University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, January 5
Denver, Colo.
7:00 p.m. Central
at
Denver
Women’s Basketball travels to face Denver Jan. 5 and Omaha Jan. 7
1/4/2023 11:15:00 AM | Women's Basketball
St. Paul, Minn. -- St. Thomas Women's Basketball hits the road Jan. 5 at Denver and Jan. 7 at Omaha for its first games of the New Year. The Tommies and Pioneers open the weekend at 7 p.m. (CT) Thursday in Denver, Colo., before facing the Mavericks at 1 p.m. (CT) Saturday in Omaha, Neb.
The Last Time Out
St. Thomas closed out 2022 with tough home losses to South Dakota and South Dakota State to drop to 0-4 in the Summit League. The Tommies nearly completed a 14-point second-half comeback during a 58-56 loss to the Coyotes and jumped out to a hot start before a 61-51 loss to the Jackrabbits.
Thursday's game against South Dakota came down to the final three seconds and free throws on a 3-point attempt. The Tommies trailed the Coyotes by 14 points, 53-39, with 5:39 left in the game.
The Purple defense held South Dakota to 0-of-6 shooting with four turnovers, including an unforced inbound turnover with 19 seconds to play coming off a free throw by Alexis Pratt to draw within one, 55-54. Pratt inbounded to Opichka who converted a layup for the first St. Thomas lead since halftime. On the ensuing possession, USD was given three free throws off a shooting foul.
Opichka lead the team with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 2-of-3 behind the arc, while she also led with five rebounds and a career high five assists. Negaard followed in scoring with 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting.
The Tommies shot 39.1 percent from the field (18-46) and 27.8 percent from 3-point range (5-18) while the Coyotes shot 41.7 percent from the floor (20-48) and 33.3 percent from long range (7-21).
The Tommies bounced back for a strong start Saturday against the Jackrabbits, taking an 8-0 lead nearly four minutes into play, and almost overcame a 15-point, second half deficit.
SDSU opened the second half with a score to take a 41-26 lead. The Purple defense again came alive and held the Jackrabbits to 1-of-8 shooting in the quarter to draw within four, 47-43, heading into the fourth. The Tommies pulled to within three points before the Jackrabbits ended the game on a 10-3 run.
The Tommies finished shooting 35.3 percent from the field (18-51) and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc (7-15) while the Jackrabbits shot 36.8 percent from the floor (21-57) and 22.2 percent from long range (4-18). St. Thomas gave away 24 turnovers that led to 22 Jackrabbit points and only converted 16 SDSU turnovers into seven points.
Negaard led St. Thomas with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. She went 4-of-6 from long range while Jade Hill followed in scoring with eight points.
Scouting Denver
The Pioneers enter Thursday's game 5-8 overall and 1-1 in the Summit League after taking a split Dec. 29 at Kansas City and Dec. 31 at Oral Roberts. DU began the conference schedule with a 73-60 win over the Roos before taking an 88-70 loss to the Golden Eagles.
Emma Smith leads the Pioneers and ranks ninth in the Summit League with 13.0 points per game. Makayla Minett and Mikayla Brandon rank third and fourth in the conference with 10.5 and 7.9 rebounds per game, respectively. Minett is seventh in the league shooting 50.9 percent from the field and Mary Wilson leads the Summit League, and is 66th in the country, shooting 40.8 percent from 3-point range.
Denver averages 66.7 points per game and allows 70.3 points while shooting 40.1 percent from the field. The Pioneers are second in the Summit League in 3-point field goal percentage (.315), 3-point attempts per game (26.2) and 3-pointers made per game (8.2).
Series History vs. Denver
St. Thomas and Denver have met twice all-time as both teams came away with a win during the 2021-22 season. The Tommies' first ever Summit League win came Dec. 22, 2021 in a 56-48 victory over the Pioneers in St. Paul, Minn. Denver avenged its loss with a 66-63 win Feb. 24, 2022 in Denver.
Jade Hill led all Tommie returners with 15.5 points per game versus DU, including a 17-point outing during the Feb. 24 loss. Maggie Negaard went 4-of-8 from the field for 12 points along with nine rebounds in the loss. Hill, Negaard and Jordyn Glynn were the only current Tommies to record points during the Dec. 22 win, led by Hill's 14.
Scouting Omaha
The Mavericks begin the week 6-7 overall and 1-1 in the Summit League splitting its conference-opening series Dec. 29 at Oral Roberts and Dec. 31 at Kansas City. Omaha opened Thursday with a 75-63 loss to the Golden Eagles before taking a 75-64 win Saturday over the Roos.
Elena Pilakouta leads the team with 12.1 points per game followed by Aaliyah Stanley with 11.5 points. Grace Cave is second in the league with 2.2 steals per game while Pilakouta fifth shooting 55.9 percent from the field and seventh with 6.8 rebounds per game.
Omaha averages 66.2 points per game and allows 70.0 points while shooting 37.8 percent from the field and 28.0 percent from 3-point range. The Mavericks lead the Summit League and are third in the nation shooting 79.9 percent from the free throw line and are third in the league with 9.6 steals per game, a 2.69 turnover margin and 19.2 turnovers forced per game.
Series History vs. Omaha
St. Thomas and Omaha have played twice all-time as both came away with a win during the 2021-22 season. The Mavericks won the first ever meeting, 61-55, Dec. 20, 2021 in St. Paul before the Tommies evened the series with a 61-56 win Feb. 26, 2022 in Omaha.
Hill and Jo Langbehn were the only returning Tommies to score in the win over Omaha, each totaling 11 points. Negaard led the returners with 10 points and seven rebounds during the December meeting.
The Efficient Duo
Jo Langbehn and Sammy Opichka rank fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Summit League in field goal percentage. Langbehn leads the Tommies shooting 56.0 percent from the field and Opichka follows shooting 50.9 percent.
They are the only pair of teammates to rank among the top nine in the league.
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.
After entering the 2022-23 season with a single-game career-high of 12 points, Langbehn topped that mark in three of a four-game stretch. 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. Langbehn is fourth for St. Thomas with 9.3 points per game. She is 26 points shy of totaling her scoring output last season.
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 third on the team and 22nd in the Summit League with 9.7 points per game this season.
Running Point
Sophomore Jade Hill scored in double digits during eight of the first nine games this season and led the Tommies in scoring two times. She scored a season-high 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 during nine of 14 games.
Hill is fourth in the Summit League with a 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio, fourth with 2.0 steals, seventh with 3.4 assists, and is 17th with 11.4 points per game.
Alexis Pratt started the last two games for St. Thomas, totaling eight points with three rebounds and two assists against South Dakota and four points with four rebounds and two steals against South Dakota State.
Behind the Arc
St. Thomas allowed its first opponent to shoot over 35 percent from 3-point range in the win over Chicago State on Dec. 14. The Tommies have held 12 of their 14 opponents to less than 35 percent from long range. The Purple have outshot their opponents from beyond the arc in eight of 14 games.
Maggie Negaard is tied for sixth in the Summit League with 1.9 3-pointers per game. She's shooting 44.3 percent from beyond the arc to lead the Tommies.
Non-Conference Improvement
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.
The Tommies saw a bump in field goal percentage (.395 to .416), 3-point field goal percentage (.304 to .311), rebounds per game (33.6 to 35.9), assists per game (12.4 to 14.6) and points per game (61.1 to 63.4).
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
St. Thomas closed out 2022 with tough home losses to South Dakota and South Dakota State to drop to 0-4 in the Summit League. The Tommies nearly completed a 14-point second-half comeback during a 58-56 loss to the Coyotes and jumped out to a hot start before a 61-51 loss to the Jackrabbits.
Thursday's game against South Dakota came down to the final three seconds and free throws on a 3-point attempt. The Tommies trailed the Coyotes by 14 points, 53-39, with 5:39 left in the game.
The Purple defense held South Dakota to 0-of-6 shooting with four turnovers, including an unforced inbound turnover with 19 seconds to play coming off a free throw by Alexis Pratt to draw within one, 55-54. Pratt inbounded to Opichka who converted a layup for the first St. Thomas lead since halftime. On the ensuing possession, USD was given three free throws off a shooting foul.
Opichka lead the team with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 2-of-3 behind the arc, while she also led with five rebounds and a career high five assists. Negaard followed in scoring with 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting.
The Tommies shot 39.1 percent from the field (18-46) and 27.8 percent from 3-point range (5-18) while the Coyotes shot 41.7 percent from the floor (20-48) and 33.3 percent from long range (7-21).
The Tommies bounced back for a strong start Saturday against the Jackrabbits, taking an 8-0 lead nearly four minutes into play, and almost overcame a 15-point, second half deficit.
SDSU opened the second half with a score to take a 41-26 lead. The Purple defense again came alive and held the Jackrabbits to 1-of-8 shooting in the quarter to draw within four, 47-43, heading into the fourth. The Tommies pulled to within three points before the Jackrabbits ended the game on a 10-3 run.
The Tommies finished shooting 35.3 percent from the field (18-51) and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc (7-15) while the Jackrabbits shot 36.8 percent from the floor (21-57) and 22.2 percent from long range (4-18). St. Thomas gave away 24 turnovers that led to 22 Jackrabbit points and only converted 16 SDSU turnovers into seven points.
Negaard led St. Thomas with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. She went 4-of-6 from long range while Jade Hill followed in scoring with eight points.
Scouting Denver
The Pioneers enter Thursday's game 5-8 overall and 1-1 in the Summit League after taking a split Dec. 29 at Kansas City and Dec. 31 at Oral Roberts. DU began the conference schedule with a 73-60 win over the Roos before taking an 88-70 loss to the Golden Eagles.
Emma Smith leads the Pioneers and ranks ninth in the Summit League with 13.0 points per game. Makayla Minett and Mikayla Brandon rank third and fourth in the conference with 10.5 and 7.9 rebounds per game, respectively. Minett is seventh in the league shooting 50.9 percent from the field and Mary Wilson leads the Summit League, and is 66th in the country, shooting 40.8 percent from 3-point range.
Denver averages 66.7 points per game and allows 70.3 points while shooting 40.1 percent from the field. The Pioneers are second in the Summit League in 3-point field goal percentage (.315), 3-point attempts per game (26.2) and 3-pointers made per game (8.2).
Series History vs. Denver
St. Thomas and Denver have met twice all-time as both teams came away with a win during the 2021-22 season. The Tommies' first ever Summit League win came Dec. 22, 2021 in a 56-48 victory over the Pioneers in St. Paul, Minn. Denver avenged its loss with a 66-63 win Feb. 24, 2022 in Denver.
Jade Hill led all Tommie returners with 15.5 points per game versus DU, including a 17-point outing during the Feb. 24 loss. Maggie Negaard went 4-of-8 from the field for 12 points along with nine rebounds in the loss. Hill, Negaard and Jordyn Glynn were the only current Tommies to record points during the Dec. 22 win, led by Hill's 14.
Scouting Omaha
The Mavericks begin the week 6-7 overall and 1-1 in the Summit League splitting its conference-opening series Dec. 29 at Oral Roberts and Dec. 31 at Kansas City. Omaha opened Thursday with a 75-63 loss to the Golden Eagles before taking a 75-64 win Saturday over the Roos.
Elena Pilakouta leads the team with 12.1 points per game followed by Aaliyah Stanley with 11.5 points. Grace Cave is second in the league with 2.2 steals per game while Pilakouta fifth shooting 55.9 percent from the field and seventh with 6.8 rebounds per game.
Omaha averages 66.2 points per game and allows 70.0 points while shooting 37.8 percent from the field and 28.0 percent from 3-point range. The Mavericks lead the Summit League and are third in the nation shooting 79.9 percent from the free throw line and are third in the league with 9.6 steals per game, a 2.69 turnover margin and 19.2 turnovers forced per game.
Series History vs. Omaha
St. Thomas and Omaha have played twice all-time as both came away with a win during the 2021-22 season. The Mavericks won the first ever meeting, 61-55, Dec. 20, 2021 in St. Paul before the Tommies evened the series with a 61-56 win Feb. 26, 2022 in Omaha.
Hill and Jo Langbehn were the only returning Tommies to score in the win over Omaha, each totaling 11 points. Negaard led the returners with 10 points and seven rebounds during the December meeting.
The Efficient Duo
Jo Langbehn and Sammy Opichka rank fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Summit League in field goal percentage. Langbehn leads the Tommies shooting 56.0 percent from the field and Opichka follows shooting 50.9 percent.
They are the only pair of teammates to rank among the top nine in the league.
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.
After entering the 2022-23 season with a single-game career-high of 12 points, Langbehn topped that mark in three of a four-game stretch. 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. Langbehn is fourth for St. Thomas with 9.3 points per game. She is 26 points shy of totaling her scoring output last season.
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 third on the team and 22nd in the Summit League with 9.7 points per game this season.
Running Point
Sophomore Jade Hill scored in double digits during eight of the first nine games this season and led the Tommies in scoring two times. She scored a season-high 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 during nine of 14 games.
Hill is fourth in the Summit League with a 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio, fourth with 2.0 steals, seventh with 3.4 assists, and is 17th with 11.4 points per game.
Alexis Pratt started the last two games for St. Thomas, totaling eight points with three rebounds and two assists against South Dakota and four points with four rebounds and two steals against South Dakota State.
Behind the Arc
St. Thomas allowed its first opponent to shoot over 35 percent from 3-point range in the win over Chicago State on Dec. 14. The Tommies have held 12 of their 14 opponents to less than 35 percent from long range. The Purple have outshot their opponents from beyond the arc in eight of 14 games.
Maggie Negaard is tied for sixth in the Summit League with 1.9 3-pointers per game. She's shooting 44.3 percent from beyond the arc to lead the Tommies.
Non-Conference Improvement
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.
The Tommies saw a bump in field goal percentage (.395 to .416), 3-point field goal percentage (.304 to .311), rebounds per game (33.6 to 35.9), assists per game (12.4 to 14.6) and points per game (61.1 to 63.4).
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
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ 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
