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THIS WEEK: Minot State University heads west on Highway 2 for a three-day tournament at Montana State-Northern in Havre, Mont. The Beavers play Carroll College Thursday (6 p.m. MT), University of Great Falls (Mont.) Friday (8 p.m. MT) and finish with host Montana State-Northern Saturday (4 p.m. MT).

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 6-5 overall and does not have a conference record due to the school's independent status. Carroll College sports a 4-4 overall record, UGF enters the tournament at 3-6 and MSU-N is a stellar 10-1 coming into the weekend.
 
COACHES CORNER: Minot State's Sheila Green Gerding enters her 17th season as head coach of the Beavers. She is just three wins shy of 300 for her career, sporting a lofty 297-189. Rachelle Sayers is in her first season at the helm of Carroll College and has a 4-4 record. UGF also has a first-year head coach in Bill Himmelberg, who is 3-6 overall. Chris Mouat is 109-82 in seven seasons as Northern's head coach.
 
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. None of the three Montana schools are ranked in the latest NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Top 25 Coaches' Poll.
 
RECENT HISTORY: Minot State defeated former Dakota Athletic Conference rival Valley City State 66-52 at the MSU Dome Sunday. The Saints knocked off Dickinson State 76-60 at home Saturday to even their overall record. UGF lost 76-67 a night before to DSU and Northern beat up on the Blue Hawks 70-56 two nights prior.
 
OVERALL SERIES: The Beavers trail in the series with Carroll College 10-8 overall and have lost four of the past five meetings between the two schools. MSU and UGF are tied 9-9 overall but MSU has won three straight, 6 of the past 7 and 9 of the past 11 in the series. MSU-N has played Minot State more times than any non Dakota Athletic Conference team and the Skylights have gotten the best of the overall series, leading 34-17. The Beavers, however, have won six straight games against MSU-N.
 
NOTING THE SAINTS: Carroll College's win over Dickinson State snapped a three-game losing skid for the Saints in which they failed to score at least 65 points in any of the losses. In fact, the Saints hadn't scored more than 65 points in any game since a 90-69 win over College of Idaho in the season opener… The Saints' leading scorer Alysha Green is also paces the team in assists. Green averages 15.1 points per game and 4.75 assists per contest. She is ranked 13th overall in assists per game in NAIA Division I… The Saints are ranked No. 2 overall in Total Rebound Defense (29.0).
 
NOTING THE ARGONAUTS: The University of Great Falls started the season losing four of its first five, but has earned a split in both of its last two weekends… The Argos have been on opposite ends of runaway games  in the preseason, blasting Walla Walla (Wash.) 67-35 and Central Arkansas 85-58, but were beat up in an 80-45 home loss to Valley City State and an 80-59 loss to NCAA Division II Montana State-Billings… UGF's Kindra Jones has done a little bit of everything for the Argonauts, leading the team in points per game (12.86), rebounds (9.71) and blocks (2.43). She is ranked seventh in blocks per game in the NAIA… Sydnee Burke is hitting an average of 2.875 3-pointers per game… The Argo's head coach Bill Himmelberg lists his college as “Hamburger University” as he is a successful owner of McDonalds Restaurants in Great Falls.
 
NOTING THE SKYLIGHTS: Montana State-Northern started the season 8-0 before losing by a single point to Simpson (Calif.) 67-66 Dec. 2… Three-point shooting has been the key to the season for the Skylights as they ranked No. 1 in 3-point Field Goal Percentage (41.1), No. 7 in 3-pointers Made (85) and No. 9 in 3-pointers Made per Game (7.727)… Nikki Tresch, the Skylights leading scorer at 15.1 ppg., and Jordan Bruuresma are Nos. 3 and 6 repectively in 3-point field goal percentage, as Tresch is hitting 50 percent and Bruuresma 48.8 on the season… Bruuresma has been all over the court for MSU-N, leading the team in rebounding (5.55), steals (1.91) and blocks (.55).
 
SPREADING THE WEALTH:  Minot State has had five different players lead them in scoring over the Beavers first 11 games this season. Christina Boag (So., F, Tamworth, Australia) and leading scorer Carly Boag (So., F, Tamworth, Australia) lead the way with three games each, Katie Hardy (So., F, Fairview, N.D.) and Morgan Klose (Fr., G, Fairview, N.D.) have two each (Klose and Christina Boag tied for the top scorer against the University of Mary) and Sacarra Molina (Jr., G, Hinsdale, Mont.) was the leading scorer once.
 
CHASING 300: Minot State University women's coach Sheila Green Gerding is just three 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. 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 four wins shy of winning their 500th game. MSU is 496-456 overall. That number could come at home against former DAC rival Jamestown College.
 
BIG SKY TIES: Minot State's head coach Sheila Green Gerding isn't the only one with ties to the Montana teams playing the Duck Inn MSU-N Tournament. Assistant coach Shawn Chaffin was the head coach at the University of Great Falls from 2006-2010, leading the team to a single-season wins record in 2007. Chaffin also worked in the admissions office at Montana State-Northern. Assistant coach Bill Triplett spent multiple seasons coaching prep teams in Montana and has relatives on the MSU-Northern team. Junior Sacarra Molina, sophomore Katie Hardy and freshman Morgan Klose all prepped in the Big Sky State.
 
CHASING 500, PART 2: Minot State's Carly Boag is just 44 points from scoring her 500th career point in a Beavers uniform. MSU has had a player reach 1,000 career points in each of the past two seasons. MSU's Sacarra Molina passed 500 points earlier this season and has 562 points for her career.