MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State women's basketball hits the road this weekend for a pair of NSIC North matchups against Minnesota Crookston and MSU Moorhead. The Mavericks will open the trip on Friday, Jan. 30, facing the Golden Eagles at 5:30 p.m. inside Lysaker Gymnasium. Minnesota State will then travel to Moorhead, Minn., to take on MSU Moorhead on Saturday, Jan. 31, with tipoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Nemzek Fieldhouse.

About the Mavericks
Minnesota State remains ranked No. 2 in the WBCA Coaches Poll for the eighth consecutive week. The Mavericks improved to a perfect 20–0 overall record and 14–0 mark in NSIC play, remaining the lone undefeated team in the conference and one of just three unbeaten programs nationally. Joining MSU among the nation's remaining perfect teams are No. 1 Grand Valley State (18–0) and No. 4 Nova Southeastern (19–0).

The Mavericks are coming off a dominant weekend, earning decisive victories over Northern State and Jamestown. MSU opened the weekend with an 81–52 win over the Wolves before closing with a 107–60 victory against the Jimmies. The win over Jamestown marked the sixth 100-point performance of the season, the most in program history.

As a team, Minnesota State continues to lead the nation in scoring, averaging 95.6 points per game while shooting 46.9 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from three-point range, and 76.6 percent from the free-throw line. The Mavericks average 40.3 rebounds and 18.5 assists per contest, ranking second nationally in assists. MSU also leads Division II in steals per game (21.5), averages 38.3 points off turnovers, and wins games by an NCAA-best margin of 29.7 points per game.

Senior guard Natalie Bremer delivered another standout weekend, totaling 47 points across two games with 22 against Northern State and 25 versus Jamestown. The performances pushed her past her season average of 21.9 points per game and continued her hold as the NSIC South's leading scorer. Bremer was efficient from all areas of the floor, shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three-point range, and a perfect 100 percent from the free-throw line.

Beyond her scoring, Bremer contributed on both ends of the floor, adding six defensive rebounds, one assist, and three steals in the win over Jamestown. She recorded four steals on the weekend and now ranks second in the NSIC in steals per game, while also sitting third in the conference in both field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage.

Against Northern State, Bremer etched her name atop the Minnesota State women's basketball record book, breaking the program's career scoring record. She now stands as the Mavericks' all-time leading scorer with 2,110 career points.

Ava Stier totaled 29 points over the two game weekend, scoring 15 against Northern State and 14 versus Jamestown, exceeding her season average of 8.8 points per game in both contests. Stier shot 55.6 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from three point range, and 83.3 percent from the free throw line across the two games.

Against Northern State, she added four rebounds, one assist, and two steals. Versus Jamestown, Stier recorded four offensive rebounds and three defensive rebounds along with one assist and one steal.

Rhyan Holmgren opened the weekend with 13 points and four rebounds against Northern State before following with a 12 point performance versus Jamestown. She added four rebounds and three steals in the matchup with the Jimmies and exceeded her season average of 8.7 points per game in both contests.

A productive weekend featured Adeline Kent totaling 16 points across two games while shooting 54.5 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from three point range, and a perfect 100 percent from the free throw line. The effort included her first career start, which came against Jamestown.

About the Golden Eagles
With a 5–15 overall record and a 4–10 mark in conference action, Minnesota Crookston looks to rebound after a challenging weekend. The Golden Eagles are 4–5 at home this season and dropped consecutive games against Sioux Falls (100–64) and Southwest Minnesota State (76–66).

In her third season leading the program, head coach Natalie Moynihan has guided the Golden Eagles to a 23–54 record during her tenure.

As a team, Minnesota Crookston averages 68.3 points per game while shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles also convert at a 78.0 percent clip from the free-throw line and average 32.9 rebounds, 11.2 assists, 7.5 steals, and 3.9 blocks per game.

Senior guard Emma Miller has been the offensive centerpiece for Crookston, starting all 20 games this season and averaging a team-high 19.6 points per contest. The 5-foot-1 senior from Albertville, Minn., scored a combined 35 points over two games last weekend and has been named NSIC North Player of the Week twice this season.

Providing support in the frontcourt, forward Rayna Klejeski ranks second on the team in scoring at 11.5 points per game and leads the Golden Eagles in rebounding, pulling down 5.9 boards per contest. Klejeski recorded 12 points and five rebounds against Sioux Falls and followed that effort with 17 points and seven rebounds versus Southwest Minnesota State.

Minnesota State has held the upper hand historically in the series, owning a 24–7 all-time advantage over Minnesota Crookston. The Mavericks have won nine straight meetings, including a 95–56 victory during the 2024–25 season, and reached triple digits in scoring in each of the two matchups prior to last year.

About the Dragons
Minnesota State Moorhead enters the matchup with a 9–9 overall record and a 6–8 mark in NSIC play. The Dragons have been at their best inside Nemzek Fieldhouse this season, where they hold a 5–2 home record. MSUM is coming off a challenging weekend, falling 61–53 to Southwest Minnesota State before dropping a 77–65 decision to Sioux Falls. The Dragons' last victory came on Jan. 16 with a 74–61 win over Augustana.

The Dragons are led by longtime head coach Karla Nelson, who has guided the program since 2000. During her tenure, Nelson has compiled a 435–282 career record at MSU Moorhead.

Offensively, MSUM averages 69.6 points per game while shooting 39.9 percent from the field, 26.2 percent from three-point range, and 69.7 percent from the free-throw line. The Dragons also average 40.2 rebounds, 11.4 assists, 8.5 steals, and 2.1 blocks per contest, highlighting a balanced approach on both ends of the floor.

Senior forward Terryn Johnson has been a consistent presence for MSUM, starting all 18 games this season. She leads the team in both scoring (13.1 points per game) and rebounding (7.3 rebounds per game). Johnson is coming off a strong weekend, totaling 29 points, including an 18-point, 15-rebound performance against Sioux Falls while adding one assist and one block.

Sophomore guard Ashton Safranski has also been a key contributor, appearing in every contest this season and averaging 10.7 points per game. The 5-foot-7 guard leads the Dragons in field-goal percentage, shooting 33.1 percent from the floor.

The contest against the Mavericks will mark MSUM's first matchup against a ranked opponent this season and the 51st meeting between the two programs. The series dates back to Dec. 12, 1976, with the Mavericks holding a 31–19 advantage all-time. Last season, Minnesota State suffered a 74–69 road loss to the Dragons, marking its first defeat to MSUM in five seasons.