BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Minot State women's basketball team has been selected seventh in the North Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division women's basketball preseason poll as selected by the conference head coaches and announced by the league office on Thursday.
Minot State was selected seventh in the North Division with 12 points and 14
th overall with 42 points. Minnesota Duluth was the North Division favorite, while Sioux Falls was selected as the overall preseason favorite.
The Beavers, who were the 10
th-most improved team in Division II last season, posted a 14-13 overall record and an 11-11 mark in the NSIC in 2017-18.
Minot State will feature a talented backcourt in 2018-19 led by senior
Madison Wald who was selected as the Beavers player to watch. Wald is Minot State's leading returning scorer after averaging 10.4 points a game last year, which ranked second on the team. She also was tied for second on the team with 35 three-point baskets and shot 85.7 percent from the free throw line.
Mariah Payne and
Kari Clements also return to the Beavers backcourt this season. Payne averaged 8.3 points and led the team with 81 assists, while Clements averaged 7.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per contest.
Whitney Molina (2.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg) and
Gabby Wilkinson (1.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg) also return in the backcourt along with transfer
Danielle Rizzari.
Minot State will be bolstered by the return of
Haley Hildenbrand who missed all of last season due to injury. The sophomore averaged 5.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2016-17.
Sophomore
Calli Delsman (2.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg) and junior
Reina Strand (1.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg) return to the Minot State frontcourt.
Raegan Sanchez,
Azaria Reed,
Caitlin Deaton,
Mollie Wilson and
Anna Counts are new to the Beavers in 2018-19.
Minot State will play three exhibition games prior to opening the season on Nov. 11 at Montana State-Northern. The Beavers home opener will be held on Nov. 13 against Yellowstone Christian and the NSIC opener will be played on Dec. 1 at Mary.
Overall
1. Sioux Falls (9) 208 pts
2. MSU Moorhead (3) 185 pts
3. Concordia-St. Paul (2) 178 pts
4. Augustana (1) 175 pts
5. Minnesota Duluth 174 pts
6. University of Mary (1) 164 pts
7. Winona State 163 pts
8. Northern State 133 pts
9. Minnesota State 114 pts
10. Wayne State 98 pts
11. St. Cloud State 97 pts
12. Southwest Minnesota State 73 pts
13. Minnesota Crookston 63 pts
14. Minot State 42 pts
15. Bemidji State 30 pts
16. Upper Iowa 23 pts
first place votes in ( )
North Division
1. Minnesota Duluth (2) 44 pts
2. MSU Moorhead (4) 43 pts
3. University of Mary (2) 39 pts
4. Northern State 31 pts
5. St. Cloud State 28 pts
6. Minnesota Crookston 17 pts
7. Minot State 12 pts
8. Bemidji State 10 pts
first place votes in ( )
North Division Preseason Player of the Year: Gabbie Bohl, Mary
South Division
1. Sioux Falls (5) 47 pts
2. Concordia-St. Paul (2) 40 pts
3. Augustana (1) 38 pts
4. Winona State 34 pts
5. Minnesota State 22 pts
6. Wayne State 21 pts
7. Southwest Minnesota State 15 pts
8. Upper Iowa 7 pts
first place votes in ( )
South Division Preseason Player of the Year: Anna Schmitt, Concordia-St. Paul