(MINOT, N.D.) -- The 2019-20 Minot State women's basketball season begins tomorrow on Nov. 8 in Bethany, OK. At 5:30 p.m. as they face Southern Nazarene University. 
 
Last year the Beavers finished with an overall record of 13-16, and in the NSIC, they finished 8-14. They finished 12th at the conference but were projected to finish 14th in the conference. Under head coach Mark Graupe, the Beavers have always surpassed the expectations of where the NSIC picked the Beavers to finish. In his first season as head coach, they were picked last in the conference but finished 7th and was the 10th most improved team in the nation. 
 
Coach Graupe was asked, "what needed to happen to consider this season a success"? "I want my team to make it to the pentagon," said coach Graupe. Since Graupe has been the head coach for Minot State, they have not won a game in the NSIC tournament. In each game, they lost by eight or fewer points. To get to the Pentagon, you must win the opening-round tournament game. This is something Minot State women's basketball has only done once since being in the Division II era. 
 
The Beavers are returning this season without three key players who played a significant role for Coach Graupe and the Beavers last season. Kari Clements, who averaged 12.8 points per game, 1.8 steals per game, and 2.3 assists per game. She was the third-leading scorer for the team. Madison Wald was the leading scorer for the team, averaging 13.7 points per game, shooting 40% from three, and was second on the team in assists, averaging 2.5 per game. Whitney Molina, who led the team in offensive rebounds and played starter minutes for Coach Graupe, averaging 26.9 minutes per game. 
 
Mariah Payne is coming into her senior year with the Beavers as she was named by the NSIC as the player to watch for Minot State. Payne returns as the leading scorer for the team who averaged 13.5 points per game and was the team leader in assists, averaging 3.6. The Beavers are hoping she continues and improves the scoring she has been over the past three years. 
 
Calli Delsman is coming into her junior year and was the team-leading rebounder last season, averaging 4.5 per game. Delsman 50% from the field and averaged 7.4 points per game. Graupe is looking for Delsman to score double figures for the Beavers this year and believes she can produce double-double numbers in the scoring and rebound column. She is returning as the team leader in steals and second-best in blocks. 
 
Junior forward Haley Hildenbrand is the returning offensive rebound leader who averaged 1.3 rebounds per game per game. She averaged 6.5 points per game. Graupe is hoping she can provide more scoring this year and get into double digits. Hildenbrand shot 57% from the field last season after having a season-ending injury in the 2017-18 season. 
 
Sophomore Anna Counts returns. Last season she averaged 2.6 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game, only playing 10.4 minutes per game. Coach Graupe expects Counts to produce for the Beavers this season. In the recent exhibition game vs. Dickinson State, Counts had a great game with 12 points (6-9) along with six rebounds and a steal.
 
Reina Strand is entering her senior year and has worked hard for the Beavers throughout her career. Last year she averaged 2.0 points per game, 1.9 rebounds per game, and averaged 8.9 minutes per game.
 
Bethany Theodore is entering her junior year of college but will put on the Beaver uniform for the first time this year. She is a transfer student from Midland Junior College. She started and played in every game during her sophomore year. Theodore averaged 8.5 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game, and 2.8 assists per game. She was an honorable mention All-WJCAC selection. Graupe has been recruiting her for the past three years and believes she can provide scoring for the team. 
 
Raegan Sanchez is going into her senior year with the Beavers. Sanchez played in 12 games and averaged 5.6 minutes. She brings that defensive intensity coming off the bench, which is what Graupe believes will be the strength of the Beavers basketball team this year. During the exhibition game vs. Dickinson State, Sanchez scored five points and had two steals. 
 
Sophomore Mollie Wilson and senior Danielle Rizzari will be stepping into more prominent roles for the Beavers as three key players left last year. Both players did not play significant minutes last year but will be relied upon for more minutes and more significant roles with the team this year.



The Beavers take on Southern Nazarene University at 5:00 p.m. on Friday Night, then Saturday have an exhibition game against division one opponent The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at 3:00 p.m.

Links:

Southern Nazarene:

Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5ns_Rbxzkg
Stats: snuathletics.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley:

Watch: www.wacdigitalnetwork.com
Stats: goutrgv.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
 
Media: For more information, contact the Coordinator of Sports Information Josh Van Valkenburg-Gernert.