UP NEXT FOR NORTH DAKOTA

On Friday the 13th, the University of North Dakota women's basketball team will open the 2009-10 regular season when it hosts 11-time defending Horizon League champion Green Bay. Tip-off between the Fighting Sioux and the Phoenix is slated for 4 p.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

SERIES HISTORY

Last year, North Dakota and Green Bay met at mid-court for the first time since the series opened on Dec. 5, 1986. On that date, the Phoenix opened the series with a 75-42 win in Green Bay.

The Fighting Sioux dropped to 0-2 against Green Bay with a 41-66 road loss on Nov. 25, 2008.

RECORD REWIND

The University of North Dakota women's basketball program holds a 751-268 (.737) record all-time since the first game was played in 1974. The Fighting Sioux are 410-74 (.847) at home, 275-139 (.664) on the road, and 70-40 (.636) when in neutral territory.

Under head coach Gene Roebuck UND is 575-104 (.847).

OPEN SEASON

All-time in season openers, North Dakota holds a 29-5 record with a near-perfect 19-1 mark at home and a 10-4 record on the road.

The Fighting Sioux have won 19-consecutive season openers at home. The first and last time they lost an opener in Grand Forks was on Dec. 10, 1977. On that date, the Sioux fell to Northland C.C. 51-33. That game was also the first season opener played at home.

Overall, North Dakota has not lost a season-opening game since it was defeated on the road by Michigan Tech 86-71 on Nov. 27, 1992.

Since UND opened it's first season of women's basketball on Dec. 8, 1975, it has out-scored its opponents 2,739-1,957 in season openers. That's an average score of 80.6-57.6 per game.

NOTING THE FIGHTING SIOUX

After finishing its debut NCAA Division I season with an 18-11 record and a Spring Thaw Tournament title, the University of North Dakota was picked to win the inaugural Great West Conference championship. In addition to the title nod, three players were named to the preseason all-conference team and one received honorable mention.

The Fighting Sioux started the 2009-10 season with a pair of exhibition wins at home. UND first defeated Jamestown 86-56 (Oct. 29) and then went on to take a 74-56 victory over Minnesota, Crookston (Nov. 4).

Against Jamestown, pre-season all-conference first team member and 2009-10 team captain Kayla Bagaason (G, Sr., Clearbrook, Minn.) led the team with 23 points. Three other players also finished in double figures as UND out-shot the Jimmies 50 percent - 37.2 percent and held them to just 28 points in both halves.

Versus the Golden Eagles, the Sioux had a new player step up. Junior transfer Kate Sharkova (F, Borisov Minsk Region, Belarus) tallied the year's first double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. She also added six blocked shots and a pair of steals. Sharkova was joined in high scoring with Bagaason, who had a game-high 18 points, and senior captain Alys Seay (G, Grand Forks, N.D.), who finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.

The Sioux return three starters in Bagaason, preseason all-conference honorable mention Jossy Bergan (G, Sr., Valley City, N.D.), and preseason all-conference second team member Mallory Youngblut (Davenport, Iowa).

They also return three other letterwinners: Seay, senior captain and pre-season all-conference second team member Whitney Ledger (F, Bismarck, N.D.), and junior Corey Lof (F, Detroit Lakes, Minn.). Also back for another season are sophomores Ashley Privratsky (G, Devils Lake, Minn.) and Kirstie Gillett (F, Tolna, N.D.).

Joining those eight on the roster are: Sharkova, redshirt freshman Jenna Gillett (Tolna, Minn.) and freshmen Nicole Smart (Ada, Minn.) and Shyla Kuehl (Hustisford, Wis.).

NOTING THE PHOENIX

After winning its 11th-straight regular-season championship, Green Bay has been tagged to win its 12th Horizon League title. The Phoenix are the first team in conference history to win 18 games in one season and now hold the nation's longest active, conference title, winning-streak.

After losing its top two scorers and its top rebounder, Green Bay will come into the 2009-10 season with a very young team.

Junior Celeste Hoewisch finished third on the team last year with an average of 10.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game and first on the team with 80 steals. She was named to the preseason All-Horizon League first team. Teammate Kayla Tetschlag, who scored at least 12 points in the final two games, was named to the second team.

GREEN BAY HEAD COACH MATT BOLLANT

During his second season with the Phoenix, Bollant led Green Bay to new heights in the Horizon League by becoming the first team in league history to win 18 games en-route to the program's 11th-straight regular-season championship. Bollant's efforts earned him Horizon League Coach of the Year honors for the second consecutive season (2008 co-coach of the year).

In just two seasons, Bollant has compiled an impressive 35-1 conference record and an overall mark of 55-10. The 2008-09 team went 29-4 to tie the school record for victories and made an appearance in the 2009 NCAA tournament. The team's win total marked the 32nd consecutive winning season and 10th straight, 20-win campaign.

Bollant was also recognized by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association as the Division I Coach of the Year.

PROTECT AND SERVE

All-time, the Fighting Sioux are 410-74 (.847) when it comes to defending their own court and are 314-30 (.913) under the tutelage of Gene Roebuck.

Since the program's beginning in 1974, the Green and White have gone undefeated in Grand Forks six times, including back-to-back seasons from 1997-1999. In those years, the Sioux were national champions.

LET'S GET BETTY TO RUMBLE

UND is 81-6 (.913) all-time at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, which opened prior to the 2004-05 season.

is in his third season as the leader of the Green Bay women's basketball team.

- Go Sioux -