MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minot State men's and women's basketball teams start a busy stretch of action on the road Thursday, playing at Minnesota State Moorhead in what kicks off the NSIC race for the Beaver women, and is virtually the start to league play for the men, as well.

After five non-conference games on the road to get the season started, the Beaver women (4-2 overall) returned home on Tuesday and played their final tune-up for NSIC action, rolling to a 91-60 win over Dickinson State.

That tune-up sends Minot State into a tough stretch of league play with momentum as now the Beavers play five games in 10 days – all against NSIC foes – starting with Thursday's 5:30 p.m. contest against the host Dragons (3-2, 0-1 NSIC).

The busy run continues with Minot State hosting Northern State on Saturday at 1 p.m., then the Beavers making a quick Tuesday-night trip to Bismarck to play the University of Mary at 6 p.m. The 5-game stretch concludes with Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State visiting the MSU Dome on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 9 and 10.

But first the Dragons, who opened league play last week with a 59-58 loss to Northern State.

MSU Moorhead quickly bounced back, though, rolling to a pair of Thanksgiving tournament wins led by 6-foot senior center Peyton Boom who was named NSIC North Division Player of the Week after she averaged 16 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2 blocks per game in wins over Rollins and Holy Family. Boom is averaging 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season.

Saturday, the Beavers host an imposing Wolves team that leads the NSIC North with a 6-1 overall record and 1-0 NSIC mark. Northern State boasts five players 6-foot-tall or better, including team leaders Kailee Oliverson (6-4, junior forward), and Laurie Rogers (6-2, senior forward). Oliverson leads the team averaging 12.7 points per game and is grabbing 4.3 rebounds per game, while Rogers is shooting 53.6 percent from the field, leads the team in rebounding (7.1 rpg), and is third in scoring at 10.7 ppg.

Then, it is back on the road for the road-warrior Beavers who head to Mary on Tuesday to play a Marauders team (1-2 overall) that has seen winter storms cancel four games this season.

Most recently, though, Mary basked in the sun in Hawaii where they split a pair of games in the Malika Sports Thanksgiving Tournament.

Minot State beat the Marauders 85-71 in the teams' only meeting last season, snapping a 7-game win streak for Mary. The Marauders are led by 5-10 senior guard Megan Zander (13.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and 6-2 sophomore forward Addison Rozell (12.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg) who is shooting 54.2 percent from the field.

The Beavers will look to their 5-5 senior guard Kate Head to lead a balanced team effort. Head leads in scoring averaging 17.0 ppg and is the team's top playmaker averaging 4.17 assists per game.

While the Minot State women play five games in 10 games, the Beaver men (3-2 overall, 0-1 NSIC) will have a bit easier stretch as they opened league play last week with a setback at Mary, leaving them games at MSU Moorhead on Thursday, at 7:30 p.m., then at home Saturday against Northern State at 3 p.m.

The Beavers then return to action on Dec. 9 and 10 to host Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State, as do the women.

Despite falling to Northern State in their NSIC opener, the Dragons have been a tough foe this season with a 5-2 overall record, and MSU Moorhead scored wins over New Mexico Highlands and Colorado State Pueblo playing in the same Thanksgiving tournament as Minot State last weekend.

Six-foot sophomore guard Jacob Beeninga leads the way for Moorhead averaging 16.3 ppg, which includes 21 3-pointers already this season, while 6-7 junior forward Dane Zimmer adds 10.3 ppg and leads on the glass with 7.3 rebounds per night.

As for the Wolves (5-2, 1-0), Sam Masten (6-3, senior guard) is lighting up the scoreboard averaging 19.3 points per game, shooting 58.1 percent, and grabbing 6.9 rebounds per game, while teammate Jordan Belka (6-7 grad-student forward) is averaging 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per night and shooting 57.5 percent for a Wolves team that is third in the NSIC shooting 49.9 percent from the field.

Of course, balance has been key for the Beavers with four players averaging double digits led by returning 6-3 senior guard Cam'ron Dunfee (13.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg).