SIOUX FALLS – The No. 16 University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball team, under the direction of 12th-year head coach Travis Traphagen, head into their regular season weekend finale with a lot on line for the team. The Cougars (23-4, 16-4 NSIC), as well as their opponents, Augustana and Wayne State, in terms of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) / Sanford Health Tournament and nationally.
The Cougars, who have already won the NSIC South last weekend, will look to make a solid push for being atop the official NCAA Central Regional rankings, the first of which coming out on Wednesday. For Augustana and Wayne State, the battle is for a host bid in the opening round of the conference tournament, which could turn into a five-way battle for second in the South in certain scenarios.
The Rundown (2019-20 Record (NSIC South Record))-
Fri., Feb. 21, 5:30 p.m. vs Augustana Vikings (15-9, 11-9 (6-6 NSIC South))
Sat., Feb. 22, 3:30 p.m. vs Wayne State Wildcats (16-10, 11-9 (6-6 NSIC South))
Augustana Vikings (15-9, 11-9 NSIC)-
Under the helm of the longest-tenured NSIC coach, 31-year veteran Dave Krauth, the Vikings have made a push to the top spots in the NSIC South after a hard start to conference play. After a short 4-0 stand in non-conference play, which also included three games against National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) opponents, had a 2-6 start to conference play, with the last loss of that start coming at home to Sioux Falls.
Following the tough start, the Vikings got control of the court, winning nine of their last 12 contests. Amongst the wins were ones against Winona State and MSU Moorhead.
In the absence of Vishe' Rabb, who was averaging 14.2 points per game in the first six games of the season, has been Abby Hora, who has 12.6 points per game in 24 starts. Hora is the only player in double-digits that has seen the court in 2020.
Wayne State Wildcats (16-10, 11-9 NSIC)-
As the Vikings have went on a tear in the last half of the season, their travel partner Wayne State, under the direction of 11th-year head coach Brent Pollari has been a downward trend, losing five of their last eight games. Amongst the wins in that stretch included a narrow, 73-72, victory over Minot State, a team attempting to avoid the No. 8 seed in the NSIC North.
Before coming to the Stewart Center, the Wildcats will make their way over to Marshall, Minn., to take on Southwest Minnesota State, a team that the Wildcats defeated 79-62 in Wayne, Neb., at the beginning of 2020.
No. 16 Sioux Falls Cougars (23-4, 16-4 NSIC)-
Coach Traphagen has led the Cougars to one of the best seasons in the DII Era for USF, a season that has seen the Cougars ranked in nearly every national poll, being ranked as high as No. 7 in the nation, and a tout resume.
In their battle to earn the host bid for the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament, the Cougars have gotten crucial wins over West Region favorite and No. 5 Hawai'I Pacific, Midwest Regional hopeful Truman State, early season powerhouse Emporia State, as well as dominating the NSIC South (10-2 against the NSIC South).
Senior Day-
On Saturday, USF will recognize the USF Women's Basketball seniors between games. It is a senior class that won the program's first-ever NSIC South title, compiled 84 wins, three 20-win seasons and reached the NSIC Tourney semifinals three times and the finals in 2016-17. This year they have been ranked a DII-program best seventh by the WBCA and have been ranked nine straight weeks which is a school mark.
Jessie Geer, Sr., G, Gillette, Wyoming
Geer, who has been named a Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award recipient, has accumulated 25 double-digit scoring games including 13 this season, in 58 games while making 29 starts. Averaging 9.0 ppg this year, she has 521 career points, 234 rebounds and made 66 threes while recording 42 steals. Geer, an exercise science major, is the daughter of Jerry and Sonja Geer.
Kaely Hummel, 5-8, Sr., G, Cherokee, Iowa
A two-time Academic All-NSIC honor, who was named a Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award recipient, Hummel has been named twice to the All-NSIC squad. A business administration major, she is the daughter of Julie and Troy Hummel. She ranks fourth in career points all-time at USF with 1,652 points. She is USF's all-time leader in three-pointers with 263. Hummel, who was recently named to the CoSIDA Academic All District 7 Team, has 89 double-digit scoring games including 25 of 20 points or more.
Jacey Huinker, 5-9, Gr., Altoona, Iowa
Huinker was named recipient of the Elite 18 Award by the NSIC in women's basketball in 2017-18. Selected among 32 recipients league-wide of the NSIC's Butch Raymond Scholarship, she has been named Academic All-NSIC twice and to the All-NSIC Defensive Team. Averaging 5.0 ppg and 8.2 rebounds, Huinker is on the verge of setting the season mark for offensive rebounds (has 75, needs 3 for record) and ranks second in DII era with 743 rebounds with 17 games of 12 or more rebounds. Huinker, who has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 Team this winter, has her nursing degree and is in the USF Master of Business Administration program. She is the daughter of Darren and Janel Huinker.
Andie Mataloni, 6-0, Sr., F, Urbandale, Iowa
A two-time Academic All-NSIC selection, Mataloni has appeared in 114 games with nine starts in which she has accumulated 397 points with 110 made threes which ranks top 10 at USF in the DII era. A business administration major, she is the daughter of Al and Suzie Mataloni.
Abby Slater, 5-11, Sr., F, Andover, Minn.
A two-time Academic All-NSIC selection, Slater has played in 14 games this season and 53 with one start in her career. She has scored 57 points with 18 steals and 57 rebounds during her career. A math major, she is the daughter of Kim and Curt Slater and her brother Austin is a member of the men's team at USF.
Mariah Szymanski, 5-6, Sr., G, Pulaski, Wis.
Named to the All-NSIC team each of the past two years, Szymanski has 1,119 career points and 166 made threes (8th all-time at USF) in 117 games with 86 starts at USF. In her career, she has 54 double-digit scoring games, 11 of 20-points or more and four over 30. She recorded a school record 43 points with a school mark of 9 3s against CSP in 2018. A nursing major, she is the daughter of Tracey and Steve Szymanski.
Augusta Thramer, 5-8, Sr., G, South Sioux City, Neb.
A two-time Academic All-NSIC honoree, Thramer has accumulated 404 career points, 288 rebounds, 160 assists, 100 steals, 22 threes and 17 games in double-digit points in 104 games and 11 starts at USF. Twice in 2019-20 she has hit a career-high with 20 points. A sports management major, she is the daughter of Richard and Manon Thramer.
The History-
Against Augustana all-time USF trails, 32-12, but took a 76-72 win at the Sanford Pentagon on Jan. 4, in a series dating to 1972-73. However, the Cougars have a 10-8 record against their city rivals since 2011 and stand 10-10 with Head Coach
Travis Traphagen at the controls. USF has won 4-of-5 including three straight wins. Dating to 1985, Wayne State leads the all-time series with USF, 14-8. However, the Cougars have three straight regular season wins with a 78-70 win on Jan. 3 as
Kaely Hummel had 22 and
Anna Goodhope supplied 18.
