University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, January 25
Fargo, N.D. / Scheels Arena
7:00 p.m. Central
at
North Dakota State
Photo by: Jason Morales Ortiz
Tommies trek to North Dakota for Summit League series
1/24/2024 12:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball
St. Thomas to face NDSU, UND in road games
ST. PAUL, MINN. – It's back to the road for the University of St. Thomas women's basketball team. After playing back-to-back Summit League opponents at home, the Tommies will head to North Dakota for an extended conference road trip. St. Thomas will face North Dakota State in Fargo, North Dakota on Thursday before heading to Grand Forks for a rematch with the University of North Dakota on Saturday.
The Tommies will face off against the Bison for the first time this season and enter Thursday's contest with a 1-3 all-time record against North Dakota State. St. Thomas won the first ever meeting between the two teams, downing the Bison 73-62 in Schoenecker Arena in January 2022. Since then, North Dakota State has had the upper hand, winning three consecutive games against the Tommies, both in Minnesota and North Dakota.
St. Thomas already owns a win over North Dakota this season, as the Tommies opened Summit League play with a resounding 95-76 win over the Fighting Hawks. Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) scored a combined 47 points for St. Thomas in the win, as the Tommies set the Division I record for points scored in a conference game (95). St. Thomas, though, is still looking for its first win in Grand Forks. While the early season victory helped the Tommies improve to 2-3 all-time against North Dakota, they have yet to beat the Fighting Hawks on their own court, as all three losses have come at Betty Englestad Arena.
The game between St. Thomas and North Dakota State is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Fargo, North Dakota on Thursday, January 25, and Saturday's game at North Dakota is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.. Tickets are still available for purchase online for both games, and fans who cannot attend the contests in person can follow along on the Summit League Network. The home of all Summit League action, the Summit League Network is a subscription-based platform with costs $9.99 per most or $79.99 for an annual plan. The fee provides fans and alumni with the opportunity to watch St. Thomas from a variety of devices through the Midco Sports Plus app, including phones, tablets, TVs, and web-based browser interference. Additionally, the app and its exclusive Summit League content will be available on AppleTV, Fire TV and Roku, allowing fans to sign in and watch through their account on multiple devices. Fans can subscribe at www.midcosportsplus.com.
Tommie Tidbits:
LAST TIME OUT: St. Thomas got a taste of its own medicine last Thursday. After hitting a buzzer beater to beat Oral Roberts on January 13, the Tommies were on the receiving end of a last second shot in a 63-61 loss to South Dakota last Thursday. After leading for the majority of regulation, St. Thomas watched as the Coyotes slowly but surely chipped away at its 10 point lead in the fourth quarter. South Dakota hit a barrage of threes and convereted back-to-back and ones to take a 54-49 lead with under three minutes in regultion. From there, it was a race to the finish line. Threes by Phoebe Frentzel and Jo Langbehn eventally gave the Tommies a 57-56 lead. but they simply could not put the Coyotes to bed. With the game tied 61-61 with .4 on the clock, South Dakota made a wide open layup, securing the 63-61 win in Schoenecker Arena.
THE OPPOSITION: The Bison were hot to open Summit League play, racing out to a 4-0 record with wins over South Dakota, UMKC, Omaha and Denver. Oral Roberts, however, put a stop to NDSU's win streak, upending the Bison in Tulsa, Oklahoma by a final score of 84-75. However, it might simply be a blip in the road for NDSU. The Bison have not lost a game in Scheels Center this season, posting a pristine 7-0 record at home this season. NDSU is currently averaging 87.4 points per game at home this year and has scored over 90+ points four times in the Scheels Center in 2023-24. Elle Evans and Heaven Hamling have led the Bison scoring efforts this season, averaging 13.9 and 13.8 points per game respectively, and Evens, their leading rebounder, averages just 5.0 per game.
WE WERE THIIIIIS CLOSE: The Coyotes dealt the Tommies a 63-61 loss on Thursday, but that was just the second time all-season St. Thomas has lost a game by less than 10 points. Entering Thursday's game at North Dakota State, the Tommies are 5-2 this season in games determined by 10 points or less. Other than South Dakota, the only other team to beat St. Thomas is Western Illinois. The former Summit League member beat the Tommies 82-78 back in early December before St. Thomas rattled off close wins over Milwaukee (67-65) and Purdue-Fort Wayne (64-49).
TREND SETTERS?: One trend the Tommies would like to change this weekend is the margin of victory/defeat. St. Thomas' last two games have been determined on the final possession of the game, and the Tommies are 2-1 in Summit League play in games determined by fewer than 10 points. St. Thomas is 1-1 in games determined by buzzer beaters this season, and both have come in the last two weeks. The Tommies beat Oral Roberts 73-72 on a last second three by Jade and lost to South Dakota on a last second layup by the Coyotes
THE PLAY GAME: NDSU has proved to be one of the most balanced teams in Summit League play this season. The Bison are currently averaging 78.6 points through five Summit League games and are holding their conference opponents to just 69.0 points per game. NDSU is also one of just four teams in the conference margin of victory this season. The Bison's 9.6 difference ranks third in the Summit League behind South Dakota State (22.8) and Oral Roberts (13.8). St. Thomas currently ranks fourth with a 1.4 margin of victory in conference games this year.
COUNTDOWN TO 1000: Junior guard Jade Hill has made a name for herself in just three seasons with St. Thomas. During the team's trip to California, Hill joined the 800/100 club, becoming the first Tommie student-athlete in the DI era to score 800 points and tally 100 steals with St. Thomas. In the win over North Dakota, Hill became the first DI-only player to score 900 points with the Tommies and now owns 998 career points. To this date, Hill is the only Tommie in the Division I era with over 900 points, 100 steals and 250 assists since the program made the leap in 2021.
COUNTDOWN TO 400: Head coach Ruth Sinn won her 380th game as St. Thomas' head coach against Purdue Fort Wayne in early December, bringing her closer to the 400 career wins mark. Already the winningest coach in program history, Sinn surpassed Ted Riverso's previous record of 337 career wins in 2019-20 and looks to become the first coach in Tommie women's basketball history to win 400 games with the program. Additionally, Sinn would join former St. Thomas men's basketball coach and athletic director Steve Fritz, current volleyball coach Thanh Pham, former baseball coach Dennis Denning and former softball coach John Tschida as the only head coaches in St. Thomas history with over 400 wins with their respective programs.
LUCKY #20: The Tommies have put together a well-balanced offense this season, with three players averaging double-digit points midway through January. However, two student-athletes have stood above the rest: Amber Scalia and Jade Hill. Either Scalia or Hill has scored 20+ points in eight games this season, and the duo both scored over 20 points against UW-River Falls and North Dakota. St. Thomas is 6-2 this season when Scalia or Hill scores at least 20 points and 2-0 when both score 20+ in the same game.
CUPPA JO?: It's no secret that Jo Langbehn is one of the top shooting forwards in Division I this season. The junior leads the conference in both overall field goal percentage (.705) and conference FGP (.680) and enters Thursday's game averaging 14.4 points and 7.4 rebounds in Summit League play. However, it's Langbehn, not Hill or Scalia, who has scored 10+ points in 12 consecutive games for the Tommies. Since being held to just two points against Iowa State on November 29, Langbehn has scored double-digit points in every game since and has shot .725 (74-102) from the floor in that span.
STEAL OF A DEAL: Two of the best defensive players in the Summit League will go toe-to-toe Thursday evening in Hill and Heaven Hamling. The duo rank top-3 in the conference in total steals and steals per game. Hamling currently leads with 15 steals in conference play compared to Hill's 12. However, the positions are flipped in overall steals. Thanks to her five steal performance against the Coyotes on Thursday, Hill now leads with conference with 42 total steals this season, while Hamling ranks third with 37 total.
Of note: six Tommies have tallied 10+ steals this season. In addition to Hill, Phoebe Frentzel (26) and Jordyn Glynn (20) have all cracked the 20+ steal mark, while Scalia (19), Angelina Hammond (18) and Jo Langbehn (14) look to get over the 20+ mark int he upcoming weeks.
BLOCKAGE: It's not just Hill and Hamling who could put on a defensive clinic this Thursday. Angelina Hammond and Elle Evans currently rank third and fourth in the conference, respectively, in total blocks. Hammond enters Thursday's game with 21 blocks to her name, while Evans sits one spot below with 20 steals this season. Hammond has been a defensive force for the Tommies this season with six multi-block games to her name. She additionally has recorded two or more steals in five games this season and owns the Division I record for single game blocks with four (at Milwaukee - December 7, 2023).
The Tommies will face off against the Bison for the first time this season and enter Thursday's contest with a 1-3 all-time record against North Dakota State. St. Thomas won the first ever meeting between the two teams, downing the Bison 73-62 in Schoenecker Arena in January 2022. Since then, North Dakota State has had the upper hand, winning three consecutive games against the Tommies, both in Minnesota and North Dakota.
St. Thomas already owns a win over North Dakota this season, as the Tommies opened Summit League play with a resounding 95-76 win over the Fighting Hawks. Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) scored a combined 47 points for St. Thomas in the win, as the Tommies set the Division I record for points scored in a conference game (95). St. Thomas, though, is still looking for its first win in Grand Forks. While the early season victory helped the Tommies improve to 2-3 all-time against North Dakota, they have yet to beat the Fighting Hawks on their own court, as all three losses have come at Betty Englestad Arena.
The game between St. Thomas and North Dakota State is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Fargo, North Dakota on Thursday, January 25, and Saturday's game at North Dakota is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.. Tickets are still available for purchase online for both games, and fans who cannot attend the contests in person can follow along on the Summit League Network. The home of all Summit League action, the Summit League Network is a subscription-based platform with costs $9.99 per most or $79.99 for an annual plan. The fee provides fans and alumni with the opportunity to watch St. Thomas from a variety of devices through the Midco Sports Plus app, including phones, tablets, TVs, and web-based browser interference. Additionally, the app and its exclusive Summit League content will be available on AppleTV, Fire TV and Roku, allowing fans to sign in and watch through their account on multiple devices. Fans can subscribe at www.midcosportsplus.com.
Tommie Tidbits:
LAST TIME OUT: St. Thomas got a taste of its own medicine last Thursday. After hitting a buzzer beater to beat Oral Roberts on January 13, the Tommies were on the receiving end of a last second shot in a 63-61 loss to South Dakota last Thursday. After leading for the majority of regulation, St. Thomas watched as the Coyotes slowly but surely chipped away at its 10 point lead in the fourth quarter. South Dakota hit a barrage of threes and convereted back-to-back and ones to take a 54-49 lead with under three minutes in regultion. From there, it was a race to the finish line. Threes by Phoebe Frentzel and Jo Langbehn eventally gave the Tommies a 57-56 lead. but they simply could not put the Coyotes to bed. With the game tied 61-61 with .4 on the clock, South Dakota made a wide open layup, securing the 63-61 win in Schoenecker Arena.
THE OPPOSITION: The Bison were hot to open Summit League play, racing out to a 4-0 record with wins over South Dakota, UMKC, Omaha and Denver. Oral Roberts, however, put a stop to NDSU's win streak, upending the Bison in Tulsa, Oklahoma by a final score of 84-75. However, it might simply be a blip in the road for NDSU. The Bison have not lost a game in Scheels Center this season, posting a pristine 7-0 record at home this season. NDSU is currently averaging 87.4 points per game at home this year and has scored over 90+ points four times in the Scheels Center in 2023-24. Elle Evans and Heaven Hamling have led the Bison scoring efforts this season, averaging 13.9 and 13.8 points per game respectively, and Evens, their leading rebounder, averages just 5.0 per game.
WE WERE THIIIIIS CLOSE: The Coyotes dealt the Tommies a 63-61 loss on Thursday, but that was just the second time all-season St. Thomas has lost a game by less than 10 points. Entering Thursday's game at North Dakota State, the Tommies are 5-2 this season in games determined by 10 points or less. Other than South Dakota, the only other team to beat St. Thomas is Western Illinois. The former Summit League member beat the Tommies 82-78 back in early December before St. Thomas rattled off close wins over Milwaukee (67-65) and Purdue-Fort Wayne (64-49).
TREND SETTERS?: One trend the Tommies would like to change this weekend is the margin of victory/defeat. St. Thomas' last two games have been determined on the final possession of the game, and the Tommies are 2-1 in Summit League play in games determined by fewer than 10 points. St. Thomas is 1-1 in games determined by buzzer beaters this season, and both have come in the last two weeks. The Tommies beat Oral Roberts 73-72 on a last second three by Jade and lost to South Dakota on a last second layup by the Coyotes
THE PLAY GAME: NDSU has proved to be one of the most balanced teams in Summit League play this season. The Bison are currently averaging 78.6 points through five Summit League games and are holding their conference opponents to just 69.0 points per game. NDSU is also one of just four teams in the conference margin of victory this season. The Bison's 9.6 difference ranks third in the Summit League behind South Dakota State (22.8) and Oral Roberts (13.8). St. Thomas currently ranks fourth with a 1.4 margin of victory in conference games this year.
COUNTDOWN TO 1000: Junior guard Jade Hill has made a name for herself in just three seasons with St. Thomas. During the team's trip to California, Hill joined the 800/100 club, becoming the first Tommie student-athlete in the DI era to score 800 points and tally 100 steals with St. Thomas. In the win over North Dakota, Hill became the first DI-only player to score 900 points with the Tommies and now owns 998 career points. To this date, Hill is the only Tommie in the Division I era with over 900 points, 100 steals and 250 assists since the program made the leap in 2021.
COUNTDOWN TO 400: Head coach Ruth Sinn won her 380th game as St. Thomas' head coach against Purdue Fort Wayne in early December, bringing her closer to the 400 career wins mark. Already the winningest coach in program history, Sinn surpassed Ted Riverso's previous record of 337 career wins in 2019-20 and looks to become the first coach in Tommie women's basketball history to win 400 games with the program. Additionally, Sinn would join former St. Thomas men's basketball coach and athletic director Steve Fritz, current volleyball coach Thanh Pham, former baseball coach Dennis Denning and former softball coach John Tschida as the only head coaches in St. Thomas history with over 400 wins with their respective programs.
LUCKY #20: The Tommies have put together a well-balanced offense this season, with three players averaging double-digit points midway through January. However, two student-athletes have stood above the rest: Amber Scalia and Jade Hill. Either Scalia or Hill has scored 20+ points in eight games this season, and the duo both scored over 20 points against UW-River Falls and North Dakota. St. Thomas is 6-2 this season when Scalia or Hill scores at least 20 points and 2-0 when both score 20+ in the same game.
CUPPA JO?: It's no secret that Jo Langbehn is one of the top shooting forwards in Division I this season. The junior leads the conference in both overall field goal percentage (.705) and conference FGP (.680) and enters Thursday's game averaging 14.4 points and 7.4 rebounds in Summit League play. However, it's Langbehn, not Hill or Scalia, who has scored 10+ points in 12 consecutive games for the Tommies. Since being held to just two points against Iowa State on November 29, Langbehn has scored double-digit points in every game since and has shot .725 (74-102) from the floor in that span.
STEAL OF A DEAL: Two of the best defensive players in the Summit League will go toe-to-toe Thursday evening in Hill and Heaven Hamling. The duo rank top-3 in the conference in total steals and steals per game. Hamling currently leads with 15 steals in conference play compared to Hill's 12. However, the positions are flipped in overall steals. Thanks to her five steal performance against the Coyotes on Thursday, Hill now leads with conference with 42 total steals this season, while Hamling ranks third with 37 total.
Of note: six Tommies have tallied 10+ steals this season. In addition to Hill, Phoebe Frentzel (26) and Jordyn Glynn (20) have all cracked the 20+ steal mark, while Scalia (19), Angelina Hammond (18) and Jo Langbehn (14) look to get over the 20+ mark int he upcoming weeks.
BLOCKAGE: It's not just Hill and Hamling who could put on a defensive clinic this Thursday. Angelina Hammond and Elle Evans currently rank third and fourth in the conference, respectively, in total blocks. Hammond enters Thursday's game with 21 blocks to her name, while Evans sits one spot below with 20 steals this season. Hammond has been a defensive force for the Tommies this season with six multi-block games to her name. She additionally has recorded two or more steals in five games this season and owns the Division I record for single game blocks with four (at Milwaukee - December 7, 2023).
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