By: Clint Neumann
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The University of Sioux Falls women's basketball team heads back on the road this weekend following a momentum-building sweep, traveling to face Northern State on Friday, January 30 at 5:30 p.m. in Wachs Arena before continuing to Jamestown to take on the Jimmies on Saturday, January 31 at 3:00 p.m. in Harold Newman Arena. The Cougars enter the weekend at 10–10 overall and 7–7 in NSIC play, moving back into the middle of the conference race with renewed confidence after two of their most complete performances of the season.
USF will face two opponents with very different profiles and challenges. Northern State brings the raucous "I Hate Winter" atmosphere and will look to replicate the defensive grind that helped them dominate USF in the fourth quarter earlier this year. Jamestown, in its first NSIC season, has been notably better at home, where three of its four wins have come. With the standings packed tight in the middle, this weekend offers USF a chance to continue building upward momentum heading into the crucial final stretch of February.
Scouting Northern State (10–10 Overall, 5–9 NSIC)
Northern State enters Friday night at 10–10 overall and 5–9 in the NSIC, looking to snap a three-game losing streak. The Wolves have played just six home games this season, but Wachs Arena is rarely quiet—and this weekend's annual "I Hate Winter" theme brings one of the most unique environments in the league, complete with a rowdy crowd typically dressed in Hawaiian shirts and beach-themed gear while the South Dakota winter rages outside.
Northern will also carry confidence into the matchup. In the earlier non-conference meeting this season, the Wolves pulled away for a dominant 77–58 win behind a crushing 26–7 fourth quarter, shooting an absurd 12-for-16 from the field in the final period. Izzy Moore led Northern with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and six steals in that game, while Anna Vaaler paced USF with 17 points and Ayla Brown added 12 points and eight rebounds. The 77 points were the third-highest scoring total of the season for Northern State, and the late surge showcased the Wolves' ability to wear opponents down and finish strong.
Northern State has leaned heavily on defense to stay competitive, ranking 15th in the NSIC in scoring at just 63.9 ppg but allowing only 65.1 per contest. The Wolves shoot 42.8 percent from the floor and hold opponents to 42.1 percent, keeping games low-scoring and grinding. Their three-point offense has been limited at 30.3 percent with a league-low 4.8 made threes per game—they don't rely on the perimeter to score.
Where Northern stands out most is perimeter defense. The Wolves allow an NSIC-best 28.9 percent from beyond the arc, excelling at running shooters off the line and forcing difficult looks. They also rebound at a high level, owning a +5.1 rebounding margin (fourth-best in the conference), though free-throw shooting has been a weakness at just 65.1 percent.
Izzy Moore is the engine that makes Northern go. She's one of the league's premier all-around guards, averaging 16.9 ppg while leading the Wolves in rebounds (6.4), assists (3.0), steals (1.9), and minutes (33.8 per game). She does everything—scores efficiently at 45.8 percent from the field, stretches the floor with 26 made threes at 37.1 percent, and leads the team in free throws made.
Megan Counts provides efficient production at 8.8 ppg on 51.2 percent shooting with 4.4 rebounds per contest. Taylor Tool averages 8.6 points and stretches the floor at 41.7 percent from three. Reagen Rus gives Northern a lift off the bench with 7.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Scouting Jamestown (4–14 Overall, 2–12 NSIC)
Jamestown enters the weekend at 4–14 overall and 2–12 in NSIC play, currently on an 11-game losing streak. While the record reflects the growing pains of a first-year transition season, the Jimmies have been notably better at home, where three of their four wins have come. Don't underestimate the challenge of playing in Harold Newman Arena.
This season marks Jamestown's first in the NSIC after moving up from the NAIA level, and the program is not eligible for the NSIC Tournament this year as part of the transition process. Saturday's game will be the first meeting between USF and Jamestown this season and the first matchup between the programs since 2011–12, when the Cougars earned an 83–66 win in the Stewart Center behind Vanessa Johnson's 18 points. Thad Sankey is in his seventh season as the Jamestown head coach and has continued to build the program through the move into Division II and now conference play.
Jamestown averages 61.3 ppg—the lowest mark in the NSIC—and allows 73.3 for a -12.1 scoring margin. The Jimmies shoot 37.2 percent from the floor and allow 41.6 percent defensively. They've struggled from three at 27.0 percent, though they still make 6.2 threes per game. On the defensive end, they've allowed 36.4 percent from beyond the arc, the worst mark in the conference—an exploitable weakness USF should attack.
Jamestown pressures the glass with 11.7 offensive rebounds per game and sits near even in rebounding margin at -0.4. Ball control has been an issue with nearly 20 turnovers per game, though the Jimmies force 15.7 turnovers per contest with aggressive defensive pressure. They rank 15th in the NSIC with just 10.7 assists per game.
Allie Berns leads Jamestown at 13.8 ppg while shooting 51 percent from the field and gets to the free-throw line more than anyone on the roster, converting at 75.4 percent. She also averages 4.9 rebounds per contest and leads the team with one block per game. The Jimmies have been without second-leading scorer Daviney Dreckman since Christmas break after she averaged 10.9 ppg and provided perimeter shooting. Haidyn Crockett and Jessika Lofstrom each average 8.1 ppg, with Lofstrom also leading the team on the glass at 6.4 rebounds per game (ninth in the NSIC).
Cougar Spotlight (10–10 Overall, 7–7 NSIC)
USF enters the weekend at 10–10 overall and 7–7 in NSIC play after snapping their losing streak with two of the strongest offensive performances of the season. The Cougars swept Minnesota Crookston with a 100–64 explosion and followed it with a 77–65 victory over MSU Moorhead. The shooting was elite—53 percent from three across the two games while drilling 28 triples. The ball movement was beautiful—38 assists to just 12 turnovers. Defensively, the Cougars held opponents to 37 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from three, showing a level of consistency and effort that had been missing during the earlier stretch of close losses.
On the season, USF averages 73.9 ppg (fourth in the NSIC) while allowing 72.5 per contest. The Cougars rank second in the conference in field goal percentage at 45.4 percent and fifth in opponent field goal percentage at 41.0 percent. The recent hot stretch from deep has pushed USF to 36.0 percent from three (third-best in the league) while holding opponents to 31.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Rebounding remains one of the biggest concerns. USF owns a -2.3 rebounding margin and gave up 37 offensive rebounds last weekend. Despite that troubling number, the Cougars limited second-chance scoring and kept opponents off the free-throw line. But cleaning up the glass is a major emphasis heading into two physical road environments where rebounding will be critical.
Anna Vaaler leads the Cougars at 19.7 ppg while shooting 39 percent from three and a scorching 91 percent from the free-throw line, adding 7.5 rebounds per contest. She's the offensive engine. Krista Langager anchors the middle, averaging 15.3 ppg on 58.6 percent shooting while collecting 7.0 rebounds and recording 23 blocks on the season. Alexis Rose adds 12.3 ppg while shooting 38 percent from three and has 29 steals. Ayla Brown continues to control tempo and execution, averaging 9.8 points, 5.2 assists per game, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals. Her assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.6 ranks sixth in the NSIC.
Numbers Game
- Momentum: The Cougars snapped their skid with two wins while hitting 28 threes and posting 38 assists to just 12 turnovers last weekend. The confidence is back.
- Road Rematch: Northern won the earlier meeting 77–58 after outscoring USF 26–7 in the fourth quarter. Revenge is on the Cougars' minds.
- Arc Defense: The Wolves hold opponents to 28.9 percent from three—the best mark in the NSIC. Perimeter shooting will be tested.
- On the Glass: Northern owns a +5.1 rebounding margin, fourth-best in the NSIC. USF must finish possessions.
- Turnover Factor: Jamestown averages nearly 20 turnovers per game but forces 15.7 takeaways per contest. Protect the ball and capitalize on their mistakes.
- Offensive Boards: The Jimmies grab 11.7 offensive rebounds per game, creating extra possessions. Box out and limit second chances.
Coach's Corner
"We had a good weekend last weekend, and I'm glad to see the hard work paid off to get two wins. Now we go back on the road against two good opponents. We'll have to do a much better job on the glass than we did this past weekend, but we'll have a good week of practice prepping for that. We've gotten ourselves back in a good position within the league, and we just have to keep going with the positive momentum."
- Head Coach Travis Traphagen
Inside the Gym
Friday, Jan. 30 at Northern State
- Tipoff: 5:30 p.m.
- Location: Wachs Arena – Aberdeen, S.D.
- Broadcast / Live Stats: usfcougars.com/coverage
Saturday, Jan. 31 at Jamestown
- Tipoff: 3:00 p.m.
- Location: Harold Newman Arena – Jamestown, N.D.
- Broadcast / Live Stats: usfcougars.com/coverage
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