DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica women's basketball team will open its season at Reif Gymnasium for the second straight season when it welcomes Concordia College-Moorhead to town on Saturday. The tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Game Day Media
Live Video & Stats on Saints Sports Net | Alternate Live Stats

About the Saints
2011-12 Record: 12-14, 10-4 UMAC

• St. Scholastica finished with 10 conference wins for the first time in program history a season ago and finished third in the conference.
• The Saints were undefeated at home in UMAC play for the first time since the 1997-98 season.
• The lone home loss last year came in the season opener vs. UW-Eau Claire, where the Saints led for the majority of the game, but fell by 10 points.
• CSS also won multiple overtime games for the first time since the 2002-03 season.
• The Saints are picked to finish second in the conference this season, according to the UMAC preseason coaches' poll.
• On paper, the backcourt appears to be the strength for the Saints as back is 2010-11 UMAC Rookie of the Year guard Kayla Heisler (Remer, Minn./Northland HS), along with 2011-12 UMAC Rookie of the Year Mariah Hovick (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake HS).
• Hovick led the Saints in scoring in 19 of the 26 games last season and averaged 13.6 points per game in league play and 12.4 overall. In the last six games of the season, including the UMAC Tournament semifinal, Hovick averaged 15.5 points per contest. She was also a pest defensively for opposing players as she tied for a conference-best with 70 steals.
• Another player returning in the backcourt for the Saints is Sammy Doucette (Colfax, Wis./Colfax HS (UW-River Falls)), who missed all but three games last season due to injury.
• CSS did lose the program's leading shot blocker in Laura Amys (South Range, Wis./Superior HS) in the post, but do return senior Haley Hoyer (Pelican Rapids, Minn./Pelican Rapids HS (North Dakota State College of Science)) and junior Erin Frase (Phillips, Wis./Phillips HS (UW-River Falls)).
• Other returnees back for the Saints include guard Elena Huber (Northfield, Minn./Northfield HS), who was second to Heisler in 3-pointer made and led the team in 3-point percentage.
• Caitlin McKernon (Coon Rapids, Minn./Fridley HS) is also back down in the post as she was the third-leading scorer and rebounder last season.
• Freshman Danica Schellbach (Rush City, Minn./Rush City HS) will be looked upon to add another inside presence this season.
• The Saints have not won a conference regular season title since the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons.
• CSS has not won the UMAC Tournament title since the 2001-02 season.

About the Cobbers
2011-12 Record: 18-9, 15-7 MIAC

• Concordia-Moorhead finished third in the MIAC last season and fell to Gustavus Adolphus in the MIAC Tournament semifinals.
• The Cobbers return a pair of senior All-MIAC performers in forward Tricia Sorensen and guard Emily Thesing.
• Sorensen led the team in scoring (13.6), rebounding (7.1) and steals (1.7), while Thesing was led the team in assists (3.1) and was second on the team in scoring (11.2).
• Sorensen needs just 318 points to become the 25th 1,000-point scorer in program history.
• Junior center Alex Lippert is also back after an honorable mention all-conference season last year. Lippert led the MIAC with 1.9 blocked shots per game.
• The Cobbers have made the MIAC Tournament 10 straight years and have won at least 15 conference games 15 straight seasons.
• Concordia has been picked to finish second in the MIAC this season, according to the preseason poll.

Series History: (CSS is 0-2 all-time vs. Concordia-Moorhead)

• The Saints and Cobbers last met in 2009, which saw Concordia win 90-51 at the Pointer Tip-off, hosted by UW-Stevens Point.