THIS WEEK: Minot State returns to the MSU Dome to take on NSIC North Division rivals Minnesota State University Moorhead Friday and Northern State Saturday. Game times are set for 6 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday.

RECORDS: MSU is 3-11 overall and after earning its first NSIC win, comes into the weekend with a 1-7 NSIC record, sitting in seventh in the North Division. MSUM'S perfect 8-0 NSIC mark leads the North Division and the Dragons are 11-1 overall. NSU is just a game back with a 6-2 NSIC record and is 10-2 overall.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State is coached by Sheila Green Gerding. In her 22nd season at the helm of the Beaver women's basketball program, Green Gerding has amassed an impressive 360-268 overall record. Green Gerding is the Beavers all-time wins leader and has all 360 wins at MSU. MSUM's Karla Nelson also has an impressive resume with 289 wins all with the Dragons. She is 289-178 in 17 years. NSU's Curt Fredrickson, however, is the undisputed leader in wins in the region as he has amassed 806 in a 37 year career. He is 906-295 overall with the Wolves.

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: The NSIC North Division has a strong showing in both the WBCA Division II Top 25 poll and the D2SIDA Media Poll Central Region Poll. MSU Moorhead moved up to No. 24 this week, one spot ahead of Northern State in the WBCA Top 25 Poll, while NSU is No. 5 in the Central Region with MSUM coming in at No. 7.

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State earned its first NSIC win of the season with a complete-game effort knocking off St. Cloud State 77-63 at Halenbeck Hall Friday. MSU couldn't sustain the momentum, however, falling 69-48 at Minnesota Duluth Saturday. Kristal Flowers and Mariah Payne had big weekends as Flowers pulled down 18 rebounds Friday and earned a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds Saturday. Payne scored a career-high 22 points in the win at SCSU and finished with 11 at UMD. MSU Moorhead rolled to its 11th straight win of the season defeating Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul at home. Jacky Volkert led the team in scoring Friday with 17 points, while Morgan Ham and Cassidy Thorson reached 17 for game-highs Saturday. Northern State also knocked off CSP and MSU over the weekend. Miranda Ristau had a great weekend with 16 points and eight rebounds against the Golden Bears and reached a double-double with 20 points and 10 boards Saturday.

ALL-TIME AT A GLANCE: The Beavers have struggled with MSUM and NSU in their history, earning just 10 wins in 52 games. MSU has defeated each five, trailing the Dragons 19-5 and the Wolves 23-5 overall.

LAST TIME OUT: MSU didn't have enough firepower to top the pair of NSIC titans in the opening conference weekend of the year. MSU fell 74-53 Friday at Northern State and pushed MSU Moorhead before succumbing 57-46 Saturday. Haley Hildenbrand scored 15 and 12 on the two nights respectively to lead the Beavers. Jill Conrad finished with 14 points and six rebounds to lead Northern State in their win. MSUM's Drew Sannes scored 16 and pulled down six rebounds to lead the Dragons the following night.

NOTING THE DRAGONS: Minnesota State University Moorhead hasn't lost a game since Nov. 12 as the Dragons have won 11 straight since a 62-54 setback vs. Harding… The first half is where MSUM has gotten the job done, outscoring opponents 214-144 in the first quarter – the team's best defensive quarter statistically – and 214-157 in the second… Drew Sannes is averaging a double-double through 12 games, coming into the weekend with a 16.6 scoring average and a 10.1 rebounding average… Despite hitting just 36.9 percent of its 244 3-pointers, MSUM has been solid from the field, hitting 45 percent overall, going 213-429 on 2s… But it's from the line where they really shine as the Dragons have made 147 of 188 free throws for a 78.2 percent clip… Cassidy Thorson and Jacky Volkert join Sannes in double figure scoring with a 14.7 and a 12.0.

NOTING THE WOLVES: Northern State has been perfect outside of games played against MSU Moorhead, going 10-0 against everyone but the Dragons… Miranda Ristau has emerged as the Wolves top all-around player, leading the team in scoring (15.8), rebounds (7.8) and blocked shots (22), tied for second in steals (12) and third in assists (31)… NSU has been a solid rebounding team, coming into the weekend with a plus-6.6 rebounding advantage, holding teams to just 31.0 per game… Jill Conrad gives the Wolves a solid 1-2 punch with Ristau as she is second on the team in both scoring at 14.4 per game and rebounding at 6.5 a night.

FLOWERS CONTINUES TO BLOSSOM ON THE BOARDS: MSU junior Kristal Flowers has reached double-figures in rebounds in four of her last seven games including both outings last weekend to up her average to 6.7 per game. She had a monster game, tying former MSU All-American Carly Boag's team DII single game rebounding record with 18 against St. Cloud State. She followed that up with her second double-double of the season, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds at Minnesota Duluth.

MIDWAY POINT: MSU sophomore Kari Clements is just 88 points away from reaching 500 for her career and is on an early pace to reach 1,000 over four years. Clements is the team's leading scorer at 10.7 in 2016-17 after a breakout redshirt freshman season last year. She has a solid 9.8 scoring average over her 43 collegiate games.

LINE WORK: Two Minot State players are hitting over 80 percent of their free three throws and one more is just a percentage point away. Haley Hildenbrand has been solid to start her collegiate career, knocking down 16 of 19 for an 84.2 average to lead the team. Kari Clements is second at 83.3, going 40 for 48. Kori Eurich is less than a percentage point away as well, hitting 79.3 percent (23-29).

BEAVER BALANCE: While head coach Sheila Green Gerding probably wishes each one was a point or two higher, MSU has shown solid balance in scoring this season. Leader Kari Clements averages 10.7 per game and is one of two MSU players in double figures as Mariah Payne is second at 10.1. MSU has seven players scoring seven or more per game.

BY THE NUMBERS

4: MSU players with double-digit makes on 3-pointers for a total of 96 on the season. Mariah Payne and Kori Eurich lead the Beavers with 22 makes apiece.

13.4: Offensive rebounds per game for Minot State, second in the conference.

252: Turnovers for MSU, second highest in the Northern Sun.