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RECORDS: Minot State is 12-4 overall and 8-4 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play this season. Minnesota Crookston is currently 7-9 overall and 4-8 in the NSIC while Bemidji State sits with a 8-8 overall mark and a 4-8 record in the Northern Sun.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State's is coached by Sheila Green Gerding. In her 19th season at the helm of the Beaver women's basketball program, Green Gerding has amassed an impressive 327-217 overall record. She has qualified Minot State for six NAIA National Tournaments over her career while also coaching 12 All-Americans both at the NAIA and NCAA Division II levels.   The Golden Eagles are coached by Mike Roysland who is in his seventh season coaching women's basketball at UMC. Over his tenure Minnesota Crookston has a record of 62-142. Roysland's best season with Golden Eagles came in 2010-11 when he led UMC to a 13-14 over record. Bemidji State is coached by Mike Curfman. During his nine-year term as head coach, BSU has a record of 90-144. Curfman guided the Beavers to a top six finish and an appearance in the conference tournament in each of his first three seasons. In his first campaign (2005-06), he led BSU to a fifth place finish in the NSIC and hosted the first round of conference playoffs.

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 kcjb.com. MSU provides live video and live stats as well as links to the live audio at msubeavers.com. Minot State Athletics also is active on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube with all feeds accessible at msubeavers.com/stayconnected.

RANKINGS: Both University of Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State did not receive any votes in the Jan. 21 USA TODAY NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll. For the second consecutive week, Minot State received votes in the national poll. The Beavers received three points in the poll, down two points from the previous week.

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State split their Northern Sun weekend last weekend as the defeated University of Minnesota Duluth on Friday night, 84-66. Saturday evening the Beavers fell at the hands of St. Cloud State, 86-73. It was MISU's fourth straight loss to the Huskies. Minnesota Crookston played two tight ball games last weekend. UMC lost to Northern State 69-60 before defeating Minnesota State University Moorhead 65-63. Bemidji State also split on the weekend, defeating MSU Moorhead 64-53 and then falling to Northern State 69-55.

OVERALL SERIES: Minot State holds a strong 11-1 all-time advantage of University of Minnesota Crookston. Both teams were members of the North Dakota Collegiate Athletics Conference in the late 1990s and early 2000s. MISU defeated UMC 131-62, the largest margin of victory in school history. Minot State and Bemidji State are even with a 4-4 all-time record against each other. The last win MISU had over BSU was in 1990-91 when coach Wes Luther and the Beavers took down Bemidji State 81-78.

NOTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES: University of Minnesota Crookston has historically struggled in NSIC play, averaging just seven conference wins over the last three seasons. It appears the Golden Eagles are on pace to reach that mark again as they have a 4-8 NSIC record with 10 conference matchups remaining. UMC is led by sophomore Katrina Moenkedick who averages 16.3 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game, both are team-highs. Alexa Thielman is also a solid scoring threat as she averages 15.3 points per game and is shooting 51.2 percent from beyond the arc. As a team, UMC leads the entire Northern Sun and ranks sixth in NCAA Division II in 3-point field goal percentage shooting 38.8 percent. Rebounding has been an issue for the Golden Eagles, however as they rank second to last in the NSIC with a negative 4.4 rebounding margin. UMC has been outrebounded in nine of their 12 NSIC games this season.

NOTING THE BSU BEAVERS: Bemidji State started the season 5-1 overall, but has posted just a 3-7 mark since Dec. 7, 2013. BSU has struggled putting the ball in the hoop as they rank last in the Northern Sun in field goal percentage with a 39.0 shooting percentage on the year. The Beavers have three players averaging double-digit points per game, led by Kate Warmack who averages 16.4 points per game. Warmack also ranks third in the NSIC with 10.2 rebounds per game. Morgan Lee, who scored her 1,000th career point earlier this season in a win against Western State, is BSU's second leading scorer, averaging 16.2 points per game. Bemidji State has succeeded defensively in turning over opponents; they rank fourth in the NSIC forcing 17.7 turnovers per game.

TWO STRAIGHT WEEKS: Minot State received votes and a total of three points in the Jan. 21 USA TODAY NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll. This is the second consecutive week MISU has been ranked in the national poll as the women's basketball team remains the only Minot State to be recognized in a national poll since making the move to NCAA Division II in 2012-13.

STARTING FIVE GETTING IT DONE: The Minot State starting five has been the same for 15-of-16 games during the 2013-14 season and they have shown their ability to carry the scoring load. However, the Beavers have all five starters score double-digits in the same game just twice this season, both were wins. This means each starter can step up and become the scorer if the team needs them to be and the defense cannot just key on one or two players. Minot State is the only team in the NSIC to have five players average 10.0 or more points per game.

Minot State starting five points per game
Senior    Carly Boag           20.9 ppg
Junior    Christina Boag    11.8 ppg
Senior    Alisha Jones       11.8 ppg
Junior    Katie Hardy          11.8 ppg
Junior    Morgan Klose      10.0 ppg

COMING FOR THE TOP SPOT: From the beginning of the season, Minot State has been at the top of the Northern Sun in regards to assists per game as they currently average 20.2 assists per game as a team. Now that the second half of the season is underway,  the Beavers are close to the top of all of NCAA Division II. MISU ranks second in the nation in assists per game, as they sit just 0.7 assists per game behind currently leader Nova Southeastern (20.9 assists per game).

STARTERS SEEING BIG MINUTES: Not only do Bemidji State and Minot State share the same nickname, but they also share a similar minute load for their starting five. Both Beaver squads have each starter playing over 25.0 minutes per game. Alisha Jones (Sr., G, Killeen, Texas) leads MISU with 32.7 minutes per game while Jessie Althoff leads BSU with 31.7.

RAINING TRIPLES: During Friday night's matchup, don't be surprised to see a few three-point shots being made. Minnesota Crookston and Minot State and the two best teams in the Northern Sun in three-point field goal percentage; UMC with a 38.8 shooting percentage from three while MISU is just behind with a 38.4 three-point percentage. The two teams also rank in the top ten in all of NCAA Division II, with the Golden Eagles sitting sixth and the Beavers seventh.

HARD-Y TO STOP: Minot State junior Katie Hardy (F, Fairview, N.D.) was a force during Saturday's home loss to St. Cloud State. Hardy tied a season-high scoring 18 points, going 8-of-12 from the field. She also pulled down a season-high eight rebounds in the loss. Hardy has also excelled from the free-throw line during her junior year, shooting 87.0 percent which ranks her tenth in the NSIC and No. 41 in all of NCAA Division II.

GETTING CLOSER TO THE TOP: Carly Boag (Sr., F, Tamworth, Australia) leads the Northern Sun in scoring so far this season, averaging 20.9 points per game. Boag has scored 335 points total 16 games into her senior year and current ranks third on the Minot State women's basketball all-time scoring list with 1,526 career points. On Dec. 14 against Minnesota Duluth, Boag passed MacKenzie Mack who now sits fourth on the All-Time Scoring list. Next up on Boag's quest is NAIA All-American Kayla Blom with 1,620 points.

MISU Women's Basketball All-Time Leaders
1,710    Kendra Meyer              2004-2008
1,620    Kayla Blom                  1998-2002
1,526    Carly Boag                   2010-Present
1,372    MacKenzie Mack         2006-2010
1,249    Jamie Lamoureux      1999-2003
 
SUPER SENIOR SEASONS: Both Alisha Jones (Sr., G, Killeen, Texas) and Carly Boag (Sr., F, Tamworth, Australia) have been major reasons for the success of the Beavers this season. The senior duo has put up great numbers, ranking them high in the conference ranks, but also in the national ranks.

Name                 Category                            Average    NSIC    NCAA DII
Alisha Jones     Assists Per Game           5.3              1st       16th
Alisha Jones     3-pt Percentage               50.0            2nd      4th
Carly Boag        Field Goal Percentage    61.8            1st       6th
Carly Boag        Points Per Game             20.9            1st       19th
Carly Boag        Steals Per Game             3.1              1st        19th

BY THE NUMBERS
69: During the 1999-2000 season, Minot State defeated University of Minnesota Crookston by 69 points, a 131-62 win for the Beavers. It's the most points the Beavers have scored in a game in school history.

60.7: Minot State shot a season-high 60.7 percent from the field during the 84-66 win over University of Minnesota Duluth. It is the highest field goal percentage MISU has had in a game over the last three seasons.

53: Carly Boag (Sr., F, Tamworth, Australia) scored 53 total points as the Beavers went 1-1 over the past weekend. It marks the most she has scored in an NSIC weekend since last season when she scored a combined 64 points against this weekend's opponents, University of Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State.