Starting Off: The Minnesota State women's basketball team hits the road again to take on the first and second place teams in the NSIC North Division. To kick-off the weekend the Mavericks travel to Minnesota Duluth to take on the Bulldogs who are second in the North and fourth overall in the NSIC. Then, the following day the Mavericks finish the weekend trip as they head to St. Cloud State to square-off with the Huskies who are first in the North and second overall in the NSIC only behind the Mavericks.  

Last Time Out: Coming off the holiday break, the Mavericks suffered their first loss of the season to Concordia-St. Paul 85-83 this past Sunday. That ended the third best start in program history with an 11-0 start.

Mavericks at a Glance: The Mavericks enter the week with an 11-1 overall record and 7-1 in the NSIC. Despite the loss on Sunday the Mavericks still retain the number one spot in the South Division as well as the first spot overall in the NSIC.

Stat Pack: As a team this season, Minnesota State averages 84.4 points per game, which is tops in the NSIC and sixth in the nation, in comparison to its opponents 68.4. Additionally, the Mavericks average 40.3 rebounds per game. The Mavericks have also dished out 14 assists per game while stealing the ball 186 times. The Mavericks own a plus-10.5 turnover margin, which is first in the conference and third 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 769-644 (.544).

Mavericks With The Swipes: The Mavericks unrelenting full-court pressure has been strong and effective in the 2021-22 season. The Mavericks 186 steals leads the NSIC and is tied for second in the NCAA. The Mavericks average 15.5 steals per game. In comparison, the next closest team is Sioux Falls who has 148 steals with 10.57 per game. Joey Batt and Rylee Menster lead the team in steals with 35 and 33, respectively. Batt and Menster are second and fourth in the NSIC and 10th and 17th in the nation in steals where they average 2.9 and 2.8 steals per game.

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-10.5 ratio and forced opponents into 306 turnovers compared to their 180. That margin puts the Mavericks third in the nation in turnover margin behind Columbus St. and Glenville St. who own a plus-11.73 and plus-11.70 margin, respectively. In addition to the turnover margin, the Mavericks have the tenth-most forced turnovers in NCAA Division II. The Mavericks have converted the turnovers into 301 points on the other end

Mavericks Hitting From Deep: The Mavericks as a team are shooting well from downtown as they are third in the NSIC in three-point field goal percentage shooting just over 34%. The Mavericks are third in the NSIC in three-point field goals made per game as they have hit a total of 90 so far in the 2021-22 season. The Mavericks average 7.5 per game. Taylor Theusch leads the team and is fourth in the conference in three pointers made. She has made 28 and averages 2.3 per game.

Most-Offensive: The Mavericks 11-1 start has been driven by their number one-ranked scoring offense in the NSIC and sixth in the nation. The Mavericks have scored a total of 1,013 points with Augustana being the next closest with 886 points. They have averaged just over 84 points per game. The Mavericks also hold a plus-16 point-scoring margin, which also leads the NSIC and is good for 25th in the country. 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 217 points and 18.1 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 160-100 (.615) overall record, including two NCAA Tournament appearances in the 2012-13 and 2014-15 seasons. In NSIC games, she owns a 121-76 (.614) 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 Minnesota Duluth: University of Minnesota Duluth is located in Duluth, Minn. The Bulldogs are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Minnesota Duluth is currently 8-4 (6-2 NSIC). The Bulldogs are led by head coach Mandy Pearson, who is in her 7th season with the team.

As a team this season, Minnesota Duluth has averaged 64.7 points per game in comparison to their opponents 58.3 per game and is 11th in the NSIC in scoring offense and eighth in scoring margin with a plus 6.3 in that category. The Bulldogs average 32.6 rebounds per contest and dish out 15.8 assists per game.

Minnesota Duluth is led by senior forward Brooke Olson and senior guard Maesyn Thiesen, who have amassed 224 and 104 points and average 18.7 and 8.7 points per game, respectively. Olson is second in the NSIC in scoring and leads the team on the glass with 65 rebounds. Maesyn leads the team in assists with 58 which is fourth in the NSIC and is second on the team in steals with 20.

Friday's game will mark the 68th time these teams have met. In the most recent outing, the Mavericks were defeated by Minnesota Duluth 80-77 on Mar. 2, 2020. The Bulldogs own the all-time series with an 32-35 record.

Scouting St. Cloud State: St. Cloud State University is located in St. Cloud, Minn. The Huskies are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. St. Cloud State is currently 9-2 (7-1 NSIC). The Huskies are led by head coach Lori Fish, who is in her 13th season with the team.

As a team this season, St. Cloud State has averaged 62.9 points per game in comparison to their opponents 53.3 per game and is 13th in the NSIC in scoring offense and second in scoring margin with a plus 9.6 in that category. The Huskies average 35.2 rebounds per contest and dish out 14.5 assists per game.

St. Cloud State is led by senior guard Tori Wortz and junior guard Brehna Evans, who have amassed 138 and 133 points and average 12.5 and 12.1 points per game, respectively. Evans is also the team leader in assists with 34 in the 2021-22 season. Senior forward Nikki Kilboten leads the team on the glass as she has hauled in 74 rebounds averaging 6.7 per game. Kilboten is 10th in the NSIC in rebounding.  

Saturday's game will mark the 108th time these teams have met. In the most recent outing, the Mavericks were defeated by St. Cloud State 70-68 on Feb. 26, 2021. The Huskies own the all-time series with an 64-43 record.

Looking Ahead: The Mavericks return home to Taylor Center next weekend as they battle the Beavers of Bemidji State University Jan. 14 with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m., Then, on Saturday Jan. 15 the Mavericks take on the Golden Eagles of Minnesota Crookston with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.


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