SIOUX FALLS -- (RV) The University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball Team (4-0, 4-0 NSIC), which has opened the season with four straight wins, will travel to face Concordia St. Paul (5-1, 3-1 NSIC) in a key NSIC South match up at the Gangelhoff Center this weekend. Game time is set for 6 pm on Friday, Jan. 22 and 2 pm on Saturday, Jan. 23.

USF and Concordia, St. Paul will meet for the 18th time with the Bears holding a 10-7 edge.  The Cougars opened the season on the road with two wins over Upper Iowa and home wins against Winona State.  CSP hosts USF after opening with five wins in six games.

Follow USF - Broadcast and Stat info
Follow USF Women's Basketball on twitter at @USFCougars_WBB and @USF_Athletics. All USF's home and road games and NSIC contests are streamed for free through Blue Frame at the NSIC Network. Veteran announcer Tom Frederick will provide play-by-play for home games with veteran broadcaster John Gaskins doing road contests. All women's games will be carried on KELQ 107.9 FM. Live stats for home games are available at www.sidearmstats.com/wbball.  

Season Breakdown for USF

After a 4-0 start, USF is receiving votes in the D2SIDA National Poll, which was released Jan. 19. In the D2SIDA Central Regional Poll, USF was ranked sixth (six points) after receiving votes in the regional poll last week. The Cougars, which received four points in the national poll, stand 4-0 overall and at the top of the NSIC South with a 4-0 mark. USF, directed by all-time wins leader Travis Traphagen (247-117), has opened the season with four straight wins for the third time in five seasons. 

USF, which won the NSIC South a year ago (26-6, 17-5 NSIC) and earned its second ever DII regional bid, rank 21st in NCAA DII and second in the NSIC in scoring offense at 78.0 points per game. They rank 15th in rebound margin at 9.0 per game and 30th in rebounds per game at 43.0 in NCAA DII national stats. USF is listed in the top five of seven stats categories in the NSIC. 

Player Notes - Anna Goodhope earns NSIC Player of the Week honors
For the second time, Anna Goodhope has been named  the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) South Player of the Week, released by the league office on Monday. Goodhope helped guide the Cougars to a 2-0 weekend against Winona State and 4-0 on the season as USF sits in first place in the NSIC South. Goodhope, who prepped at Sioux Falls Washington, averaged 18 points, hit 56 percent from the field, and grabbing seven rebounds per game in playing 63 combined minutes against WSU this past weekend.  In a 67-61 win over WSU on Saturday, Jan. 16, she had 16 points and six rebounds with three assists. Then she recorded her 27th career-double digit scoring game by tallying 20 points with eight rebounds, assist and a steal in a 73-67 win on Sunday. In both victories, she helped USF rally and record come-from-behind decisions. She now has reached double-digits in three consecutive games (13, 16, 20).

 Goodhope, who also earned the NSIC Player of the Week honors on Nov. 19, 2019, hit 14-of-25 field goals for 56 percent and now is fourth in the league in shooting. She also made a blistering 6-of-9 from three-point range with 3-of-3 on Sunday. Goodhope has 106 career threes including 86 at USF.

Anna Brecht, a 6-0 transfer from Wisconsin/Green Bay and former Sioux Falls, S.D., native, has opened her career by averaging 19.5 points - 2nd in the NSIC - and 6.3 rebounds. - 14th in the NSIC. Brecht has four straight double digit games with 20 points or more twice. She set a career-high with 22 points against Winona State on Jan. 17. 

Freshman Megan Fannin broke out with a big game in the opener. She had 20 points in 26 minutes, adding four rebounds, four assists and a steal in an 86-66 win over Upper Iowa. Fannin, originally of Watertown, S.D., hit 7-of-10 field goals and 4-of-5 from three-point range in that win over UIU. Through four games, she is averaging 6.8 points and 2.3 rebounds through four games. 

Junior guard Dallie Hoskinson, a 5-6 junior transfer from Johnson City Community College, leads the NSIC in rebounding at 10.0 per game. Hoskinson, 8.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.3 assists pergame and 1.8 steals per game, has recorded double-digit rebounds in three of four games with a high of 15 vs Upper Iowa on Jan. 9. She recorded consecutive double-digit rebounds against Winona State of 11 and 13 on Jan. 16 and 17. She had a double-digit point game against Upper Iowa in game two with 14 points. 

Senior guard Lauren Sanders, who is averaging 3.8 points per game and has made two starts, is also closing in on 100 career 3s at USF. With five the opening weekend, the sharpshooter has 96 in her career.  She now has 374 career points. 

In making her first three starts at USF, senior Amanda Dagostino has averaged 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. In her first start, she came up big for USF.  She was 4-of-4 from the floor Jan. 9 against Upper Iowa with a career-best eight points, five rebounds and career-highs in blocks with three and assists with three. 

Sophomore Ashley Wells also had a  career-best with 14 points in the win over UIU on Jan. 9. Wells, who is averaging 4.3 points and 2.5 rebounds, made 4-of-5 field goals and 2-of-2 from three-point range for 14 points vs UIU. 

Newcomer Emily Peterson, who is averaging 5.5 points, also had a double-digit points game for USF for the first time. In the win on Saturday, she hit her first two threes with USF and had 10 points in 14 minutes. 

Kristen Carlson, a junior forward, is averaging 5.3 ppg, 3.5 rebounds and hitting 87.5 percent at the foul line. She has one double-digit scoring game on the season and eight in her career. 

Junior forward Kiara James is adding 4.8 points, and 3.8 rebounds in providing critical contributions off the bench. She has a high of seven points against Winona State on Jan. 16 and eight boards against Upper Iowa on Jan. 9. She has one double-digit game in her career.

USF picked fourth in preseason NSIC Coaches Poll

The Cougars have been picked to finish fourth in the 2020-21 league coaches preseason poll released on Wednesday, Dec. 15. USF, which lost seven seniors but returns experience and several talented newcomers, will look to win a second straight NSIC South Division title.

USF, which has earned votes in the D2SIDA Preseason National Poll and ranked fifth in its Central Region Poll, received 27 ballot points but one of the seven first place ballots. Minnesota State received 43 points and three first place votes while Augustana and Winona State each had 35 ballot points and two first place votes. Minnesota Duluth was picked to win the North Division title after earning 49 ballot points and seven first place votes.  

Through the first six games of the season, the Golden Bears (5-1, 3-1 NSIC) rank first in the NSIC in five different key statistical categories. CSP leads the conference in scoring offense (80.3), defensive field goal percentage (31.6%), 3-point percentage (42.7%), blocked shots per game (6.6), and assists per game (16.1). The Bears also rank second in the NSIC in scoring margin (+18.5) and field goal percentage (47.9%).

Five players for the Bears sit in the conference top-10 in statistics. Freshman forward Lindsey Becher is first in the NSIC in blocks per game (3.3), third in field goal percentage (58.2%), and fourth in field goals made with 32.

Senior guard Riley Wheatcraft ranks second in the conference in field goals made with 34 and eighth in scoring with 15.3 points per game. Sidney Wentland is fourth in blocks per game with 1.2 and eighth in steals per game with 1.8.

Meghan DuBois sits sixth in the NSIC with 4.0 assists per game and ninth in assist to turnover ratio (1.3). Danielle Schaub ranks seventh in the conference with an assist to turnover ratio of 2.0.

After opening 4-0 and appearing in the D2SIDA Regional Poll (top 6), the Bears split with Augustana in Sioux Falls last weekend. CSP won, 74-60, before falling, 80-70. 

Head Coach Amanda Johnson is 82-60 in her sixth season at CSP, where she was a standout player. 

USF  has defeated Concordia-St. Paul three of the past four times but trails the all-time series, 10-7. In conference play, USF trails, 8-7. On the road, USF is 3-5 and 4-3 at home.  In the past 10 matchups, USF is 6-4. 

In the last match-up the Cougars took a 74-68 victory on Jan. 11, 2020. Kaely Hummel had 19 points while Jessie Geer had 17 to lead USF to their sixth straight win in the 2019-20 season.  USF led, 42-27, at halftime. CSP outscored USF, 41-32, in the second half.  USF had a 24-to-11 margin at the foul line. Anna Goodhope added nine points and Hannah Jones had eight.  On Dec. 6, 2019, the Cougars had 13 points from Mariah Szymanski for a 62-57 road win in the last matchup at the Gangelhoff Center.  USF shot 31.8 percent from the field and had a 51-35 margin on the board while making seven triples. Riley Wheatcraft had 18 for CSP.  Goodhope added eight points for USF. 

CSP prevailed, 69-64, at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul on Jan. 12, 2019  despite 14 points from Syzmanski while Anna Goodhope had her first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Lindsay Dorr had 22 points and 11 rebounds while Kyrah Fredenburg had 10 points and 14 rebounds. After USF led, 37-36, at the break, CSP had a 33-27 edge in the second half for the win. 

CSP won the first matchup, 74-49, and each of the first five match ups. Anika Whiting had 20 points and seven rebounds to lead all scorers. USF's first win was an 97-79 double overtime victory at the Stewart Center on Feb. 21, 2015 as Alison Klostergaard had 24 points and 14 rebounds. Jaicee Ulmer had 17 and Taylor Varsho, 15.  Anika Whiting had 33 points. CSP was outscored by USF, 12-4 in the second overtime. 

Game-by-Game - Series Record

 Jan. 11, 2020 @ Sioux Falls, USF 74 CSP 68

Dec. 6, 2019 @ St. Paul, USF 62 CSP 57

Jan. 12, 2019 @ St. Paul, CSP 69 USF 64

Dec. 7, 2018 @ Sioux Falls, USF 83 CSP 74

Feb. 16, 2018 @ Sioux Falls, CSP 74 USF 56

Jan. 20, 2018 @ St. Paul, USF 84 CSP 56

Feb. 17, 2017 @ St. Paul, CSP 75 USF 68

Jan. 21, 2017 @ Sioux Falls, CSP 62 USF 51

Feb. 20, 2016 @ St. Paul, USF 64 CSP 49

Jan. 22, 2016 @ Sioux Falls, USF 69 CSP 64

Feb. 21, 2015 @ Sioux Falls, USF 87 CSP 79

Jan. 23, 2015 @ St. Paul, CSP 76 USF 72

March 3, 2014 @ Sioux Falls (NSIC Tourney), CSP 78 USF 66

Feb. 22, 2014 @ Sioux Falls, CSP 87 USF 67

Feb. 7, 2014 @ St. Paul, CSP 78 USF 61

Feb. 23, 2013 @ St. Paul, CSP 76 USF 47

Dec. 14, 2012 @ Sioux Falls, CSP 74 USF 49

D2SIDA National Poll - Jan. 19

1. Drury (16), 8-0, 1

2. Lubbock Christian, 6-0, 378, 3

3. Hawaii Pacific, 3-0, 362, 4

4. Nebraska-Kearney, 10-0, 243, 5

5. Grand Valley State, 4-0, 337, 7

6. Lander, 6-0, 327, 6

7. Tusculum, 9-0, 281, 10

8. Minnesota Duluth, 3-0, 276, 9

9. Charleston (W. Va.), 4-0, 253, 12

10. Valdosta State, 8-1, 252, 8

11. Western Colorado, 7-1, 237, 13

12. North Georgia, 4-0, 201, 15

13. Southwestern Oklahoma State, 5-0, 189, 21

14. Southern Indiana, 6-1, 180, 18

15. West Texas A&M, 6-1, 165, 22

16. Glenville State, 3-1, 146, 19

17. Daemen, 1-0, 129, 20

18. Lee, 5-2, 126, 16

19. Texas A&M Commerce, 5-1, 105, 17

20. Carson-Newman, 4-0, 98, 23

21. Ashland, 2-2, 84, 2

22. Central Missouri, 8-2, 78, 14

23. Gannon, 2-0, 63, RV

24. Cedarville, 9-1, 27, RV

25. Concordia-Irvine, 1-1, 24, NR

Receiving Votes: Union (Tenn.) 23, Catawba 17, Arkansas Tech 15, Notre Dame (Ohio) 14, St. Thomas Aquinas 13, Emmanuel (Ga.) 8, Texas A&M International 8, Biola 6, Azusa Pacific 5, Sioux Falls 4, Mississippi College 1

1. Nebraska-Kearney, 10-0, 30, 1

2. Minnesota-Duluth, 3-0, 25, 2

3. SW Oklahoma State, 5-0, 18, 4

4. Central Missouri, 8-2, 11, 3

5. Arkansas Tech, 5-0, 10, RV