Bison Women Travel to Omaha, Reach Midway Point of Summit League Schedule

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North Dakota State (7-12, 3-4 Summit League) reaches the midway point of the Summit League schedule ... NDSU is scheduled to play at the University of Nebraska Omaha (13-5, 3-3 Summit League) at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24 ... The Bison split a pair of league games last week, defeating IUPUI 71-68 and dropping an 85-83 decision to Western Illinois ... The Mavs won a pair of non-league games on the road at Chicago State and Indiana Dabney ... UNO is in fourth place in the league standings, the Bison are sixth ... North Dakota State ranks 11th in the NCAA in free throw shooting, hitting 223 of 289 attempts for 77.2 percent ... Five-foot-eight senior Katie Birkel ranks 16th on the NDSU scoring list with 1,285 points.

The Series
This will be the 51st meeting between North Dakota State and Omaha ... The Bison lead the series 41-9 ... Both teams were members of the North Central Conference ... The teams haven’t played since the 2003-04 season, NDSU’s last season at Division II ... NDSU won both meetings, 88-56, on Jan. 16, 2004, in Fargo, and 94-69 on Feb. 21, 2004, at Omaha ... The Mavs’ last win in the series, 77-76, came Jan. 26, 2002, at Omaha.

At Home With the Bison
North Dakota State has compiled a 405-73 (.847) record at home, including a 102-34 mark inside the “Friendly Confines” over the past 10 seasons good for a .750 winning percentage ... NDSU is 5-5 at home ... The Bison are averaging 707 fans over 10 home dates this season including a season high 2,709 against North Dakota on Nov. 30.

Bison On Radio
Thursday’s Omaha game will be on KFGO-AM 790 ... Radio Fargo Moorhead sports director Jack Michaels will handle the call ... There is a 20 minute-pregame and a 20-minute postgame ... Scott Miller hosts Bison Feedback on KFGO-AM 790 featuring women’s basketball coach Carolyn DeHoff and men’s basketball coach Saul Phillips on Mondays 7-8 p.m.

Bison In The Summit League Statistics
North Dakota State was represented in the Summit League statistics released Jan. 21, 2013 (league games only) ... Individually in the top 10, Dani DeGagne is second in rebounding (8.1 rpg), tied for second in steals (2.7 spg), fourth in assists (4 apg), sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.6), seventh in free throw shooting (.848, 28-33) and ninth in scoring (14.1 ppg); Katie Birkel is seventh in scoring (14.6 ppg) and eighth in assists (3.4 apg), and Marena Whittle is third in rebounding (7.9 rpg) ... Team-wise (top three), the Bison are second in assist/turnover ratio (1.1) and third in free throw shooting at .769 (83-108).

Birkel Moving Up Career Charts
North Dakota State 5-foot-8 senior Katie Birkel is moving up the career charts ... Birkel, who missed last season due to a knee injury, has moved up to 16th on the all-time scoring list with 1,285 points ... She is averaging 12.1 points per game during her career ... Birkel has started all 106 games played, 5th all-time ... She is 1st in minutes played per game (33.6 avg/g), 4th in three-point field goals attempted (373), 7th in assists per game (3 apg), 8th in steals per game average (1.8 avg/g), defensive rebounds (305) and three-point field goals made (119), and 10th in steals (187) and scoring average (12.1 ppg) ... Birkel has played 3,557 minutes over 104 games ... She ranks third among active Summit League players in points and tops in assists (320)

Defensive Minded Bison
North Dakota State is 40-10 over the past five seasons when holding opponents to 59 points or less ... NDSU held Western Illinois to 31 points on Dec. 7, 2009 -- the lowest total recorded against a Division I opponent since making the transition ... The 31 points allowed also matched a school modern day record set previously vs. Mayville State (71-31, 11-13-98), vs. Dickinson State (82-31, 11-19-04) and vs. Valley City State (81-31, 12-14-06).

Hoops for Hannah
North Dakota State senior guard Hannah Linz has experienced a recurrence of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and will begin treatment for cancer ... NDSU student-athletes have rallied for Hannah and are asking for goodwill donations ... The offerings can be placed in a “Hoops for Hannah” basket during remaining home events ... Donations can be made directly to the Hannah Linz Fund, c/o Gate City Bank, 500 2nd Ave. N., Fargo, N.D. 58102, or in person at any Gate City Bank location ... Linz was originally diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma on April 8, 2010, following her freshman season with the Bison ... “We have witnessed firsthand Hannah’s fight to beat it the first time and see this setback as nothing different in her approach to win the battle with cancer this time,” said head coach Carolyn DeHoff. “We ask that you keep her in your thoughts and prayers and respect Hannah’s privacy at this time.” ... Linz played in 100 games for the Bison since the start of the 2009-10 season, averaging 6.5 points per game ... Linz is No. 2 all-time at NDSU with 156 three-pointers made ... She is a three-time selection to the Summit League All-Academic Team ... Linz plans to complete her education at NDSU and graduate with a degree in nursing.

Bison Coaches Corner
Bison Coaches Corner featuring women’s basketball coach Carolyn DeHoff and men’s basketball coach Saul Phillips can be seen weekly during The Summit League season exclusively on GoBison.com ... The show feature game footage and call of the game (home weekends), player features and analysis from both Phillips and DeHoff ... Bison Coaches Corner is hosted by NDSU director of athletic broadcasting/sales Jeremy Jorgenson and directed by Ryan Nelson, a senior broadcast journalism major from Roseau, Minn.