SMSU Athletics

The 2000-01 women’s basketball team, under the direction of head coach Kelly Kruger, finished with a program best 25-5 overall record, won the NSIC regular season championship for the first time since 1981 and advanced to the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament.

The team had a 5-3 record in mid-December, but proceeded to reel off a school record 20 victories in a row, before suffering a loss in the NSIC tournament championship game. SMSU finished the NSIC season with a 17-1 record and led the conference in scoring margin, scoring offense, scoring defense, field goal pct. and field goal pct. defense.

SMSU earned the No. 4 seed at the NCAA North Central Region Tournament in Grand Forks, N.D., before suffering a quarterfinal game loss to St. Cloud State. The team finished the regular season ranked No. 18 in the WBCA Top 25.

Senior Andrea Schreier was named the NSIC Player of the Year, Daktronics first team All-Region and WBCA honorable mention All-America. Senior Erin Frye and sophomore Shelli Schoeneck were both named honorable mention All-NSIC, while Kruger was named NSIC Coach of the Year.

The 2000-01 coaching staff and team members include Kelly Kruger (head coach), Mark Nore (assistant coach), Adam Houdeshell (assistant coach), Chad Oletzke (assistant coach), Amy Boman, Angie Brown, Nicole Bullock, Alyssa Downing, Erin Frye, Lindsay Happ, Lindsay Hartmann, Shelly Honermann, Mary Roddel, Sandy Simdorn, Shelli Schoeneck, Andrea Schreier, Jennifer Schultz.