MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State women's basketball opens postseason play in the NSIC Tournament this weekend, earning a first-round bye before facing St. Cloud State in the quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. inside the Sanford Pentagon, with the game available for streaming on Midco Sports Plus ($).
About the Mavericks
Minnesota State women's basketball closed out a historic regular season with a 27–1 overall record and a 21–1 mark in conference play, finishing first in the league standings and securing the program's second NSIC Regular Season Championship and third NSIC South Division title.
The Mavericks dominantly capped their home slate, defeating Winona State 110–62 inside the Taylor Center before suffering their first loss of the season on the road against conference rival Concordia-St. Paul.
Against the Warriors, MSU eclipsed the 100-point mark for the seventh time this season. The Mavericks controlled the game from the opening tip, pouring in 48 points in the paint and adding 45 points from the bench in a balanced offensive effort.
Minnesota State went undefeated inside the Taylor Center this season, extending its home winning streak to 37 consecutive games, the longest active home winning streak in NCAA Division II. Only NYU (Division III, 75 wins) and Division I programs Texas (41 wins), and TCU (41 wins) own longer active home streaks nationally.
Head coach Emilee Thiesse, the 2026 NSIC Coach of the Year, guided the Mavericks to the most consecutive wins in program history while earning her 280th career victory, the most by a head coach in Minnesota State women's basketball history.
Minnesota State moved to No. 3 in this week's WBCA Coaches Poll following the conclusion of the regular season. The Mavericks remain the highest-ranked team in the NSIC.
MSU also sits atop the Central Region in the latest NCAA Division II regional rankings, leading a group of four NSIC programs recognized in the poll, alongside No. 4 Concordia-St. Paul, No. 9 Minnesota Duluth, and No. 10 University of Mary.
The Mavericks led the NSIC and ranked first nationally in scoring offense (93.2 points per game) and steals per game (20.5). The Mavericks posted the top scoring margin in the NSIC (+26.7) and the second-best in the nation.
As a team, MSU shot .460 from the field, .335 from three-point range, and .777 from the free-throw line. The Mavericks averaged 39.1 rebounds, 17.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks per contest.
Guard Natalie Bremer delivered standout performances to close the regular season. Against Winona State, Bremer poured in 28 points on 12-of-14 shooting while knocking down all four of her three-point attempts, helping the team shoot a season-best .590 from the field.
She followed with 15 points, eight rebounds, and three assists against the Golden Bears.
The NSIC South Division Player of the Year and First Team All-NSIC selection led the Mavericks offensively this season, averaging 21.5 points per game.
Senior Hannah Herzig, the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year, continued to anchor the Mavericks defensively. She tallied 10 points, five rebounds, and a block against CSP.
Herzig led the NSIC in steals at 3.1 per game, recording three or more steals in nine conference games and grabbing five or more rebounds in 18 NSIC contests.
Mankato, Minn. native Mackenzie Schweim posted 15 points, five rebounds, and four steals in the win over the Warriors. She added 11 points and shot a perfect mark from the free-throw line against Concordia-St. Paul.
A Second Team All-NSIC honoree, Schweim averaged 11.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting .442 from the field during her senior campaign.
Sophomore Rhyan Holmgren contributed 17 points and five rebounds against WSU. In the matchup at Concordia-St. Paul, she led the Mavericks with 16 points, including six free throws, and added two steals.
About the Huskies
St. Cloud State (14-14, 10-12 NSIC) secured a spot in the NSIC quarterfinals after earning a 77-65 home victory over Sioux Falls on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The Huskies closed out the regular season with losses to Concordia-St. Paul (76-56) and Winona State (75-70) after previously riding a five-game winning streak. With the regular season complete, SCSU finished tied for eighth in the NSIC standings.
As a team, the Huskies are averaging 71.3 points per game while shooting .418 from the field, .332 from beyond the arc, and .769 at the free throw line. They also average 39.0 rebounds, 17.5 assists, 17.8 points off turnovers, 8.6 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game.
St. Cloud State's offense is paced by Jada Eggebrecht, who is averaging 14.7 points per game this season. The senior guard has started all 28 games for the Huskies and earned NSIC First Team honors for her performance. In her two matchups against the Mavericks this season, Eggebrecht recorded 8 points in the most recent meeting after scoring 18 points in the first contest. Shooting .452 from the field and an impressive .931 from the free-throw line, the Phillips, Wis., native remains a key offensive threat for SCSU.
MSU claimed both regular-season meetings against St. Cloud State this year, earning a 110–81 victory on Nov. 25 before securing an 83–56 win on Jan. 3. While the Huskies hold the all-time series advantage, the Mavericks enter the matchup looking to extend their current six-game winning streak against SCSU. The last postseason meeting between the two programs came in the 2021 NSIC Tournament, when Minnesota State narrowly fell 70–68, sending the Huskies on to the semifinals.
