Even though the Sioux win their games by an average of 34 points, it's important to come early and stay late.
UND does its damage early, running past opponents for layups and throwing down 3-pointers. And the Sioux save some suspense for the end, too. There's always that possibility of UND hanging a hundred on its opponent.
Against Mankato State the Sioux game close, beating the Mavericks 99-53 in a North Central Conference women's basketball game Saturday night at Hyslop Sports Center.
UND, the nation's top scoring team with a 91.9 average, won its 10th straight and improved to 5-0 in the NCC and 13-1 overall. Mankato dropped to 1-5 and 10-4.
UND's offense never skipped a beat against the Mavericks. After an 18-2 run gave the Sioux a 23-10 lead, the only question was whether UND would hit the century mark for the third straight game.
Casey Carroll's fast-break basket with 1:30 to play left UND one point short of the century mark in a game dominated by the Sioux running game and 3-point shooting. UND made 14 of 27 from beyond the arc.
"I don't know if it's important at all to get 100 points," said Tiffany Pudenz, who led the Sioux with 17 points. "It's nice to get a 100, but it's probably more important for the fans."
Even though UND has blown out its last nine opponents, scoreboard watching is secondary to full-throttle play by starters and reserves.
"I really had no clue what the score was," said freshman Mandy Arndtson, whose hustling play led her to 13 points and 9 rebounds. "I didn't know it until we were in the locker room.
"We just want to play as hard as we can when we're out there," Arndtson said.
UND's assault on 100 points took time to materialize against Mankato's methodical play. Rita Anderson's inside basket gave Mankato an 8-5 lead 2 minutes into the game, but the Sioux later broke the game open with their 18-2 run.
The run was highlighted by Elisha Kabanuk's three-point play, two Jaime Pudenz baskets, one on an offensive rebound, and an Arndtson 3-pointer. Most of the points in the run came off UND's transition game, which has hit a higher gear as the Sioux approach the heart of their NCC schedule.
"We're playing well right now," Tiffany Pudenz said.
UND coach Gene Roebuck couldn't find much if any fault with his team's play against Mankato and St. Cloud on Friday night. "We played solid for 40 minutes on both ends of the court," Roebuck said. "Mankato's defense tried to take some things away from us. But our players did a nice job in breaking down their defense."
And the Sioux defense again was solid, especially inside. Jenny Crouse and Kami Winger, UND's post players, avoided foul trouble and did not let the Maverick post players dominate. Crouse blocked four shots one night after the 6-foot-3 junior set the NCC career record in that category.
UND again had five players in double figures, led by Tiffany Pudenz. Jaime Pudenz (16), Kabanuk (15), Crouse (15) and Arndtson (13) also were in double figures as no Sioux played more than 28 minutes.
The trend of five players in double figures should continue if the Sioux keep running they way they have been in recent games.
"We're moving the ball well and looking for the open player," Arndtson said. "We're playing together."
| Mankato State (53) | |||
| Name | FG | FT | Points |
| Hintgen | 3-10 | 0-0 | 6 |
| Stachowski | 2-5 | 2-4 | 6 |
| Swanson | 1-6 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Anderson | 4-9 | 3-5 | 11 |
| Setter | 3-6 | 3-4 | 10 |
| Lutgen | 1-3 | 2-2 | 4 |
| Sartor | 5-11 | 4-4 | 4 |
| Totals | 19-59 | 19-27 | 53 |
| UND (91) | |||
| J. Pudenz | 6-11 | 0-0 | 16 |
| Jones | 3-3 | 2-2 | 8 |
| T. Pudenz | 4-9 | 6-8 | 17 |
| Winger | 3-10 | 0-1 | 6 |
| Kabanuk | 5-6 | 1-1 | 15 |
| Carroll | 2-3 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Richards | 2-4 | 0-1 | 5 |
| Arndtson | 4-6 | 3-4 | 13 |
| Crouse | 4-8 | 7-10 | 15 |
| Totals | 33-62 | 19-27 | 99 |