MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State women's basketball team embarks on its final two-game road weekend of the regular season, beginning Thursday, Feb. 12, in Sioux Falls, S.D., against Augustana at 5:30 p.m. The Mavericks then travel to Wayne, Neb., to face Wayne State on Saturday, Feb. 14, with tipoff set for 1 p.m. Both contests will be streamed live on the NSIC Network.

About the Mavericks
Minnesota State has climbed to No. 1 in the WBCA Coaches Poll for the first time this season, marking the program's first top ranking since Oct. 29, 2024, when the Mavericks were tabbed No. 1 in the preseason poll. MSU remains perfect at 24-0 overall and 18-0 in conference play, including a spotless 9-0 mark in road contests. The Mavericks are now the lone undefeated team in Division II after then-No. 1 Grand Valley State suffered a 78-77 loss to Wayne State (Mich.) last weekend.

The Mavericks earned a 75-52 victory over Sioux Falls on Thursday, Feb. 5, before topping Southwest Minnesota State 79-71 inside the Taylor Center on Saturday. The win secured the NSIC South Division Championship and clinched a share of the NSIC Regular Season title with Minnesota Duluth. Minnesota State will look to claim the regular season crown outright this weekend.

MSU continues to pace NCAA Division II in scoring offense, averaging 94.2 points per game, while also leading the nation in turnovers forced per game (34.17), turnover margin (18.04), and steals per game (21.1). The Mavericks are outscoring opponents by an average of 28.6 points per contest.

A flawless night at the free-throw line highlighted Haylee Stokes' performance against Wayne State, as she went a perfect 14-for-14 at the stripe. Only seven players in Division II have ever matched or surpassed that mark in a single game, with the record set at 16-for-16 by Ciara Harris of Anderson (S.C.) and Maeve St. Johnson of Northwood. All 14 of Stokes' points came from the line in the contest. Over the two-game stretch, the freshman totaled 18 points, five steals, one assist, and five rebounds, and she is averaging 8.3 points per game this season.

Defensive pressure and steady scoring defined the weekend for Hannah Herzig, who recorded five steals while scoring nine points in each contest. The senior connected on 43.8 percent of her shots from the field across the two games. On the season, the Lino Lakes, Minn., native is averaging 7.3 points per game and leads the NSIC in steals per game at 3.1.

National recognition continues to follow Natalie Bremer, who ranks fifth in Division II in points per game at 21.0 and sits near the top nationally in field-goal attempts with 399. Against Sioux Falls, the Lake City, Minn., native posted 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal. She followed that effort with a 20-point performance versus the Mustangs, adding five rebounds, five steals, and an assist, while maintaining her spot as the Mavericks' leading scorer.

Extended minutes over the weekend allowed Hannah Leverson to make an impact on both ends of the floor. The sophomore totaled eight points, four steals, three assists, and one rebound across the two games. In the matchup against Southwest Minnesota State, Leverson was especially efficient, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc.

About the Vikings
Entering the contest, Augustana owns a 9–15 overall record and sits 6–12 in NSIC play. Inside the Elmen Center, the Vikings are 6–7 this season. The program is led by head coach Nate Vogel, who is in his second season at the helm.

Augustana enters the matchup on a two-game losing streak after falling to Concordia-St. Paul, 80–56, and Winona State, 82–49, last weekend. In the NSIC South standings, the Vikings currently sit one game ahead of Wayne State.

As a team, Augustana averages 65.5 points per game while shooting 41.0 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from beyond the arc. The Vikings rank last in the NSIC at the free-throw line, converting just 67.1 percent. They also average 36.2 rebounds, 12.7 assists, 8.3 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game.

Isabella Sanneh leads the Vikings offensively, ranking 16th in the NSIC with 14.7 points per game. The sophomore forward scored 14 points in each contest last week while totaling 13 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Sanneh shot an efficient 60.0 percent from the field over the two-game stretch.

Historically, the Vikings hold the edge in the all-time series with a 52–38 advantage. However, Minnesota State has controlled the recent stretch, including a dominant 108–60 victory in the most recent meeting on Dec. 13, 2025. MSU has now won nine consecutive matchups against Augustana.

About the Wildcats
Wayne State is led by first-year head coach Brian Ortmeier and enters the weekend with a 10–14 overall record, including a 5–13 mark in NSIC play. The Wildcats are coming off a road weekend in which they dropped decisions to Winona State, 79–57, and Concordia–St. Paul, 81–60. At home, Wayne State has been more competitive this season, posting a 6–5 record inside Rice Auditorium.

Offensively, the Wildcats average 64.0 points per game while shooting 38.9 percent from the field, 26.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line. Wayne State combines for 37.5 rebounds per contest while adding 11.63 assists, 3.29 blocks, and 9.04 steals per game. Their steals total ranks second in the NSIC, trailing only Minnesota State.

Senior Kylah vanDonkersgoed has appeared in all of Wayne State's games this season and leads the team at 13.0 points per game, ranking 23rd in the NSIC. Last weekend, she totaled 15 points while adding seven rebounds, two steals, and three assists. In the most recent meeting against Minnesota State, vanDonkersgoed finished with 15 points, four rebounds, two blocks, and two steals.

The Mavericks hold a narrow 21–20 advantage in the all-time series against Wayne State and have won the last 10 meetings between the two programs. In the most recent matchup on Dec. 10, 2025, Minnesota State secured a 90–63 victory. When playing on the road against the Wildcats, the Mavericks own a 7–9 record.