Starting Off: The Mavericks come home this weekend to finish up the NSIC North Division portion of their schedule. Minnesota State continues to battle to establish their post-season positioning as they are set to take on the MSU Moorhead on Friday Jan. 28 with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m., Then, on Saturday Jan. 29 the Mavericks play host to Northern State with tip-off slated for 3:30 p.m. Both games will be played at Taylor Center.

Last Time Out: Last weekend the Mavericks had a North Dakota road swing as they headed to Minot, N.D. and Bismarck, N.D., to take on the Minot State Beavers and the UMary Marauders. Minnesota State went 1-1 on the weekend. The Mavericks were defeated by the Beavers with a final score of 81-71. The Mavericks wrapped the weekend up on a high note as they earned a commanding victory over the UMary Marauders 74-60.

Mavericks at a Glance: The Mavericks enter the week with an 13-4 overall record and 9-4 in the NSIC. Minnesota State begins the final stretch of the regular season with eight games remaining. The Mavericks still sit atop the South Division with Sioux Falls and Concordia-St. Paul both within two games of the Mavericks. Minnesota State still holds the third spot overall in the NSIC.

Stat Pack: As a team this season, Minnesota State averages 78.5 points per game, which is tops in the NSIC and 15th in the nation, in comparison to its opponents 68.1. Additionally, the Mavericks average 38.6 rebounds per game. The Mavericks have also dished out 13.4 assists per game while stealing the ball 238 times. The Mavericks own a plus-9.0 turnover margin, which is first in the conference and fifth in the NCAA. 

Minnesota State History: The 2021-22 season marks the 57th season in Minnesota State women's basketball program history, dating back to 1966. During that span, the Mavericks own a record of 771-647 (.543).

Mavericks With The Swipes: The Mavericks' unrelenting full-court pressure has been strong and effective in the 2021-22 season. The Mavericks 238 steals leads the NSIC and is sixth in the NCAA. The Mavericks average 14 steals per game. In comparison, the next closest team is Sioux Falls who has 192 steals with 10.11 per game. Joey Batt and Rylee Menster lead the team in steals with 43 and 33, respectively. Batt and Menster are first and sixth in the NSIC. Batt is currently ninth  in the NCAA. 

Turnover Machine: The Mavericks' potent pressure on the defensive side of the court has been outstanding in the 2021-22 season. The Mavericks boast an NSIC-best turnover margin with a plus-9.06 ratio and forced opponents into 400 turnovers compared to their 246. In addition to the turnover margin, the Mavericks have the 15th most forced turnovers in NCAA Division II. The Mavericks have converted the turnovers into 380 points on the other end.

Most-Offensive: The Mavericks have been driven by their number one-ranked scoring offense in the NSIC and 12th in the nation. The Mavericks have scored a total of 1,189 points with Augustana being the next closest with 1048 points. The Mavericks have averaged just over 79 points per game. The Mavericks also hold a plus-11.6 point-scoring margin, which also leads the NSIC. The scoring onslaught has been spearheaded by sophomore guard Joey Batt as she leads the Mavericks and is third in the conference in scoring with 260 points and 17.3 points per game.

Walking the Sidelines: Head Coach Emilee Thiesse is in her 10th season at the helm of the Mavericks. She has amassed a 162-103 (.611) overall record, including two NCAA Tournament appearances in the 2012-13 and 2014-15 seasons. In NSIC games, she owns a 123-79 (.608) career record.

Player to Watch: Sophomore Joey Batt was named the Mavericks' Player to Watch this season by the NSIC. Last season, Batt led Minnesota State in scoring to be named to the NSIC South Division All-Conference First Team as well as NSIC South Division Defensive Player of the Year. She was also named to the NSIC South Division All-Defensive Team.  She finished the season with 214 points, 45 rebounds and 50 steals while also being named to the NSIC All-Academic team of Excellence.

Scouting MSU Moorhead: MSU Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minn. The Dragons are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. MSU Moorhead is currently 6-8 (5-5 NSIC). The Dragons are led by head coach Karla Nelson, who is in her 22nd season with the team.

As a team this season, MSU Moorhead has averaged 58.7 points per game in comparison to their opponents 62 per game and is 10th in the NSIC in scoring offense and 14th in scoring margin with a minus-3.3 in that category. The Dragons average 35.4 rebounds per contest and dish out 12.6 assists per game.

MSU Moorhead is led by junior center Peyton Boom and freshman guard Natalie Jens, who have amassed 209 and 139 points and average 16.1 and 10.7 points per game, respectively. Boom is fifth in the NSIC in scoring and is first on the team on the glass with 86 rebounds. Natalie Steichen leads the team in assists with 52 which is 10th in the NSIC and leads the team in steals with 15.

Friday's game will mark the 45th time these teams have met. In the most recent outing, the Mavericks were defeated by MSU Moorhead 66-63 on Jan. 31, 2020. The Mavericks own the all-time series with an 26-18 record.

Scouting Northern State: Northern State University is located in Aberdeen, S.D., The Wolves are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Northern State is currently 10-8 (7-6 NSIC). The Wolves are led by head coach Paula Krueger, who is in her fourth season with the team.

As a team this season, Northern State has averaged 65.3 points per game in comparison to their opponents 65.3 per game and is 10th in the NSIC in scoring offense and 10th in scoring margin with a plus-0.1 in that category. The Wolves average 39.8 rebounds per contest and dish out 11.1 assists per game.

Northern State is led by sophomore guard Rianna Fillipi and sophomore forward Kailee Oliverson, who have amassed 225 and 222 points and average 12.5 and 13.9 points per game, respectively. Fillipi leads the team in assists with 88 in the 2021-22 season. Junior forward Laurie Rogers leads the team on the glass as she has hauled in 140 rebounds averaging 7.8 per game. Rogers is fourth in the NSIC in rebounding.  

Saturday's game will mark the 25th time these teams have met. In the most recent outing, the Mavericks were defeated by Northern State 71-65 on Feb. 1, 2020. The Wolves own the all-time series with an 13-11 record.

Looking Ahead: Next weekend, the Mavericks return to the road as they square-off against NSIC South Division opponents in Southwest Minnesota State and the University of Sioux Falls. The game against the Mustangs in Marshall, Minn. is slated for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off on Friday Feb. 4. Then on Saturday Feb. 5 the Mavericks battle the cougars in Sioux Falls, S.D. with tip-off set for 3:30 p.m.