NDSU Women’s Basketball Gets Second Straight Win Over Mid-Major #10 Wisconsin-Green Bay

Bison improved to 3-0 on the season

December 6, 2020

Site Staff,

FARGO, N.D. – (NDSU Athletics) For the second straight day, the North Dakota State women’s basketball team took down Green Bay Sunday at the Scheels Center. NDSU tied a school record with 16 3-pointers, as the Bison beat the 10th-ranked team in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll 82-66.

The Bison improved to 3-0 overall, while the Phoenix dropped to 1-2. It is the first time the Bison have won the first three games of the year against NCAA Division I opponents. NDSU will hit the road for the first time on Saturday, as the Bison travel to #18/23 Iowa State. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

NDSU received 40 points from three players off the bench on Sunday. Sophomore Olivia Skibiel had a career-high 17 points, while freshman Abby Schulte dropped in 16. Junior Reneya Hopkins added seven points. Redshirt-sophomore Heaven Hamling added 17 points, while senior Michelle Gaislerova had 11 points. Caitlyn Hibner led Green Bay with 21 points.

Britney Epperson led the Bison with four rebounds, while Emily Dietz, Schulte and Skibiel each had three. Hamling had a career-high six assists, while adding two steals. Schulte had three steals, while Epperson added a pair of blocked shots.

The Bison were 26-of-47 (55.3%) from the field and 16-of-32 from 3-point range, tying the school record for the fourth time. NDSU was also perfect on 14 trips to the free throw line, which was the most trips to the line without a miss in school history. Green Bay was 20-of-48 (41.7%) from the floor and 4-of-15 (26.7%) from downtown. The Phoenix were 22-of-27 (81.5%) at the free throw line. Green Bay held a 30-16 advantage in the paint.

Green Bay led 17-9 with 4:04 left in the first quarter before the Bison closed the frame on a 14-4 run to take a 23-21 lead after the opening quarter. Green Bay opened the second quarter on an 11-2 run, but NDSU closed the half on a 25-7 run to take a 50-39 lead at the break. NDSU hit six 3-pointers in the final 3:55 of the half. The Phoenix cut the lead to 62-60 with 9:23 to play, but the Bison went on a 14-4 run over a 5:01 span to put the game away.