Herald Staff Writer
VERMILLION, S.D. -- The baskets in the spacious DakotaDome, dwarfed by the facility's expansive background, can test an opposing player's ability to shoot the basketball.
UND's Jaime Pudenz easily passed the DakotaDome deception test, leading the Sioux to an 85-57 North Central Conference women's basketball win over South Dakota on Saturday night.
There was nothing deceptive about UND's win. The Sioux ran and shot their way to the easy win, led by Pudenz' 25 points and 18 points from hard-working Mandy Arndtson.
Pudenz was 9 of 14 from the field, including a 6-of-9 showing on three-pointers. The Sioux made 10-of-19 three-pointers and were 13-for-26 from beyond the arc a night earlier in their win at Morningside.
"Things just felt right,"Pudenz said."I was ready to take the shot and step up and make them. You want to be a leader and you have to take what teams give you."
Outmatched South Dakota, who threw a scare into the cold-shooting Sioux a year ago in the DakotaDome, stayed in a zone the entire game. The zone limited UND's inside scoring but also gave Pudenz scoring opportunities.
Pudenz got good shots because of an effective UND passing game."We didn't have to work so hard because we had good passing,"Pudenz said."Getting players open was big."
As the Sioux enter the stretch run of the season, their Grade A shooting comes as good news considering UND's three-pointer shooting (34 percent entering the game) has been inconsistent much of the season.
Inconsistency was not a problem for the Sioux on their weekend sweep. Their offense was as effective as it has been all season. Defensively, UND was solid, holding South Dakota (3-10 NCC, 10-12 overall) without a field goal for the first 13 minutes. The Coyotes, who shot 14 percent in the first half, were led by Julia Frie's 16 points.
UND's weekend was more about the Sioux than their opponents. That was UND's motto in preperation for the games after losing a week earlier to rival North Dakota State.
"This was the best week we've had as far as effort, togetherness and unselfishness,"UND coach Gene Roebuck said."Everyone was giving up the ball, running the floor and playing for each other."
Four of UND's starters finished in double figures. Theresa LeCuyer (12 points) and Jenny Boll (10) complemented Pudenz and Arndtson, who perhaps had her best weekend of the season.
For the first time since early last season, Arndtson, who had to battle back from a serious knee injury, said she felt like she was back into the flow of the game.
"I haven't been happy a lot of the time,"Arndtson said."I haven't been in the flow. Last week, I met with coach and he said, Mandy, you just need to go out and play and not think so much about everything.' I just need to go out and have fun."
Fun is what the Sioux had.
UND 85, South Dakota 57
Key play: Jaime Pudenz' first three-pointer.
Key player: Jaime Pudenz, 25 points, 6-of-9 three-pointers.
Key stat: UND holds USD to only four first-half field goals.
| UND (85) | |||
| Name | FG | FT | Points |
| Pudenz | 9-14 | 1-2 | 25 |
| Jones | 1-8 | 1-2 | 3 |
| Haas | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Hoffner | 3-5 | 0-0 | 8 |
| Moen | 1-2 | 2-2 | 4 |
| Richards | 1-4 | 0-0 | 3 |
| Arndtson | 3-4 | 11-13 | 18 |
| LeCuyer | 4-6 | 4-5 | 12 |
| Boll | 4-8 | 2-2 | 10 |
| Palbicki | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Pick | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Totals | 27-57 | 21-26 | 85 |
| South Dakota (57) | |||
| Frie | 5-14 | 6-7 | 16 |
| Koronkiewicz | 0-1 | 1-2 | 1 |
| Oster | 1-4 | 6-9 | 8 |
| Sudbeck | 3-5 | 0-0 | 6 |
| Keopp | 2-6 | 5-9 | 9 |
| Gorman | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Jaycox | 2-6 | 0-0 | 5 |
| Nelson | 5-20 | 0-0 | 10 |
| Iverson | 1-6 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Totals | 19-63 | 18-27 | 57 |
Halftime: UND 44, SD 17.
3-point goals: UND 10-19 (Pudenz 6-9, Jones 0-1, Richards 1-3, Pick 0-1, Hoffner 2-4, Arndtson 1-1), SD 1-16 (Frie 0-6, Nelson 0-5, Gorman 0-1, Jaycox 1-4).
Fouled out: Boll, Iverson.
Total fouls: UND 22, SD 22.