WBB Preview: Blue Devils to make run at WIAC tourney berth this week

UW-La Crosse:  Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video   UW-Stevens Point:  Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video

THIS WEEK'S GAMES:  A WIAC Tournament berth was a faint dream a week ago, but UW-Stout kept their conference tournament hopes alive with a pair of wins against teams that are currently ahead of them in the standings. The Blue Devis defeated UW-Superior and UW-Platteville last week for a season sweep over both teams and now hold the head-to-head tie-breaker against both teams. Last week does not assure Stout of a tournament berth, but to say the Blue Devils could grab a fourth seed with wins over UW-La Crosse (10-14, 4-11 WIAC) and UW-Stevens Point (16-7, 9-5 WIAC), along with help from other teams, was nearly unthought of two weeks ago. The Blue Devils will host the Eagles, Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. and the Pointers, Saturday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. Stout lost to both La Crosse and Stevens Point the first time around. A Stout win over La Crosse would eliminate the Eagles from the tournament.

WEBCASTS:  All UW-Stout home games (becasue of the FOX Sports broadcast, Saturday's game with Platteville will not be available in a live video stream) will be available in a live video stream by Blue Devil Video, with Adam "Big Country" Lehnertz  on the call. WMEQ 880 Radio, with Jason Kenyon, Rob Silvers, Dan Schultz, Jimmie Kaska or Jake Bostrom, will broadcast and provide a live audio stream of away conference games. Stout will provide Live Stats for all home games. Check the Blue Devil Webcast page or under details of the schedule page to see broadcasts and Live Stats available when Stout is on the road. AnyWIAC Championship Tournament basketball games will be not be video streamed live.

CAREER STATS: Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page to check out the UW-Stout career highs for points, rebounds and assists of each Blue Devil player.

THIS WEEK BY THE NUMBERS
23	Number of players on Stout's roster that have seen action this season.
13	Number of games Stout has forced more than 20 turnovers
2-7-3-11	Number of seniors - juniors - sophomores - freshmen on Stout roster
440 - 27	Number of wins for coach Mark Thomas in numbers of seasons he has been head coach at UW-Stout.

STOUT THIS SEASON:  The Blue Devils have two players averaging double digits. Sami Schoeder leads the Blue Devils scoring attack with 11.0 points per contest. Kyleigh Hebert is averaging 10.2 points and leads the team with 49 assists, Brea Boomer is averaging 8.5 points and Shelby Sterba, 9.0.  But Sterba is out for the season due to injury.  Eight different Blue Devils have led Stout in scoring at least once, Schoeder in 12 games.  Folkers leads all active players with 6.7 and Boomer averages 5.3 rebounds.  Folkers is also averaging 6.9 points and leads the team in steals with 2.73 per contest.  Stout currently leads all WIAC opponents in rebounding, averaging 42.5 per game.  Stout is second amongst WIAC teams, behind UW-Whitewater, in steals, averaging 11.05 per game.  The Blue Devils are being outscored, 69.1-63.1. Stout has a roster of 23 players, 11 newcomers, 12 returners.  | 2013-14 Statistics

STOUT LAST TIME OUT: Sami Schoeder didn't have the best night shooting the basketball for the Blue Devils, but she came up big when it mattered most, canning a pair of free throws with just 7.1 seconds remaining to lift Stout to a 60-59 victory over UW-Platteville.  With the Blue Devils trailing 59-58 with time winding down, Schoeder was fouled while driving to the hoop. She calmly hit both of her free throws, giving Stout a 60-59 advantage.  Platteville tried to push the ball up the court and retake the lead, but a layup attempt missed and the Pioneers rebounded the ball out of bounds, surrendering control to Stout with only one second left in the game. Schoeder finished with nine points for Stout, but shot just 3-13 from the field and 1-7 from downtown as the Pioneers played a tight game defensively, limiting the Blue Devils to 25.6 percent (10-39) shooting in the second half and 31.5 percent (23-73) for the game  Story and Box Score  |  Sami Schoeder had 20 points and Kyleigh Hebert had 18 as Stout was able to hold off a late surge by the Yellowjackets to capture a 77-70 victory Wednesday night and complete a season sweep over the Yellowjackets. Stout hit a season-high 8 three-pointers in the victory, including five by Schoeder while also shooting a season high 42.1 percent (8-19) from downtown. Hebert shot 10-14 from the free throw line, including 4-5 over the final 1:30 to help preserve the win. Katelynne Folkers got the ball rolling for the Blue Devils, coming up with steals on Superior's first two possessions. A pair of free throws from Hebert after the second one put the Blue Devils up, 2-0, under a minute into the game. The Yellowjackets settled down after that, hitting four of their first five shots while the Stout hit just 1-5, a three-pointer by Schoeder. Another steal by Folkers, which she took end-to-end, made the game 8-7 in Superior's favor at the 16 minute mark.  | 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).

STANDING TALL: The Blue Devils have been hampered with injuries throughout the season, but Kyleigh Hebert, Brea Boomer and Katelynne Folkers have started all 23 games. Sami Schoeder missed two game due to illness, but has started all 21 games she played in. Getting starts throughout the year have been Shelby Sterba (13), Nicki Alexander (5),  Haley Froehlich (2), and Tara Matter (5).

FAST FINGERS:  Folkers has 63 steals on the season and is averaging 2.73 steals per contest, ranking her third in the WIAC. Folkers four times this season has collected six steals in a single game. Amy Jamieson (1996-97) holds the school record for steals in a single season with 90. Folkers had 59 steals in all of last season and currently has 149 career steals with at least five games left for this season. Amy Zelinger (1998-2002) holds the career record for steals with 275.

UW-LA CROSSE: The Eagles have two players scoring in double figures for the season.  They are led by Rachel Atchison, who averages 11.3 points per game.  Mallory Cramer is second on the team in scoring at 10.8 per game.  Cramer leads the team in rebounding, averaging 7.1 per game.  Katie Ehlen leads the team in assists and steals with 73 and 47 respectively.  La Crosse is currently tied for the WIAC lead in blocks, averaging 3.86 per game.  The Eagles are third in the conference in steals, averaging 10.32 per game.  La Crosse has been outscored 63.9-62.9 this season.  | 2013-14 Statistics

LAST TIME OUT:  The Eagles  fell 71-66 at UW-Superior Saturday afternoon in Mertz Motorelli Gymnasium. Mallory Cramer's jump shot gave UW-L a 12-10 lead with 12:40 remaining in the first half, but UW-Superior responded with a 15-2 run to lead 25-14 with 5:47 left. Rachel Atchison's layup cut the lead to 30-23 with :52 remaining before the Yellowjackets took a 33-23 halftime lead. UW-L trimmed UW-Superior's lead to four, twice in the early minutes of the second half.  The Eagles later trailed 41-35 with 14:56 remaining when the Yellowjackets scored the next six points to lead 47-35. UW-Superior led 60-44 with 6:10 left when UW-L used a 19-7 run to cut its deficit to 67-63 with 1:14 remaining. UW-Superior's Sally Linzmeier made four free throws in the game's final minute to seal the win for the Yellowjackets. UW-L shot 36.5% from the field, including 28.6% (six-of-21) from three-point range, and 77.8% (14-of-18) at the free throw line. Atchison led the Eagles with 17 points.  Erin Levenhagen and Marina Kneeland each scored 12 points while Cramer added 11.  Cramer, Levenhagen and Katie Ehlen each grabbed eight rebounds. UW-Superior shot 32.8% from the field, including 29.2% (seven-of-24) from three-point range, and 71.4% (20-of-28) at the line..  |  Game Story and Stats

LAST TIME THEY MET:  UW-Stout trailed by nine at halftime, pulled to within a tie with eight minutes left, then went stone cold and fell to UW-La Crosse, Jan. 15 at Mitchell Hall. Stout fought from behind all night and made their move at the 13:27 mark of the second half when trailing 34-23. Stout went on a 17-6 run to tie the score at 40-40 with 7:57 left on the clock. But Stout missed their final 11 shots from the field, scoring only five free throws the rest of the way. The Eagles went on an 8-1 run and let the lead slip to four points only once. The loss overshadowed a couple of career performances by Blue Devil players. Katelynne Folkers (Jr, Fall Creek) pulled down 20 rebounds and freshman Jenna Goldsmith (St. Anthony, Minn) tallied a career-best 12 points. The Eagles, who led 28-19 at halftime, had three players in double figures. Jenna Anderson led all scorers with 15 points. Rachel Atchison added 11 points and Maggi Bishop 10. Erin Levenhagen cleared 13 rebounds. | Game story and Stats

THE SERIES:  The Blue Devils lead the overall series 44-24.

UW-STEVENS POINT: Stevens Point has a balanced scoring attack, with only one player averaging double digits but five averaging seven points or more.   The Pointers are led by Myranda Tyler who is averaging 12.6 points per game.  Tyler is tops on the team in rebounding, averaging 8.6 per game.  Jenna Pitt and Alyssa Olp are averaging 8.8 and 8.7 points respectively.  Lauren Anklam averages 7.7 points per game.  Kaitlyn Jacobs is second on the team in rebounds, averaging 6.1.  Jacobs also averages 7.2 points per game.  Stevens Point is currently second in the WIAC in scoring defense, only giving up 58.2 points per game.  The Pointers lead the WIAC in field goal percentage, shooting 42.2 percent.  They also lead the league in rebounding margin at +6.4.  | 2013-14 Statistics

LAST TIME OUT:  The Pointers  held visiting UW-River Falls to 22.2 percent shooting and cruised to a 71-39 win on Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at Berg Gym.UW-Stevens Point shot 57.1 percent in the opening half and limited UW-River Falls ) to four field goals and 15.4 percent from the floor in building a 38-13 lead at the half. The Pointers never trailed in the game and led by as many as 32 in the second half. After an early 5-5 tie, UWSP took control by holding UWRF without a made field goal for nearly 11 minutes. During the stretch, the Pointers went on a 22-4 run to lead 27-9. By halftime, UW-Stevens Point had established a 25-point lead behind a 26-4 advantage in points in the paint and a 20-4 edge in bench points. Ten players scored for the Pointers in the first half. In the second half, UWSP continued its efficient offensive afternoon, shooting an even 50.0 percent to finish at 54.0 percent for the game. The Pointers defense forced 22 turnovers in the contest, which led to 17 points. Senior Alyssa Olp led all scorers in the game with 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field and made all four of her free throws. Fellow senior Myranda Tyler (Grafton, WI/Grafton) was also in double figures, making 5-of-6 shots for 12 points. Allie Micelli led the strong effort off the bench for UWSP, adding 10 points. Joann Wolfenberg chipped in with nine, while Autumn Hennes  added seven points and a team-high five rebounds. |  Game Story and Stats

LAST TIME THEY MET:  The Blue Devils had three players score in double figures, lead by Sami Schoeder with 17, but were unable to slow down Stevens Point resulting in a 80-58 defeat at the hands of the Pointers.  Schoeder also led the Blue Devils in rebounds with 7. The game stayed close throughout the first eight minutes of action before the Pointers began to add to the lead.  The Pointer lead got as high as 15 in the first half before settling at a 41-30 halftime score.  Stevens Points' second half lead grew to as much as 27, thanks in part to Myranda Tyler.  Tyler lead all scorers in the game with 24 points.  Kyleigh Hebert added 13 points, two rebounds and two assist for Stout.  Brea Boomer chipped in 11 points and three rebounds for the Blue Devils who shot just 18.7 percent from three point range in the game.  Kaitlyn Jacobs had a double double for the Pointers, scoring 11 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.  Alyssa Olp also scored in double figures for Stevens Point, chipping in 11 points.  Stevens Point outrebounded Stout 44-31 and outshot the Blue Devils 48.4 percent to 35.7 percent.  | Game story and Stats

THE SERIES:  Stevens Point leads the all time series 41-28.

AWARDS AND HONORS: Sami Schoede was selected as the UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual athlete of the week, Feb. 18...Kyleigh Hebert was selected as the UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual athlete of the week Jan. 6.

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.

TEAM CAPTAINS:  Senior Sami Schoeder, junior Brea Boomer and sophomore Kyleigh Hebert are team captains for the 2013-14 season.

THE COACHES: UW-Stout: Mark Thomas (442-274) 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.  UW-La Crosse: Lois Heeren  is in her 15th year as the head coach of the Eagles.  She led the Eagles to the 2011 national tournament.  Heeren is the all time winningest coach in program history with 192 wins.  UW-Stevens Point: Shirley Egner is in her 25th season at Stevens Point.  She is a four time WIAC coach of the year winner.  Egner led the Pointers to the 2001-2002 national championship.

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-Oshkosh, UW-La Crosse, UW-Stevens Point, UW- Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Superior, and UW-Whitewater.

UP NEXT:   The WIAC Championship Tournament will get underway Tuesday, Feb. 25. The top six teams advance to the playoffis, with the top two seeded teams receiving a fiist round bye. Stout could finish as high as the fourth seed and host a game, the fifth and sixth seed, or drop out of the tournament, depending on outcomes around the league. UW-Whitewater has earned the top seed. UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stevens Point will be either the second or third seed. As of this writing, no teams are numerically eliminated from the tournament.

UW-Stout 2013-14 Season Highs (Updated Feb. 17, 2014)

Points: 23, Hayley Froehlich vs. Colorado College, Dec. 31, 2013
3-Pointers Made: 5 (2x), Sami Schoeder vs. UW-Superior, Feb. 12, 2014; Hayley Froehlich vs. Colorado College, Dec. 31, 2013
Rebounds: 20, Katelynne Folkers vs. UW-La Crosse, Jan. 15, 2014
Assists: 7, Kyleigh Hebert vs. Colorado College, Dec. 31, 2013
Steals: 6, (4x) Katelynne Folkers vs. UW-Whitewater, Feb. 1, 2014; Katelynne Folkers vs. UW-River Falls, Jan. 29, 2014; Katelynne Folkers vs Colorado College, Dec. 31, 2013; Katelynne Folkers vs. Marian University, Nov. 19, 2013

UW-Stout 2013-14 Team Season Highs (Updated Feb. 17, 2014)

Points: 89, vs. Marian University, Nov. 19, 2013
Field Goals Made: 34 vs. North Central University, Nov. 15, 2013
Field Goal Percentage: .471 (33-70) vs. Marian University, Nov. 19, 2013
3-Pointers Made: 8 vs. UW-Superior, Feb. 12, 2014
Free Throws Made: 27 vs. UW-River Falls, Jan. 29, 2014
Free Throw Percentage: .833 (15-18) vs. St. Scholastica, Dec. 1, 2013
Rebounds: 68 vs. North Central University, Nov. 15, 2013
Assists: 18 vs. Colorado College, Dec. 31, 2013
Steals: 21 vs. Marian University, Nov. 19, 2013

UW-Stout Collegiate Career Highs (Updated Feb. 17, 2014)

Autumn Paulson - #1
Points: x
Rebounds: 1 vs. UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 25, 2014
Assists: x

Becca Smith - #2
Points: 10 vs. St. Joseph's, Jan. 1, 2014
Rebounds: 2 vs. St. Joseph's, Jan. 1, 2014
Assists: 2 (3x) vs. UW-Superior, Feb. 12, 2014; vs. UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 4, 2014; vs. Colorado College, Dec. 31, 2013

Kyleigh Hebert - #4
Points: 18 (2x) vs. UW-Superior, Feb. 12, 2014; vs. St. Cloud State, Nov. 23, 2013
Rebounds: 6 (6x) vs. St. Joseph's, Jan. 1, 2014; vs. St. Scholastica, Dec. 1, 2013; vs. St. Cloud State, Nov. 23, 2013; vs. UW-Oshkosh, Feb. 16, 2013; vs. UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 3, 2013; vs. UW-La Crosse, Jan. 16, 2013
Assists: 7 vs. Colorado College, Dec. 31, 2013

Caitlin Coombs - #5
Points: 6 vs. UW-River Falls, Jan. 29, 2014
Rebounds: 6 vs. Dubuque, Nov. 27, 2011
Assists: 1 (4x)

Rachel Hanley - #10
Points: 12 vs. Martin Luther, Nov. 25, 2012
Rebounds: 4 vs. UW-Whitewater, Dec. 3, 2011
Assists: 5 (2x) vs. Marian University, Dec. 15, 2012; vs. Whitewater, Jan. 19, 2013

Tara Matter - #11
Points: 10 (2x) vs. UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 4, 2014; vs. Marian, Nov. 19, 2013
Rebounds: 7 vs. Northwestern, Nov. 16, 2013
Assists: 2 (2x) vs. UW-Superior, Feb. 12, 2014; vs, UW-Oshkosh, Feb. 8, 2014

Haley Froehlich - #13
Points: 23 vs. Colorado College, Dec. 31, 2013
Rebounds: 7 vs. UW-La Crosse, Jan. 18, 2012
Assists: 3 (2x) vs. UW-River Falls, Jan. 23, 2013; vs. UW-Platteville, Feb. 2, 2013

McKayla Brunner - #14
Points: x
Rebounds: 1 vs. North Central, Nov. 15, 2013
Assists: 1 vs. North Central, Nov. 14, 2013

Brea Boomer - #15
Points: 22 (2x) vs. East Texas Baptist University, Dec. 20, 2012; vs. UW-Stevens Point, Jan. 9, 2013
Rebounds: 13 vs. UW-Platteville, Feb. 4, 2012
Assists: 3 (3x) vs. UW-Platteville, Jan. 11, 2014; vs. St. Scholastica, Dec. 1, 2013; vs. UW-Platteville, Dec. 8, 2012

Sara Bedford - #20
Points: 10 vs. North Central, Nov. 15, 2013
Rebounds: 3 vs. Northwestern, Nov. 16, 2013
Assists: 2 vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 18, 2014

Maygan Mitchell - #22
Points: 12 vs. Crown College, Nov. 28, 2012
Rebounds: 8 vs. Crown College, Nov. 28, 2012
Assists: 3 vs. River Falls, Dec. 12, 2012

Jessica Kreitz - #24
Points: 6 vs. North Central, Nov. 15, 2013
Rebounds: 7 vs. North Central, Nov. 15, 2013
Assists: 1 (2x) vs. North Central, Nov. 15, 2013; vs. Northwestern, Nov. 16, 2013

Nikki Alexander - #25
Points: 9 vs. Winona State, Nov. 21, 2013
Rebounds: 7 (2x) vs. Winona State, Nov. 21, 2013; vs. North Central, Nov. 15, 2013
Assists: 2 (3x) vs. St. Scholastica, Dec. 1, 2013; vs. St. Cloud State, Nov. 20, 2012; vs. Martin Luther College, Nov. 25, 2012

Jasmyne Hazelton - #30
Points: 3 vs. UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 25, 2014
Rebounds: 1 (2x) vs. UW-River Falls, Dec. 11, 2013; vs. St. Cloud State, Nov. 23, 2013
Assists: 2 vs.St. Cloud State, Nov. 23, 2013

Sami Schoeder - #32
Points: 31 vs. UW-Platteville, Jan. 8, 2011
Rebounds: 10 vs. Hamline, Nov. 17, 2012
Assists: 4 vs. Hamline, Nov. 17, 2012

Shelby Sterba - #33
Points: 18 vs. St. Scholastica, Dec. 1, 2013
Rebounds: 10 (2x) vs. St. Joseph's, Jan. 1, 2014; vs. Dakota State, Nov. 29, 2013
Assists: 2 (4x) vs. UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 4, 2014; vs. Superior, Dec. 4, 2013; vs. UW-River Falls, Dec. 12, 2012; vs. Marian, Nov. 19, 2013

Katelynne Folkers - #34
Points: 16 vs. Hamline, Nov. 17, 2012
Rebounds: 20 vs. UW-La Crosse, Jan. 15, 2014
Assists: 5 (4x) vs. St. Cloud State, Nov. 20, 2012; vs. St. Scholastica, Nov. 24, 2012; vs. Eau Claire, Jan. 3, 2013; vs. UW-La Crosse, Feb. 6, 2013

Stephanie Kastens - #35
Points: 6 vs. Whitewater, Jan. 19, 2013
Rebounds: 4 vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 18, 2014
Assists: 1 (4x) vs. UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 25, 2014; vs. North Central, Nov. 15, 2013; vs. St. Cloud State, Nov. 20, 2012; vs. North Central, Nov. 15 2013

Jenna Goldsmith - #41
Points:12 vs UW-La Crosse, Jan. 15, 2014
Rebounds: 6 (3x) vs. UW-Whitewater, Feb. 1, 2014; vs. UW-Platteville, Jan. 11, 2014; vs. Northwestern, Nov. 16, 2013
Assists: 1 (3x) vs. UW-Whitewater, Feb. 1, 2014; vs. North Central, Nov. 15, 2013; vs. Northwestern, Nov. 16, 2013

Hannah Schmitt - #42
Points: x
Rebounds: 1 (2x) vs. St. Cloud State, Nov. 23, 2013; vs. Whitewater, Dec. 7, 2013
Assists: 1 vs. Whitewater, Dec. 7, 2013

Katie Nickles - #44
Points: 9 (2x) vs. St. Scholastica, Nov. 24, 2012; vs. UW-La Crosse, Feb. 6, 2013
Rebounds: 9 vs. St. Scholastica, Nov. 24, 2012
Assists: 2 (3x) vs. St. Joseph's, Jan. 1, 2014; vs. East Texas Baptist University, Dec. 30, 2012; vs. UW-La Crosse, Feb. 6, 2013

Hannah Schwahn - #50
Points: x
Rebounds: x
Assists: x