MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State women's basketball team returns to the Minot State Dome this weekend for a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games this weekend. The Beavers host Winona State on Friday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. and Upper Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 4 p.m.

Minot State is 6-8 in NSIC play and 9-9 on the season after sweeping Bemidji State (81-70) and Minnesota Crookston on the road last weekend.

Last weekend's sweep was the first NSIC weekend sweep on the road for the Beavers since January 10-11, 2014.

Minot State is 7-1 on the season when scoring 70 or more points, including 2-0 when scoring 80 or more points. Their only loss is an 80-77 setback vs. Jamestown on Nov. 20, 2017.

Holly Johnson leads the Beavers in scoring with 16.5 points per game while grabbing 5.8 rebounds per game.

Senior Kristal Flowers has posted six double-doubles this season and averages 10.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Madison Wald is scoring 10.7 points per game, followed by Diondra Denton and Mariah Payne with 7.9 and 7.7 points per game, respectively.

Payne leads the team with 47 assists and Denton has posted a team-high 24 steals while Flowers and Kari Clements lead the team with eight blocks apiece.

Johnson earned NSIC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 22 after averaging 23.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, three assists and two steals per game in a weekend sweep over Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston.

Scouting the Winona State Warriors

Winona State enters Friday night's game with a 13-5 (9-5 NSIC) record on the season. Hannah McGlone and Allie Pickrain lead the Warriors offense with 14.4 and 11.6 points per game, respectively. McGlone leads the NSIC in rebounding with 10.9 rebounds per game while Rachel Novotny is second on the team and ranks 13th in NSIC with 6.6 rebounds per game.

The Warriors are scoring 66.1 points per game while shooting 43.6 percent from the floor and 72.4 percent from the free throw line. Winona State is grabbing 36.0 rebounds per game while forcing 13.2 turnovers per game and limiting opponents to 57.6 points per game.

Head coach Scott Ballard is in his 14th season at the helm of the Warrior program and has posted a record of 245-156. Ballard is 514-288 in 28 overall seasons of coaching.

Series History

Minot State leads the all-time series with Winona State, 3-2. Winona State defeated Minot State 69-53 in Winona, Minn. on January 27, 2017.
 
Scouting the Upper Iowa Peacocks

 Upper Iowa comes into the weekend with a 2-18 (0-14 NSIC) record on the season. Blair Klostermann paces the Peacock offense with 12.3 points per game, followed by Natalie Dinius with 10.2 points per game. Haley Martin ranks 18th in the NSIC with 6.1 rebounds per game.

The Peacocks are scoring 53.5 points per game while shooting 32 percent from the field and 74.8 percent from the free throw line. Upper Iowa averages 35.8 rebounds while notching 5.1 steals per game. Opponents are scoring 71.2 points per game and shooting 42 percent from the field against the Peacocks.

Head coach Micha Thompson is in her second season leading the Peacocks and has posted a career record of 6-41.

Series History

Saturday's game marks the seventh overall meeting between Upper Iowa and Minot State with the Beavers leading the all-time series, 5-1. In their last meeting, Upper Iowa defeated Minot State 65-53 in Fayette, Iowa on January 28, 2017.

Up Next

The Beavers will be on the road next weekend, as Minot State travels to Marshall, Minn. to face Southwest Minnesota State on Friday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. before traveling to Sioux Falls, S.D. to take on Sioux Falls on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 4 p.m.