University of St. Thomas Athletics
Monday, December 19
Grand Forks, N.D.
7:00 p.m. Central
at
North Dakota
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
St. Thomas travels to face Fighting Hawks, Bison in Summit League opening series
12/16/2022 2:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball
St. Paul, Minn. -- St. Thomas Women's Basketball embarks on the Summit League trail beginning Dec. 19 at North Dakota and Dec. 21 at North Dakota State. The Tommies begin the conference-opening series Monday at 7 p.m. in Grand Forks, N.D., before a 12 p.m. tip-off Wednesday in Fargo, N.D.
The Last Time Out
Sophomore Jo Langbehn's second straight 20-point effort helped St. Thomas Women's Basketball to a 74-56 win Wednesday, Dec. 14 at home against Chicago State. The Tommies finished the non-conference schedule 5-5 overall as Langbehn led all scorers with 20 points.
St. Thomas opened the game on a 21-5 run over the first eight minutes, shooting 8-of-14 from the field. Langbehn scored seven of the Tommies' points while the Purple defense limited the Cougars to 2-of-15 shooting over that span.
Chicago State followed with an 11-2 run into the second quarter that cut the St. Thomas lead to seven, 23-16. Langbehn reached 11 points with a layup to stop the run, which started a 10-0 run to put the Tommies ahead by 17, 33-16.
Both teams traded baskets over the first five scores of the second half before Sammy Opichka hit a turnaround jumper to start a 10-3 run. The Tommies doubled up the Cougars in scoring in the third quarter, 14-7, while limiting CSU to two field goals in the period. St. Thomas' 55-30 lead heading into the fourth quarter was extended to a game-high 30 points, 67-37, on another Langbehn layup.
Langbehn scored 14 points in the first half and ended the game shooting 7-of-9 from the field. Maggie Negaard followed with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting and three rebounds while Alexis Pratt scored 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Autam Mendez led the team with a career-high 10 rebounds.
The Tommies shot 47.4 percent from the field and outrebounded the Cougars, 44-34. Langbehn's scoring efforts led to 34 points in the paint compared to 20 for CSU.
Scouting North Dakota
The Fighting Hawks enter Summit League play 7-3 overall and are currently on a five-game winning streak. UND has taken wins over Wyoming from the Mountain West and Weber State from the Big Sky.
Kacie Borowicz leads the team and conference, and ranks 10th in the nation with 21.5 points per game. She is shooting 44.1 percent from the field and also leads the team with 4.8 assists per game. Juliet Gordon and Joli Daninger are tied for the team lead with 6.2 rebounds per game each.
North Dakota averages 72.4 points and allows 63.0 points per game while shooting 41.0 percent from the field. The Fighting Hawks rank 43rd in the country with 20.6 turnovers forced per game and 46th with a 4.8 turnover margin.
Series History vs. North Dakota
St. Thomas and North Dakota have played three times, twice during the 2021-22 season after initially meeting Dec. 20, 1980, a 76-64 win by UND in Grand Forks, N.D. The Fighting Hawks lead the all-time series, 3-0.
Jade HIll led all returners with 15.0 points per game against UND last season, including a 19-point effort Jan. 15, 2022 in St. Paul. Sammy Opichka set a previous career-high nine points during the game while Jo Langbehn scored nine points Feb. 10, 2022 during the final meeting of the season between the two teams.
Scouting North Dakota State
The Bison begin Summit League play 6-4 overall while on a four-game losing streak. NDSU took notable wins over the Big Ten's Minnesota, the Big Sky's Montana and Northern Colorado, and the Mountain West's Boise State and Nevada.
Heaven Hamling leads NDSU with 15.3 points per game on 38.4 percent shooting while Elle Evans averages 12.5 points per game on 41.6 percent. Hamling leads the Summit League with 2.3 3FGs per game and is second shooting 34.3 percent from behind the arc.
North Dakota State averages 68.3 points and allows 63.6 points per game. The Bison rank 49th in the country with 4.5 blocks per game and hold a 0.9 rebound margin, pulling down 37.1 boards and allowing 36.2 per game.
Series History vs. North Dakota State
St. Thomas and North Dakota State have met three times in the series, twice during the 2021-22 season after initially meeting Jan. 26, 1980, an 86-61 win by NDSU at the Mankato State Invitational in Mankato, Minn. The Bison lead the all-time series, 2-1.
The Tommies took a 73-62 win over the Bison Jan. 13, 2022 in St. Paul. The victory capped off three straight for the Tommies and three of the first four games ever played in the Summit League.
Jade Hill scored a previous career-high 22 points with six assists during the St. Thomas win. She averaged 20.5 points against NDSU while Jo Langbehn scored eight points with seven rebounds Feb. 12, 2022 in Fargo, N.D.
The Efficient Duo
Jo Langbehn and Sammy Opichka rank second and sixth, respectively, in the Summit League in field goal percentage. Langbehn leads the Tommies and is 34th in the nation shooting 57.7 percent from the field and Opichka follows shooting 52.1 percent.
Go Hard in the Paint
Sophomore Jo Langbehn recorded a career-high 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds Sunday, Dec. 11 at Wisconsin to mark her fourth career double-double. She sank 9-of-13 from the field while five of her rebounds came on the offensive end. Langbehn was two rebounds shy of her career high and totaled nearly one-third of her season rebound total on Sunday.
After entering the 2022-23 season with a single-game career-high of 12 points, Langbehn has topped that mark in three of the last four games. She set a new mark of 14 points Dec. 3 at Idaho State before scoring 21 points at Wisconsin and following up with another 20-point effort Dec. 14 against Chicago State.
Sammy 2-O
Sophomore Sammy Opichka went off for a career-high 20 points Nov. 15 at Illinois State before topping it with 25 points Dec. 8 versus Purdue Fort Wayne. She was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, 2-of-2 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 from the free throw line against ISU. She also recorded career highs of 12 rebounds and three steals against PFW, marking the first double-double of her career and the first for St. Thomas since the 2021-22 season finale.
This is the first instance of a Tommie recording at least 25 points and 12 rebounds in a game since Brynne Rolland recorded 30 points and 13 rebounds Jan. 22, 2020 against Bethel. It's also the first time a Tommie went at least 6-of-6 from the field since Langbehn went 6-of-6 against Oral Roberts on Feb. 5, 2022.
Opichka's two 20-point games this season match her entire scoring output from the 2021-22 season. She totaled 45 points as a freshman and is now second on the team and 17th in the Summit League with 10.2 points per game this season.
Running Point
Sophomore Jade Hill has scored in double digits in all but two games this season and led the Tommies in scoring two times. She scored 24 points during the Nov. 19 win over Presbyterian and set a season-high six assists Nov. 15 at Illinois State. Hill has led the team in assists in seven of 10 games.
Hill leads the Summit League with a 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio, is tied for second with 2.5 steals, is fourth with 4.1 assists, and is 10th with 10.7 points per game.
Shots from Downtown
St. Thomas allowed its first opponent to shoot over 35 percent from 3-point range in the win over Chicago State. The Tommies are tied for 33rd in the nation in 3-point field goal defense, allowing their opponents to shoot 25.0 percent from long range. The Purple have outshot their opponents from beyond the arc in seven of 10 games.
Maggie Negaard is fifth in the Summit League with 1.9 3-pointers per game. She's shooting 46.3 percent from beyond the arc, which would lead the conference and be tied for 42nd in the nation but does not meet the minimum requirements.
Non-Conference Improvements
St. Thomas improved its non-conference win total from last year by two victories. The Tommies went 5-5 this season after going 3-7 in non-conference games last season. The Purple are currently two wins shy of its overall win total from 2021-22.
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Women's Basketball, follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @TommieWBBall
Join Us
To reserve your seat to be a part of the Tommies' 2022 season, click HERE to view ticketing information and purchase options.
The Last Time Out
Sophomore Jo Langbehn's second straight 20-point effort helped St. Thomas Women's Basketball to a 74-56 win Wednesday, Dec. 14 at home against Chicago State. The Tommies finished the non-conference schedule 5-5 overall as Langbehn led all scorers with 20 points.
St. Thomas opened the game on a 21-5 run over the first eight minutes, shooting 8-of-14 from the field. Langbehn scored seven of the Tommies' points while the Purple defense limited the Cougars to 2-of-15 shooting over that span.
Chicago State followed with an 11-2 run into the second quarter that cut the St. Thomas lead to seven, 23-16. Langbehn reached 11 points with a layup to stop the run, which started a 10-0 run to put the Tommies ahead by 17, 33-16.
Both teams traded baskets over the first five scores of the second half before Sammy Opichka hit a turnaround jumper to start a 10-3 run. The Tommies doubled up the Cougars in scoring in the third quarter, 14-7, while limiting CSU to two field goals in the period. St. Thomas' 55-30 lead heading into the fourth quarter was extended to a game-high 30 points, 67-37, on another Langbehn layup.
Langbehn scored 14 points in the first half and ended the game shooting 7-of-9 from the field. Maggie Negaard followed with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting and three rebounds while Alexis Pratt scored 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Autam Mendez led the team with a career-high 10 rebounds.
The Tommies shot 47.4 percent from the field and outrebounded the Cougars, 44-34. Langbehn's scoring efforts led to 34 points in the paint compared to 20 for CSU.
Scouting North Dakota
The Fighting Hawks enter Summit League play 7-3 overall and are currently on a five-game winning streak. UND has taken wins over Wyoming from the Mountain West and Weber State from the Big Sky.
Kacie Borowicz leads the team and conference, and ranks 10th in the nation with 21.5 points per game. She is shooting 44.1 percent from the field and also leads the team with 4.8 assists per game. Juliet Gordon and Joli Daninger are tied for the team lead with 6.2 rebounds per game each.
North Dakota averages 72.4 points and allows 63.0 points per game while shooting 41.0 percent from the field. The Fighting Hawks rank 43rd in the country with 20.6 turnovers forced per game and 46th with a 4.8 turnover margin.
Series History vs. North Dakota
St. Thomas and North Dakota have played three times, twice during the 2021-22 season after initially meeting Dec. 20, 1980, a 76-64 win by UND in Grand Forks, N.D. The Fighting Hawks lead the all-time series, 3-0.
Jade HIll led all returners with 15.0 points per game against UND last season, including a 19-point effort Jan. 15, 2022 in St. Paul. Sammy Opichka set a previous career-high nine points during the game while Jo Langbehn scored nine points Feb. 10, 2022 during the final meeting of the season between the two teams.
Scouting North Dakota State
The Bison begin Summit League play 6-4 overall while on a four-game losing streak. NDSU took notable wins over the Big Ten's Minnesota, the Big Sky's Montana and Northern Colorado, and the Mountain West's Boise State and Nevada.
Heaven Hamling leads NDSU with 15.3 points per game on 38.4 percent shooting while Elle Evans averages 12.5 points per game on 41.6 percent. Hamling leads the Summit League with 2.3 3FGs per game and is second shooting 34.3 percent from behind the arc.
North Dakota State averages 68.3 points and allows 63.6 points per game. The Bison rank 49th in the country with 4.5 blocks per game and hold a 0.9 rebound margin, pulling down 37.1 boards and allowing 36.2 per game.
Series History vs. North Dakota State
St. Thomas and North Dakota State have met three times in the series, twice during the 2021-22 season after initially meeting Jan. 26, 1980, an 86-61 win by NDSU at the Mankato State Invitational in Mankato, Minn. The Bison lead the all-time series, 2-1.
The Tommies took a 73-62 win over the Bison Jan. 13, 2022 in St. Paul. The victory capped off three straight for the Tommies and three of the first four games ever played in the Summit League.
Jade Hill scored a previous career-high 22 points with six assists during the St. Thomas win. She averaged 20.5 points against NDSU while Jo Langbehn scored eight points with seven rebounds Feb. 12, 2022 in Fargo, N.D.
The Efficient Duo
Jo Langbehn and Sammy Opichka rank second and sixth, respectively, in the Summit League in field goal percentage. Langbehn leads the Tommies and is 34th in the nation shooting 57.7 percent from the field and Opichka follows shooting 52.1 percent.
Go Hard in the Paint
Sophomore Jo Langbehn recorded a career-high 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds Sunday, Dec. 11 at Wisconsin to mark her fourth career double-double. She sank 9-of-13 from the field while five of her rebounds came on the offensive end. Langbehn was two rebounds shy of her career high and totaled nearly one-third of her season rebound total on Sunday.
After entering the 2022-23 season with a single-game career-high of 12 points, Langbehn has topped that mark in three of the last four games. She set a new mark of 14 points Dec. 3 at Idaho State before scoring 21 points at Wisconsin and following up with another 20-point effort Dec. 14 against Chicago State.
Sammy 2-O
Sophomore Sammy Opichka went off for a career-high 20 points Nov. 15 at Illinois State before topping it with 25 points Dec. 8 versus Purdue Fort Wayne. She was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, 2-of-2 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 from the free throw line against ISU. She also recorded career highs of 12 rebounds and three steals against PFW, marking the first double-double of her career and the first for St. Thomas since the 2021-22 season finale.
This is the first instance of a Tommie recording at least 25 points and 12 rebounds in a game since Brynne Rolland recorded 30 points and 13 rebounds Jan. 22, 2020 against Bethel. It's also the first time a Tommie went at least 6-of-6 from the field since Langbehn went 6-of-6 against Oral Roberts on Feb. 5, 2022.
Opichka's two 20-point games this season match her entire scoring output from the 2021-22 season. She totaled 45 points as a freshman and is now second on the team and 17th in the Summit League with 10.2 points per game this season.
Running Point
Sophomore Jade Hill has scored in double digits in all but two games this season and led the Tommies in scoring two times. She scored 24 points during the Nov. 19 win over Presbyterian and set a season-high six assists Nov. 15 at Illinois State. Hill has led the team in assists in seven of 10 games.
Hill leads the Summit League with a 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio, is tied for second with 2.5 steals, is fourth with 4.1 assists, and is 10th with 10.7 points per game.
Shots from Downtown
St. Thomas allowed its first opponent to shoot over 35 percent from 3-point range in the win over Chicago State. The Tommies are tied for 33rd in the nation in 3-point field goal defense, allowing their opponents to shoot 25.0 percent from long range. The Purple have outshot their opponents from beyond the arc in seven of 10 games.
Maggie Negaard is fifth in the Summit League with 1.9 3-pointers per game. She's shooting 46.3 percent from beyond the arc, which would lead the conference and be tied for 42nd in the nation but does not meet the minimum requirements.
Non-Conference Improvements
St. Thomas improved its non-conference win total from last year by two victories. The Tommies went 5-5 this season after going 3-7 in non-conference games last season. The Purple are currently two wins shy of its overall win total from 2021-22.
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Women's Basketball, follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @TommieWBBall
Join Us
To reserve your seat to be a part of the Tommies' 2022 season, click HERE to view ticketing information and purchase options.
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballJade Hill School of Education Feature
Thursday, February 27
Press Conference: Tommie Women's Basketball Postgame vs ORU 02/26/25
Thursday, February 27
Press Conference: Tommie Women's Basketball Summit League Tournament Preview
Monday, March 04
Press Conference: Tommie Women's Basketball vs NDSU
Friday, February 23
