SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- St. Thomas put together one of its better weeks at the Division I level posting wins over Utah Valley at home and St. Mary's (Calif.) on the road. The Tommies improved to 3-1 and have not loss since their season opener against Drake.
Sophomore guard Amber Scalia has provided a big scoring boost through the first four games, including a career-high 28-point outing in the win over the Wolverines. Scalia is one of just two Summit League players scoring 20.0-plus points per game as she sits right on that figure with 80 points through four games. UND's Kacie Borowicz is the other one as her 23.3 ppg average ranks 11th nationally in the early going.
The Tommies will remain in the Golden State with a pair of games at the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off. St. Thomas will play UC-Irvine and Butler as part of a busy Friday and Saturday during the Holiday Weekend for Summit League teams. Six squads will be in both action both of those days, including four that are taking part in multi-team events.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Wednesday, Nov. 22
Kansas City vs. Chicago State# | 1 p.m. ET
Oral Roberts at UTRGV (ESPN+) | 1 p.m. CT
Friday, Nov. 24
North Dakota at Southern Miss# (ESPN+) | 11 a.m. CT
Central Arkansas at Denver# (SLN) | 1 p.m. MT
St. Thomas vs. UC Irvine# | 1 p.m. PT
NDSU vs. Harvard# (FLO) | 2:30 p.m. PT
Kansas City vs. Austin Peay# | 4 p.m. ET
South Carolina State at SDSU (SLN) | 6 p.m. CT
Saturday, Nov. 25
North Dakota vs. North Texas# (ESPN+) | 8 a.m. CT
South Carolina State at South Dakota (SLN) | 1 p.m. CT
South Alabama at Denver# (SLN) | 1 p.m. MT
St. Thomas vs. Butler# | 1 p.m. PT
NDSU at Toledo (FLO) | 3 p.m. ET
Kansas City at Cleveland State# (ESPN+) | 4 p.m. ET
Monday, Nov. 27
Cal State Bakersfield at Omaha (SLN) | 5 p.m. CT
Tuesday, Nov. 28
Minot State at North Dakota (SLN) | 5 p.m. CT
Washburn at SDSU (SLN) | 7 p.m. CT
Rankings: (AP/Coaches)
All times local to site
# Multi-Team Event
Key: FLO (FloSports), ESPN+ (ESPN Plus), SECN+ (Southeastern Conference Network Plus), SLN (Summit League Network)
TEAM TRACKER
DENVER PIONEERS (1-2, 0-0 SL) | @DU_WHoops
Next Up: Central Arkansas (11/24; 1 p.m. MT); South Alabama (11/25; 1 p.m. MT)
Previous Games: at Air Force (L, 65-63); at North Alabama (L, 67-51); Wyoming (L, 58-41)
The Pioneers will return to the court after a 10-day break against Central Arkansas on the Friday after Thanksgiving ... Prior to that, the Pioneers picked up their first victory of the 2023-24 season with a 67-51 win over North Alabama … In their season-opening loss to Air Force, the Pioneers had three double-figure scorers, led by Emma Smith’s 22 points … Jordan Jones and Angelina Robles followed Smith finishing with 12 points apiece while, Jones’ 13 rebounds secured her first double-double of the season … Against North Alabama, Makayla Minett led the scoring efforts, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds … Lauren With recorded 14 points, while Smith rounded out a trio of double-digit scorers with 13 points and 11 rebounds … Emily Counsel and Smith combined to score 25 points in the home-opening loss against Wyoming … Counsel had 15 points to lead the way, while Smith added 10 points and three steals.
KANSAS CITY ROOS (1-3, 0-0 SL) | @KCRoosWBB
Next Up: vs. Chicago State (11/22; 12 p.m. CT); vs. Austin Peay (11/23; 3 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: Bradley (W, 73-66); at UTEP (L, 62-60); Utah State (L, 62-60); Kansas (L, 70-61)
Kansas City could not overcome a fast start by the Jayhawks, who held on for a 70-61 victory at the Municipal Auditorium ... KU jumped out to a 23-8 lead after 10 minutes but the Roos outsocred them the rest of the way, 53-47 ... Newcomer Nariyah Simmons was a big reason for that as she scored 32 of her career-high 34 points after the first stanza ... Simmons’ 34 are the most by a Summit League player in a game this season and exceded her point total of 33 from her first three games as a Roo ... After scoring only four points in the season-opening win at Bradley, Simmons is averaging 21.0 ppg over her last three ... The Roos are on their way to the home of the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame for the Cleveland State Classic where they will play three games against Chicago State, Austin Peay and the host Vikings.
NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS (1-3, 0-0 SL) | @UNDwbasketball
Next Up: at Southern Miss (11/24; 11 a.m. CT); vs. North Texas (11/25; 8 a.m. CT)
Previous Games: Grand Canyon (L, 73-61); Concordia (W, 80-47); Montana State (L, 60-53)
The Fighting Hawks dropped two of three on their season-opening homestand with the latest setback coming at the hands of Montana State ... The Bobcats raced out to a 20-8 lead after the first 10 minutes but saw UND claw all the way back within a point to start the fourth quarter ... The Fighting Hawks got 22 points from Kacie Borowicz but MSU was able to outscore the home team 20-14 in those closing 10 minutes to secure the win ... Borowicz has hit the 20-plus plateau in all four games this season and leads all league scorers with a 23.3 ppg clip ... UND will travel to Mississippi for Thanksgiving to take part in the Lady Eagle Thanksgiving Classic where they will play host Southern Miss and North Texas.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON (2-2, 0-0 SL) | @NDSUwbb
Next Up: vs. Harvard (11/24; 2:30 p.m. PT); vs. Toledo (11/25; 12 p.m. PT)
Previous Games: vs. Jamestown (W, 112-59); at Minnesota (L, 75-53); at Northern Colorado (W, 67-60)
The Bison moved to 2-2 on the season with a 67-60 road win at Northern Colorado before they head west over Thanksgiving to play in the San Diego Classic ... Abbie Draper scored a career-high 19 points to lead NDSU in scoring against the Bears ... Her 19 points equaled her output from the Bison’s first three games of the season and was the fourth double-digit scoring game of her career ... Heaven Hamling and Abby Krzewinski, who was making the first start of her career, each added 10 for NDSU in the victory ... Elle Evans is leading the team in scoring at 10.8 ppg - she had eight against the Bears ... Hamling has been the program’s top rebounder (5.0/g) and top assister (2.8/g) in the early going.
OMAHA MAVERICKS (1-4, 0-0 SL) | @OmahaWBB
Next Up: Cal State Bakersfield (11/27; 5 p.m. CT); UIC (12/1; 7 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: Northern Colorado (L, 82-70); at Wichita State (L, 92-86)
The Mavericks could not overcome a 14-point, first-quarter deficit in an 82-70 loss to Northern Colorado ... Junior Grace Cave broke out of an early-season scoring slump to post a season-high 19 in the loss to UNC ... Cave had 16 total points in Omaha’s first three games but followed up her 19-point showing with 12 more as she returned to the starting lineup in a 92-86 loss to Wichita State ... Freshman Lucy Ghaifan reached double figures in the losses to the Bears and Shockers, combining to 11-for-13 from the field ... Ghaifan is scoring at a 9.6 ppg clip and has started the last four for head coach Carrie Banks ... She is shooting 87.5 percent from the floor (21-for-24) ... The Mavericks open a two-game homestand Monday vs. Cal State Bakersfield.
ORAL ROBERTS GOLDEN EAGLES (3-2, 0-0 SL) | @ORUWBB
Next Up: at UTRGV (11/22; 1 p.m. CT); at Texas (11/29; TBA)
Previous Games: vs. MACU (W, 94-72); Tulsa (W, 93-87)
The Golden Eagles averaged 93.5 ppg in a pair of home wins at the Mabee Center last week, including a 93-87 win over Tulsa to capture the Mayor’s Cup for the first time since the 2017-18 season ... Graduate student Hannah Cooper earned the TicketSmarter #SummitWBB Peak Performer of the Week honors after averaging 24.5 ppg in those two wins ... Cooper had a season-high 25 in the win over the Golden Hurricane that saw ORU outscore its opponent 25-11 in the final quarter ... The Golden Eagles are the top scoring team in the Summit League, averaging 83.4 ppg and they are also cleaning up the glass, averaging 45.4 rpg and 17.4 on the offensive glass ... Ruthie Udoumoh (7.8) and Jalei Oglesby (7.6) are both averaging 7.0-plus rebounds per game to aid those efforts ... Udoumoh is also chipping in 10.4 ppg as five Golden Eagles are averaging in double figures ... UT Arlington transfer Taleyah Jones is pacing that quintet at 17.4 ppg in her first season at ORU ... The Golden Eagles venture to the Lone Star State for their next two games where they will face UTRGV and Texas.
ST. THOMAS TOMMIES (3-1, 0-0 SL) | @TommieWBBall
Next Up: vs. UC Irvine (11/24; 1 p.m. PT); vs. Butler (11/25; 1 p.m. PT)
Previous Games: UW-River Falls (W, 101-62); Utah Valley (W, 70-62); at Saint Mary’s (W, 74-60)
The Tommies have reeled off three consecutive victories since dropping their season opener at Drake ... The latest triumph came at St. Mary’s where UST defeated the WCC-foe 74-60 behind a season-high 19 points from Jo Langbehn, who went 9-for-10 from the field ... The Tommies outscored the Gaels 25-16 in the second quarter to build a seven-point halftime lead and never trailed again ... Jade Hill and Amber Scalia both added 16 in the victory ... Prior to the win over the Gaels, St. Thomas registered a 70-62 win over Utah Valley ... Scalia scored a career-high 28 in that contest and is averaging a team-best 20.0 ppg after reaching double figures in all four games so far this season ... Scalia averaged 4.5 ppg and reached double figures just three times as a reserve guard a season ago ... The Tommies will face UC-Irvine and Butler in the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off hosted by Pacific this weekend.
SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES (3-3, 0-0 SL) | @SDCoyotesWBB
Next Up: vs. South Carolina State (11/25; 1 p.m.); Northern Iowa (11/29; 6 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: vs. DePaul (W, 83-71); vs. (NR/RV) Michigan (L, 70-52); vs. (RV/RV) Arizona (L, 61-52)
The Coyotes opened the Battle 4 Atlantis with an 83-71 victory over DePaul before dropping a pair of contests to Michigan and Arizona - two teams receiving votes in the national polls ... Through six games, South Dakota is 3-3 and has scored the same amount of points, 399, as it has yielded ... Grace Larkins is leading the Coyotes in scoring at 13.2 ppg and had a season-high 23 against the Blue Demons ... Saginaw Valley State transfer Tori DePerry had 16 off the bench in the loss to the Wolverines and is the only other Coyote averaging in double figures (11.3) ... Sophomore Walker Demers took her turn leading USD in scoring against Arizona, dropping a season-high 16 against the Wildcats ... South Dakota returns to the mainland to face South Carolina State at the Sanford Pentagon on Nov. 25 before playing Northern Iowa at home on Nov. 29.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE JACKRABBITS (2-2, 0-0 SL) | @GoJacksWBB
Next Up: South Carolina State (11/24; 6 p.m. CT); Washburn (11/28; 7 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: at UT Martin (W, 55-38); at (1/1) South Carolina (L, 78-38)
The Jackrabbits split a pair of road tilts last week, posting a 55-38 victory at UT-Martin before falling 78-38 to (1/1) South Carolina ... In the win over the Skyhawks, Mesa Byom came off the bench to pace the Jackrabbits with a career-high 14 points ... It was the second consecutive game that Byom notched a career-high after scoring 11 at Wisconsin in the two-point loss to the Badgers ... Sophomore Brooklyn Meyer also got into the career-high scoring act as she equaled hers after scoring half of SDSU’s points with 19 against the top-ranked Gamecocks ... She added 10 rebounds to record her league-leading third double-double of the season ... Meyer had 19 earlier in the season against the Badgers ... Meyer, who averaged 5.6 ppg and 3.6 rpg off the bench as a freshman last season, is scoring at a 15.3 ppg clip and pulling down 11.3 rpg for a depleted Jackrabbits’ squad ... SDSU returns home for a stretch of three straight that starts Friday with South Carolina State.
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