MADISON, S.D. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team has been chosen second in the eight-team North Star Athletic Association in the annual Preseason Coaches' Poll as announced by the league office.
Last season BU posted a 19-13 overall record and went 11-5 in NSAA play. After earning the No. 3-seed for the NSAA Tournament, the Bruins picked up the program's first postseason victory, dispatching Presentation College 92-60 in the NSAA quarterfinals to reach the semifinals.
Bellevue earned 55 points in the poll to come second.
Valley City State was chosen as the unanimous preseason favorite, earning 64 points and all eight first place votes. Mayville State was picked third with 48 points.
Rounding out the poll were Dakota State (4th place, 40 points), Presentation (5th place, 29 points), Waldorf (6th place, 23 points), Viterbo (7th place, 16 points), and Dickinson State (8th place, 13 points).
Points were awarded on an 8-1 basis (8 for first, 7 for second, etc.) and coaches could vote for their own team.
Each NSAA member will be playing a total of 14 conference games this season, with each team playing home and away against every school during the conference slate.
The conference season gets underway on Saturday, Dec. 1 when Bellevue hosts Dakota State at 3 p.m. in their conference-opener.
Following the NSAA regular-season, all eight teams will compete in the 2019 NSAA Postseason Tournament. The quarterfinal round will be played on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at campus sites with the higher seeded team hosting. The semifinals and championship games will be held at the Watertown Civic Center in Watertown, S.D. on Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 23-24.
The North Star Women's Basketball Postseason Tournament Champion will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA Division II National Tournament to be held at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa from Mar. 6-12.
Dave Denly is back on the bench for his third season at the helm of the Bruins and 20th overall. Through his first two seasons Denly has guided the Bruins to a 35-28 record and now owns a career record of 383-199 in 19 seasons. He'll once again be assisted by James Benford in his third season with BU. New to the staff for this season is Mercedees Morgan after playing collegiately at the University of Northern Iowa.
Returning for the Bruins in 2018/19 is a mix of three guards and three forwards. Seniors Shayla Dean and Shanae Collins, along with sophomore Jamie Winkler are the guards. Senior Morgan Cuffe and sophomores Elexis Martinez and Angeliece Tucker are the forwards.
Dean assumed the starting point guard role last season averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. She led the team in with 92 assists and 54 steals (1.74 per game) and shot a team-best 82.0 percent from the free throw line.
Winkler was one of three Bruins to appear in all 32 games last season. She averaged 4.8 points, and scored a program-record 29 points against Bethel (Kan.) on Nov. 4. She dished out 43 assists and 27 steals on the season.
Cuffe appeared in 21 games with eight starts last season. She averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds per game, and totaled 25 steals. Her 22 blocked shots ranked second on the team.
Martinez was named NSAA Newcomer of the Year a season ago after averaging 10.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor. Additionally, she totaled 30 steals and led the team with 27 blocked shots.
Collins and Tucker were limited to two and five games, respectively, last season as a result of injury, however, both played key roles during Bellevue's inaugural 2016/17 season. Collins averages 3.6 points per game in 31 career games, has dished out 58 assists, and swiped 32 steals. Tucker has averaged 6.8 points over her first 36 career games, drained 63 three-pointers, swiped 34 steals, and has connected on 34.2 percent of her three-point attempts and 71.8 percent of her free throws.
Six freshmen will join the BU roster, including four from the Omaha-Metro area. Forward Laura Jurek (Bellevue, Neb./Bellevue West HS) and center Stephanie Erland (Omaha, Neb./Millard North HS) are the additions in the post. Guards Lexi Allen (Luther, Okla./Luther HS), Taeha Pankey (North Las Vegas, Nev./Legacy HS), Miranda Hennings (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Abraham Lincoln HS), and Faith Ross (Gretna, Neb./Gretna HS) are the newcomers on the perimeter.
Bellevue also welcomes a pair of transfers in senior guard Cassie Jones (Omaha, Neb./Dakota State/Marian HS) and sophomore guard Sierra Roseby (Omaha, Neb./Midland/Bryan HS). Jones will sit out the season as an intra-conference transfer.
A well-rounded high school basketball player, Allen did a little of everything at Luther High School, averaging 10 points, four rebounds, five assists, and five steals while sinking 46 three-pointers her senior year. She was an honorable mention Little All-City choice, OCA All-Star, Little City All-Star, and OGBCA All-Region selection as a senior.
Pankey concluded a standout career at Legacy High School highlighted by a senior year in which she averaged 16.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game with shooting percentages of 45 (field goal), 49 (three-point), and 72 (free throw). She posted career averages of 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while being named Team MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and second team all-conference as both a junior and senior. Additionally, she led the Class 4A Sunset Division in scoring as a junior.
The first recruit in program history from the city of Bellevue, Jurek joins the Bruins after a record-setting career at Bellevue West High School. Over a distinguished four-year career she averaged 9.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game and is the school's all-time leader in career rebounds with 834. A two-year captain and two-year all-ITG selection Jurek averaged 9.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game as a senior en route to earning third team all-Metro honors and being selected to the Senior All-Star Game.
One of two transfers in the Bruins' recruiting class, Jones brings a wealth of collegiate experience and familiarity with the North Star Athletic Association from her three seasons spent in Madison, S.D. at Dakota State. In her time with the Lady T's, Jones appeared in 91 career games, scored 428 points (4.7 per game), and shot 78.9 percent from the free throw line. Due to intra-conference transfer rules she will have to sit out the 2018/19 season but will be good to go for 2019/20.
The other transfer in BU's recruiting class, Roseby, comes to Bellevue from Midland where she was a member of the Warriors' junior varsity program. She was a four-year letter-winner at Bryan High School where she averaged 10 points, eight assists, and five rebounds per game over her career. She was a two-year team captain for the Bears, earning honorable mention all-Metro and Metro Conference Scholar-Athlete honors as a senior.
A two-year team captain at Abraham Lincoln High School, Hennings turned in a strong senior year for the Lynx averaging 10.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game shooting 39.1 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from three. Hennings averaged 9.1 points and totaled 256 rebounds in her high school career. She was a two-time all-MRC selection, twice an honorable mention all-city choice, and chosen for the KMA All-Star Game as a senior.
Ross comes to Bellevue from Gretna High School where she was a four-year letter-winner at point guard. Following a senior season in which she averaged 15 points, three rebounds, and four assists per game while shooting 91 percent from the line and 46 percent from deep she was named to both the Omaha and Nebraska All-Star teams. A two-time all-conference selection, Ross holds several Gretna school-records; most free throws made in a game (12), most free throws made in a game without a miss (12), most steals in a game, and most assists in a game.
Erland comes to Bellevue from metro-area powerhouse Millard North High School. She played AAU basketball for Bruin assistant James Benford with Retro Hoops, averaging 10 rebounds and 3.5 rebounds on 54.5 percent shooting from the floor. She showed the ability to stretch the floor as a post-player for Retro Hoops by knocking down 1.5 three-pointers per game at a 30 percent clip.
BU opens their season at the Oklahoma Wesleyan Classic in Bartlesville, Okla. on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 26-27 with a pair of games. The Bruins take on Randall University on Friday at 4 p.m. and Central Christian College of the Bible on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Bellevue fans will get their first opportunity to see the Bruins at home on Monday, Oct. 29 when they host College of St. Mary at 5 p.m. at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
