UMC Women's BB underway for 2012-13 season

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota, Crookston women’s basketball team officially began practice Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. in Lysaker Gymnasium. The practice starts the 2012-13 campaign for the Golden Eagles who are entering their seventh season under the guidance of Mike Roysland.

The Golden Eagles return three starters from last season’s team that went 9-17 (6-16 NSIC). UMC will be led by a trio of seniors in Brittani Wiese (G, Albertville, Minn.), Laurie Tyson (C, Rosemount, Minn.) and Carli Bunning (F, Boone, Iowa). Wiese will be x-factor after the missing conclusion of the season due to an injury. Wiese missed the first day of practice today but is looking to be ready to go in week two of practice. She averaged 15.2 points as a junior. Tyson started 25 of 26 games last season and averaged 5.4 points and was the team’s leading rebounder averaging 6.4 points per game. Bunning came in last season as a junior college transfer from Des Moines Area Community College. She came off the bench for almost 15 minutes per game averaging 4.7 points and 4.0 rebounds.

Also returning to the Golden Eagles are 2011-12 starter Ebony Livingston (So., G, Minneapolis, Minn.) and Ashley Martell (So., G, Somerset, Wis.) who started 12 games last season and averaged 22 minutes per game. Livington averaged 6.2 points and 3.7 rebounds as a freshman while Martell was the team’s third leading scorer with 6.4 points and was the team’s best three-point shooter connecting of 39-of-92 for 42.4 percent.

Several key bench contributors also return to the fray as Kenzie Church (So., F, Fairmount, N.D.), Cienna Walker (So., G, Ajax, Ontario) and Jacy Christenson (Jr., G, Shoreview, Minn.), all who averaged over 10 minutes per game last year, return.

Coach Roysland is also expecting a lot from a freshman class that he has touted as his best since arriving at UMC seven years ago. The group consists of seven newcomers and redshirt freshman Jaya Perkins (G, Lakeville, Minn.), who is expected to be an immediate contributor after missing all of last year. Guards Christine Thorn (Fr., St. Michael, Minn.) and Alexa Thielman (Fr., Buffalo, Minn.) were both all-state picks during their high school careers, as were forwards Katrina Moenkedick (Fr., Perham, Minn.) and Erika McRoberts (Fr., Byron, Minn.).

Freshmen Avery Jackson (G, Wadena, Minn.), Lindsey Lahr (G, Isle, Minn.) and Megan Taylor (Fr., Estelline, S.D.) round out a talented group of newcomers for the Golden Eagles.

UMC opens up the exhibition slate Oct. 28 against Division I foe South Dakota State University on the road in Brookings, S.D. They follow that up with another Division I game versus North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D. Nov. 1. The Golden Eagles open up the regular season versus Valley City State University Nov. 12 on the road. The NSIC slate will commence on the road just down Highway 2 in Bemidji, Minn. Versus Bemidji State University Dec. 1.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.

The University of Minnesota, Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).