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This week
Augustana (9-3, 6-2 NSIC) will look to extend its three-game winning streak this weekend, returning home Saturday to host Bemidji State (5-7, 3-4 NSIC) at 4:05 p.m. The Vikings then welcome Minnesota Duluth (8-3, 5-2 NSIC) to the Elmen Center Sunday for a 2 p.m. game.
Series records
Augustana and Bemidji State will meet for the 12th time on Saturday. The Vikings hold a 9-2 advantage in the series but dropped last season's contest 79-78 in Bemidji, Minn. The series began during the 1983-84 season. Head coach
Dave Krauth is 9-1 against the Beavers. Augustana is 13-7 against Minnesota Duluth in a series that first saw action in 1986-87. The Bulldogs beat the Vikings 83-67 last season in Duluth, Minn. Krauth is 12-7 versus UMD. For more information on the both series, turn to pages 9 and 10.
Television
Midco Sports Network will carry Saturday's contest live against Bemidji State. Tom Nieman will handle play-by-play, while Kevaney Martin will provide color commentary. MidcoSN can be found on channels 26 or 622 (HD) for Midcontinent Communications subscribers.
Last time out
Augustana moved its win streak to three games after ringing in the new year with two victories on the road earlier this week. Eighteen points and nine rebounds from
Alex Feeney lifted Augustana to a 77-60 win over St. Cloud State Monday evening in St. Cloud, Minn. Augustana made a 20-point first-half deficit disappear and picked up an 80-77 victory over Concordia University, St. Paul Tuesday night in St. Paul, Minn.
High-scoring Schulte
Emily Schulte (Sioux Falls) scored a career-high 19 points in Augustana's victory over Concordia University, St. Paul. The sophomore scored 12 of her 19 points from behind the arc.
Last games leaders
Alex Feeney (Bismarck, N.D.) and
Emily Schulte (Sioux Falls) each netted 19 points against Concordia University, St. Paul. Feeney; Schulte led the Vikings to their second-half comeback, scoring 12 points each in the final half. The pair accounted for 38 of Augustana's final 80 points in the game.
Fearing Feeney
Alex Feeney (Bismarck, N.D.) went 4 of 4 to shoot 100 percent from the free-throw line for the fourth time this season against St. Cloud State. She has been to the charity stripe 42 times in 2011-12, which is more than any other Viking. Feeney has made 35 free throws for 83.3 percent.
Whitney on defense
Andrea Whitney (Sartell, Minn.) notched a total of five blocks for the Vikings against St. Cloud State and Concordia University, St. Paul earlier this week to help the Vikings outblock both opponents 6-2. The three blocks she recorded against SCSU was a season-high she has accomplished three times. Whitney has recorded a total of 18 blocks on the season, which is second on the team.
Stealing for points
The Vikings forced 20 turnovers in their win over St. Cloud State and converted them into 33 points. SCSU only earned 24 points off the 23 turnovers it forced Augustana to commit. The Vikings rank second in the conference with a positive 4.88 turnover margin (conference games only). SCSU is first at positive 6.43. Augustana has forced 154 turnovers during NSIC games, which averages to 19.3 turnovers forced per game.
Leading the pack
Augustana leads the NSIC in more categories than any other conference opponent. The Vikings currently hold the NSIC's top spot in six categories, including scoring offense (77.2 points per game), 3-point field goal percentage (38.7 percent), 3-point field goals made (9.00 per game), blocked shots (6.00 per game), assists (15.75 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.10).
From behind the arc
Faith Tinklenberg (Pipestone, Minn.) is the leading Vikings from behind the arc, helping Augustana keep the No. 1 spot for 3-point field goals made in the NSIC. She has recorded 17 3-pointers and averages 2.13 per game to tie for fourth in the conference (NSIC games only). Four Vikings have earned spots among the top-10 in the NSIC for 3-point field-goal percentage to help Augustana also be first in the category.
Emily Schulte (Sioux Falls) is second in the conference (51.9 percent), Tinklenberg is third (50.0 percent),
Molly Hayes (Harrisburg, S.D.) is sixth (46.2) and
Alex Feeney (Bismarck, N.D.) is eighth (45.9 percent) (NSIC games only).
Swish!
The Vikings' offense ranks No. 1 in the NSIC, scoring an average of 77 points a game (conference games only). Augustana has scored 618 points in eight conference games, a number that is 138 points better than Minnesota Duluth.
Broken
Augustana's seven-game home winning streak that dated back to last season was broken on Dec. 17 when Minnesota, Crookston beat the Vikings 73-70. Augustana is 6-1 at home this season.
No. 450
Head coach
Dave Krauth registered his 450th career win Tuesday at Concordia University, St.?Paul. Krauth has more wins than any head coach in Augustana women's basketball history. A lot more. Eileen Friest, who is next on the career wins list at Augustana, won 106 games during her eight years as head coach of the Vikings.
Halftime
Augustana found itself trailing at halftime for the first time this season against Concordia University, St. Paul on tuesday. The?Vikings faced a 46-31 deficit at intermission in St. Paul, Minn., but
Dave Krauth's crew battled back to earn their third-straight win.
NSIC standings
Augustana is tied for second in the latest NSIC standings with a 6-2 mark. U-Mary sports an identical conference record. Wayne State, which is ranked No. 8 in the country, is in first in the NSIC at 7-1.
National news
Augustana received votes in the latest USA Today/ESPN national poll released Tuesday. The Vikings, who have not been nationally ranked this season, received six points. To complete poll is on?page 8.
Next assists leader
Now in her fourth season as a starter for Augustana,
Molly Hayes (Harrisburg, S.D.) could become the next career-assists leader. Hayes is 64 assists away from taking over the top spot on the list. Last season, Hayes recorded 147 assists.
1. 569 Sandra Zwach (1993-97)
2. 506
Molly Hayes (2006-08, 2009-12)
What the coaches say
Augustana has been selected third in the 2011-12 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll released Oct. 25. The Vikings received four first-place votes and 148 points in the poll voted on by the conference's 14 head coaches.
Rank Team (first-place votes) Points
1 Wayne State (7) 162
2 Winona State (2) 152
3 Augustana (4) 148
4 MSU Moorhead (1) 122
5 Minnesota Duluth 114
6 Northern State 113
7 Concordia University-St. Paul 109
8 U-Mary 92
9 Minnesota State 71
10 St. Cloud State 62
11 Minnesota, Crookston 44
12 Southwest Minnesota State 39
13 Bemidji State 31
14 Upper Iowa 15
Coaches' corner
Dave Krauth enters his 23rd season as the Vikings' head coach 2011-12 and has the most wins of any coach in Augustana history with a career record of 450-205. The veteran head coach has guided his squads to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and tutored 45 all-conference players, including three conference MVPs. The Vikings posted a 20-10 record in 2010-11 and finished in a tie for fifth place in the NSIC at 13-9. Krauth is assisted by
Mark Stavenger, Megan Stadler,
Katie Bourk and Shawn Bergan.
History lesson
Augustana enters its 39th season of women's basketball in 2011-12. The Vikings are 643-391 all-time and have racked
up 30 winning seasons with 21 of them occurring under head coach
Dave Krauth.
On the radio
Veteran radio man Jeff Fylling is back as the “Voice of the Vikings” for 2011-12. Join Fylling for each broadcast on KXRB-AM 1000. You can also stream the broadcast at www.kxrb.com/stream.
Video webcasts
The NSIC and New Media Television have again teamed up to webcast each conference basketball game in 2011-12. A complete broadcast schedule is available at www.northernsun.org.
Augustana Sportscene
Augustana Sportscene is a 30-minute weekly television show highlighting Augustana athletics and is hosted by Director of Athletics Bill Gross. The show includes Viking highlights, interviews with various coaches and student-athletes and promotion of upcoming Augustana athletic events. Augustana Sportscene airs Monday's at 10:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. on Midco Sports Network and at various times on Mediacom's MC22.
Augustana Coaches' Show
Live from Rookies in Sioux Falls, The Augustana Coaches' Show airs On ESPN 99.1 each Monday at 5 p.m. Join
Jeff Fylling and Augustana head coaches as they discuss various topics surrounding Viking athletics. You can also
stream the show live at www.ESPN991.com.
