DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica women's basketball team opens its season at home Friday when it hosts the University of Dubuque at the Reif Gymnasium.
 
Where:
Friday
Reif Gymnasium – Duluth, Minn.
Saturday
Si Melby Hall – Minneapolis, Minn.
 
When:
Friday vs. Dubuque – 5:30 p.m.
Saturday at Augsburg – 3 p.m.
 
Live Video/Stats vs. Dubuque: http://www.csssaints.com/ssn
 
Social Media:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/CSSsaints
Instagram: www.instagram.com/csssaints
Facebook: www.facebook.com/css.saints
 
St. Scholastica Saints
Roster | 2014-15 Stats
2014-15 Record: 14-12, 11-3 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
 
Key Returners:
-Kelsey Sorenson-Giffrow (Braham, Minn./Braham HS (Minn. Duluth)) – Guard – Named Second Team All-UMAC the past two seasons … Led conference in 3-point percentage and free throw percentage last season … Was second on the team in scoring in 2014-15.
-Brittani Brennan (Ashland, Wis./Ashland HS) – forward– Honorable mention All-UMAC choice last season … Was the team's leading rebounder last year … Third on the team in scoring, field goal percentage and steals in 2014-15.
-Danica Schellbach (Rush City, Minn./Rush City HS) – Forward – Was second on the team in blocked shots last season … Scored in double-figures five times last season.
-Holly VanKempen (Elbow Lake, Minn./West Central HS) – Forward – Was fourth in conference in blocks as a freshman … Finished fifth in the league in points per 40 minutes.
 
Key Losses:
-Mariah Hovick (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake HS) – Guard – A two-time First Team All-UMAC selection … Only the third player in program history to record over 1,200 points and 500 rebounds in a career.
-Sammy Doucette (Colfax, Wis./Colfax HS (UW-River Falls)) – Guard – Led the team in assists and was second in steals last season.
 
Coach Deadrick: Head Coach Stacy Deadrick enters her 22^nd season guiding the CSS women's basketball team … Deadrick enters the season 25 wins shy of 300 for her career … She has led the Saints to back-to-back 11-win seasons in conference play.
 
Making the Freebies: The Saints finished eighth in NCAA Division III last season in free throw percentage, making 76.2 percent of their attempts.
 
Finlandia Added into Schedule Rotation: With the University of Wisconsin-Superior entering the league this season that gave the UMAC an odd number (9) of teams … To retain the travel partner Friday/Saturday conference schedule, Finlandia University (Mich.) has been added to the rotation as a non-conference member and will be a travel partner with Northland College.
 
New Rules: The biggest thing you will notice at a St. Scholastica women's basketball game or any NCAA women's basketball game, for that matter, this season are the new rules … No longer will the game consist of two halves, but instead four 10-minute periods … Also gone is the bonus free throw as five team fouls in a period will constitute two (double-bonus) free throws … Team fouls will be reset each period except after the fourth quarter when they are carried over to overtime … The final big change is within the last minute of the fourth quarter or overtime, a team will be allowed to inbound the ball from half court after a made basket, followed by a time out.
 

---

 
Top 5 Games to Watch
11/13 – vs. Dubuque
The Spartans won the IIAC regular season title last season
11/14 – at Augsburg
The season opener for the Auggies, who saw the passing of their head coach due to cancer during the offseason
1/9 – at UW-Superior
First UMAC meeting between the Bridge Rivals
2/5 – vs. Minnesota Morris
The Cougars have won six straight UMAC regular season titles and made the NCAA Tournament a season ago
2/20 – vs. Northwestern
Regular season finale against the preseason favorite and reigning UMAC Co-Regular Season champion Eagles

---

 
UMAC Preseason Poll
1.   59 Points – University of Northwestern (4 First Place Votes)
2.   56 Points – University of Minnesota Morris (3)
3.   55 Points – University of Wisconsin-Superior (2)
4.   44 Points – College of St. Scholastica
5.   33 Points – Martin Luther College
6.   31 Points – Bethany Lutheran College
7.   17 Points – Crown College
8.   16 Points – Northland College
9.   13 Points – North Central University

---

 
Upcoming Opponents
Dubuque Spartans
2014-15 Record: 17-9, 11-3 IIAC
 
The Spartans captured their first Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) regular season title last season, but fell in the IIAC Tournament semifinals, which ended their season … However, Dubuque will have to replace five starting seniors, including forward Jenna Kotas, who was an All-West Region selection … This year's roster features two seniors and two juniors with 18 freshmen and sophomores … The top returning scorer is junior guard Emily Brinker, who averaged 9.1 points per game last season.
 
Augsburg Auggies
2014-15 Record: 15-12, 9-9 MIAC
 
The Auggies saw the passing of head coach Bill McKee in August after a battle with kidney cancer … He guided the Auggies to a program-record 15 wins last season and their first-ever MIAC Tournament berth … Ted Riverso was named the interim coach in September … Returning for Augsburg is First Team All-MIAC forward Jessica Lilliquist, who averaged 12.2 points per game last year … The Auggies led the MIAC with 11.4 steals per game last season.
 
Series Histories:
-Dubuque leads CSS 3-0
-CSS leads Augsburg 4-3
 
Last Meetings: The Saints fell to Dubuque last season in Iowa 87-73 … This will be the Spartans' first trip to Duluth … All three previous meetings have been decided by 14 points or more … Augsburg defeated the Saints last season in Duluth 63-47 … The Auggies have won three straight in the series … CSS has not defeated Augsburg since the 2002.

---

 
Looking Ahead: The Saints will be at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Tip-Off Classic on November 20 and 21. The Saints will open with host UW-Eau Claire on Friday, November 20.