The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team hits the road for a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games. Thursday the Bulldogs will battle the Wolves of Winona State University in a 6:00 p.m. start. Saturday the team be at Minnesota State University, Moorhead for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off.
Last Action for the Bulldogs
The Bulldogs fell short in two consecutive conference games last weekend, losing two straight at home for the first time since They lost a pair versus North Dakota State and North Dakota in back-to-back games Dec. 12 and 16, 2000.
Thursday, the Bulldogs were defeated by Concordia-St. Paul (13-1, 3-0) 60-54. Junior Natalie Hopkins had a career night setting a new high in points (22) while adding nine rebounds. The Bulldogs had took a 29-27 lead into the locker rooms at the half, but would commit 13 second half turnovers at let the lead slip away.
Saturday was much of the same for UMD. The Bulldogs held an eight-point lead at the half, but would let the lead slip away in the last three minutes of the game. Sophomore Megan O'Hern led the way for the Bulldogs scoring 13 points on 4-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-5 from behind the arc. Hopkins again controlled the boards hauling in 10 to lead UMD.
The Coach
A Northland institution in women’s athletics,
Karen Stromme enters her 20th season as the head coach of the University of Minnesota Duluth women’s basketball team.
Besides rolling up a 400-164 overall career record coming into 2003-04, Stromme's Bulldogs have captured the NSIC crown 10 of the last 15 years (11 times overall), three of the first four NSIC Tournament titles (2000, 2001 and 2003) and six trips to the NCAA Division II North Central Regional (1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003). UMD has won 20 or more games in 14 of the past 16 seasons.
In 2002-03, Stromme picked up her 400th career win in style, as it came during the Bulldogs’ 68-60 win over the University of Minnesota-Crookston in the 2003 NSIC Tournament championship game. Stromme also became the first NSIC women’s basketball coach to reach 200 league victories, during a 69-29 win over the University of Minnesota-Morris on Feb. 21, 2003.
Prior to joining the NCAA as a full member in 1995, Stromme guided the Bulldogs to seven successive appearances in the NAIA National Tournament (1988-94).
Stromme, 43, was officially appointed Minnesota Duluth's head coach on October 14, 1984, following the resignation of seven-year veteran and her impact was immediately felt. In her inaugural coaching campaign, Stromme directed the Bulldogs to a share of the school’s first-ever Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship.
Stromme joined the Bulldog coaching staff in 1983 as an assistant coach after a brilliant four-year basketball career at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn, where she collected 1,423 points as a four-year starting center with the Oles. Stromme, who captained St. Olaf as a junior and a senior, earned a spot on the All-MAIAW Tournament team in four consecutive years in addition to being selected to the All-AIAW Region 6 honor group in 1981-82. Also a three-time letterwinner in golf, she graduated from St. Olaf in the spring of 1982 with a B.S. degree in sociology and American studies. In October 1994, Stromme was inducted into the St. Olaf Athletic Hall of Fame.
Stromme, a past president of the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches Association, was chairperson of the USA Basketball Team Selection Committee which picked the U.S. entry for the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. Stromme was on the official traveling party of the gold-medal winning Team USA at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. She also served as an assistant coach for Team East at the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival. Stromme is a past regional chair for the Kodak All-American committee.
A Look at Northern State
The Wolves will welcome the Bulldogs with a 9-6 overall record and a perfect 4-0 record in NSIC play. NSU has been a streaky team this season. After loosing its fist contest of the season, the Wolves followed a five-game winning streak with five consecutive losses. The Wolves have bounces back winning each of their last four games.
The team is lead by a pair of players in double figures. Michelle Hanson leads the team scoring 13.4 ppg while ranking second on the team with 7.4 rpg. Carin Rambow is averaging 10.1 ppg in 14 games for NSU. Amanda Mollman has been an animal on the boards this season averaging 8.4 rpg through 15 games.
A look at MSU Moorhead
The Dragons are 10-5 overall and tote a record of 3-1 in the NSIC--a mark good for second in the league. MSUM will host UMD after a Tuesday leaving game at Bemidji State.
The Dragons are led by current NSIC Player of the Week Liz Klukas. The senior is averaging 12.7 ppg and leads the team with 7.7 rpg. Right behind her is Dana Weibel who is averaging 10.5 ppg while grabbing 3.0 rpg.
Uncharacteristically Slow Starters
The Bulldogs are 1-3 after the first four games of the 2003-04 NSIC season. The last time the team was 1-3 in conference play was more than 25 years ago.
Stepping Up When Called Upon
The UMD women's basketball team has been without its top scorer in four of the last five games while sophomore forward Lindsey Dietz has been out with an injury. In her absence, a number of players have stepped their games up to help fill that void, one of which is sophomore Megan O'Hern. In the four games without Dietz, O'Hern is averaging 8.8 ppg, leading the team in scoring in two of those games. Junior center Natalie Hopkins stepped up in a big way boosting her average more than four points to 9.8 in the games since Dietz was first injured. She has also been effective on the glass, hauling in 6.0 rpg. She scored a career-high 22 points in the Bulldogs' loss to Concordia-St. Paul.
Bulldog Probable Starters
No. Player Pos. Ht. PPG RPG Other Notes
12 Katie Pavlich G 5-3 8.6 3.8 1.90 APG Team-leading 18 three-pointers (18-68 .265)
11 Tanysha Scott G 5-7 8.6 2.5 2.58 APG 9.8 PPG in her last six games
14 Megan O'Hern F 5-11 4.7 2.6 0.86 APG 8.0 PPG and 2.83 RPG in six games as a starter
22 Jess Berglund F 6-0 6.6 5.2 0.65 BPG 6.0 RPG in last six games
53 Natalie Hopkins C 6-2 6.4 4.6 0.86 BPG 9.5 rebounds per game in last two games
