Former Bismarck Century prep standouts Lauren Ware and Logan Nissley prepare to matchup as opponents in 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Tournament

By Tom Mix
NDHSAA Media Specialist

BISMARCK – Two former Bismarck Century standout girls basketball players – Lauren Ware, a 2020 Century graduate and Logan Nissley, a 2023 Century graduate – will be playing in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball National Tournament this week.

To make things even more intriguing is the fact that Ware’s Texas A&M squad will be playing Nissley’s Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first round of the national tournament at 9:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, March 22 in Corvallis, Ore. The game is being televised on ESPNU.

Nissley and the Huskers are the No. 6 seed in the Albany 1 Regional. Ware and the Aggies are the No. 11 seed.

Nissley, a six-foot guard, is in the midst of a great freshman season at Nebraska. The 2023 NDAPSSA (North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association) Miss Basketball Award winner is averaging 6.7 points per game for the Huskers and has played in all 33 of the team’s games this season while making eight starts.

Nissley scored a season-high 18 points against Purdue on February 17 and shined in the Cornhuskers' 82-79 win over No. 2-ranked Iowa on February 11 by scoring 15 points and making three 3-pointers.

Ware, a six-foot-5 redshirt junior forward, transferred to the Aggies last spring from the University of Arizona. Ware is averaging 9.1 points and 7.9 rebounds in her first season at Texas A&M and has made 30 starts for the Aggies.

Both Ware and Nissley were multi-sport stars at Bismarck Century excelling in volleyball and basketball for the Patriots.

Ware was a three-time NDAPSSA (North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association) All-State selection in basketball (two first team selections her sophomore and junior seasons and one second team selection as a freshmen). Ware also was a two-time NDHSCA (North Dakota High School Coaches Association) All-State First Team selection in volleyball. Ware was named North Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year in girls basketball in (2019 and 2018) and volleyball (2018).  

Ware finished her prep girls basketball career with 1,270 points.

Nissley was a three-time NDAPSSA All-State First Team selection in basketball and a three-time NDHSCA All-State First Team selection in volleyball. Nissley also was named North Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year in girls basketball in (2023, 2022, 2021) and volleyball (2022, 2021).  

Nissley finished her prep girls basketball career with 1,664 points.  

2019 Dickinson High grad Gabrielle Jung playing for EWU, who qualified for NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament

There is another former Western Dakota Association girls basketball standout playing in the 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Tournament this week. Gabrielle Jung, a 2019 Dickinson High School graduate, is playing for Eastern Washington University, who is the No. 14 seed in the Albany 1 Regional. Eastern Washington plays No. 3 seed in the first round at 7 p.m. CDT on Friday, March 22 in Corvallis, Ore. The game is being televised on ESPNU.

Jung, a redshirt junior, has played in 22 games this season for Eastern Washington University as is averaging 1 point per game and 1.4 rebounds per game.

Jung was a NDAPSSA Class A Girls Basketball All-State Second Team selection her senior season at Dickinson. Jung also competed in softball and track and field for Dickinson. She won the Class A Girls High jump in 2019.

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