THIS WEEK: Minot State will travel for the first time in the New Year for a big Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division clash with Northern State (Friday, Aberdeen, S.D., 6 p.m.) and Minnesota State University Moorhead (Saturday, Moorhead, Minn., 4 p.m.)

RECORDS: MSU is 7-7 overall on the season and 4-4 in NSIC play, currently sitting in fifth place in the NSIC North. NSU has won five straight games and is 10-3 overall and 6-2 in the NSIC. MSUM is 8-4 and 5-3. NSU is tied for second in the North with MSU Moorhead right behind in fourth in division standings.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State is coached by Sheila Green Gerding. In her 21st season at the helm of the Beaver women's basketball program, Green Gerding has amassed an impressive 353-246 overall record. Green Gerding is the Beavers all-time wins leader and has all 353 wins with the Beavers. 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. Curt Fredrickson is one of the all-time great NSIC Division II coaches having amassed 783 wins, all at NSU. He is an impressive 783-288 in 36 seasons as head coach. Not to be outdone on the weekend is MSUM's head coach Carla Nelson. In 16 seasons with the Dragons, Nelson has put together a fine resume, going 265-174. In all, between the three head coaches, they have a combined 1,401 wins and all with one team each.

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 – with Leif Bakken serving as the play-by-play announcer – and live stats as well as links to the live audio at msubeavers.com. Minot State Athletics also is active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube with all feeds accessible at msubeavers.com/stayconnected.

RANKINGS: Northern State made its way into the receiving votes category for the first time this season in the latest WBCA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches Poll, replacing MSU Moorhead, who had received votes the past three weekends. Both teams are in the latest D2SIDA Media Central Region Poll with NSU ranked No. 8 and MSUM No. 9. Minot State was unranked in both polls.

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State blew out visiting Bemidji State 80-49 Friday but was stymied offensively in a 63-43 loss to Minnesota Crookston Saturday. Kori Eurich (Jr., G, Pueblo, Colo.) led the Beavers both nights as she scored 13 points to pace four players in double figures against BSU. She finished with seven points to lead MSU against UMC. Savana Kingsbury (Sr., F, Omaha, Neb.) pulled down nine rebounds both nights to lead MSU on the glass. Northern State earned its biggest win of the season, knocking off No. 8 ranked Winona State 60-55 in Winona last week during a sweep of WSU and Upper Iowa. The Wolves topped UIU in a low scoring affair 42-38 on Saturday. Jill Conrad and Alex Tappe were the leaders on the weekend for NSU as Tappe had 11 points Friday  and Conrad poured in 19 of the team's 42 points Saturday. MSUM defeated Upper Iowa as well last weekend, 71-55, but couldn't upset Winona State, falling 52-49 on the road. Heather Strese had a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds against UIU, while Morgan Banasik scored 13 points in the loss to WSU.

ALL-TIME AT A GLANCE: The Beavers have not been traditionally good against either team, but have been respectable since joining the Northern Sun. MSU trails NSU 21-5 and MSUM 17-5, but are 3-4 against both teams since becoming a member of the NSIC in the 2012-13 season.

LAST TIME OUT: Minot State split a pair of games at the MSU Dome in December with MSU Moorhead and Northern State. The Beavers tied the contest with MSU Moorhead on a basket by Kari Clements (RFr., G, Trevor, Wis.) with six seconds to play, but was outscored by nine in overtime as MSUM pulled away for an 81-72 win. Alex Haley (Jr., G, Libertyville, Ill.) had a career-high 23 points in the loss for MSU, while Morgan Banasik went 12 for 12 from the line to pace the Dragons with 24 points. Against NSU, Minot State had four players in double figures and hold the Wolves to just 28.6 percent shooting in the second half to rally for a 69-61 win. Savana Kingsbury (Sr., F, Omaha, Neb.) had 15 points and seven assists to lead the Beavers. Deven Brecke's 17 points paced NSU.

NOTING THE WOLVES: Northern State has been on a tear since losing at the MSU Dome the first week of December. Following the 69-61 loss against the Beavers, NSU has not allowed more than 68 points in a game and has help opponents under 60 in its last three games, including a big 60-55 win over No. 8 ranked Winona State last Friday… Jill Conrad is nearly automatic at the free throw line, hitting 28 for 30 on the season for a 93.3 clip. She is second in the conference in percentage helping her to lead the Wolves with a 12.7 points per game scoring average… NSU is second in the conference in scoring defense at 57.8 points per game… The Wolves are the best rebounding team in the conference, holding a 10.5 rebounds-per-game average over their opponents and are tied for fifth overall averaging 41.8 boards per game…  Paige Waytashek has hit 17 3-pointers to lead the team.

NOTING THE DRAGONS: Minnesota State University Moorhead's Heather Strese is the league's second best shooter from the field, hitting at a 54.6 percent clip through 11 games. She is the team's second leading scorer at 14.3 points per game, trailing just Morgan Banasik, who scores at 15.4 ppg… Jackey Volkert has 27 assists and just 15 turnovers this season, leading the team both in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio… Strese and Savanna Handevidt are both pulling down just under eight rebounds per game… The first two quarters have been big for MSUM as they lead their opponents 185-156 in scoring during the first quarter and 181-154 in the second second… MSUM will be at home for the first time since a 61-53 win over Minnesota Duluth Dec. 12.

1-2 SCORING PUNCH: Savana Kingsbury (Sr., F, Omaha, Neb.) and Alex Haley (Jr., G, Libertyville, Ill.) have gone back and forth as MSU's leading scorer all season and have pulled away from the group. Kingsbury is just seven points away from her career-high for a season as she leads the team with a 177 total points and a 12.6 average. Haley is right behind with 171 points and a 12.2 average.

EURICH EMERGES: Junior guard Kori Eurich (Pueblo, Colo.) has steadily increased her playing time and her impact on games as she is now fifth on the team in scoring and has made 10 starts in 14 games. Eurich led MSU in both contests last week, finishing with 13 points Friday and seven Saturday. She has 11 3-pointers, good for third on the team, in just 37 attempts, and is second behind Sarah Lester (Sr., G, Frechtown, Mont.) in 3-point field goal percentage

BEAVER BEAT DOWN: Minot State didn't treat visiting and nickname partner Bemidji State very well Friday, handling BSU an 80-49 setback. It was the largest margin of victory over an NSIC opponent for MSU since joining the league in 2012-13 and the biggest win this season for MSU. Minot State has owned BSU over the past three seasons, winning five straight by an average of 19.8 points per game. The 31-point win topped the best highest mark, a 27-point win last season over BSU at the Dome.

AN EXTRA COAT OF SHELLAC PLEASE    

Season	Opponent	H/A	Final	Margin
2015-16	Bemidji State	H	80-49	31
2014-15	Bemidji State	H	77-50	27
2014-15	Bemidji State	A	81-58	23
2013-14	MSU Moorhead	A	79-56	23
2014-15	Minnesota Duluth	A	77-56	21
2014-15	Southwest Minnesota St.	H	71-51	20

BEST FOR LAST: Minot State has outscored its opponents 283-231 in the fourth quarter – the only quarter MSU has the upper hand in. MSU has been outscored 229-200 in the first quarter and 249-232 in the second for a 478-432 first-half deficit but has as 526-490 lead after half due to a solid fourth quarter. MSU is also has a slight scoring deficit in overtime, 24-22, in two extra session games.

FREE POINTS: Minot State continues to knock down free throws as the Beavers are third in the NSIC in overall percentage at 76.9. The Beavers are on pace to set a school record in percentage as they lead the 2013-14 team, who hit 76.6 percent. MSU has five players over 80 percent this season with two, Savana Kingsbury (Sr., F, Omaha, Neb.) and Kari Clements (RFr., G, Trevor, Wis.) ranked in the NSIC.

BY THE NUMBERS

1.85: Assist-to-turnover ratio for senior Amanda Sansaver (G, Wolf Point, Mont.). Sansaver has 37 assists to lead the team and just 20 miscues on the season. While she doesn't quite average the necessary three assists per game, she would be ranked ninth in the NSIC with her ratio.

2: Free throws missed by Shyla Carr (Fr., G, Spokane, Wash.), Madison Wald (Fr., G, Minot, N.D.) and Morgan Hunter (Jr., G, Invercargill, New Zealand) in 24 attempts. While the trio doesn't qualify for the NSIC rankings, they lead MSU. Carr is perfect at 4  for 4, while Wald (10-11) and Hunter (8-9) have missed just one each.

24: Steals for Kari Clements (RFr., G, Trevor, Wis.). In her first season, Clements leads the team and is ranked 12 th in the NSIC in swipes.