CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team will make their third-consecutive appearance in the NSIC/Sanford Health quarterfinals Sat., Feb. 25 as they take on Northern State University at 8 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon. The Golden Eagles are the No. 6 seed in the NSIC North and Northern State is the No. 2 seed in the NSIC North.

The winner will move on the NSIC/Sanford Health quarterfinals against the winner of Augustana University and Winona State University Mon., Feb. 27 at 2:30 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon.

The Golden Eagles are looking for their first win in the NSIC/Sanford Health quarterfinals during the three-year stretch. The furthest UMC has advanced in the NSIC Tournament was the 2003 Championship game. The Golden Eagles were the No. 7 seed an made an improbable run with wins over Concordia University-St. Paul and Northern State. UMC would fall to University of Minnesota Duluth in the Championship Game. In their last two appearances in the quarterfinals, UMC lost to University of Sioux Falls (2016) and Minnesota State University-Mankato (2015). 

Minnesota Crookston enters the weekend with an 8-19 mark. Northern State is 21-6 on the season.

Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Mike Roysland
Record at UMC: 105-191 Season at UMC: 11th Season

Northern State Wolves
Head Coach: Curt Fredrickson
Record at NSU: 817-299 Season at NSU: 38th Season

Feb. 25, 2017 • Sioux Falls, S.D. •  Sanford Pentagon •  8 p.m. 
Video:https://portal.stretchinternet.com/nsic/
Live Stats: http://sidearmstats.com/nsic/bball/
Radio: 1260 KROX AM/105.7 FM (Broadcast live by Chris Fee) 
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Weekly Snapshot

Minnesota Crookston
Projected Starters
Jr. PG 10 Micaela Noga (5-7, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) 9.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.3 APG
So. SG 14 Alison Hughes (5-7, Janesville, Wis.) 17.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG
So. 3G 3 Caitlin Michaelis (5-8, Marshfield, Wis.) 5.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG
Jr. SF 22 Emily Gruber (5-11, Monticello, Minn.) 8.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG
R-So. PF 15 Isieoma Odor (6-0, Bloomington, Minn.) 13.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG

Northern State
Projected Starters
Fr. PG 31 Brianna Kusler (5-9, Aberdeen, S.D.) 5.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG
Sr. SG 10 Paige Waytashek (5-11, Lino Lakes, Minn.) 9.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG
Jr. 3G 23 Brynn Flakus (5-8, Aberdeen, S.D.) 2.6 PPG, 1.5 RPG
Jr. SF 40 Jill Conrad (5-11, Lino Lakes, Minn.) 14.5 PPG, 6.9 RPG
Jr. PF 51 Miranda Ristau (6-2, Warner, S.D.) 16.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG

#5StoryLines
1. Can Alison Hughes have another strong game for the Golden Eagles?

2. Can the Golden Eagles limit Miranda Ristau and Jill Conrad inside?

3. Can the Golden Eagles improve their rebounding against Northern State?

4. Can Micaela Noga have another strong night for the Golden Eagles? 

5. Will the Golden Eagles play consistent and solid defense on Saturday?

#JuniorLeadership
UMC junior Emily Gruber had a big game for the Golden Eagles against
 Concordia-St. Paul. Gruber had 13 points and seven boards on 6-of-11 from the field for UMC. Gruber is averaging 11.5 points per game over the last two contests for Minnesot Crookston. She has had her ups-and-downs as a junior, but she will look to continue her strong play against Northern State Saturday as she looks to help lead the Golden Eagles to the semifinals. She is one of just two upperclassmen on the UMC roster along with Micaela Noga. 

#AllNSIC
Alison Hughes had a big season for the Golden Eagles as she became Minnesota Crookston's go-to player as a sophomore. Hughes earned All-NSIC Second Team honors after averaging 17.5 points per game. She shot 41.4 percent from the field, 44.7 percent from beyond the arc and 92.9 percent from the charity stripe. Hughes is among the leaders for three-pointers in the league and does lead the league in free throw shooting. She will look to continue her season with a win against Northern State Saturday. 

#GameWinner
UMC junior guard Micaela Noga had a big game on Wednesday in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament against Concordia-St. Paul. Noga had 13 points in the first quarter on her way to 21 points on 6-of-13 from the field and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. Noga's biggest shot was a three with 32 seconds remaining, which would prove to be the game-winner as Minnesota Crookston packed their bags for Sioux Falls, S.D. and the NSIC/Sanford Health Quarterfinals for the third-consecutive season. 

#ImpactOffOfTheBench
UMC freshman guard Stephanie McWilliams, a Grand Forks, N.D. native, has been a major factor off of the bench, especially in terms of finding her teammates. McWilliams is 
averaging six assists per game over the last three games for the Golden Eagles. Inaddition, she is averaging 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as she has become a work-horse off of the bench doing anything and everything she can to help the team. 

#Tidbits
- Minnesota Crookston enters Saturday with an 8-19 mark on the season. With the win over Concordia-St. Paul Wednesday, UMC has now appeared in three-consecutive NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament quarterfinals as they have set a standard for the program. Minnesota Crookston will look for their first win in the NSIC/Sanford Health quarterfinals as they have lost to Minnesota State University-Mankato and University of Sioux Falls in their previous two attempts. The Golden Eagles are currently 3-2 in tournament play in the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament in the last three seasons.

- The Golden Eagles have been led on the season by Alison Hughes, who is averaging 17,5 points per game. Isieoma Odor will be a major factor against Northern State coming into Saturday as UMC must get strong play in the post. Odor is averaging 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. She is averaging 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in her two previous games against the Wolves. Hughes has been the biggest contributor for the Golden Eagles against Northern State, averaging 10.5 points and 2.0 rebounds, while Caitlin Michaelis is tallying 9.5 points and 2.5 rebounds. Micaela Noga and Emily Gruber have both struggled against the Wolves this season. Noga is averaging 6.5 points, while Gruber is tallying just 4.0 points and 3.5 rebounds. 

- UMC has three players that have made the trip now to the NSIC/Sanford Health quarterfinals three times. Micaela Noga and Emily Gruber have played in three, while Isieoma Odor was on the roster during the 2014-15 season but earned a medical hardship due to an injury suffered early on in the season. 

- Minnesota Crookston is averaging just 58.5 points in their two games against Northern State. They are shooting 34.2 percent from the field, 30.2 percent from beyond the arc and 75.0 percent from the charity stripe. A key factor for UMC might be Northern State's struggles at the charity stripe against them. The Wolves are just 19-of-33 for 57.6 percent at the line against the Golden Eagles this season. Northern State is averaging 80.5 points per game and shooting 52.3 percent from the field. They have shot only 17 three-pointers in two games, hitting 35.3 percent of those shots. The Wolves are out-rebounding UMC 45.5 to 30.5 this season. UMC must rebound better to have a chance. 

- Northern State enters the quarterfinals with a 21-6 mark. They are led by Curt Fredrickson, who has over 800 wins in 38 years leading the charge for the Wolves. Northern State is led by their post play. Miranda Ristau leads the way with 16.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while Jill Conrad is tallying 14.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. At guard, Paige Waytashek is averaging 9.9 points per game. Northern State's biggest three-point threats are Gabby Laimer, Brianna Kusler and Jessi Marti. The Wolves are averaging 68.8 points per game this season. They are shooting 45.4 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from beyond the arc and 71.9 percent from the charity stripe.