MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State women's basketball heads back on the road for a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matchups this weekend. The Mavericks will open the trip on Friday, Jan. 9, taking on the University of Mary at 7:30 p.m. inside McDowell Activity Center, before continuing the road swing on Saturday, Jan. 10, with a 5:30 p.m. contest against Minot State inside the Minot State Dome. Both contests can be streamed live on the NSIC Network.

About the Mavericks
Unbeaten through 14 games, MSU carries a 14–0 overall record and an 8–0 mark in NSIC play into the weekend. The team is coming off an 83–56 road victory over St. Cloud State at Halenbeck Hall, continuing its strong conference start. Head Coach Emilee Thiesse, now in her 14th season at the helm, has guided the program to 267 career wins and holds a .683 winning percentage. Minnesota State has remained steady at No. 2 in the national rankings for more than a month and currently leads the NSIC South Division as well as the conference standings overall.

Offensively, Minnesota State is averaging 97.2 points per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field, 32.8 percent from three point range, and 79.3 percent from the free throw line. The Mavericks lead the NSIC in rebounding at 40.3 per game and also average 18.36 assists and 2.07 blocks per contest. MSU ranks third nationally in bench scoring at 38.9 points per game. On the defensive end, the Mavericks lead both the nation and the NSIC in steals per game at 22.36.

Natalie Bremer turned in another standout performance in the road win at St. Cloud State, finishing with 23 points, three rebounds, and a game-high seven steals. She shot 30.4 percent from the field, connected on 50.0 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc, and went 87.5 percent from the free-throw line against the Huskies.

On the season, Bremer ranks fifth nationally in total points with 306 and sits fourth in the country in scoring average at 21.9 points per game during the Mavericks' 14–0 start. She has reached the 20-point mark in five consecutive games.

With 1,979 career points, Bremer continues to climb the Minnesota State record book and is just 94 points away from surpassing Lisa Walters' all-time program scoring record of 2,072.

Mankato, Minn. native Mackenzie Schweim delivered a strong performance in the win at St. Cloud State, posting a season high and tying her career high with 17 points. She added four rebounds with one offensive and three defensive while averaging 3.8 rebounds per game on the season.

Schweim also recorded three steals and two assists in the victory and was efficient offensively, shooting 61.5 percent from the field while finishing 8 for 13 against the Huskies.

Sophomore forward Lucy Leininger provided a solid contribution in the win at St. Cloud State, finishing as the Mavericks' third leading scorer with six points. She also recorded two defensive rebounds and two steals against the Huskies.

On the season, Leininger is shooting 46.8 percent from the field and averaging 5.3 points per game. The contest marked her second start of the season and the second of her collegiate career.

About the Marauders
The University of Mary enters the weekend with a 13–4 overall record and a 6–2 mark in NSIC play, including a perfect 6–0 record at home. The Marauders carry a two game winning streak after earning a 100–59 non conference victory over Bismarck State College, followed by a 79–64 road win against conference opponent Minot State. 
UMary's only conference losses this season have come against Jamestown and Minnesota Duluth, and the Marauders currently sit tied for third place in the NSIC standings alongside Winona State.

Rick Neumann is in his 14th season as head coach of the University of Mary women's basketball program, having taken over the program in 2012 after serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater. 

Offensively, UMary averages 77.4 points per game while shooting 45.0 percent from the field, a conference best 40.1 percent from three point range, and 78.3 percent from the free throw line. The Marauders also average 38.1 rebounds, 16.41 assists, 4.29 blocks, and 7.88 steals per contest.

Junior guard Bergan Kinnebrew leads UMary with 361 total points and is averaging 24.1 points per game, ranking second nationally in scoring average. She also contributes 3.9 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per contest. 

In the paint, Allison Undlin provides a strong interior presence, posting a team high 34 blocks to rank sixth nationally while averaging 13.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

In the all time series, the Mavericks hold a 21–4 advantage over the Marauders and have won the last 10 meetings between the two programs. Minnesota State most recently earned a 90–66 victory in March 2025. All four of MSU's losses in the series have come at McDowell Activity Center, with the most recent setback occurring on Jan. 5, 2019.

About the Beavers
Minot State sits in the middle of the NSIC standings with a 4–4 conference record and a 7–8 mark overall this season. Prior to the holiday break, the Beavers fell to Minnesota Duluth by a score of 83–69 before earning an 84–71 victory over Bemidji State. The team opened the new calendar year last week with a 79–64 home loss to UMary. Ryan Clark is in his second season as head coach of the Beavers women's basketball program.

Minot State averages 71.5 points per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from three point range, and 73.6 percent from the free throw line. The Beavers also average 32.8 rebounds, 11.87 assists, 2.73 blocks, and 7.27 steals per contest.

Taryn Hamling leads the Beavers offensively, averaging 16.3 points per game and totaling 245 points through the first 15 games of the season. She is shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three point range.

Junior guard Maya Aguilar is the team's second leading scorer at 12.1 points per game and also leads the Beavers in rebounding, averaging 6.2 boards per contest. In last week's matchup against UMary, Aguilar recorded seven rebounds and five points.

Minnesota State holds a 12–2 edge in the all-time series against Minot State, including a 5–2 record when playing in Minot. The Mavericks have controlled the recent matchups, winning the last four meetings by 15 points or more. In the most recent contest, Minnesota State earned a 92–54 victory on Feb. 14, 2025, inside the Taylor Center. Minnesota State will be the first ranked opponent the Beavers face this season.