MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's basketball team (9-7, 6-6 NSIC) will return to Mankato for a pair of conference games this weekend against the Wayne State Wildcats and the Augustana Vikings.  Friday, the Mavericks host the Wildcats at Taylor Center with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.  Saturday, MSU will hose the Vikings with the game slated to begin at 3:30 p.m.
 
Mavericks at a Glance: Minnesota State (9-7, 6-6 NSIC), enters the week with a 9-7 record after dropping the final two games of a four-game road trip to the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and the St. Cloud State Huskies.

Stat Pack: As a team, Minnesota State is averaging 76.1 points per game in comparison to its opponents' 71.3. Additionally, the Mavericks average 42.3 rebounds per game and dish out 13.8 assists per game while stealing the ball 12.3 times per game.

Impact Mavericks: Senior guard Kirstin Klitzke is the leading scorer for the Mavericks, averaging 10.6 points per game as well as averaging 2.8 rebounds per game.  Junior forward Tayla Stuttley the team's second leading scorer, averaging 9.6 points per game as well as a team leading 2.5 assists per game.  Sophomore center Kristi Fett is the leading rebounder for the Mavericks, averaging 5.8 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 8.8 points per game while also averaging 5.8 rebounds a game.  Freshman guard Shea Fuller is averaging 5.9 points per game this season.  Freshman guard Joey Batt is averaging 7.7 points per game to go along with 1.4 steals per contest.

Bench Squad: The bench players for the Mavericks have outscored their opponents 588-289 to date this season.

Scouting Wayne State:  Wayne State is located in Wayne, Neb., and is currently 13-5 (8-4 NSIC) on the season. The Wildcats are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  Wayne State is led by head coach Brent Pollari who is in his second season as the leader of the program.  

As a team this season, the Wildcats net 77.7 points per game in comparison to their opponents' 69.2. Wayne State also snatches 41.6 rebounds and dishes out 14.4 assists per contest. 

The Wildcats are led by junior forward Erin Norling who averages 19.6 points per game and a team leading 8.1 rebounds per game. Junior guard Halley Busse is the second leading scorer and rebounder for the Wildcats, averaging 14.8 points per game to go along with 3.1 rebounds per contest.

Friday's game will mark the 29th all-time meeting between these two programs, the most recent of which was a 90-82 win for the Mavericks last season. 

Scouting Augustana:  Augustana is located in Sioux Falls, S.D., and is currently 10-6 (6-6 NSIC) on the season. The Vikings are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  Augustana is led by head coach Dave Krauth who is in his 31st season as the leader of the program.  

As a team this season, the Vikings net 69.8 points per game in comparison to their opponents' 60.8. Wayne State also snatches 39.8 rebounds and dishes out 11.4 assists per contest. 

The Vikings are led by sophomore guard Vishe' Rabb, who is averaging 14.2 points per game as well as 2.8 boards per game. Senior forward Hana Beyer is the team leader in rebounds per game, averaging 5.8 to go along with 5.6 points per contest.

Saturday's game will mark the 77th all-time meeting between these two programs, the most recent of which was an 68-66 loss for the Mavericks last season. 

Looking Ahead: Next weekend, Minnesota State will return to the road for a pair of games against Minnesota State Moorhead and Northern State.  Friday night, the Mavericks will travel to Moorhead, Minn., with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.  Saturday, MSU will take on the Wolves with tip-off scheduled for 3:30 p.m.