MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State women's basketball closes out the regular season this week with a two-game slate, beginning with its final home contest against Winona State on Thursday, Feb. 19. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. inside the Taylor Center. The No. 1-ranked Mavericks will then hit the road to face Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday, Feb. 21, with the matchup scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Gangelhoff Center. Both games will be available for streaming on the NSIC Network.
About the Mavericks
The No. 1-ranked Minnesota State women's basketball team (26-0, 20-0 NSIC) continued its perfect season last weekend with a pair of road victories over conference opponents Augustana and Wayne State. The Mavericks opened the trip with an 86-57 win over the Vikings before holding off the Wildcats for a 77-71 decision.
With the victory over Augustana on Thursday, Feb. 12, Minnesota State secured the NSIC Regular Season Championship, their third time doing so in program history. The title earned them the top seed in the NSIC Tournament granting them a first round bye.
Following the weekend sweep, MSU remains the only undefeated team in Division II and one of just six unbeaten programs across all NCAA divisions, joined by UConn (DI), NYU (DIII), Johns Hopkins (DIII), Washington and Lee (DIII), and Scranton (DIII).
The Mavericks continue to lead the nation offensively, averaging 93.2 points per game while shooting .457 from the field, .339 from three-point range, and .773 at the free throw line. Minnesota State also averages 39.4 rebounds and 17.3 assists per game, while ranking among the national leaders with 36.8 points off turnovers and 21.1 steals per contest to go along with 1.8 blocks per game.
Individually, Natalie Bremer turned in a dominant weekend, scoring 32 points against Augustana for her third 30-point performance of the season. She also tied her career high with three blocks while adding three rebounds and an assist against the Vikings. Bremer followed with 23 points against Wayne State, along with five rebounds (two offensive, three defensive), two assists, and seven steals. She currently ranks fifth nationally in scoring at 21.4 points per game and averaged 27.5 points across last weekend's two games.
Senior Ava Stier recorded 11 points against Augustana while adding nine rebounds and a steal. She followed that performance with 14 points, five steals, and six rebounds against Wayne State.
A consistent presence in the starting lineup, Stier has started all 26 games for the Mavericks this season. She is averaging 9.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, providing steady production on both ends of the floor.
About the Warriors
Winona State enters the week with a 15-11 overall record and a 12-8 mark in NSIC play. The Warriors dropped both contests last weekend on the road, falling to Southwest Minnesota State, 81-66, and Sioux Falls, 66-53. Their most recent victories came at home with a 79-57 win over Wayne State and an 82-49 decision over Augustana.
WSU is led by fourth-year head coach Ana Wurtz.
As a team, Winona State averages 69.8 points per game while shooting .434 from the field, .322 from beyond the arc, and .742 at the free throw line. The Warriors also average 38.4 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game, along with 11.7 points off turnovers, 5.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per contest.
Senior Hailey Markworth paces the Warriors offensively, averaging 16.3 points per game. A starter in all 26 games this season, Markworth is shooting .502 from the field and adds 6.2 rebounds per game. Last weekend, she totaled 27 points, eight rebounds, and two steals across the two contests.
Earlier this season, Minnesota State secured an 87-80 victory over Winona State inside McCown Gymnasium. The win marked MSU's eighth straight over the Warriors, as the Mavericks hold a 49-23 advantage in the all-time series.
About the Golden Bears
In her 11th season leading Concordia-St. Paul, head coach Amanda Johnson has guided the Golden Bears to a 19-6 overall record and a 15-5 mark in NSIC play. CSP is 7-4 at home this season and enters the week riding an 11-game winning streak, most recently defeating Sioux Falls, 75-72, and Southwest Minnesota State, 57-51.
Offensively, the Golden Bears average 76.2 points per game, ranking third in the NSIC in scoring. As a team, CSP shoots .431 from the field, .324 from three-point range, and .722 from the free throw line, while also averaging 39.5 rebounds, 16.6 assists, 9.2 steals, and 4.6 blocks per contest.
Lydia Haack of Elk River, Minn., leads the Golden Bears in scoring at 17.6 points per game. The 5-3 guard earned NSIC Player of the Week honors last week, marking her third weekly award of the season. Over her last two games, Haack totaled 20 points and 13 rebounds combined against Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State.
Historically, the series between Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul has been tightly contested. Following MSU's 104-66 victory on Dec. 6, 2025, the Mavericks hold a narrow 26-25 edge in the all-time series. The matchup has remained competitive in recent seasons, with CSP winning two of the three meetings last year. Minnesota State's last win in St. Paul, Minn. came on Dec. 31, 2022, by a score of 84-77.
