two points. St. Cloud State then forced a turnover on the defensive end and Sawicki tied the game, knocking down a baseline jump shot off a series of pump fakes. The Huskies forced another miss on defense and Jada Eggebrecht blew by her defender on the baseline and made a floater to give St. Cloud State a 50-48 lead with 1:44 remaining in the game. The Huskies iced the game at the free throw line, knocking down all eight of their attempts in the final 84 seconds of the game to earn a 60-53 victory. St. Cloud outscored the Marauders 25-11 in the fourth quarter and ended the game on a 19-5 run.
With the second game being played at Halenbeck, the Huskies got out to a strong start against UMary, opening the game on an 8-2 run, with Ashley Sawicki scoring four of those points. SCSU held onto the lead for most of the quarter, but UMary closed the period on an 8-2 run, tying the game at 14. The second quarter was tightly contested, but the Huskies were able to build up another six-point lead with a 6-0 run that included Jada Eggebrecht knocking down two mid-range shots. St. Cloud State went into halftime leading 26-22.
The Huskies defense shined in the first half, holding the Marauders to 33% shooting from the field and 14% from beyond the arc. Despite its defensive prowess, SCSU had its own offensive struggles, committing 12 first half turnovers. St. Cloud State shot 37% from the field, but only connected on one of its five three-point attempts.
UMary started to find its offense, coming out of the halftime break on a 7-0 run, giving itself a 29-28 lead with 3:53 left in the third. The Marauders pushed their lead up to three points, but SCSU finished the quarter on a 6-2 run to take a 36-35 lead going into the final quarter. The Huskies started to take command of the game, using an 8-2 run to give them a 44-37 lead. Six points of the eight points came from Sawicki. UMary started to rally, and Megan Zander scored the next six points for the Marauders. With just over five minutes in the game, the Marauders only trailed by a single point. In dire need of a momentum swing, Makenna Vanzant came down the lane and finished a layup while getting fouled for a huge and-one. Vanzant converted the free throw, giving the Huskies a 47-43 lead. UMary scored on its next possession, bringing it within a single possession. With the score set at 47-45 with three minutes left in the game, Morgan Draheim drained a clutch three-pointer off an Eggebrecht assist, giving the Huskies a 50-45 lead. SCSU forced a miss on the other end and on the ensuing offensive possession, Vanzant delivered a three-point dagger, giving the Huskies a 53-48 lead. St. Cloud State went on to win 58-45 and finished the game on an 11-0. The Huskies held UMary scoreless over the final 4:30 of the game.
With the final game being played in the NSIC Quarterfinals, SCSU jumped out to a quick, 8-1 lead behind early three-pointers from Jada Eggebrecht and Tori Peschel. The Marauders stormed back, scoring eight unanswered points to take a 9-8 lead with four minutes left in the first. The Huskies finished the quarter strong, taking a 15-11 lead into the second.
The Marauders held a three-point halftime lead after finishing the half on a 10-4 run. Megan Zander and Bergen Kinnebrew paced UMary in the quarter with eight points apiece. Zander poured in 14 first half points while Kinnebrew and NSIC Player of the Year Lexie Schneider had eight at the break. Eggebrecht led the Huskies in the first half with nine points, followed by Ashley Sawicki who had eight. The third quarter went back and forth. It saw the UMary lead get as low as one point and as large as 10 – it carried a six-point advantage into the final frame. Eggebrecht scored seven more on a perfect 2-of-2 from the field including 1-of-3 from three and 2-of-2 from the free throw line.
SCSU ran out of steam in the fourth quarter and trailed by 10+ points in the final five minutes of the game as they would be defeated 75-61, ending their season.
Thursday's game against Bemidji State will be the 70th meeting between the programs with St. Cloud State holding a 51-18 advantage. The Huskies have won six of the past seven meetings against the Beavers, including last years lone meeting.
The Beavers jumped out to a 15-7 lead just under six minutes into the game. Paige Lambe drop-stepped her defender in the paint to create space and knocked down a fall-away jump shot to start a run for the Huskies. Jada Eggebrecht blew by her defender with a behind-the-back dribble and made a floater while getting fouled. Eggebrecht converted the and-one opportunity at the free throw line, capping off a 7-1 run for St. Cloud State, bringing them within two points. The second quarter bounced back-and-forth with four lead changes in the period. The Huskies led 27-26 going into halftime after Ashely Sawicki knocked down a free throw with 23 seconds remaining.
SCSU struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 29% from the field and 11% from beyond the arc. Despite the offensive struggles, the Huskies made 10 of their 13 free throw attempts in the half to give them a lead. The Beavers shot 44% from the field and 28% from three-point range but turned the ball over seven times.
The third quarter was tightly contested, but St. Cloud State ended the period on a 9-3 run to give them a 46-39 lead heading into the final frame. The Huskies found their offensive groove in the third quarter outscoring the Beavers 19-13, making 61% of their shots. BSU cut the lead to five points early in the fourth quarter, but Morgan Draheim started a game-sealing run by finishing a layup off an assist by Tori Peschel. Eggebrecht drilled a jumper, pushing the lead to nine for St. Cloud State. Peschel dropped another dime, throwing a shovel pass to a cutting Sawicki on a fast break. Dru Henning dropped the curtains on Bemidji State, cashing in on a three pointer off an assist by Draheim to give the Huskies a 14-point lead. During the 9-0 run, SCSU's defense kept the Beavers scoreless for over five minutes. The Huskies would put the game away at the free throw line by making three of their four attempts in the final 40 seconds as they closed out 2023 with a 60-52 victory.
Scouting UMary
The University of Mary Marauders come into this matchup holding a 5-3 record with a 2-2 mark in conference play. In conference play, UMary has beaten Minot State and Minnesota Crookston while losing to MSU Moorhead and Northern State. Coming into this season, UMary was projected to finish ninth in the NSIC after going 22-11 with a 16-6 record in conference play to place second. The Marauders reached the NSIC Championship game where they were defeated by the eventual National Champion Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks. The offseason saw the Marauder lose their three All-Conference performers from a year ago including NSIC Player of the Year Lexie Schneider, First Team All-Conference Megan Zander, and Second Team All-Conference Mariah McKeever. Both Zander and McKeever returned to the team this year as assistant coaches.
Through eight games, UMary holds only one player that scores in double figures in Bergan Kinnebrew. She totals 15.6 points per game on 39.8% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc. Kinnebrew is also shooting 93% from the free throw line while grabbing 4.1 rebounds and dishing 2.0 assists per game.
Head Coach Rick Neumann enters his 13th season with UMary ahead of the 2024-25 season. During his tenure, Neumann has compiled an 183-157 record with a 133-118 mark in NSIC play.
UMary Statistical Leaders (total-average)
- Points- Bergan Kinnebrew (125-15.6)
- Rebounds- Moriku Hakim (46-5.8)
- Offensive rebounds- Moriku Hakim (21-2.6)
- Assists- Eden Fridley/Ava Interrante (22-2.8)
- Steals- Eden Fridley (13-1.6)
- Blocks- Addison Rozell (11-1.4)
- Stocks- Eden Fridley (15-1.9)
- Field goals made- Bergan Kinnebrew (37-4.6)
- Three-point field goals made- Emily Jaenke (18-2.3)
- Free throw makes- Bergan Kinnebrew (42-5.3)
- Minutes- Bergan Kinnebrew (232-29)
UMary Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
- 68.6 points per game (7th) | 65.6 points per game allowed (5th) | 3.0 scoring margin (5th)
- 38.8 field goal percentage (13th) | 35.2 three-point percentage (2nd) | 72.8 free throw percentage (7th)
- 39.5 opponent field goal percentage (4th) | 28.9 opponent three-point percentage (3rd)
- 36.4 rebounds per game (10th) | 10.6 offensive rebounds per game (9th)
- 36.4 opponent rebounds per game (8th) | 0.0 rebounding margin (11th)
- 15.0 turnovers per game (6th) | 0.0 turnover margin (6th)
- 3.25 blocks per game (7th)
- 7.25 steals per game (6th)
- 15.00 assists per game (7th)
- 8.8 three-point field goals made per game (1st)
Scouting Bemidji State
The Bemidji State Beavers come into this matchup with the Huskies holding a 2-6 record with a 0-4 mark in conference play. The four conference losses have come against Minnesota Crookston, Minot State, Northern State, and MSU Moorhead. Coming into this season, the Beavers were projected to finish 15th in the NSIC after a 2023-24 campaign where they went 6-20 with a 3-19 record in conference play. The offseason saw the Beavers lose their lone All-Conference performer in Alyssa Hill who made Second Team All-Conference last year.
Through eight games, Tieryn Plasch is the team's leading scorer with nine points per game on 41% from the field and 42.5% from three-point range. She also averages 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Head Coach Chelsea Stoltenberg enters her 10th season with Bemidji State in the 2024-25 season. In her nine year tenure, Stoltenberg has accumulated a 71-160 record with a 46-141 mark in conference play.
Bemidji State Statistical Leaders (total-average)
- Points- Tieryn Plasch (72-9.0)
- Rebounds- Ella Giorgi (34-4.3)
- Offensive rebounds- Rachel Koenig (8-1.6)
- Assists- Erin Barrette (21-2.6)
- Steals- Erin Barrette (8-1.0)
- Blocks- Ella Giorgi (10-1.3)
- Stocks- Ella Giorgi (14-1.8)
- Field goals made- Erin Barrette/Ella Giorgi/Tieryn Plasch (23-2.9)
- Three-point field goals made- Tieryn Plasch (17-2.1)
- Free throw makes- Erin Barrette (13-2.6)
- Minutes- Tieryn Plasch (228-28.5)
Bemidji State Team Stats (NSIC Ranking)
- 59.5 points per game (15th) | 68.0 points per game allowed (9th) | -8.5 scoring margin (13th)
- 39.5 field goal percentage (12th) | 28.9 three-point percentage (10th) | 69.3 free throw percentage (9th)
- 40.9 opponent field goal percentage (8th) | 25.3 opponent three-point percentage (1st)
- 32.6 rebounds per game (14th) | 6.0 offensive rebounds per game (15th)
- 38.3 opponent rebounds per game (8th) | -5.6 rebounding margin (14th)
- 15.1 turnovers per game (9th) | -4.13 turnover margin (15th)
- 3.75 blocks per game (5th)
- 4.75 steals per game (13th)
- 11.50 assists per game (12th)
- 5.5 three-point field goals made per game (12th)
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