Starting Off: The Mavericks return to Taylor Center for their last weekend double header of the regular season. They start the weekend hosting Wayne State Friday Feb. 11 with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m., Then, on Saturday Feb. 12 the Mavericks bring in the Augustana Vikings for a 3:30 p.m., tip-off once again in Taylor Center.

Last Time Out: This past weekend, the Mavericks split their weekend road trip dropping the first contest to Southwest Minnesota State on Friday Feb. 4 in a 63-46 loss. The Mavericks then traveled to Sioux Falls to take on the Cougars where they bounced back in a big way with an 86-66 win on Saturday Feb. 5.

Mavericks at a Glance: The Mavericks enter the week with an 16-5 overall record and 12-5 mark in the NSIC. Minnesota State enters this week still holding the top-spot in the NSIC South Division and third overall in the conference. The Mavericks currently hold a two game lead over the Golden Bears of Concordia-St. Paul in the South and look to maintain their positioning to earn a first round bye in the NSIC Tournament. The Mavericks have four games remaining in the regular season with three of them at home.

Stat Pack: As a team this season, Minnesota State averages 77.9 points per game, which is tops in the NSIC and 19th in the nation, in comparison to its opponents 68.2. Additionally, the Mavericks average 37.7 rebounds per game. The Mavericks have also dished out 14.1 assists per game while stealing the ball 308 times. The Mavericks own a plus-9.95 turnover margin, which is first in the conference and fourth 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 774-648 (.544).

Picking Pockets: The Mavericks' full-court pressure has been both strong and successful throughout the 2021-22 season. The Mavericks 308 steals leads the NSIC and is fifth in the NCAA. The Mavericks average 14.67 steals per game. In comparison, the next closest team is Sioux Falls who has 225 steals with 9.78 per game. Joey Batt and Maddy Olson lead the team in steals with 59 and 46, respectively. Batt and Menster are first and seventh in the NSIC. 

Turnover Generator: The Mavericks' potent pressure on the defensive side of the court has been phenomenal during the 2021-22 season. The Mavericks boast an NSIC-best turnover margin with a plus-9.95 ratio and forced opponents into 504 turnovers compared to their 295. In addition to the turnover margin, the Mavericks have the eighth most forced turnovers in NCAA Division II. The Mavericks have converted the turnovers into 490 points on the other end.

Most-Offensive: The Mavericks have been driven by their No. 1-ranked scoring offense in the NSIC and 19th in the nation. The Mavericks have scored a total of 1,635 points with Augustana being the next closest with 1,380 points. The Mavericks have averaged just over 77.9 points per game. MSU also holds a plus-9.7 point-scoring margin, which is third in the NSIC. The scoring has been spearheaded by sophomore guard Joey Batt, she leads the Mavericks and is fifth in the conference in scoring with 329 points and 15.7 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 165-104 (.613) overall record, including two NCAA Tournament appearances in the 2012-13 and 2014-15 seasons. In NSIC games, she owns a 126-80 (.611) 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 Wayne State College: Wayne State is located in Wayne, Neb. The Wildcats are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Wayne State is currently 9-11 (6-10 NSIC). The Wildcats are led by head coach Brent Pollari, who is in his fourth season with the team.

As a team this season, Wayne State State has averaged 67.1 points per game in comparison to their opponents 67.7 per game and is eighth in the NSIC in scoring offense and 11th in scoring margin with a minus-0.6 in that category. The Wildcats average 32.9 rebounds per contest and dish out 10.2 assists per game.

Wayne State is led by senior guard Kylie Hammer and junior guard Lauren Zacharias, who have amassed 405 and 248 points and average 21.3 and 12.4 points per game, respectively. Hammer leads the NSIC in scoring and is sixth in the nation. Zacharias is first on the team in both assists and steals with 50 and 36. Kassidy Pingel leads the Wildcats on the glass as she has hauled in 116 boards. 

Friday's game will mark the 34rd time these teams have met. In the most recent outing, the Mavericks defeated the Wildcats 63-52 on Dec. 11, 2021. The Wildcats own the all-time series with an 20-13 record.

Scouting Augustana: Augustana University is located in Sioux Falls, S.D., The Vikings are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Augustana is currently 12-7 (8-7 NSIC). The Vikings are led by head coach Dave Krauth, who is in his 33rd season with the team.

As a team this season, Agustana averages 72.6 points per game in comparison to their opponents 66.6 per game and is second in the NSIC in scoring offense and fifth in scoring margin with a plus-6.0 in that category. The Vikings average 40.9 rebounds per contest and dish out 14.8 assists per game.

Augustana is led by sophomore guard Lauren Sees and junior forward Aislinn Duffy, who have amassed 292 and 285 points and average 15.4 and 15.0 points per game, respectively. Duffy leads the team in rebound and assists. She has hauled in 215 rebounds averaging 11.3 per game and is first in the conference in rebounding and is 15th in the nation in rebounds per game. Junior guard Kenzie Rensch leads the team in steals as she has racked up 48 and is second in the NSIC in that category.

Saturday's game will mark the 84th time these teams have met. In the most recent outing, the Mavericks defeated Augustana 91-86 in overtime on Dec. 10, 2021. The Vikings own the all-time series with a 52-31 record.

Looking Ahead: The Mavericks return for their final week of regular season play with a road and home contest. The Mavericks head to Fayette, Iowa to challenge the Peacocks of Upper Iowa with tip-off slated for 5:30 p.m., on Thursday Feb. 17., Then, the Mavericks wrap-up the regular season at home on Saturday Feb. 19 as they play host to the Warriors of Winona State with tip-off set for 1:30 p.m., in Taylor Center.