MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State women's basketball returns to the Taylor Center this weekend to host Northern State and Jamestown in a pair of home matchups. The Mavericks will face Northern State on Friday, Jan. 23, with tipoff set for 5:30 p.m., before welcoming Jamestown on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 3:30 p.m.

About the Mavericks
The No. 2-ranked Mavericks have surged to an 18–0 record this season, becoming the first team in Minnesota State women's basketball history to reach the milestone. The program's previous best start came during the 2008–09 season, when Head Coach Pam Gohl's squad opened the year 17–0. With the unbeaten start, Emilee Thiesse's 2025–26 Mavericks now hold the program record for consecutive wins to begin a season.

In NSIC play, Minnesota State remains perfect at 12–0 following a pair of victories over NSIC North opponents Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State last weekend. The Mavericks secured an 81–78 win over the Bulldogs before delivering a decisive 94–69 victory against Bemidji State on Saturday.

Statistically, Minnesota State continues to rank among the top teams in both the NSIC and Division II. The Mavericks lead the conference and the nation in scoring offense at 95.8 points per game and field goal percentage at .471. MSU also ranks fifth in the NSIC in three-point percentage (.339) and free-throw percentage (.768). On the glass, the Mavericks are second in the conference in rebounds per game (40.2), while their ball movement and defensive pressure remain elite, ranking first in the NSIC and third nationally in assists per game (18.33) and first in both the conference and the nation in steals per game (21.5).

Natalie Bremer continued to lead the Mavericks with another standout week, tallying 15 points against UMD while shooting 55.6 percent from the field and a perfect 100 percent from beyond the arc and the free-throw line. She added seven rebounds and three assists against the Bulldogs before pouring in 27 points against Bemidji State, surpassing her season average of 21.7 points per game. Bremer also collected three rebounds versus the Beavers and helped propel the Mavericks to an 18–0 start, marking the most consecutive wins in a season in program history.

Bremer totaled 32 points on the week, bringing her season total to 390 and moving her into second place in the NSIC scoring race. She ranks among the conference leaders, sitting fourth in field goal percentage (.521), third in free-throw percentage (.903), and second in steals per game (2.5). 
Closing in on history, Bremer now sits within 10 points of Lisa Walter's all-time program scoring record of 2,072 points and ranks second in career steals in Maverick history with 295, trailing only Joey Batt (381).


Mankato, Minn. native Mackenzie Schweim delivered a strong weekend for the Mavericks, tying her season high with 17 points against Minnesota Duluth while shooting .556 from the field, .600 from beyond the arc, and .800 from the free-throw line. She added six rebounds and three steals in the win over the Bulldogs before finishing the weekend with 11 points against BSU, collecting five offensive and one defensive rebound while adding two assists and two steals. 
Senior guard Hannah Herzig continued to leave her mark on the Maverick record book, reaching 244 career steals to tie for fifth place in program history. Last week, she combined for 10 points while adding three rebounds, nine assists, and four steals, contributing across the stat sheet. With 57 steals this season, Herzig now ranks 10th nationally in total steals, reinforcing her status as one of Division II's premier defenders.

Adeline Kent turned in a solid week for the Mavericks, scoring 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting while adding three rebounds against the Bulldogs. She followed that performance by contributing six points, along with two steals and two assists, continuing her steady impact on both ends of the floor. This season, Kent is averaging 5.7 points per game and ranks second on the team in assists per game at 2.5, with a total of 45 assists.

About the Wolves
The Northern State women's basketball team enters the matchup with a 10–8 overall record and a 5–7 mark in NSIC play. Last week, the Wolves hosted Winona State and earned a 69–47 victory before falling to Concordia–St. Paul, 78–51, on Saturday, Jan. 17. The contest against Minnesota State will mark Northern State's second game against a ranked opponent this season, as the Wolves previously faced then-No. 7 Pittsburg State, falling 72–70 on the road in Kearney, Neb.

Northern State is led by head coach Paula Krueger, who is in her eighth season at the helm of the program. Krueger holds an overall record of 109–109 during her tenure in Aberdeen.

Statistically, the Wolves rank 14th in the NSIC in scoring offense, averaging 65.9 points per game. The team shoots 43.4 percent from the field, 31.2 percent from three-point range, and an NSIC-low 65.3 percent from the free-throw line. Krueger's squad also averages 37.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 12.2 assists, and 6.6 steals per contest.

Senior guard Izzy Moore leads the Wolves offensively, averaging 18.1 points per game, which ranks seventh in the NSIC. She also leads the team in rebounding at 6.7 per game. Moore earned NSIC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 12 after scoring 21 points against Wayne State and following with a 26-point performance against Augustana.

Megan Counts and Taylor Tool round out Northern State's top scoring options, as each averages 9.4 points per game. Counts, a forward from Green River, Wyo., ranks third on the team in rebounding at 4.4 per game. Tool contributed a combined 22 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds across last weekend's two contests.

Historically, Northern State holds a 16–13 edge in the all-time series against Minnesota State. The Mavericks have dropped their last two meetings in Aberdeen, S.D., but MSU claimed a 69–48 victory the last time the two teams met inside the Taylor Center.

About the Jimmies
As Jamestown is new to the NSIC this season, this matchup marks the first-ever meeting between the two women's basketball programs. The Jimmies enter the contest with a 4–12 overall record and a 2–10 mark in conference play. They are currently riding a nine-game losing streak after falling to Concordia-St. Paul, 83–50, and Winona State, 76–66, last weekend. Jamestown is led by head coach Thad Sankey, who is in his seventh season at the helm, and currently sits in last place in the NSIC standings.

Offensively, the Jimmies average 60.7 points per game while shooting 36.8 percent from the field, 27.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 72.4 percent from the free-throw line. As a team, they average 37.5 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 10.4 assists, and 7.4 steals per contest.

Freshman guard Allie Berns leads Jamestown in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game this season. She posted nine points against Concordia-St. Paul and 14 against Winona State last weekend. Berns also leads the team in total assists (26) and blocks (16).

Sophomore Daviney Dreckman is the Jimmies' second-leading scorer, averaging 10.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Her top performance of the season came against Bemidji State, where she recorded 15 points, though she has not appeared in a game since December.

Jessika Lofstrom has anchored Jamestown's defensive efforts, leading the team with 6.2 rebounds per game while contributing 7.3 points per contest.