WBB News

Morningside College women’s basketball head coach Jamie Sale announced the names of eight high school recruits who will join the Mustangs for the 2012-13 season.

Allison Bachman, a 5-9 guard from Fremont, Neb. Bachman is a senior at Fremont High School, where she earned second-team Class A all-state honors from both the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star in addition to All-Heartland Athletic Conference honors this past season. She was also named the captain of her all-area team. Bachman averaged 17.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 2.2 assists per game with shooting accuracy marks of 55 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point arc, and 71 percent from the free-throw line.

As a junior, Bachman averaged 10.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game en route to Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star honorable mention all-state and honorable mention All-Heartland Athletic Conference recognition.

Sherise Burnside, a 5-8 guard from Fremont, Neb. Burnside is a senior at Fremont High School, where she averaged 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game this past season to earn honorable mention Class A all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star. She was also named to the All-Heartland Athletic Conference Team and was a second-team all-area selection.

Burnside received honorable mention all-conference recognition following a junior campaign where she averaged 9.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per contest.

Ashley Chinana, a 5-6 guard from Niobrara, Neb. Chinana is a senior at Niobrara Secondary School and competed for Niobrara/Verdigre High School, where she amassed 109 steals over the past two seasons to go along with 264 points and 167 rebounds.

Chinana averaged 8.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.2 steals per game as a senior to earn honorable mention Class D-1 all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star and honorable mention Niobrara Valley All-Conference recognition.

Charlee Johnsen, a 5-5 guard from Friend, Neb. Johnsen is a senior at Friend High School, where she set school records with 408 career steals and 312 career assists. She earned second-team Class D-1 all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star honorable mention all-state recognition this past season after she helped lead Friend to a 25-4 record and a third place finish at the Class D-1 state tournament. Johnsen, who also earned first-team All-Pioneer Conference honors, averaged 11.6 points, 5.4 steals, and 3.3 assists per game and set school records with 156 steals and 95 assists.

She averaged 9.5 points, 4.8 steals, and 2.6 assists per game as a junior en route to second-team all-conference and honorable mention Class C-2 all-state recognition from the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star. Johnsen also received Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star Class C-2 honorable mention all-state honors as a sophomore when she averaged 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 steals, and 2.7 assists per game. She averaged 6.5 points and 3.3 steals per game as a freshman.

Callan Meskimen, a 5-6 guard from Walker, Iowa. Meskimen is a senior at Center Point-Urbana High School, where she averaged 1.1 points and 1.5 rebounds per game this past season.

Casie Rehder, a 5-7 guard from Sutherland, Iowa. Rehder is a senior at South O’Brien High School, where she earned first-team All-War Eagle Conference and fifth-team Sioux City Journal All-Northwest Iowa honors this past season. She averaged 13.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game and made 91 of 224 field goal attempts for 40.6 percent and 99 of 146 free throw attempts for 67.8 percent.

She averaged a double-double as a junior with norms of 12.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game en route to second-team All-War Eagle Conference laurels. Rehder received honorable mention all-conference recognition as a sophomore when she averaged 10.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

Kaytlin Sambrano, a 5-6 guard from Cherokee, Iowa. Sambrano is a senior at Cherokee Washington High School, where she led the team in assists each of the past three seasons. She averaged 5.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and had 88 assists and 44 steals for averages of 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game this past season.

She averaged 8.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and had 64 assists and 48 steals for norms of 3.8 assists and 2.8 steals per game as a junior. Sambrano averaged 5.6 points per game and dealt 35 assists for an average of 2.1 per game as a sophomore.

Karlee Wordekemper, a 5-5 guard from Bronson, Iowa. Wordekemper is a senior at Lawton-Bronson High School, where she averaged 7.4 points per game and had 145 assists and 61 steals for norms of 6.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game during her senior campaign. Wordekemper made 70 of 141 field goal attempts for 49.6 percent and 29 of 44 free throw bids for 65.9 percent and received second-team All-North Division Western Valley Conference honors.

She also earned second-team All-North Division Western Valley Conference recognition as a junior when she averaged 4.1 points per game and had 120 assists and 66 steals for averages of 4.8 assists and 2.6 steals per contest. Wordekemper made 41 of 93 field goal attempts for 44.1 percent and drilled 10 of 24 3-point field goal attempts for 41.7 percent.

Morningside posted a 26-9 record during the 2011-12 season for its school-record ninth consecutive 20-win season and made its 10th consecutive appearance in the NAIA Division II National Tournament. The Mustangs have a 266-56 record for a .826 winning percentage over the last nine seasons and were NAIA Division II National Champions in 2004, 2005, and 2009.

Morningsidebroke two school records during the 2011-12 women’s basketball season.

Both records came in a 90-83 victory against Northwestern College on Feb. 25 in the semifinals of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Post-Season Tournament when the Mustangs made 42 free throws in 54 attempts to break the former Morningside single-game standards of 39 free throws and 49 free throw attempts against Wayne State College during the 1995-96 campaign.

The Mustangs’ leading scorer this season was Chelsie Trask, a 5-9 junior guard from Rockford, Iowa, who averaged 16.6 points per game. Trask was the Mustangs’ leading scorer in 17 of their 35 games, including 12 contests where she scored 20 points or more. Trask paced the Mustangs with 29 double figure scoring performances and had the Mustangs’ top single-game point total of the season with a 27-point outing in a 68-58 victory against Dakota Wesleyan University on Feb. 1.

Trask was the Mustangs’ best free throw shooter with a team-high 135 free throws in 169 attempts for 79.9 percent. She also made a team-high 76 3-point field goals in 213 attempts for 35.7 percent and a team-high 169 field goals in 415 attempts for 40.7 percent.

Trask reached the 1000-point career milestone during the season and will go into her senior season in ninth place on Morningside’s all-time scoring list with 1,374 career points. She is also the 36th leading rebounder in Morningside history with 332 career rebounds.

Brittany Alfredson, a 5-11 senior guard from Moville, Iowa, was the Mustangs’ leading rebounder with an average of 7.3 caroms per game to compliment a 9.5-point scoring average. Alfredson was the Mustangs’ leading rebounder in 22 of their 35 contests, including a career-high 13-board haul in an 89-82 win against city rival Briar Cliff University on Feb. 11 for the Mustangs’ top individual rebound total of the season. Aside from leading the Mustangs in rebounding, Alfredson also topped the team with 29 blocked shots and in field goal shooting accuracy with 122 hoops in 262 attempts for 46.6 percent.

Alfredson finished her career in 15th place on Morningside’s all-time rebounding list with 573 career rebounds. She scored 707 points for the 40th highest career scoring total in Morningside history.

Shelby Beaudette, a 5-7 junior guard from Walthill, Neb., dealt a team-high 120 assists for an average of 3.4 per game and was the Mustangs’ second leading scorer with a norm of 9.9 points per contest. She scored a career-high 27 points in the Mustangs’ 90-83 victory against Northwestern in the GPAC Post-Season Tournament semifinals for the Mustangs’ highest single-game point total of the season.

Beaudette has scored 810 points during her collegiate career for 32nd place on Morningside’s all-time scoring list.

Leann Osten, a 5-6 sophomore guard from Columbus, Neb., led the Mustangs with 84 steals for an average of 2.4 per game to compliment a scoring average of 8.9 points per game.

The Mustangs’ best 3-point shooter was Bobbi McManaman, a 5-8 junior guard from Hawarden, Iowa, who made 37.2 percent of her 3-point attempts with 42 treys in 113 attempts.

The Mustangs’ most productive reserve was Hanna Blum, a 5-10 junior forward form Gretna, Neb., who was the top scorer and rebounder off the Morningside bench with averages of 7.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Chelsie Trask, a 5-9 junior guard from Rockford, Iowa, was named to the first-team of the 2011-12 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball All-America Team.

Trask was the Mustangs’ leading scorer and third leading rebounder this season with averages of 16.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. She had a team-high 29 double figure scoring performances, including a season’s high 27-point performance in a 68-58 win against Dakota Wesleyan University on Feb. 1 for the Mustangs’ top single-game point total of the season.

She was the Mustangs’ leading scorer in 17 of the 33 games she played and had 12 scoring performances of 20 points or more. Trask made 169 of 415 field goal attempts for 40.7 percent, a team-high 76 3-point field goals in 213 attempts for 35.7 percent, and led the team in free throw accuracy with a team-high 135 free throws in 169 attempts for 79.9 percent. Trask had 67 assists and 68 steals for averages of 2.0 assists and 2.1 steals per contest.

Trask, an honorable mention NAIA II All-American last season, has scored 1,374 points during her Morningside career for ninth place on the Mustangs’ all-time scoring list.

Morningside posted a 26-9 record this season to extend its streak to a school-record nine consecutive 20-win seasons. The Mustangs made their 10th consecutive appearance in the NAIA Division II National Tournament, finished second in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) standings with a 16-4 league mark, and was the GPAC Post-Season Tournament runner-up.

Click here for the complete 2011-12 NAIA Division II Women's Basketball All-America Team.

Morningside College is ranked sixth nationally in the NAIA Division II women’s basketball post-season poll released Monday.

The Mustangs, who were ranked fifth in the final regular season poll, finished the season with a record of 26-9 for their school-record ninth consecutive 20-win season. The Mustangs made their 10th consecutive appearance in the NAIA Division II National Tournament, where they lost 79-72 against Mount Mercy University in the second round. Morningside finished second in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) regular season standings with a 16-4 league mark and was also the runner-up in the GPAC’s post-season tournament.

Morningside was one of five teams from the GPAC ranked in the NAIA II Top 25. Northwestern College is ranked No. 1, Concordia University is third, Briar Cliff University is eighth, and Hastings College is 15th.

Morningside’s women’s basketball season ended in Friday’s second round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament when the Mustangs lost 79-72 against Mount Mercy University.

The loss came against a Mount Mercy team Morningside had routed 95-64 in its season opener on Nov. 5 in Sioux City.

The fifth-ranked Mustangs bowed out with a 26-9 record after a dismal shooting performance where they shot just 32.4 percent from the field, continuing a trend that plagued them late in the season. Morningside shot below 40 percent in six of its last seven games, including 19.0 percent in a 69-42 loss at Hastings College in its regular season finale, 30.9 percent in a 73-66 loss at Concordia in the GPAC Tournament title game, and 31.3 percent in a 65-60 win against Daemen College in Wednesday’s national tournament opener.

Morningside made 22 of 68 floor shots against Mount Mercy and was just 11-for-40 for 27.5 percent from the 3-point arc.

The Mustangs’ only shooters who enjoyed consistent success were Chelsie Trask, who made eight of 20 shots en route to a game-high 26 points, and Bobbi McManaman, who came off the bench to make six of 11 3-point shots on her way to a season’s high 18 tallies. Trask did the majority of her scoring after the intermission with 19 second half points, including 14 of Morningside’s final 22 points when she tried to rally the team from a 12-point deficit, 62-50, with six minutes left in the game.

Morningside’s cold shooting, along with a 45-33 rebounding deficit, helped Mount Mercy overturn its regular season loss at Morningside and move on to the NAIA National Quarterfinals, where it will face Morningside’s city rival Briar Cliff University.

Bria Fields, a 6-0 forward who didn’t play in Mount Mercy’s regular season loss at Morningside, led the winners with a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds and was successful on eight of 10 field goal attempts. Amanda Frost also had a big game on the boards with 10 rebounds, while Emily Greiner, Brooke Quigley, and Micha Mims provided double figure scoring support with 14, 14, and 13 points, respectively.

Brittany Alfredson and Hanna Blum shared Morningside rebounding honors with five caroms each. Blum also provided 10 points off the bench.

Morningside trailed 38-34 at the intermission following an opening 20 minutes where it shot 33.3 percent from the field and was pounded on the boards by a 26-12 rebounding margin. The Mustangs’ primary source of offense came from McManaman, who came off the bench to bomb in five of eight 3-point field goal attempts en route to a 15-point first half.

McManaman was at her best during a 12-2 scoring run when she made three of her treys to turn a 15-13 deficit into a 25-17 advantage for Morningside’s largest lead of the game.

Mount Mercy answered with a 9-0 run of its own to go up 26-25 with 6:21 left in the half before McManaman stopped the run with another 3-pointer to put Morningside back on top 28-26 with 5:55 left.

The Mustangs led 33-30 after a pair of Chelsie Trask free throws with 2:10 left before Greiner twice struck from 3-point range in the last 1:52 to put her team up at the intermission.

Morningside led twice in the second half, the last time at 43-42 after a Trask drive through the lane with 15:29 left in the game. The Mustangs didn’t score again for almost five minutes until McManaman ended the drought when she made a 3-pointer with 10:33 left to pull Morningside within 48-46.

Mount Mercy went on a 14-4 run to open its first double figure lead of the game at 59-48 at the seven-minute mark. Mount Mercy eventually stretched the advantage to a game-high 12 points, 62-50, after Laura Lippert knocked down a 3-pointer with six minutes left.

The Mustangs closed within four points on three occasions after that, the last time at 71-67 after a drive to the hoop by Trask with 1:33 left.

Four members from Morningside’s women’s basketball team have been named 2011-12 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Brittany Alfredson, a 5-11 senior guard from Moville, Iowa, who has a 3.66 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with a major in elementary education.

Shelby Beaudette, a 5-7 junior guard from Walthill, Neb., who has a 3.78 cumulative GPA with a major in biology.

Hanna Blum, a 5-10 junior forward from Gretna, Neb., who has a 3.74 cumulative GPA with majors in elementary education and special education.

Brianna Mozer, a 5-9 junior guard from Sioux City who has a 3.86 cumulative GPA with a major in business administration.

Student-athletes must be of at least junior academic status and have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in order to be eligible for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.

Click here for the complete list of 2011-12 Daktronics-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Scholar-Athletes.

Fifth-ranked Morningside overcame a dismal shooting performance and survived a major upset scare to advance past Wednesday’s opening round of the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Tournament with a 65-60 victory against Daemen College.

The Mustangs made only six of 31 3-point field goal attempts for 19.4 percent and shot 31.3 percent overall. Morningside never trailed in the contest, but found itself tied with the Wildcats’ with 1:07 left after Daemen’s Samantha Stanfield made a jump shot from just inside the 3-point arc.

Chelsie Trask put the Mustangs ahead to stay, 61-60, when she made one of two free throw attempts with 40.6 seconds left. The Mustangs added four more free throws in the final 30 seconds to hold on.

The Mustangs will take a 26-8 record into a second round matchup against Mount Mercy University at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. Mount Mercy also won an opening round nail bitter with a 69-67 triumph against Southwestern College. Morningside defeated Mount Mercy 95-64 on Nov. 5 in Sioux City earlier this winter in its season opener.

Trask scored eight of the Mustangs’ final 10 points en route to a game-high 20 points. Shelby Beaudette was right behind with 19 points, followed by Brittany Alfredson with seven and Kalene Anderson and Leann Osten, each with six.

Monica Kosior, the Wildcats’ 6-5 center, led her team with 19 points behind a nine-for-11 shooting performance. Ellie Allen joined her in double figures with 13 points.

Courtney Donovan grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Wildcats to a 42-39 advantage on the boards. Alfredson also had nine rebounds as she led the Mustangs on the boards for the 21st time this season. Anderson was next with seven rebounds and Randi Ebert came off the bench to grab a career-high five rebounds to go along with a team-high three assists.

Morningside led 35-29 at the intermission following an opening 20 minutes where the Mustangs made only five of their first 23 floor shots and finished the half with a dismal 33.3 percent shooting performance. The Mustangs compensated for their cold shooting by turning the ball over only two times in the entire half, including just one miscue in the first 18 minutes.

The Mustangs never trailed in the first half, but Daemen, led by 10 points from Kosioir and nine tallies from Allen, stayed within striking distance. The Mustangs’ largest lead of the half was nine points, 32-23, after Beaudette scored with 3:14 left to complete a run where she scored all eight of Morningside’s points during a three-minute stretch.

The Mustangs pushed their lead into double figures early in the second half when a drive to the hope by Trask put the Mustangs up 42-31 with 15:53 left to play. Daemen answered with a 17-7 run to close within 49-48 with 9:14 left.

Brittany Alfredson, a 5-11 senior guard from Moville, Iowa, and Chelsie Trask, a 5-9 junior guard from Rockford, Iowa, were each named to the 2011-12 All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Basketball First-Team as selected by the league’s head coaches.

Their exploits have helped lead the Mustangs to a 25-8 record and a 10th consecutive NAIA Division II National Tournament berth.

Alfredson is averaging career highs of 9.7 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game and is also the team leader with 27 blocked shots. She has been the Mustangs’ leading rebounder in 20 of their 33 contests, including a career-high 13-board haul in an 89-82 victory against city rival Briar Cliff University for the team’s top single-game rebounding performance of the season. Morningside has an 18-2 record when Alfredson has been its leading rebounder this season. Alfredson has made 118 of 247 field goal attempts for 47.8 percent to lead the Mustangs in field goal accuracy and is one of their best free throw shooters with 62 free throws in 82 attempts for 75.6 percent. She also ranks among the team leaders with 68 assists and 63 steals for averages of 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

Alfredson, who received honorable mention All-GPAC honors last season, has grabbed 559 rebounds during her Morningside career for the 15th highest total in school history.

Trask is the Mustangs’ leading scorer and third leading rebounder with averages of 16.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. She has a team-high 27 double figure scoring performances, including a season’s high 27-point performance in a 68-58 win against Dakota Wesleyan University for the Mustangs’ top single-game point total of the season. Trask has been the Mustangs’ leading scorer in 15 of her 31 games played and has 10 scoring performances of 20 points or more. She has made a team-high 72 3-point field goals in 194 attempts for 37.1 percent and leads the team in free throw accuracy with a team-high 121 free throws in 153 attempts for 79.1 percent. Trask has 63 assists and 62 steals for averages of 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per contest.

Trask, also a first-team All-GPAC selection as a sophomore and a second-team pick as a freshman, has scored 1,328 points during her Morningside career for 10th place on the Mustangs’ all-time scoring list.

In addition to their two first-team selections, the Mustangs placed Shelby Beaudette, a 5-7 junior guard from Walthill, Neb., on the All-GPAC Second-Team.

Beaudette leads the Mustangs with 115 assists for an average of 3.5 per game to compliment norms of 9.8 points and 3.2 rebounds. Beaudette is second on the team with 65 steals for an average of 2.0 per game. She went for a double-double with career-highs of 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Mustangs to a 90-83 triumph against two-time defending NAIA Division II National Champion Northwestern College in the GPAC Post-Season Tournament Semifinals. The 27 points matched Trask’s 27-point outing against Dakota Wesleyan for the Mustangs’ top single-game scoring performance of the campaign. Beaudette has made 36 of 104 3-point field goal attempts for 34.6 percent and 56 of 71 free throw attempts for 78.9 percent.

Beaudette, who received honorable mention All-GPAC recognition last year, is the 33rd leading scorer in Morningside history with 786 career points.

Morningside’s Kalene Anderson, a 6-1 sophomore forward from Rosalie, Neb., and Leann Osten, a 5-9 sophomore guard from Columbus, Neb., were each named to the All-GPAC honorable mention list.

Anderson is averaging 6.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game and is one of the Mustangs’ best free throw shooters with 73 free throws in 95 attempts for 76.8 percent. She has made 70 of 164 field goal attempts for 42.7 percent.

Osten is averaging 9.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game and is the team leader with 82 steals for a norm of 2.5 per contest. She has made 111 of 236 field goal attempts for 47.0 percent and 65 of 87 free throw attempts for 73.6 percent.

Morningside lost 73-66 against Concordia University in the championship game of the GPAC Post-Season Tournament and finished second in the GPAC regular season standings with a 16-4 record. The Mustangs have a 25-8 overall record to extend their streak to a school-record nine consecutive 20-win seasons.

Click here for the complete 2011-12 All-GPAC Women's Basketball Team.

Brittany Alfredson have been named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District 5 College Division Women’s Basketball Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

She will be placed on the national ballot for the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America Teams.

Alfredson, a 5-11 senior guard from Moville, Iowa, has a 3.66 cumulative GPA with a major in elementary education. She is the Mustangs’ second leading scorer and top rebounder with averages of 9.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest.

Athletes must be of at least sophomore academic status, be a starter or significant reserve, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher to be eligible for Capital One Academic honors.

Morningside College women’s basketball head coach Jamie Sale has announced the names of one transfer and four high school recruits who will join the Mustangs for the 2012-13 season.

The transfer is Ashlynn Muhl, a 6-0 forward from Taunton, Minn., who transferred to Morningside at the semester break from NCAA Division II Southwest Minnesota State University, where she was a member of the school’s volleyball team.

Muhl will have freshman eligibility with the Mustangs. Muhl is a 2011 graduate of Minneota High School, where she finished her career as the second leading scorer and third leading rebounder in school history with 1,615 career points and 1,045 career rebounds, respectively. She was a four-year varsity letterwinner and a three-time All-Camden Conference and Marshall Independent All-Area performer. Muhl scored in double figures in 74 of 76 games over the final three seasons of her high school career, including 30 games with 20 points or more.

Muhl was the Marshall Independent’s 2011 Player of the Year after she led Minneota to a 25-2 record and a Class A state tournament appearance as a senior. She averaged 18.4 points and 13.2 rebounds per game and drilled 58.2 percent of her field goal attempts en route to honorable mention all-state recognition. Muhl had season’s highs of 33 points and 23 rebounds when Minneota lost against eventual state champion Marantha Christian Academy in the opening round of the state tournament.

She averaged 20.9 points and 12.8 rebounds per game as a junior and also averaged a double-double as a sophomore with norms of 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Muhl shot a career-high 62.8 percent as a junior with 208 field goals in 331 attempts. She went for career highs of 44 points and 26 rebounds against Dawson-Boyd as a junior.

Catharina Foster, a 5-6 guard from Stockville, Neb. Foster is a senior at Maywood High School, where she earned honorable mention Class D-2 all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star and second-team All-Republican Plains Activity Conference honors this past season. Foster averaged 11.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. She also had 54 steals and 42 assists for norms of 2.7 steals and 2.1 assists per contest.

Jaci Katus, a 5-6 guard from Watauga, S.D. Katus is a senior at McIntosh High School, where she scored over 1000 career points and once made seven 3-point field goals in a game. Katus was a three-time all-district and three-time All-Little Moreau Conference performer. She averaged 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists per game this past season.

Jessica Tietz, a 6-1 forward from Bancroft, Neb. Tietz is a senior at Bancroft-Rosalie High School, where she is a two-time first-team All-Lewis & Clark Conference performer and will graduate as a four-year varsity letterwinner. She is averaging 19.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.6 blocked shots per game so far this season.

As a junior, Tietz was the honorary captain of the Lincoln Journal Star’s 2011 Class D-1 all-state team and was a second-team Omaha World-Herald all-state selection. She averaged 23.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game and set school single-season records with 507 points, a 23.0-point scoring average, and a field goal percentage of 67.6 percent.

Tietz averaged 11.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore en route to honorable mention Class C-2 all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star. She averaged 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as a freshman for a Bancroft-Rosalie team that won Nebraska’s Class D-1 state championship with a 27-1 record.

Jordyn Wollenburg, a 5-10 forward from Gretna, Neb. Wollenburg is a senior at Gretna High School, where she is a four-year starter and a two-time first-team All-Eastern Midlands Conference performer. This season she is averaging 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.9 assists per game. She has made 58 of 120 field goal attempts for 48.3 percent and 33 of 39 free throw attempts for 84.6 percent.

Wollenburg averaged 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals per game as a junior en route to second-team Class B all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald and honorable mention all-state recognition from the Lincoln Journal-Star.

The recruits will join a Morningside program that has made 10 consecutive NAIA II National Tournament appearances and won NAIA II National Championships in 2004, 2005, and 2009.

Brittany Alfredson, a 5-11 senior guard from Moville, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.

Alfredson averaged 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game and drilled 10 of 13 field goal attempts for 76.9 percent to lead the Mustangs to victories against Northwestern College and Doane College last week.

She scored a game and career-high 18 points, led the Mustangs with eight rebounds, and had a game-high four steals in last Saturday’s 78-68 overtime win at Doane. Earlier in the week she had 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds in a 76-74 triumph at Northwestern when the Mustangs snapped the Red Raiders’ 11-game winning streak.

Alfredson is averaging a career-high 9.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and has been the Mustangs’ leading rebounder in 13 of their 22 games, including 10 of the last 14 games. Morningside has a 12-1 record when Alfredson has been the Mustangs’ leading rebounder.

Alfredson has drilled 20 of 32 field goal attempts for 62.5 percent and converted 16 of 18 free throw attempts for 88.9 percent over the last five games.

Morningside cooled off the hottest team in the GPAC women’s basketball race with a 76-74 victory against Northwestern College on Wednesday in Orange City, Iowa.

The Red Raiders, ranked seventh nationally in the latest NAIA Division II poll, had an 11-game winning streak snapped and suffered their first loss since a 68-52 setback against the same Morningside team earlier this season on Nov. 22 in Sioux City.

Morningside, ranked No. 9 in the nation, climbed to 15-6 on the season and moved into a tie with defending NAIA II National Champion Northwestern for third place in the GPAC standings with 9-3 league records. Concordia leads the league with a 10-2 record, followed by Briar Cliff at 9-2.

The Mustangs had to rally from an 11-point second half deficit to pull the game out. Morningside took a 38-36 lead into the intermission, but Northwestern came out smoking in the second half and outscored its guest 17-4 over the first three minutes to open a 53-42 lead with 17:10 left in the contest.

Morningside answered with a 15-3 run of its own and regained the lead at 57-56 on a 3-pointer by Nicole Rauner with 12:14 to go.

Down 70-69 inside the five-minute mark, the Mustangs took the lead for good when Chelsie Trask made a pair of free throw with 4:51 left to put the Mustangs up 71-70.

Shelby Beaudette led the Mustangs with a season’s high 21 points to finish two shy of her career scoring high. Beaudette knocked down four of seven 3-point field goal attempts and led the winners with four assists.

Trask was next with 18 points, followed by Brittany Alfredson with 12, Hanna Blum with 11, and Nicole Rauner with eight.

Aside from providing the Mustangs with an 11-point performance off the bench, Blum also grabbed a career-high nine rebounds to share game honors with Northwestern All-American Kendra De Jong. Alfredson added eight caroms, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a slight 38-35 Northwestern rebounding advantage.

De Jong led Northwestern, 15-5, with 22 points and Kami Kuhlmann joined her in double figures with 17 tallies.

Morningside will travel to Crete, Neb., on Saturday for a 2 p.m. game against Doane College.

Chelsie Trask, a 5-9 junior guard from Rockford, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.

Trask averaged 19.3 points per game in the Mustangs’ three contests last week. She made 15 of 30 field goal attempts, five of 10 3-point field goal attempts, and 23 of 25 free throw attempts. Trask scored a season’s high 23 points in Morningside’s 68-52 win against Northwestern College on Nov. 22 and also had 23 points in a 77-76 loss against South Dakota School of Mines & Technology on Nov. 26. Trask scored 12 points when Morningside defeated Black Hills State University 69-58 on Nov. 25.

Trask, the Mustangs’ leading scorer with an average of 16.9 points per game, raised her career scoring tally to 960 points to put her 40 points shy of becoming the 21st women’s basketball player in Morningside history to reach the 1,000-point career milestone.

Morningside will take a 5-3 record and a No. 13 NAIA Division II national ranking into a Wednesday home game against No. 6 Grand View University.

Morningside is ranked second in the nation in the 2011-12 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Pre-Season Poll released on Oct. 24.

The Mustangs return 12 letterwinners, including three starters, from a team that finished 29-6 last season and reached the Final Four at the NAIA II National Tournament. Morningside has won three NAIA Division II National Championships in the last eight years and has made nine consecutive NAIA II National Tournament appearances.

The Mustangs will open the 2011-12 season on Saturday, Nov. 5, with a 7 p.m. home game against Mount Mercy College, which is ranked 25th in the pre-season poll.

Morningside is one of four teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) ranked in the NAIA II Top 25. Aside from Morningside, Northwestern College is ranked first, Briar Cliff University is fifth, and Concordia University is 22nd.

Morningside is picked for a second place finish in the GPAC Women’s Basketball Coaches Pre-Season Poll.

The Mustangs return 12 letterwinners and three starters from a team that posted a 29-6 record last season and reached the semifinals of the 2011 NAIA Division II National Tournament.

Morningside will open the 2011-12 campaign with a 7 p.m. home game against Mount Mercy College on Saturday, Nov. 5.

Click here for the complete 2011-12 GPAC Women’s Basketball Coaches Pre-Season Poll.