MANKATO, Minn.   —   Minnesota State plays the final two games of its current four-game homestand this weekend as the team hosts Upper Iowa Friday at 6 p.m., before entertaining Winona State Saturday at 4 p.m.

The First One is the Hardest: MSU (5-3, 1-3 NSIC) went 1-1 last week earning its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory of the season with a 60-46 win over St. Cloud State.  The win ended the Mavericks’ three-game losing streak which plagued the beginning of the NSIC schedule.  Last weeks lone loss came in an 83-67 contest against Concordia University.  MSU was led by three players who averaged double-digits last week including senior forward Laura Weber (14.5 ppg), senior guard Jennie Noreen (12.0 ppg) and freshman guard Aubrey Davis (10.5 ppg).  Weber connected on 54.2 percent of her attempts while pulling down 10 rebounds, five coming on the offensive end.  Noreen also contributed 5.5 rebounds per contest while making good on 8-of-9 (88.9 FT%) free-throw attempts.  Davis’ 10.5 points came on 40.0 percent shooting including 3-of-7 from long range.  Freshman forward Jamie Bresnahan made her first two career starts last weekend averaging 8.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in the two contests.  She also added a season-high 12 rebounds in the win over St. Cloud State.

Upcoming Opponents: Friday, Minnesota State looks for its second NSIC victory when it faces Upper Iowa University.  Winless at 0-7 overall and 0-3 in the NSIC, the Peacocks enter the contest coming off a 72-50 defeat against Bemidji State.  The Mavericks own an 8-0 record in the all-time series between the schools, with the most recent meeting coming last season and resulting in a 68-48 victory for MSU.  Saturday, the Mavericks complete their longest homestand of the year when they face Winona State. The visiting Warriors are 6-3 overall, 1-2 in the NSIC, and will play Southwest Minnesota State Friday before the contest against MSU.  Minnesota State holds a 28-13 all-time record against Winona State, but has lost the last four meetings in the series.  The last time MSU defeated WSU was in 2009 when the Mavericks emerged with the 74-59 win.

Scouting the Peacocks: The Peacocks, coached by Carol Russell, have two players averaging double-digits including Whitney Kieffer and Jeri Jacobson.  Kieffer has posted 13.6 points and 6.1 rebounds through seven games while she also leads the team with 18 steals.  Kieffer leads the Peacocks with 31.9 minutes per game while she is connecting on 32.9 percent of her field goal attempts.  She also leads in the team with 36 made free throws (73.5 FT%) and is tied for the team lead with 12 assists.  Jacobson has posted 11.9 points per game in seven starts while connecting on 37.3 percent of her attempts.  Second on the team with 5.1 rebounds per game, Jacobson has recorded 12 assists and 11 steals while hitting 36.8 percent of her shots from downtown.  Upper Iowa has struggled offensively shooting just 32.2 percent from the field which is last in the NSIC.  As a team they average 59.7 points per game while allowing 74.1 points on 43.8 percent shooting.

Scouting the Warriors: The Warriors, coached by Scott Ballard, possess one player scoring in double-digits as Michelle McDonald averages 14.8 points per game which is seventh-most in the NSIC.  She is connecting on 52.2 percent of her shot attempts while hitting 82.1 percent of her free-throw attempts.  McDonald also paces the team with 6.9 rebounds per contest.  Setting up the Winona State scorers is Katie Wolff who leads the team with 4.6 assists per game which tops the NSIC.  Wolff averages 7.9 points per game while she has also recorded 16 steals and is a perfect 12-of-12 from the free-throw line.  Four Warriors average eight or more points per contest including McDonald, Beth Alberson (8.8 ppg), Abby Busch (8.7 ppg) and Becca Friestleben (8.6 ppg).  Alberson and Friestleben have each connected on 16 three-pointers while both shoot above a .400 clip.  Through nine games the Warriors are averaging 67.7 points while allowing just 50.2 points per game.  They are also shooting 44.8 percent as a team while allowing oppenents to shoot at 38.2 percent.

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