(MINOT, N.D.) – The Minot State women's basketball team will travel to Sioux Falls to take on the USF Cougars in the first round of the NSIC Basketball Tournament.

The Beavers and Cougars will square off tomorrow night, Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 5:30 p.m. for a chance to advance to the Sanford Pentagon and the tournament's quarterfinal round.

Series History
Wednesday's game marks the 16th overall meeting between Sioux Falls and Minot State with the Dragons leading the all-time series, 9-5. In their last meeting, the USF beat Minot State 87-53 in Minot on Jan. 18, 2020. The last Beaver win over Sioux Falls came at the Cougars' home court in February of 2018.
 
Beaver Tracks
Filling It Up: Mariah Payne has led the Beavers in scoring since the opening game of the season. The senior guard is currently averaging 17.8 points per contest and is shooting 42% from the field and 38% from three. Payne is among the conference's premier scorers as she ranks third in the league in scoring average.
 
Feeling Charitable: Minot State is currently third in the NSIC in team free throw percentage at 77% for the entire group. The Beavers have made 295 free throw shots out of 383 attempts. Calli Delsman and Mariah Payne lead the Beavers from the stripe with percentages of 83% each.
 
Dishing out Dishes: The Beaver women have been among the best in the league when assisting on baskets. Minot State ranks fifth in the NSIC in total team assist average with roughly 15 per game. Mariah Payne is leading the Beavers in that category with 96 total assists and 3.8 assist per game. Payne's numbers are sixth-best in the NSIC.
 
Owning the Boards: The Beavers are currently second in the NSIC in rebounding margin. MSU averages 37.3 rebounds per game while their opponents grab 33.0 per game. The Beavers are also sixth in total rebounding average. Calli Delsman ranks tenth in the NSIC and leads Minot State with an average of 6.9 boards per game.
 
Scouting Report
The University of Sioux Falls Cougars come into the NSIC Tournament with a nationall-recognized team. USF fell out of this week's edition of the Coaches' Top 25 but spent much of the season ranked in the mid-teens. The Cougars are 24-5 overall and 17-5 in conference play. Travis Traphagen's group scores just over 75 points per game while shooting a great 43% from the field. Kaely Hummel, Mariah Szymanski, and Anna Goodhope lead the Sioux Falls offense with averages of 17.1 ppg, 11.8 ppg, and 10.1 ppg, respectively. Forward Jacey Huinker has been stellar on the glass for USF with a team-high 235 rebounds and a per game average of 8.1. Szymanski also paces the Cougars in assists with 2.9 dishes per game. Goodhope has been a key defender for Sioux Falls with 15 blocks.