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USF Women's Basketball Weekend Preview
The University of Sioux Falls women's basketball looks to remain undefeated against in-state opponents this weekend, as they travel to South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Friday and Black Hills State University Saturday. The Cougars are currently 5-0 this season vs. universities from the state of South Dakota.
Follow the Cougars: Visit the "media" section of the USF women's basketball schedule for links to follow live stats, listen to the broadcast on KWSN 1230 or watch a live stream.
Quick Hits
The Series
Friday's matchup will be the fifth between USF and South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in the last 10 years. The Cougars had dropped three straight to the Hardrockers before defeating them 94-60 last month.
USF and Black Hills State's game Saturday will be their second encounter since 2008. The Cougars claimed their most recent contest last month, but Black Hills State has won two of the last three meetings.
Helping Hands
After recording 21 assists against Dakota State and 19 versus Mayville State, the Cougars have improved their assist to turnover ratio to an average of 1.1 assist per turnover, which is the highest it has been all year.
Heating Up
With a 50% shooting performance in Saturday's win at Dakota State, followed by a season-best 55% showing Tuesday night, USF has displayed signs of warming up from the field. Their previous three outings consisted of 36%, 36% and 35% shooting from the floor, respectively.
Back in the Mix
USF's 2011 Great Plains Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, Laura Johnson, had been quiet as of late, scoring in double-digits just once in the last eight games. However, she seemed to find her rhythm Tuesday night when she contributed in nearly every aspect of the game. She finished with a season-high 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block to assist the Cougars to a 87-56 victory over Mayville State.
Spark off the Bench
Sophomore guard Bailey Bouman has continued to be a solid scoring option off the bench. Most recently, she posted a game-high 17 points, shooting 70% (7-10) from the field and 60% (3-5) from behind the arc in USF's dominating win over Mayville State. Her total also matched a career-high.
Winning the Boards
Whether or not USF wins the battle on the boards has proved to be a strong indicator of their week-to-week outcomes. The Cougars carry a +25 rebounding advantage in their last two games into the weekend and are 11-1 this season when outrebounding their opponent.
Post January 20th
The Hardrockers have not lost a game since falling to USF on January 20th and carry a six-game win streak into this weekend's matchup. Three of SDSM&T's six consecutive wins were against USF common opponents, including Black Hills State, Dakota State and Mayville State.
Home Court Advantage
Like USF, SDSM&T has experienced success at home where they have recorded nine wins and just three losses. The Hardrockers are currently riding a four-game home win streak, while the Cougars are 9-2 on the road where they have been handed two of their three losses this season.
Who's Hot?
SDSM&T's second leading scorer, Justine Blade, broke out for a career-high 35 points in the Hardrockers win Saturday at Johnson & Wales University.
Climbing the Charts
Senior forward Jamey Hofer continues to climb USF all-time scoring list. With 13 points in Tuesday night's game she has moved to No. 7 on the all-time scoring list with 1270 career points.
Win and Win Big
The Cougars are not just winning, but when they do it is typically in blow out fashion. USF has won by 20 or more points eight times this season. They carry a +16.3 scoring margin over opponents into this weekend's games.
Turning it Around
After a rocky 6-9 start, which was capped off by a 30-point loss to the Cougars, the Yellow Jackets have turned things around, winning four of their last five games. Depending on Friday's outcome against a tough Minot State team, BHSU could boast a five-game win streak heading into Saturday's matchup. Their lone loss during the five game stretch came vs. SDSM&T.
Defensive Struggle
Saturday's game has the making of a defensive war, as USF is shooting just 41% from the floor and holding opponents to 36% per clip and BHSU is shooting 36% on the year, while limiting their competition to 38% shooting.
Up Next
USF will face Minot State a third and fourth time this season when they host the Beavers' in their final homestand of the year, Friday February 17th and Saturday February 18th at the Stewart Center.
