Preview: Denver Women Set for Summit League Rematch at North Dakota State

FARGO, N.D. (Interstat) — The North Dakota State women’s basketball team, riding a dominant start to Summit League play, will host Denver on Thursday night at Scheels Arena in a rematch of a lopsided contest from earlier this month.

The Bison (16-2, 5-0 Summit) have established themselves as the class of the conference, winning their last 11 games. Their most recent victory was a 79-56 rout of South Dakota on Jan. 24. North Dakota State handed Denver a decisive 81-44 defeat in Denver on Jan. 3.

Avery Koenen has been a force for NDSU. The standout forward averaged 22.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in her last two games, including a 25-point, 11-rebound performance in the January win over the Pioneers.

Denver (9-11, 2-3) arrives with momentum from an 86-74 home win over Oral Roberts on Jan. 24, which snapped a three-game skid. Guard Jocelyn Medina posted a triple-double in that victory with 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. She was limited to eight points in the prior meeting with NDSU.

The Pioneers’ challenge is steep. Beyond the Bison’s record, they boast a potent offense that leads the Summit League, while Denver has struggled on the road, including a 44-90 loss at South Dakota State on Jan. 15.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST Thursday as the front end of a key conference weekend for both teams. Denver visits North Dakota on Saturday, while North Dakota State hosts Oral Roberts.

North Dakota State has won the last four meetings in the series. Denver’s last win in Fargo came on Feb. 22, 2020.