UND 75, Lake Superior State 50
The Sioux opened defense of their NCAA Division II title with a convincing win. Mandy Arndtson's 16 points led the Sioux, who had to shake off a less-than-sparkling first half.
"We kind of played helter-skelter," Sioux point guard Jaime Pudenz said. "We were doing a lot of individual stuff. We were so excited to get going."
UND led 38-24 at half, making 54 percent of its shots. But the Sioux committed 13 first-half turnovers, many coming on bad passes. There never was a doubt to the outcome. UND's defense was too much for slower Lake Superior State, which shot only 26 percent.
Game 2
UND 86, Florida Southern 74
In UND's first test of the season, the Sioux rolled to the 12-point victory against a team ranked No. 24 in the NCAA Division II poll.
The Sioux received career highs from Katie Richards (28 points) and Casey Carroll (14). Carroll scored 10 in the first half.
The Sioux broke a 37-37 halftime tie with a 12-4 run to start the second half. Richards scored seven of the points, while Mandy Arndtson accounted for the other five in the up-tempo game.
"It was a great game for our players," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "They had to challenge themselves to win a tough game on the road. This was a big game. I didn't know how we'd respond. For the most part, our players kept their composure and made baskets when we needed them the most."
Game 3
UND 68, St. Leo (Fla.) 45
The Sioux completed their Florida road trip with an easy victory over St. Leo. Jenny Crouse led UND with 19 points, while Jaime Pudenz added 14 and Mandy Arndtson 11.
UND played well defensively, giving St. Leo only 19 first-half points. The Sioux held the Florida team to only 22 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes.
Turnovers, however, continued to plague the Sioux, who were called for 26 floor violations.
Game 4
UND 82, Bemidji State 60
Bemidji surprisingly led for much of the first half before the Sioux turned it up a notch in the second half.
The combination of three games in five days and flying to and from Florida for two of the those games left the Sioux sluggish at the start.
"After flying back from that road trip, I think we were a little tired," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "Our legs weren't there. But the game is 40 minutes long -- you can't judge everything by how a game starts."
Mandy Arndtson led the Sioux with 31 points.
Game 5
UND 95, Minnesota-Duluth 67
Kami Winger's career-high 24 points led the Sioux. The 6-foot-2 senior scored 17 straight UND points in the first half.
"Usually, Kami plays her best when you need her the most," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "To me, she's one of the best athletes who has been at UND."
UND's transition game was sharp from the outset. The Sioux blitzed their way to a 49-22 halftime lead against a team that eventually would make the North Central Region postseason tournament.
Game 6
UND 93, Minnesota-Duluth 77
In the rematch, UND blitzed the Bulldogs in Duluth. The Sioux had five players in double figures, led by Jaime Pudenz' 17 points.
"The first 15 minutes, we really needed to play well and we did," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "I knew this game would be a lot tougher."
Added Duluth coach Karen Stromme: "North Dakota is better than us. But we battled them. We had some moments when we played the way we didn't want to play, and good teams are going to magnify your mistakes."
Game 7
UND 103, Moorhead State 67
UND's offense kept rolling. The Sioux led 56-37 at halftime by shooting 50 percent.
The Sioux had six players in double figures, led by Katie Richards' 22 points. The Sioux had 32 assists compared to only eight turnovers.
UND's performance also impressed Moorhead State coach Jean Roise. "If they're playing on all cylinders like that, they're definitely the best team in the nation," Roise said.
Game 8
UND 109, Minnesota-Morris 54
UND turned in a standout second-half performance, its transition game overwhelming Morris.
"I was entertained, and usually coaches don't get entertained," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "I like to see good passing more than anything else. And when we pass the ball two or three times on each possession, that means everyone is involved."
The Sioux scored a school-record 68 points in the second half, making 29 of 40 (73 percent) from the field.
Game 9
UND 91, Jamestown 47
In UND's last nonconference game, the Sioux lost forward Mandy Arndtson to a season-ending knee injury.
"My heart sank when it happened," Sioux point guard Jaime Pudenz said. "It was scary."
The Sioux shook off Arndtson's injury with a 17-0 run to turn the game into a rout.
Katie Richards led the Sioux with 21 points.
Game 10
UND 103, Northern Colorado 75
If there was a question about UND's depth, after the loss of Mandy Arndtson, Casey Carroll supplied the answer with a career-high 19 points.
"It's not like any one player will win the game," Carroll said. "On this team, there are a lot of threats."
Carroll scored 12 of her points in the first half, making four of eight shots. Those points were critical because the Bears -- for the first 20 minutes -- appeared to have enough horsepower to stay with the Sioux.
Kami Winger became the 15th player in Sioux history to score 1,000 or more points.
Game 11
UND 98, Nebraska-Omaha 52
The Sioux struggled early. After 11 minutes, UND and Nebraska-Omaha were tied at 16-16. A handful of missed UND shots and Sioux turnovers gave Omaha reason for optimism.
"When coach (Gene Roebuck) called time, he gave us that kind of gut-check look," Katie Richards said. "And then he said, 'Let's go.'"
And the Sioux took off, scoring 44 points over the next 12 minutes.
Jaime Pudenz led the Sioux with 25 points. She also had six steals and six assists.
Game 12
UND 95, NDSU 83
In the first of three memorable Sioux-Bison games, UND looked like it would blast North Dakota State off the floor in the early going.
Before 6,006 fans, the Sioux used a 16-4 run to start the second half to build a seemingly comfortable lead.
But the Bison came back. And the Sioux weren't assured of a victory until Jenny Hoffner hit a key 3-pointer with 4:46 to play, giving the Sioux an 86-75 lead.
"We needed to play in a game like this," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "You can practice all you want, but you have to play in a game with this kind of atmosphere and opponent to know how to win."
Game 13
UND 64, South Dakota 58
The Sioux simply struggled for most of the game against the Coyotes. Krissi Super and Jenny Hoffner, however, helped the Sioux avoid a major upset.
Super hit two key 3-pointers and Hoffner added one 3-pointer to rally the Sioux late.
"We were lucky to get out of here with a win," said Hoffner, who scored 14 points. "We weren't happy with our performance."
Super and Hoffner hit the 3-pointers in the final five minutes. Super's first 3-pointer came with the Sioux trailing 50-49.
Hoffner and Jenny Crouse led the Sioux with 13 points each.
Game 14
UND 102, Morningside 73
Katie Richards, still suffering from the aftereffects of a collision with teammate Kami Winger during the NDSU game, sat out. But the Sioux had more than enough to run past the Mustangs.
Winger led the Sioux with a career-high 26 points. Jenny Crouse added 23 points, as the Sioux took it to Morningside in the paint.
"Our attitude was to play hard and with emotion," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "Before you play well, you have to have the first two. And we did play hard and with emotion. They had trouble staying with us because of that."
Game 15
UND 90, St. Cloud State 74
This game belonged to Jenny Crouse, who set the UND career scoring record.
Crouse broke the old mark of 1,941 points set by former Sioux standout Sheri Kleinsasser. Crouse set the mark on one of UND's transition baskets. Crouse took a long pass from Katie Richards and gracefully put the basketball off the glass and into the net.
Crouse went on to score a game-high 28 points.
Game 16
UND 78, Minnesota State-Mankato 58
The Sioux went through the motions in disposing of the Mavericks.
"It seems like we're sluggish mentally," UND coach Gene Roebuck said.
Added Jenny Hoffner: "We won by 20, but it wasn't Sioux basketball."
Hoffner's 3-point shooting sparked a 15-0 run that put the game away. Jaime Pudenz and Jenny Crouse led the Sioux with 16 points each.
Game 17
UND 108, South Dakota State 77
UND was sharp in its blowout win over the Jackrabbits, a team that eventually qualified for the North Central Region tournament.
The Sioux simply ran the Jacks off the court for their 45th straight win.
"We felt really good," UND's Katie Richards said. "This is a big boost. Our style is 40 minutes of transition, and we've been missing that the past few weeks. Tonight, we wanted to send a message that the Sioux are back."
Richards led the Sioux with 26 points.
Game 18
UND 77, Augustana 59
A big second half carried the Sioux to the win against another team that qualified for the North Central Region tournament.
Jenny Crouse also went over the 2,000-point mark. Crouse was instrumental in helping the Sioux rally from a 27-25 first-half deficit. She scored eight of UND's last 10 first-half points and also had a steal that led to a Missy Leno layup and 33-28 halftime lead.
"Our defensive intensity picked up with a couple of minutes to go and when that happens, we get on a run offensively," Crouse said of UND's late first-half spurt.
Crouse finished the first half with 14 points and 14 rebounds. For the game, Crouse grabbed 26 rebounds, a school record. She also scored 25 points.
Game 19
NDSU 87, UND 83
UND's 46-game win streak was snapped by the Bison.
The Bison used a dominating inside game and free-throw shooting to hold off the Sioux.
"If everyone thinks this is the end of the world, it isn't," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "Monday will be another day of practice. And if we put this loss in the right perspective, it will make us a better basketball team."
Jayne Even scored 31 points to lead the Bison, who still own the longest NCAA Division II winning streak at 49 games.
The Sioux sent the Bison to the free-throw line 44 times. The Bison made 36 compared to UND's 18-of-24 showing. Jenny Crouse led the Sioux with 26 points but played only 19 minutes because of foul trouble.
Game 20
UND 124, Morningside 86
The Sioux wasted little time against the Mustangs. UND showed its dominating running game and showed no aftereffects of losing to rival North Dakota State a week earlier.
"We came out and attacked from the start," UND coach Gene Roebuck said.
UND's point total was the second-highest in school history.
Jenny Crouse led the Sioux with 25 points.
Game 21
UND 90, South Dakota 56
There was no scare from South Dakota in the second meeting between the teams.
The Coyotes challenged UND's outside shooting. And the Sioux delivered. Richards, UND's top perimeter threat, didn't back down. She hit six 3-pointers and finished with 28 points.
"It was about respect," Richards said. "We wanted to show them how well we could play. We wanted to show them we could score from the outside, too."
Game 22
UND 78, Minnesota State-Mankato 64
UND's free-throw shooting carried the Sioux, who shot only 35 percent from the field. But UND made 16 of 18 first-half free throws to offset its poor shooting.
"Our free throws kept us in the game," UND's Katie Richards said. "We got the calls and that kept us motivated to keep driving to the basket. In the second half, we got our transition game going and everything fell into place."
Jenny Crouse led UND with 21 points.
Game 23
UND 106, St. Cloud State 83
Jaime Pudenz and Jenny Crouse combined for 57 points. The Sioux, however, never felt completely safe until the final minutes.
"We have the athletic ability to keep up with them, but mentally we made too many mistakes," St. Cloud State Lori Ulferts said.
Pudenz, who scored a season-high 30 points, hit a key 3-pointer for an 87-73 lead with 5:12 left. "Jaime's basket was my play of the game," UND coach Gene Roebuck said.
Game 24
UND 94, Augustana 56
UND's defense shut down Augustana.
The victory clinched a share of the North Central Conference title for the Sioux.
"We held them to under 60 points, and that's always a goal for us," said Jaime Pudenz, whose defense constantly disrupted Augustana's offensive flow.
Katie Richards scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Sioux.
Game 25
UND 97, South Dakota State 78
South Dakota State tried to run with the Sioux, but UND had too much of everything en route to wrapping up its second straight NCC title.
A 17-5 second-half run gave UND a 70-53 lead with 10:36 left. The run came in the usual manner. Jenny Crouse (21 points) scored inside, Katie Richards (19) hit 3-pointers on transition and Jaime Pudenz (21) continued to dish assists as well as score.
"On a lot of weekends, when we play this well, we win two games," South Dakota State coach Nancy Neiber said.
Game 26
UND 62, Nebraska-Omaha 53
Jenny Crouse, on a free throw with 2:37 to play, broke the North Central Conference career scoring record. She needed 21 points to break the old mark of 1,328 points, set by ex-NDSU standout Kasey Morlock.
Crouse took control down the stretch, as the Sioux outscored the Mavericks 10-0 in the final two minutes.
Crouse also grabbed 11 rebounds to break the NCC career rebounding mark.
But UND's play wasn't sharp overall. "Obviously, we're not happy with the way we played," Jaime Pudenz said. "We don't want to go into the playoffs on a down note."
Game 27
UND 85, Northern Colorado 60
Casey Carroll was a surprise starter and the senior delivered, helping the Sioux jump to an early lead.
Carroll scored 15 points, 10 in the first half. Jenny Hoffner came off the bench to lead UND with 17 points.
"I started Casey because she's an up-tempo style of player," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "We needed to make sure we had the first burst."
Game 28
UND 84, Augustana 62
The Sioux led by only eight points at halftime, but outscored Augustana by 14 points in the second half to pull away for their win in the semifinal round of the North Central Region tournament at Hyslop Sports Center.
Katie Richards led UND with 21 points. Tonia Jones added 18 points, while Jenny Crouse finished with 14.
Game 29
UND 83, NDSU 60
Katie Richards' torrid second-half shooting carried the Sioux to their emotional victory over the Bison. Richards finished with 26 points and her shooting was crucial during UND's decisive 15-2 second-half run.
The win qualified UND for its third straight Elite Eight national tournament berth and its second straight trip to nationals in Pine Bluff, Ark.
"We're going to Pine Bluff, and that's all that matters," Richards said.
Richards was complemented by the play of Kami Winger (12 points, career-high 17 rebounds) and Tonia Jones (13 points).
"We knew what we wanted to do," Winger said. "We weren't going to let the Bison take advantage of us again."