MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's basketball team continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play on the road at Minot State on Friday at 6:00 p.m. The Mavericks will conclude the road trip at University of Mary on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m.
Mavericks at a Glance: Minnesota State (4-11, 2-7 NSIC) enters the week on a four-game losing skid. Most recently, the Mavericks came up short at Wayne State, 92-73.
Impact Mavericks: Senior
Claire Ziegler leads Minnesota State with 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest. Junior
Monica Muth adds 8.4 points to go along with a team-best 2.0 assists per game this season. Senior
Logan Anderson is also contributing 8.4 points per game.
Stat Pack: As a team this season, Minnesota State is netting 63.2 points per game in comparison to its opponents' 72.7. The Mavericks are also pulling down 38.9 rebounds and dishing out 9.9 assists per contest.
Double-Double Alert: Senior
Claire Ziegler posted her second double-double of the season and 12th of her career at Wayne State. The Mankato, Minn., native tallied a team-best 16 points to go along with 10 rebounds. She also created two blocks and two steals on the defensive end of the floor.
Controlling the Boards: The Mavericks are currently slotted sixth in the NSIC with 38.9 rebounds per game and set the pace in offensive rebounds with 13.6. Minnesota State pulled down a season-high 53 rebounds against Palm Beach Atlantic and Chaminade.
Off the Bench: Sophomore
Taylor Klug averaged 9.0 points off the bench last weekend. The guard matched a season-high 12 points at Augustana and has reached double digits in scoring in four of the last six games.
Chasing the 800-Point/500-Rebound Club: Senior
Claire Ziegler became the 14th member of the MSU 800-Point/500-Rebound Club after posting 16 points and 10 rebounds against Wayne State. She has now amassed 815 points with 507 rebounds in 81 career games. Lisa Walters (84-88) is the all-time leader with 2,034 points and 1,074 rebounds.
100th Win Watch: Head Coach
Emilee Thiesse has totaled 99 career wins with an overall career record of 99-62 (74-45 NSIC). She has led the Mavericks to two NCAA postseason appearances and boasts a 55-21 (.723) record at Taylor Center.
Shooting Free Throws: Minnesota State tallied a season-high .938 free throw percentage at Augustana last weekend. Senior
Claire Jordan has connected on a team-best 37 free throws this season with a .902 free throw percentage.
Creating Possessions: The Mavericks created a season-best 11 steals at Wayne State last weekend. Senior
Claire Ziegler, junior
Monica Muth, and junior
Ashley Reed generated two steals each.
Going to the Bench: The Minnesota State bench posted a season-best 38 points against Concordia-St. Paul on Dec. 15. The Maverick bench has posted at least 20 points in 11 games this season and is averaging 24.5 points per game.
Scouting Minot State: Minot State is located in Minot, N.D., and enters the week with a 6-8 (3-7 NSIC) overall record. The Beavers have lost their last two games and most recently fell to No. 19 Northern State, 74-65. Minot State is led by first year head coach Mark Graupe.
As a team, the Beavers are netting 65.3 points per game in comparison to their opponents 65.8. Minot State is also snatching 39.5 rebounds and handing out 13.5 assists per game.
The last time these two programs met last season, Minnesota State topped Minot State, 71-59, at Taylor Center. The Mavericks hold the advantage in the all-time series, 6-0.
Scouting U-Mary: U-Mary is located in Bismarck, N.D., and holds a 6-10 (2-8 NSIC) overall record. The Marauders have dropped their last three contest and most recently came up short at MSU Moorhead, 67-56. Head coach Rick Neumann leads U-Mary in his fifth season.
As a unit, the Marauders are averaging 64.1 points per game in comparison to their opponents 61.0. U-Mary is also pulling down 39.5 rebounds and distributing 12.6 assists per contest.
The last time these two teams met last season, Minnesota State upended U-Mary, 77-52. The Mavericks hold the edge in the all-time series, 10-2.
Looking Ahead: Minnesota State return to Taylor Center hosting Sioux Falls on Jan. 19. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m.
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