•  The Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team looks to continue their strong as they trek to Augustana University and Wayne State College this weekend. The Golden Eagles take on No. 14 Augustana at 2:30 p.m. Sat., Dec. 15 at Sioux Falls Arena in Sioux Falls, S.D. Minnesota Crookston then takes on Wayne State College (Neb.) at 12:30 p.m. Sun., Dec. 16 at Rice Auditorium in Wayne, Neb.

•  GREAT START. The Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team has opened up the 2018-19 season with a 7-2 mark, their best start to a campaign since the 2004-05 season. The Golden Eagles are currently 2-1 in conference play with wins over Northern State and Bemidji State. Minnesota Crookston went 7-4 in their first 11 games during the 2004-05 season. The best season in program history for the Golden Eagles came during the 2015-16 campaign as Minnesota Crookston finished with an 18-10 mark. Minnesota Crookston started out the 2015-16 season with an 8-3 mark in the first 11 games.

• RECEIVING VOTES. The Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team has either received votes or been ranked in the last four D2SIDA Central Region polls. The Golden Eagles are looking to move up within region as they have two big games this weekend. Minnesota Crookston faces No. 2 in the region Augustana, along with a strong 
program out of Wayne State.

• TRY AND SLOW HER DOWN. Isieoma Odor has been off to one of the greatest starts a Golden Eagle player has had in program history as evidenced by her three selections as NSIC North Player of the Week in just five weeks. Odor is leading the team with 17.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She has tallied a double-double in four games this season. Odor had a season-high 21 points against Bemidji State University to open NSIC play. She notched 20 points and nine rebounds against MSU Moorhead last weekend. Odor has not scored under 16 points in a game this season. She is shooting 54.3 percent from the field and an astounding 88.0 percent from the foul line as she has hit 44-of-50 attempts. Odor will look to continue her strong play this weekend against Augustana and Wayne State. 

• FOXING OUT THE OPPONENT. Minnesota Crookston freshman Bren Fox has been a major player for the Golden Eagles in recent weeks. The newcomer from Norwood Young America, Minn., earned her first start of her career against Northern State last Saturday. Fox picked up career highs in the game as she was crucial against a post-oriented squad for the Wolves. She had six points and six rebounds against Northern State. Fox is averaging 3.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in the last three games as she continues to come into her own. She was crucial part of a strong recruiting class for the Golden Eagles and has added much-needed length to the squad at 6-3. 

• THE LAST I IS SILENT. The last I might be silent in Caitlin Michaelis' last name, but she has been anything but silent as a senior for the Golden Eagles. The Marshfield, Wis., native is off to her best start for the Golden Eagles as she is averaing 16.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on the 2018-19 season. Michaelis is shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc on the season and a team-high 92.9 percent from the foul line. Michaelis has scored in double figures in all nine games this season, including 19 points against Valley City State and Western Washington. Michaelis shot 6-of-15 for 40.0 percent from three last weekend against MSU Moorhead and Northern State.

• POST GAME. Her name is Kylie Post, she not play in the post, but it has become important to get the ball to her in her inaugural campaign for the Golden Eagles. Post leads the team with 2.3 assists per game and 
has helped get the rest of the offense involved for Minnesota Crookston. In addition, Post is phenomenal at generating her own offense, especially when it involves getting to the hoop. Post is notching 10.8 points per game on the season. She tallied nine points in the win over Northern State last weekend. Her season-high came with 21 points in a win over Northwest Missouri State earlier this season.

• DEAR ABBY. Abby Guidinger has continued to come into her own as a sophomore. Guidinger started to show signs of what was to come at the conclusion of her freshman season. She is averaging 9.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game during her sophomore campaign for the Golden Eagles. Guidinger tallied a season-high 19 points in a win over Nebraska Kearney earlier this season. She will look to continue to make an impact for Minnesota Crookston this weekend against Augustana and Wayne State.

• AWAY FROM LYSAKER.  Minnesota Crookston comes into the weekend with a 4-1 mark away from Lysaker Gymnasium this season. They are looking to continue a strong start on the road as they head to Sioux Falls, S.D., and Wayne, Neb. this weekend. Minnesota Crookston was 5-9 on the road last season. In their best season in program history, the Golden Eagles were 8-8 away from Lysaker Gymnasium on their way to an 18-10 mark.

• DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE.  The Golden Eagles are limiting teams to just 62.9 points per game in their seven wins this season. On the flip side, Minnesota Crookston has allowed 77 points per game to their foes in their two losses. Defense will be a key for the Golden Eagles as they continue to build on a great start to the 2018-19 season.

• HOME AWAY FROM HOME. This is not the first time this season that the Golden Eagles have been to Rice Auditorium in Wayne, Neb. Minnesota Crookston has already found great success in the Cornhusker State as they earned wins over Northwest Missouri State and Nebraska Kearney in Wayne earlier this season. The Golden Eagles have actually played three times in Wayne, Neb., in their last 10 regular-season games. Minnesota Crookston's season came to an end at Rice Auditorium as they fell 72-59 to the Wildcats in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament.

Viking Women's Basketball. The Vikings come into the game with the Golden Eagles as one of the hottest teams in the nation, being ranked in both the Central region and the National Polls at 14. Augustana sits at 10-1 overall and 3-0 in the NSIC. Central Oklahoma is the only team to upend the Vikings, 59-55. Dave Krauth is in his 30th season at the helm of the Vikings, recording 20, 20 win seasons.

TRIPLE THREAT. The Vikings have three players that can score the ball in a variety of ways. Shelby Selland leads the Vikings in points at 13.4, while shooting 53 percent from behind the arc. Lynsey Prosser and Abby Hora are threats from deep. Prosser and Hora have hit a combined 39 three pointers through 11 games.

DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST. Junior Hana Metoxen has been a tough defender this season. The native of Apple Valley, Minn. leads her team with 29 steals on the season, while averaging just under 4.9 rebounds per game. Metoxen has started in all 11 games.

BENCH SCORER. Redshirt Freshman Vishe' Rabb, a native of Springfield, Minn., has yet to start a game for the Vikings, but when she sees the floor, she makes an immediate impact. Rabb is fourth in the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game, including a 12 point performance two weeks ago in a win over Wayne State. 

Wildcat Women's Basketball. Wayne State College has had a solid start to their season. The Wildcats are coming off a weekend split, with a victory over Upper Iowa and a five point loss at the hands Winona State. Brent Pollari is in his first season as the head man of WSC. Pollari is no stranger to the NSIC, spending one season as the lead assistant of Minnesota State University, Mankato and the recruiting coordinator for six seasons at Northern State University. These two teams met in the first round of the Sanford Health NSIC Tournament last February in Wayne, Neb. WSC topped the Golden Eagles 72-58.

EVERYTHING ERIN. Sophomore Guard Erin Norling has been the do-it-all player in her second season as a Wildcat. Norling leads the team in scoring, rebounds and in minutes played. Norling had a season high 21 points in the season opening win over Northwest Missouri State in early November.

BUSY BUSSE. Winthrop, Minn., native and Wildcat Sophomore Hailey Busse has been getting her teammates involved at an impressive rate this season. Busse had a season high 8 assists in an 8 point loss to Augustana.

VESEY FOR THREE. Although the Wildcats aren't a great three point shooting team, they do have Haley Vesey who can shoot the ball from deep. Vesey leads her team in three point makes with 14, including making three in the loss to Augustana in the NSIC Conference opener.

Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Mike Roysland
Record at UMC: 120-215 Season at UMC: 13th Season

Augustana Vikings
Head Coach: Dave Krauth
Record at AUGIE: 616-259 Season at AUGIE: 30th Season

Wayne State Wildcats
Head Coach: Brent Pollari
Record at WSC: 5-3 Season at WSC: First Season

Minnesota Crookston at Augustana
Date: Dec. 15, 2018
Time: 2:30 p. m.
Site: Sioux Falls Arena (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Live Stats: https://goaugie.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/augie/
Officials: Royce Ranninger, Erica Parker, Shawn Winter
Last: Augustana won 81-53 Feb. 2, 2018 in Crookston, Minn.
Trends: Augustana has won the last two games
Series: Augustana leads 16-3

Minnesota Crookston at Wayne State
Date: Dec. 16, 2018
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Site: Rice Auditorium (Wayne, Neb.)
Live Stats: http://wildcat.wsc.edu/athletics/mediastats/basketball/xlive.htm
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/wsc/
Officials: Bryan Rump, Dean Riedel, Joel Oswald
Last: Wayne State won 72-59 Feb. 21, 2018 in Wayne, Neb.
Trends: Wayne State has won three straight
Series: Wayne State leads 26-7

Minnesota Crookston
Projected Starters
Fr. PG 5 Kylie Post, 5-7, Corcoran, Minn. 10.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.3 APG
Sr. SG 3 Caitlin Michaelis, 5-8, Marshfield, Wis. 16.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.1 APG
Jr. 3G 32 Paige Weakley, 5-9, Kearney, Mo. 4.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG
R-Sr. SF 15 Isieoma Odor, 6-0, Bloomington, Minn. 17.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG
Fr. PF 23 Bren Fox, 6-3, Norwood Young America, Minn. 1.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG
Top Bench Players
Jr. G 4 Stephanie McWilliams, 5-8, Grand Forks, N.D. 4.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG
So. G/F 12 Abby Guidinger, 5-10, Waukesha, Wis. 9.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG
So. G/F 10 Ashley Freund, 5-11, Jordan, Minn. 0.6 PPG, 1.1 RPG
Fr. G 11 Kylea Praska, 5-8, Thief River Falls, Minn. 2.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG

Augustana Vikings
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 22 Lynsey Prosser, 5-7, Sturgis, S.D. 12.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.7 APG
Jr. SG 14 Abby Hora, 5-8, Viborg, S.D. 12.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG
Jr. SF 31 Hana Metoxen, 5-11, Apple Valley, Minn. 6.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG
R-Fr. PF 24 Janelle Shiffler, 6-0, Union Grove, Wis. 7.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG
Sr. C 40 Shelby Selland, 6-2, Letcher, S.D. 13.4 PPG, 9.2 RPG
Top Bench Players
R-Fr. G 12 Vishe' Rabb, 5-9, Springfield, Minn. 9.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG
So. G 20 Izzy VanVeldhuizen, 5-10, Sioux Falls, S.D. 5.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG
R-Fr. F/C 33 Camryn Hay, 6-2, Maple Grove, Minn. 5.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG
Jr. G 3 Danni Honner, 5-9, Sioux Falls, S.D. 1.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG

Wayne State Wildcats
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 12 Maggie Lowe, 5-7, Perry, Iowa 6.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.8 APG
So. SG 23 Halley Busse, 5-5, Winthrop, Minn. 12.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.3 APG
So. SF 22 Erin Norling, 5-11, Loretto, Minn. 14.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG
Sr. PF 44 Andrea Larson, 6-0, Mediapolis, Iowa 9.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG
So. C 54 Brittany Bongartz, 6-0, Ramsey, Minn. 13.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG
Top Bench Players
So. G 3 Haley Vesey, 5-10, Indianola, Iowa 9.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG
Fr. G 5 Kylie Hammer, 5-6, Wayne, Neb. 7.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.8 APG
Sr. C 42 Taylor Reiner, 6-3, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 2.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG
Jr. C 40 Taylor Wangerin, 6-4, Apple Valley, Minn. 0.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG

#5StoryLines
1. Can the Golden Eagle defense slow down the Augustana three-point shooting and Shelby Selland in the post?

2. Can Odor continue her great start to her senior season?

3. Can the Golden Eagles get strong three-point shooting on the weekend?

4. Who will step up for Minnesota Crookston off the bench?

5. Can the Golden Eagles shut down Erin Norling for Wayne State?