Beavers Women’s Basketball guard Bachmann named Player to Watch

The Bemidji State University women’s basketball program continues its climb in the conference as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released Wednesday. Sophomore guard Brooklyn Bachmann was named the team’s Player to Watch while the Beavers were voted to finish 15th in the overall poll and eighth in the NSIC North Division.

Brooklyn Bachmann, a sophomore guard from Minooka, Ill., was named BSU’s Player to Watch after finishing her freshman season as the squad’s leader in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals. She finished 2017-18 with the most points for a BSU freshman since the 2014-15 season with 299, an average of 12.5 per game. Bachmann led all NSIC freshman in points per game and free throw percentage while also being named to the 2017-18 All-NSIC Freshman Team.

The Beavers ended the 2017-18 season 4-23 overall and 3-19 in the NSIC. The young squad enters the 2018-19 season with 12 underclassmen, including seven true freshmen.

Head Coach Chelsea DeVille enters her fourth season with the program while totaling an 18-63 record with the Beavers.

University of Sioux Falls came away with the NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll top spot after tallying 208 total points and nine first-place votes. USF is one of three NSIC South Division teams among the top four in the overall poll. Minnesota State University Moorhead came in second with 185 total points and three first-place votes, followed by Concordia University-St. Paul with 178 total points and two first-place votes, and Augustana University with 175 total points and one first-place vote.

Bemidji State tallied 30 points to be slotted 15th in the overall poll, as voted on by NSIC coaches. The Beavers came in eighth in the NSIC North Division poll with 10 total points. Despite MSU Moorhead receiving more first-place votes and total points in the overall poll, University of Minnesota Duluth was selected to finish first in the NSIC North Division poll with 44 total points and two first-place votes. MSUM followed with 43 total points and four first-place votes with University of Mary falling just behind in third with 39 total points and two first-place votes.

U-Mary junior forward Gabbie Bohl was selected as the NSIC North Division Preseason Player of the Year while Concordia-St. Paul senior guard Anna Schmitt was named the NSIC South Division Preseason Player of the Year.

NSIC coaches rank each team from one to 15 with a first-place vote receiving 15 points, second place 14, third place 13, etc. Coaches do not rank their own team or vote for their own players.

Bemidji State begins the 2018-19 season with an exhibition Sunday, Oct. 28 at University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. The official tip-off of the regular season is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9 in Bemidji, Minn., at the BSU Gymnasium.