MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's basketball team (5-4, 2-3 NSIC) will return to conference play when it travels to St. Paul Sunday, Dec. 30, at 2:00 p.m. to face the Golden Bears for the second time this season.  

Mavericks at a Glance: Minnesota State (5-4, 2-3 NSIC), enters the week after splitting a pair of home contests the weekend of Dec. 14.  Friday night the Mavericks forced the Winona State Warriors into overtime on a last second shot from Brooke Tonsfeldt, but ultimately fell short in the second overtime 79-69. Saturday evening the Mavericks rallied back against Upper Iowa, cruising to an 89-57 victory in a game that saw Minnesota State record 29 assists, the most in a game since it recorded 33 against Buena Vista on Nov. 12, 2013.  

Impact Mavericks: Junior forward Taylor Drost is the leading scorer for the Mavericks, averaging 10.9 points per game, including a career best 21-point outing against the Michigan Tech Huskies. Sophomore forward Rachel Shumski is the second leading scorer on the team averaging 9.9 points per game and is the second leading rebounder for the team averaging 6.8 rebounds per game.  Sophomore forward Brooke Tonsfeldt is averaging the most rebounds with 7.7 per game and also is averaging 2.4 steals per game.

Freshman Fire: Several freshmen are making an early impact for the Mavericks this season.  Center Kristi Fett is averaging 6.0 points per game while also averaging 4.3 rebounds a game, and leading the team with 0.9 blocks per game. Guard Rylee Menster is averaging 6.1 points per game while shooting 50% from the floor and has made the second most free throws on the team with 15.

Stat Pack: As a team Minnesota State is averaging 77.3 points per game in comparison to its opponents' 66.8. Additionally, the Mavericks average 44.4 rebounds per game and dish out 17.0 assists per game.

Scouting Concordia-St. Paul:  Concordia-St. Paul is located in St. Paul, Minn., and is currently 7-3 (3-2 NSIC) on the season. The Golden Bears are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Concordia-St. Paul is led by head coach Amanda Johnson who is in her third full season with the program

As a team this season, the Golden Bears net 68.7 points per game in comparison to its opponents' 61.7. Concordia-St. Paul also snatches 39.7 rebounds and dishes out 14.6 assists per contest. 

The Golden Bears are led by senior Center Lindsay Dorr who is averaging 19.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.  Senior guard Anna Schmitt is the second leading scorer for the team averaging 15.2 points per game. 

Sunday's game will mark the 35th all-time meeting between these two programs, the most recent of which was an 83-60 win by the Mavericks earlier this season.  In that game sophomore forward Rachel Shumski led Minnesota State with 15 points and 11 rebounds.  

Looking Ahead: Minnesota State will remain on the road, traveling to Minot, N.D. to take on the Beavers Friday, Jan. 4, at 5:30 p.m., before traveling to Bismarck, N.D., to face off with U-Mary Saturday at 3:30 p.m.