MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's basketball team (9-5, 6-4 NSIC) will remain on the road for the final two games of a four-game road trip this weekend.  Friday night, the Mavericks will travel to Duluth, Minn., to face off against the Bulldogs with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.  Then on Saturday, MSU will travel to St. Cloud, Minn, to match up with the St. Cloud State Huskies, tip-off scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
 
Mavericks at a Glance: Minnesota State (9-5, 6-4 NSIC), enters the week with a 9-5 record after dropping the first two games of the road trip to the #14 Sioux Falls Cougars and the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs.

Stat Pack: As a team, Minnesota State is averaging 77.4 points per game in comparison to its opponents' 70.6. Additionally, the Mavericks average 43.1 rebounds per game and dish out 14.6 assists per game while stealing the ball 12.6 times per game.

Impact Mavericks: Senior guard Kirstin Klitzke is the leading scorer for the Mavericks, averaging 10.7 points per game as well as averaging 2.9 rebounds per game.  Junior forward Tayla Stuttley the team's second leading scorer, averaging 9.5 points per game as well as a team leading 2.7 assists per game.  Junior forward Rachel Shumski is the leading rebounder for the Mavericks, averaging 5.9 boards per game while adding 8.8 points per game. 

Youth Movement: Several underclassmen are making an early impact for the Mavericks this season. Center Kristi Fett is averaging 8.6 points per game while also averaging 5.4 rebounds a game.  Freshman guard Shea Fuller is averaging 5.9 points per game this season.  Freshman guard Joey Batt is averaging 8.3 points per game to go along with 1.5 steals per contest.

Bench Squad: The bench players for the Mavericks have outscored their opponents 521-262 to date this season.

Scouting Minnesota Duluth:  Minnesota Duluth is located in Duluth, Minn., and is currently 12-4 (9-1 NSIC) on the season. The Bulldogs are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  Minnesota Duluth is led by head coach Mandy Pearson who is in her fifth season as the leader of the program.  

As a team this season, the Bulldogs net 68.1 points per game in comparison to their opponents' 62.8. UMD also snatches 33.4 rebounds and dishes out 15.8 assists per contest. 

The Bulldogs are led by sophomore forward Brooke Olson who averages 15.6 points per game and a team leading 6.2 rebounds per game. Senior forward Katie Stark is the second leading scorer and rebounder for the Bulldogs, averaging 9.6 points per game to go along with 5.9 rebounds per contest.

Friday's game will mark the 62nd all-time meeting between these two programs, the most recent of which was a 72-66 overtime loss for the Mavericks last season. 

Scouting St. Cloud State:  St. Cloud State is located in St. Cloud, Minn., and is currently 10-4 (7-3 NSIC) on the season. The Huskies are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  St. Cloud State is led by head coach Lori Fish who is in her 12th season as the leader of the program.  

As a team this season, the Huskies net 68.0 points per game in comparison to their opponents' 57.9. SCSU also snatches 37.4 rebounds and dishes out 13.9 assists per contest. 

The Huskies are led by senior guard Madelin Dammann, who is averaging 12.3 points per game as well as 4.4 boards per game. Junior forward Nikki Kilboten is the team leader in rebounds per game, averaging 7.2 to go along with 10.9 points per contest.

Friday's game will mark the 98th all-time meeting between these two programs, the most recent of which was an 80-63 loss for the Mavericks last season. 

Looking Ahead: Next weekend, Minnesota State will return home for a pair of games against Wayne State and Augustana.  Friday night, the Mavericks will host the Wildcats with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.  Saturday, MSU will host the Vikings with tip-off scheduled for 3:30 p.m.