DeVille named NSIC Coach of the Year; Bachmann, Heittola earn All-NSIC

The historic 2020-21 Bemidji State University women’s basketball season continued to unfold Wednesday as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced Brooklyn Bachmann and Rachael Heittola to its all-conference team and head coach Chelsea DeVille as the NSIC North Division Coach of the Year.

Heittola was selected to the NSIC All-Conference First Team, the only underclassmen selected to the first or second teams, while Bachmann earned a spot on the second team. The duo are the first BSU teammates selected to the All-NSIC Team since the 2013-14 season when Morgan Lee and Kate Warmack were named to the second team.

DeVille was voted the NSIC North Division Coach of the Year after leading BSU to a 9-5 record overall and 8-4 mark in conference play. She guided BSU to its first winning season, overall and in conference play, for the first time since 1995-96 and has the Beavers back in the NSIC Quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons. Even in a shortened season, DeVille led BSU to its most conference victories (8) since the 2007-08 season, including a seven-game winning streak for its longest such streak in a season since 1987-88. She is the first BSU coach to earn the honor since Mike Powers in 2004.

Heittola finished the regular season with 14.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, ranking 12th and 6th in the conference, respectively. She is currently shooting 51.8 percent from the field, which ranks second in the NSIC and 49th in NCAA Division II. Heittola was twice named the NSIC Player of the Week and has recorded two double-doubles and four 20-point games this season.

Bachmann is averaging 12.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the field. She earned NSIC Player of the Week honors after the opening weekend of the season and has 11 games with at least 10 points, six games with at least five assists and two double-doubles this season. Bachmann ranks second in the NSIC in assist-to-turnover ratio and assists per game, seventh in defensive rebounds per game, 19th in rebounds per game and 20th in points per game.

In the NSIC North Division, University of Minnesota Duluth junior forward Brooke Olson was named the player of the year, St. Cloud State University junior guard Brehna Evans earned defensive player of the year while Northern State University freshman guard Rianna Fillipi was selected as the freshman of the year

In the NSIC South Division, Wayne State College senior forward Erin Norling was named the player of the year, sophomore guard Joey Batt was selected as defensive player of the year, Concordia University-St. Paul freshman center Lindsey Becher earned freshman of the year and Augustana University head coach Dave Krauth was voted coach of the year.

Bemidji State women’s basketball continues its 2020-21 campaign at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26 with an NSIC Quarterfinal matchup against Concordia University-St. Paul at The Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Listen to all BSU games during the NSIC Sanford Health Womens Basketball Tournament on Talk Radio 106.3 and online at beaverradionetwork.com.