Women’s basketball team gears up for part two on the road

After conquering the north last weekend, winning back-to-back road games, Minnesota State’s Women’s Basketball team is looking to continue their momentum as they are set to travel again Friday and Saturday.

Tied for the least amount of losses in the NSIC, the Mavs are sitting pretty at number two in conference standings, with an overall record of 14-2 and a 10-2 record within the conference.

Halfway done with their four-game road trip, MSU is first preparing for a trip to Aberdeen, South Dakota. There, they will go head to head with the 10-8 Northern State Wolves in their den.

This matchup has a long back and forth history, dating back to 1979, with both teams showing dominance on their home court. At home, the Mavericks have an 8-3 record, whereas in Aberdeen, they obtain a less impressive 2-7 record.

The Wolves are led by Head Coach, Paula Krueger, who has a 175-184 overall record as a collegiate head coach. Top scorers for the Wolves include Laurie Rogers, Kailee Oliverson and Rianna Fillipi, with 200, 199 and 193 points respectively.

MSU won last year’s matchup, but are 2-8 within the last 10. However, with a 7-1 record on the road, the Mavs don’t seem to be intimidated away from home this season and have the right tools to come back with the win. 

Saturday, the Mavericks are heading back north in Moorhead, Minnesota. They take on one of their sister schools, the 8-8 Minnesota State, Moorhead Dragons.

With an even longer history between these two teams, dating back to 1976, the Mavs have shown a bit of dominance over the Dragons, with a matchup record of 27-18. Although, within the last 10, the Mavs are close to an even record, being 6-4. 

The Dragons are led by Head Coach, Karla Nelson, who has accumulated an impressive record of 385-228. Their leading scorers include Natalie Jens, Mariah McKeever and Peyton Boom. They all have scored over 200 points and have a gap of over 100 points between them and their other teammates.

Saturday’s matchup should be interesting, as the Mavericks continue to prove themselves on the road, while the Dragons continue to prove themselves at home. 

With top scorers like Joey Batt, Destiny Bursch and Natalie Bremer, all scoring over 200 points on the season, the Mavs should have no trouble putting up big numbers in this weekend’s games.

This weekend will be a big test for the MSU Mavericks, where they have the opportunity to show their competitors what they’re truly made of.

Write to Ali Reed at Alicia.Reed@mnsu.edu

Header Photo: MSU Women’s Basketball team hopes to continue their win streak, as they play consecutive away games against Northern State Friday, Jan. 20 and MSU Moorhead Saturday, Jan. 21. (Dylan Engel/The Reporter)