RHODE ISLAND at NORTH DAKOTA
DATE:  Friday, Nov. 15  |  12:00 PM CT
SITE:  Grand Forks, N.D. (Betty Engelstad Sioux Center)
RADIO:  100.3 FM, 740 AM (Jack Michaels)
TV/VIDEO:  Fox Sports North/UND Insider
LIVE STATS:  FightingHawks.com
TWITTER: @UNDWBasketball

VALPARAISO at NORTH DAKOTA
DATE:  Sunday, Nov. 17 |  2:00 PM CT
SITE:  Grand Forks, N.D. (Betty Engelstad Sioux Center)
RADIO:  100.3 FM, 740 AM (Jack Michaels)
TV/VIDEO:  Fox Sports North/UND Insider
LIVE STATS:  FightingHawks.com
TWITTER: @UNDWBasketball

QUICK JUMPERS
*In only its second game of the season, the University of North Dakota played its earliest overtime game in program history at Grand Canyon. Prior to GCU's overtime tilt, UND's earliest OT game was at Kansas on Nov. (game 5)
*North Dakota shot at least 20 three-pointers in each game last week, a feat they only accomplished eight times last season.
*Julia Fleecs (23) and Jaclyn Jarnot (20) are each coming off 20-point games.
*Fleecs is coming off her first career double-double against the Antelopes, accounting for a team-high 23 points and 10 rebounds.
*The Fighting Hawks are +16 in rebounds on the season, finishing +17 at GCU last time out.
*Along with 6.5 points per game, Melissa Leet is averaging 10 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game.
*Leet crashed a career-high 13 boards with four blocks at Arizona.
*Jaclyn Jarnot accounted for seven of UND's 11 points in overtime at Grand Canyon.
*The Fighting Hawks are 4-3 in home openers under Head Coach Travis Brewster, and own a 6-5 clip since 2008-09.
*North Dakota is 7-6 in overtime under Brewster, including a two-game winning streak, defeating Denver in The Summit League Tournament, 80-67.
ON TAP
Coming off of an overtime win at Grand Canyon and moments of brilliance at Arizona, the University of North Dakota will play in its own confines this week when it hosts Rhode Island and Valparaiso at The Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

THE RAMS AND HAWKS
Friday's home-opener will be the second meeting all-time between North Dakota and Rhode Island and will serve as a rematch of last year's affair. The Rams defeated the Fighting Hawks, 77-63, in Kingston on UND's trip to URI and Massachusetts. Lexi Klabo accounted for 30 points and 10 rebounds in the contest while Ram Davida Dale scored 22 alongside Elemy Colome's 20-point effort.

THE CRUSADERS AND HAWKS
Last season's matchup with Valparaiso was also the first meeting between UND and an opponent. The Fighting Hawks won in Valparaiso, 62-56, to earn their first win of the season to improve to 1-1 on Nov. 11, 2018. Melissa Dailey (10), Lexi Klabo (16), and Bailey Strand (11) each scored in double figures to lead North Dakota as it overcame a 30-26 halftime deficit to earn the victory over the Crusaders.

SCOUTING THE RAMS
Rhode Island will make its first-ever trip to the state of North Dakota this weekend and will enter The Betty Engelstad Sioux Center with a flawless 2-0 record with wins over Long Island (79-56) and Hartford (68-56). The transfer heavy Rams (five total), are averaging 73.5 points per game, led by Nicole Jorgenson's 26.0 points per game. The 6-5 center accounted for 29 points in the opener and another 23 last time out in Hartford. URI is led by first year Head Coach Tammi Reiss, a former WNBA Draft pick who served as team captain for the Utah Starzz.

SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
The Crusaders are 0-1 after their season opener at Ohio State. Valparaiso fell to the Buckeyes, 89-38, and will seek an equalizing win at North Dakota State on Friday night against the Bison. Valpo allowed OSU to a 52.2 filed goal percentage, including a 22-of-38  (.579) shooting performance in the second half. Addison Stoller led the Crusaders in scoring with 11 points on on 3-of-10 shooting from the field and a 5-of-8 performance at the free throw line.

DUELING DUBS
While they're only competing as teammates - which always makes a team better as any coach will say - junior Julia Fleecs and sophomore Jaclyn Jarnot both recorded 20-point games at Grand Canyon. Fleecs finished with a 23 points and 10 rebounds, Jarnot posted 20 points and nine rebounds. The duo became the first Fighting Hawks since Lexi Klabo and Bailey Strand on Dec. 21, 2018 versus San Francisco to record 20-or-more points on the same night.

TEACHING THE CONCEPT OF SHARING
Head Coach Travis Brewster has referred to this year's team as a "young and selfless team, which has helped this group come together and grow as a unit faster."  That statement came to fruition last Friday when North Dakota tallied 18 assists at Grand Canyon. It took last year's team 11 games before they reached the 18-assist mark, culminating with a pair of 20-assist games versus Purdue Fort Wayne (Dec. 30, Feb. 28) and another against Omaha (Feb. 3).

THE PERFECT NIGHT
In her first career start at the University of North Dakota, the only thing missing for Jaclyn Jarnot was a Fighting Hawk win against reigning WNIT Champion Arizona. The sophomore finished a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, including three baskets behind the arc to close the night with 11 points, two rebounds and a steal against the Pac-12 opponent. The Brooklyn Park, Minn., native entered the game with a career-high 10 points at South Dakota in the 2018-19 regular season finale in Vermillion.

EXTRA TIME = EXTRA GOOD
Jaclyn Jarnot put in a full shift at Grand Canyon last Friday, accounting for 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting in 34 minutes on the floor. Tied 67-67 at the end of regulation, Jarnot closed the night with 20 points and nine rebounds as she went 3-for-4 from the field in overtime.

OH SO POSTIVE ON THE GLASS
While the exploits of North Dakota on the glass were well documented last season as they were only outrebounded six times, the team only outrebounded a foe by 10-or-more six times last season. The Fighting Hawks were +17 at Grand Canyon on Nov. 8, posting its highest ratio since finishing +19 against Western Michigan on Dec. 20, 2018.

Offensive rebounds were at a premium for North Dakota as they finished with 20 in the contest, a feat last accomplushed Feb. 23, 2019 againt Denver. UND only crashed 20-or-more boards on the offensive end twice last season.

The University of North Dakota only finished -1 in the opener at Arizona as it posted 39 rebounds to the Wildcats 40. Melissa Leet was a large of the team's success in Tuscon as she pulled a career-high 13 boards.

UP NEXT
North Dakota will head to Statesboro, Ga., for a midday matchup at Georgia Southern. The game will tip at 10 a.m., Central.

Game Notes (PDF)   |   Live Stats   |   Live Video (URI)   |   Live Video (Valpo)