SIOUX FALLS – Rolling to a 5-0 start, University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball continues a three-game road trip to open the conference season this weekend. The Cougars (5-0, 1-0 NSIC) first head to league favorite No. 14 Winona State (6-1, 1-0 NSIC) on Friday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. To close their conference-opening road swing, USF travels to Fayette, Iowa to face Upper Iowa (0-5, 0-1 NSIC) on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 4 p.m.
 
Keeping up with the Cougars
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Cougars return home to close out 2016 in the Stewart Center
After three straight road games to open the NSIC season, USF returns for three consecutive home games before heading into the winter break. The Cougars host St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 9 and 10, respectively, then close the first semester of the 2016-17 season with a Dec. 17 return trip from Southwest Minnesota State.
 
Double trouble: Knecht opens season on blistering pace
Not only has senior center Sam Knecht recorded three double-doubles in the first five games of the season, she is averaging a double-double through five games. The 6-foot-2 Platte, S.D. native is averaging 16.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. She recorded double-doubles in wins over Presentation (16 points, 13 rebounds), William Jewell (10 points, 11 rebounds), and Dakota State (16 points, 13 rebounds). In wins over South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and Southwest Minnesota State, Knecht scored 22 and 16 points, respectively, while pulling down seven and nine rebounds for two more near double-doubles.
 
Cougars continue pass-happy approach
One year after posting the top assist-to-turnover ratio in all of NCAA Division II, the Cougars are again one of the top assist teams in the league and country. Through five games USF has tallied 100 assists for a 20 per game average. Their assists average is the top mark in the NSIC and they rank 10th in NCAA Division II. With 63 turnovers in five games, USF has a 1.59 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks first in the NSIC and fifth in D2. Like she did last year, senior Madi Robson has paced the Cougars with 39 assists, 7.8 per game. Robson's assist average is the top mark in the NSIC and is second in all of Division II. The Cougars have made 140 field goals this season, meaning they are recording an assist on 71.4 percent of their field goals.
 
Humming along: Kaely Hummel making smooth transition
Inserted into the starting lineup from the first game, freshman guard Kaely Hummel has made an immediate impact. The 5-foot-8 Cherokee, Iowa native provides an accurate three-point shot and has handed out two or more assists in four of the five games. Hummel had quite a collegiate debut with 14 points against Presentation then improved on that with five 3-pointers and 19 points against South Dakota Mines and four more threes and 18 points against William Jewell the following night. After eight- and nine-point performances in her second week of collegiate competition, Hummel is averaging 13.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
 
Traphagen continues strong run in ninth season as head coach
A South Dakota native, USF Women's Basketball Head Coach Travis Traphagen again has the Cougars rolling to start his ninth season at USF. Traphagen owns a 161-82 record at USF including an 80-63 record in league competition, combining his time in the GPAC and NSIC. Traphagen led the Cougars to the NAIA Elite Eight in 2010 and coached them to the NSIC Tournament Championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II tournament in 2016.