MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's basketball team will travel to Minnesota Duluth for the second straight season to open the NSIC / Sanford Health Tournament on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

Mavericks at a Glance: Minnesota State (12-16, 10-12 NSIC) closed the regular season on a four-game win streak. The Mavericks edged Sioux Falls, 61-60, in their season finale after sophomore Taylor Klug hit a jumper as time expired to seal the win. 

Impact Mavericks: Senior Claire Ziegler leads Minnesota State in points per game (12.5) and rebounds (7.9). Sophomore Taylor Klug is posting 10.5 point and creating a team-best 1.6 steals per contest. Senior Claire Jordan is also netting double figures with 10.1 points per game. 

Stat Pack: Minnesota State is ranked fourth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) in rebounding (39.1) and first in offensive rebounds (14.1). The Mavericks are also totaling 66.2 points per game which ranks seventh in the NSIC.  

Finishing Strong: Minnesota State closed out regular season play winning six of its final eight games. Over that stretch, the Mavericks went 4-0 at Taylor Center and outscored their opponents by 10.0 points per contest. MSU had three players average double-digits in scoring over that span: sophomore Taylor Klug (13.1), senior Claire Ziegler (12.9), and senior Claire Jordan (10.8). 

Mavericks in the NSIC Tournament: Since the 2012-13 season, Minnesota State is  7-5 in NSIC Tournament games and have reached the championship game three times over that span (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15). In its most recent appearance, Minnesota State fell short at Minnesota Duluth, 83-73, in the first round of the NSIC Tournament last season. 

Looking Back: Earlier this season, Minnesota State fell short at Minnesota Duluth, 68-55, on Feb. 2. Senior Claire Ziegler led the Mavericks posting a double-double with a team-best 18 points and game-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore Taylor Klug also reached double figures in scoring with 11 points and team-high five assists. Senior Logan Anderson rounded out the top performers with nine points, three assists, and three rebounds. 

Klug for the Win: Sophomore Taylor Klug hit a jumper as time expired to lift Minnesota State past Sioux Falls last weekend. The Colgate, Wis., native posted a game-high 24 points shooting 58.8% (10-17) from the field and 60.0% from downtown (3-5). Klug opened the weekend at Southwest Minnesota State netting a game-high 20 points with four steals. The guard has reached the 20-point plateau three times this season and ranks sixth in the NSIC in steals with 1.6 per game. 

The Ziegler File: Senior Claire Ziegler averaged 17.5 points with 12.5 rebounds per game last weekend. The Mankato, Minn., native posted 16 points with a season-best  14 rebounds at Southwest Minnesota State. Ziegler closed the weekend recording her second straight and 10th double-double of the season at Sioux Falls with 19 points and game-best 11 rebounds. She has reached double digits in scoring 19 times this season. Additionally,  Ziegler has posted double figure rebounds 10 times this season. 

In the NSIC, Ziegler ranks in the top-20 in four statistical categories this season. The forward is sixth in rebounds per game (7.9), ninth in steals per contest (1.5), 15th in points per game (12.5), and 17th in blocked shots per game (.9). 

Pursuing 1,000: Senior Claire Ziegler is looking to become the 22nd member of the MSU 1,000-Career Point Club. The Mankato, Minn., native has totaled 980 points in 93 career games. Lisa Walters (84-88) is the all-time leader with 2,072 career points.  

Creating Possessions: The Mavericks generated a season-best 20 steals against Southwest Minnesota State last weekend. Junior Monica Muth tallied a game-high and career-best six steals. Senior Claire Ziegler matched a career-high four steals, while sophomore Taylor Klug equaled a career-best four steals.

Scouting Minnesota Duluth: Minnesota Duluth is located in Duluth, Minn., and enters the week with a 16-10 (13-9 NSIC) overall record. The Bulldogs have won three of their last four games and most recently upended MSU Moorhead, 59-47. Minnesota Duluth is led by third year head coach Many Pearson. 

As a team, the Bulldogs are totaling 65.2 points per game in comparison to their opponents 60.5. Minnesota Duluth adds 37.1 rebounds and 15.7 assists per contest. 

The Bulldogs have won the last three meetings between these two teams, but the series is tied 5-5 over the last 10 meetings. Minnesota State leads the all-time series, 31-28

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