SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana women's basketball team returns to the floor on Friday and Saturday with a pair of contests in Sioux Falls. Friday's game is against MSU Moorhead inside the Sanford Pentagon while Saturday's game is against Minnesota Crookston inside the Elmen Center.
Complete action can be followed on GoAugie.com/Live and the GoAugie app, presented by The Original Pancake House. The app can be downloaded in the App Store or Google Play.
ABOUT THE DRAGONS
MSU Moorhead is 3-8 overall and 3-3 in NSIC. They have not played since Dec. 16, when they defeated Minot State 68-40 on the road. They've won three of their last four games after starting 0-7. The Dragons were selected to finish ninth in the NSIC Preseason Poll.
Natalie Jens averages 15.8 points per game to lead MSUM. She also leads the team with 47 assists. Terryn Johnson is scoring 10.6 points per game while grabbing a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game.
ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Minnesota Crookston has opened the season 7-5 overall and 4-2 in the NSIC. They last played Dec. 16 when they defeated Northern State 69-68. The Golden Eagles have also won three of their last four games, and were selected to finish 13th in the NSIC Preseason Poll.
UMC is led by Emma Miller, whose 17.4 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game, and 48 assists are all team-bests, while knocking down 26 three pointers at a 40 percent clip. Janie Tormanen is second on the team with 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The Golden Eagles have six players that score at least five points per game, and four that grab at least five rebounds per game.
LAST TIME OUT
Michaela Jewett collected 17 points and 13 rebounds to help the Vikings push past Northwestern (Iowa) 72-67 on Dec. 30 inside the Elmen Center. Jewett knocked down three three-pointers and swatted a pair of shots, including a layup with 37 seconds left with the Vikings leading 66-62 to help seal the victory. It was her second double-double of the season, and fourth of her career. Lauren Sees scored 20 points while grabbing six rebounds. Jennifer Aadland was the third Viking in double-figures, scoring 13 points while grabbing five rebounds.
SHINING STARS
Michaela Jewett and Lauren Sees were named to the NSIC Shining Five for games played Dec. 19-Jan 2. Jewett averaged 17.5 points per game in a pair of games, fourth best in the conference, and added an NSIC-best six three pointers and 9.5 rebounds per game. Her performances were highlighted by a 17 point, 13 rebound double-double against Northwestern (Iowa). Sees tied for the NSIC lead with 22.0 points per game while knocking down 12 of 27 from the field, 5 of 9 from three-point range, and 15 of 16 from the free-throw line. Against Northwest Missouri State, she scored 24 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, on 8 of 13 shooting, 2 of 3 from deep, and 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
NSIC LEADERS
In nine NSIC conference games, Michaela Jewett and Lauren Sees have played at an extremely high level. Sees is averaging 15.9 points per game, eighth in the conference, while Jewett slots right behind her in eighth, scoring 15.6 points per game. Jennifer Aadland has grabbed 7.7 rebounds per game, tied for fourth, and Michaela Jewett is sixth with 7.6 rpg. Sees has also scored efficiently, ranking fifth with a .489 field goal percentage. Jewett leads the NSIC with 18 made threes and 2.6 threes per game.
FUTURE VIKINGS
Augustana head coach Jillian Flores Bennett has added three future Vikings as part of the 2024 signing class. On National Signing Day, Olivia Kesti of Blaine, Minn., and Avery Yosten of Norfolk, Neb., signed their National Letter of Intent. On Tuesday, the class added Isabella Sanneh of Woodbury, Minn.
BRILLIANCE BEYOND THE ARC
The Vikings have made at least one three pointer in every single game since the 1999-2000 season, totaling 723 consecutive games with a make. In the same time frame, Augustana has made at least 10 three pointers in 176 games, including twice this season.
GOING WITH THE FLO
First-year head coach, Jillian Flores Bennett, earned her first victory in the Elmen Center on Nov. 21 in a 73-56 win over Sioux Falls. Coach Flo is 21-17 as a head coach at a four-year institution after spending 2021-22 with Our Lady of the Lake, where she went 20-11. She spent last season with Iowa Western, where she accumulated a 26-5 record and region championship appearance.
SEES THE MOMENT
Entering her fifth season, Lauren Sees looks to make her mark. The fifth year guard from Avon, S.D., is second on the team with 15.0 points per game and 28 total assists. After reaching the 1,000 career point milestone in the middle of last season, Sees has continued to climb up the Augustana rankings. She has now scored 1,433 points in her career, good for 12th in program history, and is 56 points away from cracking the top ten.
JEWETT'S JUMP
After seeing a jump in her role as a sophomore last season, Michaela Jewett has cemented herself as one of the NSIC's best. She leads the team with 16.3 points per game and 29 made three pointers. She also ranks second on the team with 7.5 rebounds per game.
THE AADLAND EFFECT
Jennifer Aadland has been one of the most efficient shooters in the NSIC while causing havoc in the paint. She has shot 40.0 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from three, and 95.5 percent from the free throw line. She also leads the team with 7.9 rebounds per game, 1.5 blocks per game, and three double-doubles while scoring 10.5 points per game.
MONEY MICHAELA CASHES IN
Michaela Jewett earned NSIC Shining 5 honors the weekend of Dec. 2-3 after a monster weekend for the Vikings. The senior was second in the NSIC with 10.0 rebounds per game and fourth with 22.5 points per game. She also made an NSIC-high eight three pointers, and was second with 4.0 three's per game. Her weekend opened with a 20 point, 12 rebound double-double against CSP on Saturday before adding 25 points and eight rebounds while knocking down five three pointers against No. 20 UMD on Sunday.
CONFERENCE OUTLOOK
The Augustana women's basketball team was selected to finish sixth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll and senior guard Lauren Sees was selected as the Vikings' Player to Watch.
--GoAugie.com--
