WBB Preview: Two Division II foes on the docket for Stout this week

Winona State:  Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video    St. Cloud State:  Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video


THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (2-1, 0-0 WIAC) will take on a pair of NCAA Division II schools on the road, traveling to Winona State (2-0, 0-0 NSIC), Thursday, Nov. 21 and to St. Cloud State (1-0, 0-0 NSIC), Saturday, Nov. 23.

THIS WEEK BY THE NUMBERS
24	Number of players on Stout's roster
12	Number of freshmen on Stout's roster
2-7-3	Number of seniors - juniors - sophomores on Stout roster
433 - 26	Number of wins for coach Mark Thomas in numbers of years he has been head coach at UW-Stout.

THE BLUE DEVILS (2-1, 0-0 WIAC): The Blue Devils bring a huge roster to the 2013-14 season, a roster tallying 24 players. But of those, 12 are newcomers to the program. But on the flip side, 12 returners have seen time in a Blue Devil uniform. Senior Sami Schoeder returns to lead the Blue Devils and is back to 100 percent, according to 27th year coach Mark Thomas,  since an injury kept her out half of her sophomore season. Even at less than 100 percent, Schoeder caught the attention of conference opponentsand was an all-WIAC honorable mention selection for the second time. Schoeder averaged 8.7 points last year and Thomas said the team will lean on Schoder as a shooter. Brea Boomer brings a tough mentality inside the paint. As a sophomore, Boomer averaged 11.8 poitns and 4.3 rebounds. She also earned all-WIAC honorable mention honors. Katelynn Folkers, who has played the point the past two years, will move to a wing as Kyleigh Hebert, who joined the team after Christmas, gets more accustomed to the Blue Devil system. Folkers averaged 8.6 points and led the team in assists with 55. She was third on the team in rebounds, averaging 5.0 caroms. Hebert, who played in 12 games, averaged 5.6 points and dished off 21 assists. Rachel Hanley and Schoeder are the only seniors on the team. Hanley will come off the bench as a point guard.  | 2012-13 Statistics

The Blue Devils are 2-1 so far this season.  Stout has ten players who are averaging ten minutes or more through the first three games.  Sami Schoeder is averaging 9.7 points a game to lead the Blue Devils.  Kyleigh Hebert, Shelby Sterba and Brea Boomer are all averaging 9.0 points per game.  Jenna Goldsmith is leading the team in rebounds, averaging 5.0 per game.  Kyleigh Hebert has also been the top distributor so far this season, as she has accumulated five assists through three games  Stout is out rebounding (145-115) and out scoring (227-203) opponents on the young season.  | 2013-14 Statistics

STOUT LAST TIME OUT:  The Blue Devils opened up their home schedule with a 89-74  victory over Marian on Nov. 19.     | story and box score

STOUT LAST SEASON:  The Blue Devils finished the 2012-13 season with a 10-15 overall record, 4-12 in the WIAC, an eighth place finish. Eleven different players posted starts at one point throughout the season as injury swept through the team. Stout does return three of their four leading scorers from last year in Brea Boomer, Sami Schoeder and Katelynne Folkers. Boomer started 21 games, Schoeder 15 and Folkers 24. Stout was the fourth-ranked team in the conference in scoring (64.0), but was lost in points allowed (68.8) and eighth in scoring margin (minus-4.8). Stout led the league in steals (11.36), was fourth in blocked shots (2.84), first in offensive rebounds (15.28), fifth in defensive rebounds (25.16) and third in 3-point shots made (4.80).

SCOUTING WINONA STATE:  The Warriors opened their season winning two games against Division III foes.  Winona took care of Saint Mary's 62-51 before defeating UW-La Crosse 53-46.  Abby Busch lead the Warriors in both games, averaging 21 points and 10.5 rebounds.  Kelsey Andrist, the daughter of Blue Devil men's coach Eddie Andrist, is second on the team in scoring and rebounds through two games, averaging 10.5 and 5.0 respectively.  Winona is currently second in the NSIC in scoring defense, allowing just 48.5 points per contest.  The Warriors have a young roster which includes seven freshman. Stout played the Warriors last season in an exhibition game, falling 100-47.   |  2013-14 Statistics

SCOUTING ST. CLOUD STATE:  The Huskies have started the season 1-0.  They have played one team from every level but their own, having beat Valley State (NAIA) 91-65, losing to Saint Thomas (NCAA 3) 66-56 in an exhibition and losing to UW-Green Bay (NCAA DI) 74-63 in an exhibition.  St. Cloud will have one more game against Grand View University before facing Stout.  Jessica Benson and Lexy Petermann rank 1-2 in scoring for the Huskies, averaging 19.0 and 18.0 respectively.  Benson also leads the team in rebounding averaging 5.0 per game.  Rachael Moen is the Huskies top distributor collecting six assists on the year.  | 2013-14 Statistics

WHEN THEY LAST MET: The Huskies took a 74-56 win in Menomonie last November. Jessica Benson scored 15 points to lead St. Cloud, while Whitney Rawdon scored 12 to lead Stout. | Game Story and Stats

TRADITION: In 10 of the last 14 seasons, Stout has been either the first or second leading scoring team in the WIAC. In the final team standings, Stout has finished no lower in the conference than fourth in 11 of the last 15 years

JOHNSON FIELDHOUSE: The "cozy confines of Johnson Fieldhouse" has proven to be quite an advantage for the Blue Devils. Since the 2000-01 season, Stout has posted a 122-34 (.784) record at home. In conference games at Johnson Fieldhouse since 2000-01, Stout has a 76-26 (.747) record. Throw in the conference tournament games, and Stout has an 90-26 (.779) overall record against WIAC opponents at home.

THE COACHES: UW-Stout: Mark Thomas (433-261) is in his 27th year as the coach of the Blue Devils. Thomas has led his teams to 10 national playoff berths, nine times in the NCAA. A six-time WIAC coach of the year, the Blue Devils have won five conference titles and four conference tournament championships. His teams have twice been to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Thomas is the first WIAC coach to have reached 400 career wins. Thomas also has the most wins of any Stout basketball coach, either men's or women's. Dwain Mintz coached the men's basketball program for 27 years and compiled a 385-280 record.  Winona State:   Scott Ballard has won over 400 games in his collegiate career that has spanned stops at Missouri Southern State and Central Missouri State.  Ballard is 24th in career wins among active NCAA Division 2 coaches.  His .630 winning percentage is 42nd among active Division 2 women's coaches.  St. Cloud State:   Lori Fish is entering her sixth season as head coach of the Huskies and tenth overall as a collegiate coach.  Fish has a career record of 138-115 which includes a stop as the head coach at Mankato State.  

THE ROAD TO 400 WINS: Mark Thomas' first collegiate win came the second game of his first season when his Blue Devils, which had won only two games over the previous two years, defeated Mt. Senario, 73-44, in November, 1987. The wins came more often after that. Thomas got his 50th win, Feb. 28, 1991, 71-60, over Cardinal Stritch. The 100th win came Jan. 10, 1994, an 80-59 win over UM-Morris. No. 200 came at UW-River Falls, a 78-74 victory on Jan. 5, 2000. Thomas' 300th win came in overtime, a 76-68 decision over UW-Stevens Point, Jan. 29, 2005. Thomas' 400th win came at UW-Stevens Point, a 90-76 decision, Feb. 3, 2010.

CONFERENCES: UW-Stout is a member of the nine-team Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) along with UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Superior, and UW-Whitewater.

UP NEXT:  The Blue Devils will be off until they host the Super 8 Thanksgiving Turkey Shootout.  They will face off against Dakota State on Friday Nov. 29 at 7 pm and St. Scholastica on Sunday Dec. 1 at 2 pm.