MANKATO, Minn.   —   Minnesota State returns home this weekend for a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference match-ups.  The Mavericks will host Minnesota Duluth Friday at 6 p.m., before a 4 p.m., tilt Saturday against Bemidji State.

Week in Review: Minnesota State (15-8, 11-8 NSIC) went 1-1 last weekend dropping a 64-59 thriller against St. Cloud State on Friday before seeking revenge against Concordia on Saturday with a 71-65 victory.  MSU led the majority of the second half against the Huskies before an 18-3 run gave St. Cloud a one-point lead at 58-57 with just 1:55 remaining.  MSU was unable to recapture the lead once it surrendered it while senior forward Laura Weber earned her fifth double-double of the season with a 15-point, 12-rebound effort.  Joining Weber in double digits was fellow senior Jennie Noreen who added 14 points and eight rebounds.  In the Mavericks victory over Concordia, freshman guard Aubrey Davis poured in a season-high 22 points highlighted by a 10-of-12 performance from the free-throw line.  Fellow freshman Jamie Bresnahan recorded her second double-double of the season scoring 15 points while pulling down 10 rebounds.  Weber was the third and final Maverick in double digits finishing with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting.  Weber led the Mavericks over the weekend averaging 14.5 points per game on 50.0 percent shooting from the floor.  She was also second on the team with 7.5 rebounds per contest.  Davis averaged 13.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while Bresnahan averaged a double-double with 11.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest.

Upcoming Opponents: Friday, Minnesota State is back at the Taylor Center as it plays host to the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.  Sitting 14-8 overall, 11-7 in the NSIC, the Bulldogs have won three of their last four games with their latest victory coming last Saturday in a 72-47 blowout against Minnesota, Crookston.  Minnesota Duluth owns a 27-24 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools although MSU has won seven of the last nine matchups.  UMD got the best of Minnesota State in the first meeting this season earning a 56-54 win back on Jan. 21.  With the score tied at 54 with just a minute remaining, the Bulldogs made what turned out to be the game winner with 19.1 seconds remaining as Shelly Stemper’s layup gave UMD the 56-54 lead where the score would remain as a last-second three-point attempt by Davis fell short.  Saturday, the Mavericks face Bemidji State who is 8-15 overall and 6-12 in the NSIC.  The Beavers have dropped their last three contests with their latest loss coming in three overtimes against MSU Moorhead, 95-93.  BSU will play Southwest Minnesota State Friday before Saturdays tilt with the Mavericks as MSU holds a 24-13 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools.  Minnesota State has won five of the last seven meetings, however, BSU earned a 72-71 victory earlier this season on Jan. 20.  Sophomore guard Alli Hoefer gave the Mavericks a 71-70 lead with just 9.5 seconds remaining before Bemidji State’s Shannon Thompson drew a foul on her way to the basket with just 1.9 ticks left on the clock.  Thompson connected on both free throws, taking the one-point lead, and sealed the victory for the Beavers as MSU failed to connect on a last-second shot attempt. 

Scouting the Bulldogs: The Bulldogs, coached by Annete Wiles, are led by Katrina Newman who has started all 22 games for UMD while leading the team with 14.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.  Newman is seventh in the NSIC in scoring and third in rebounding while shooting 44.3 percent from the field.  Also averaging double digits for UMD is Courtney Doucette and Shelly Stemper who contribute 13.0 and 10.6 points per contest.  Doucette has made 55 three pointers this season, tied for fourth-most in the NSIC, while she is tied for seventh in the conference with 3.18 assists per game.  Stemper is connecting on 36.8 percent of her shots from three-point range while she is second on the team with 5.2 rebounds per contest.  Minnesota Duluth is averaging 65.7 points per game, fifth-most in the NSIC, on 38.0 percent shooting while allowing opponents 59.3 points, third-fewest in the NSIC, on 37.8 percent shooting.

Scouting the Beavers: The Beavers, coached by Mike Curfman, are led by four players averaging double figures with Morgan Lee leading the way with 13.1 points per game.  Lee is connecting on 40.6 percent from three-point range, seventh-best in the NSIC, while playing 26.8 minutes per game.  Kate Warmack is averaging 11.9 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game while starting all 23 games for the Beavers.  Shannon Thompson is third on the team with 10.5 points per game while she is tied for seventh in the NSIC with 3.18 assists per contest.  The fourth and final Beaver averaging double figures is Samantha Baldwin at 10.0 ppg who is second on the team averaging 31.4 minutes per game.  Bemidji State averages 67.1 points on 38.9 percent shooting while allowing opponents 72.0 points per game on 40.5 percent shooting.

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