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THIS WEEK: Minot State University returns home for a single game Sunday, taking on former Dakota Athletic Conference rival Valley City State. Game time is set for 4 p.m.

 TRADITION IN TRANSITION: Minot State is in its third season of a four-year transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. MSU advanced to Year Three Provisional status in July and is expected to complete the transition in July 2012. Minot State was selected to join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in 2012-13.

RECORDS: MSU is 5-5 overall and does not have a conference record due to the school's independent status. Valley City is 6-8 overall coming into the weekend and has not started its DAC season.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State's Sheila Green Gerding enters her 17th season as head coach of the Beavers. She is just four wins shy of 300 for her career, sporting a lofty 296-189. Jill DeVries is in her 13th season at the helm in Valley City and has a 151-183 overall record.

FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: The game is broadcast locally on KCJB 910-AM with Scott Kittell calling the play-by-play. Live audio can be accessed online at (www.kcjb.com). MSU provides live stats as well as links to live audio and a MSU photo gallery all at (www.msubeavers.com).

RANKINGS:  The Beavers were not ranked in the latest USA Today/ESPN Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll. VCSU was not ranked in the NAIA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll as well.

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State was defeated 71-55 at Minnesota State Moorhead in its lone game during the week. VCSU fended off Minnesota Morris 71-63 on Wednesday.

OVERALL SERIES: This will be the 80th time the two schools have met in women's basketball with MSU holding a slim 40-39 edge. VCSU topped Minot State in the semifinals of the DAC playoffs a year ago.

NOTING THE VIKINGS: Valley City State is coming off one of its most successful seasons as the Vikings advanced to the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Tournament. VCSU is replacing four seniors from that team… MSU is only the third North Dakota school the Vikings have played so far this season and will be the second exhibition game for VCSU after falling 85-64 at NCAA Division I NDSU… Katelyn Ralston is the team's leading scorer, hitting for 141 points through 14 games. VCSU only has two players averaging in double figures, but has eight scoring six points or more.

BIG THREE:  Minot State's trio of 6-foot or better forwards Carly Boag (So., Tamworth, Australia), Christina Boag (So., Tamworth, Australia),  and Katie Hardy (So., F, Fairview, N.D.) have been as good as advertised coming into the season. The three are 1-2-4 in points and have hit a 118 of the Beavers 209 field goals. They are also the only MSU players to shoot 40 percent or better from the floor. They are 1-2-5 in rebounds and 1-2-4 in blocked shots.

CHASING 300: Minot State University women's coach Sheila Green Gerding is just four wins shy of 300 for her career. Green Gerding has averaged 20 wins a season over the past five years and has reached 20 wins in a season five times in her career at Minot State. Green Gerding is on pace to earn her 300th win at her alma mater Montana State Northern as the Beavers are scheduled to play three games in Havre, Mont., next weekend. Green Gerding earned her 200th win against the Skylights.

CHASING 500: While Green Gerding is chasing a milestone, the Beavers women's basketball program has its sights set on a number as well. The Beavers are just five wins shy of winning their 500th game. MSU is 495-456 overall.

STEADY AS SHE GOES: Minot State junior Lauren Safranski's (G, Burnsville, Minn.) stat line is pretty consistent in all categories. She averages 8.9 points per game and has hit for eight or nine points on five occasions. Her high point total is 12 and her low is seven. He rebounding average is 2.1 and she has pulled down two or three rebounds in four games.

KICK START MOLINA: After a slow start to the 2011-12 campaign, MSU junior Sacarra Molina (G, Hinsdale, Mont.) has started to warm up. Molina posted a 4.0 scoring average after the Beavers Alaska trip to start the season. That has risen to a 7.7 per-game scoring average. Molina has a season-high of 13 points, reached against Montana State Northern Nov. 26 and matched Wednesday against Minnesota State Moorhead. Molina has also pushed her rebounding average from 2.0 early in the season to its present 4.2 rebounds per game.