DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica men's and women's basketball teams open their 2010-11 seasons tonight both away from home with the men traveling to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and women's going across the bridge to face the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Game Times: 7 p.m.

GameDay Media:
Men: Live Stats | Live UWEC Audio
Women: Live Video

Men:

St. Scholastica Saints (0-0)
Head Coach #David Staniger# enters his 11th season at the helm of the CSS men's basketball program … The Saints return most of their corps from the last year's team that made it all the way to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament championship game … 2009-10 UMAC Freshman Player of the Year #Brett Tester# will be the Saints' main cog on the frontline … Tester averaged 11.8 points per game and led the team with 4.6 rebounds per contest last season … Senior guard #Danny Schmitz# was a second team All-UMAC choice last season after averaging 13.5 points per game … CSS also has #Jonah Dahlman#, #Derek Anderson#, and #Logan Schultz#, who all will see significant minutes this season … The Saints are 4-6 in season openers under Coach Staniger.

UW-Eau Claire Blugolds (0-0)
The Blugolds will have a new look this season with just seven of last year's 19 letterwinners back on the team ... There are eight newcomers, including four transfers … Eau Claire returns just 41 percent of its scoring from a season ago, led by Amadou Fofana, who started all 25 games and averaged 13.2 points per game … He was second in rebounding with 4.3 per game … Also back with significant game experience is Marcus Ruh , who played in all 25 games and was second on the team with 32 steals and third with 61 assists, along with Nick Bartlett, who started all 25 games last season … Among the newcomers, Ivan Franklin III , a transfer from Minnesota-Duluth, played very well in the Blugolds' exhibition game against Winona State University (Minn.) on Nov. 3 … He had a team-high 23 of the Blugolds' 60 points and also had a game-high eight rebounds.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. UW-Eau Claire: 0-12)
The Saints fell in last year's season opener at home to the Blugolds 87-47. Danny Schmitz (Hinckley, Minn./Hinckley-Finlayson HS) led the team with nine points.

Women:

St. Scholastica Saints (0-0)
Head Coach #Stacy Deadrick# returns for her 17th season leading the CSS women's basketball program … The Saints were picked fourth in the preseason coaches' poll … The Saints will be led by their front court with senior #Kelly Cinquegrani#, junior #Laura Amys#, and sophomore #Bri Allen# all back in the fold … The Saints also added freshman #Lindsey Kingsbury#, who will see a lot of action early on … Amys led the Saints in field goal percentage (.462) and offensive rebounds (61) in 2009-10 … Allen led the team in blocked shots (24), free throws made (57), and free throw percentage (.838) … CSS's success this season will hinge on the play of the backcourt … The Saints lost a lot in graduating seniors Kirsten Haukom (Marshall, Minn./Marshall HS) and Katie Christensen (Elk River, Minn./Elk River Senior HS) … Junior guard #Erin Morstad# is coming off offseason surgery … so senior #Katie Kimm# and junior #Taylor Fellbaum# will need to step up … The Saints are 6-6 in season openers dating back to the 1998-99 season.

UW-Superior Yellowjackets (0-0)
The Yellowjackets' three conference wins a year ago were the most since the 2003-04 campaign when they recorded four … Included in last season's triumphs were road wins at UW-Stout and UW-River Falls … The win over the Falcons snapped a 40-game conference road losing streak, while the victory over the Blue Devils marked the first win at Johnson Fieldhouse since Feb. 11, 1998 … Superior was picked to finish last in the WIAC in the preseason poll and lose just one returning starter from last year's team … Two-time honorable mention All-WIAC junior forward Hailey Hart and 2009-10 honorable mention sophomore guard Connie Urmanski both return for the 'Jackets.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. UW-Superior: 17-13)
The Saints defeated the Yellowjackets 82-71 last season at Mertz Mortorelli Gym. Taylor Fellbaum (Minong, Wis./Northwood HS) had 13 points off the bench and Kelly Cinquegrani (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS) added 12 points.