With three games behind them, the Bemidji State women, under second year head coach Chelsea DeVille, have looked the part of a team more comfortable and aware of what their coaches expect of them after learning just exactly what DeVille and her staff were in search of from them in year one.  The group of senior guards (Aimee Pelzer, Tatum Sheley, Hanna Zerr, and Allison Cordes) have certainly helped along the young players on a team which consists of four freshman (Shaice Marx, Erica Gartner, McKayla Scheuer, and Sydney Arrington) getting their first taste of college basketball.  With BSU closing non-conference Saturday night at home against Crown College, let’s take a closer look at what we’ve learned so far:

Dropping the dimes: The Beavers have averaged just under 16 assists per game, which is good for 7th in the NSIC early on.  Two of the three games have seen at least seventeen helpers (Mayville and Northland).  As Coach DeVille has mentioned to us on the air, when you have that many assists, it means you’re getting high percentage looks at the basket.

Knocking it down from deep: Bemidji State is fourth in the Northern Sun in three pointers made with 23 (7.7/game).  As a side note, the three teams ahead of them (St. Cloud St, Augustana, and Minot St) have all played twice as many games as BSU has.  The Beavers are shooting 35% from beyond the arc through three contests as well, which is the exact same as what they shot as a team from three last season.

Hold onto the rock: BSU has actually seen an increase on their turnovers per game from last year (12.9 to 13.7) but that number still ranks the Beaver women 6th in the NSIC.  The teams’ assist-to-turnover ratio (1.15) ranks them fourth so far in the league.

Defensive Intensity: This is something the coaching staff wants to see improve before NSIC play begins next Friday at Minnesota-Duluth.  It is, however, a difficult aspect of the game to break down statistically.  Last season, in a 7-20, 3-19 campaign, Bemidji State was only outscored 68.9-65.0 per game.  This season (in a small sample size) the Beavers are outscoring their opponents slightly (70.3-67.3).  Perhaps the best statistic to measure defensive intensity is field goal percentage, where BSU has made a large improvement (42% last year, 39% so far this season).  They are, impressively, allowing only 27% from beyond the arc.

Freshman Contributions: On a team filled with veterans, the young players have played awfully well to this point.  In her collegiate debut against Mayville, Arrington scored 29 points and grabbed six boards.  Then against Northland, with Pelzer battling flu-like symptoms, Gartner co-led the team with 15 points and had four rebounds before adding 12 points and five rebounds against Fort Hays St last Saturday.

The Beaver women will close non-conference tomorrow night at 6pm against Crown College at the BSU Gymnasium