•     The Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team opens up their 2018-19 NSIC home slate Fri., Dec. 7 at Minnesota State University Moorhead at 5:30 p.m. The Golden Eagles will then take on Northern State University Sat., Dec. 8 at 3:30 p.m. Minnesota Crookston will look to overcome two of their toughest NSIC foes historically. Northern State has claimed wins in the last 12 meetings, dating back to a 63-56 win over the Wolves Jan. 5, 2013 in Aberdeen, S.D. MSU Moorhead has won three of the last four. Minnesota Crookston got the best of the Dragons in Moorhead, Minn., Dec. 8, 2017. 

•     GREAT START. The Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team has opened up the 2018-19  season with a 6-1 mark, their best start to a campaign since the 2004-05 season. The Golden Eagles opened up conference play with a 70-61 victory over Bemidji State University. Minnesota Crookston will look to continue their hot start as they take on MSU Moorhead and Northern State this weekend. The 2004-05 squad opened the season with a 7-2 record through the first nine games on their way to a 16-12 mark.  The winningest team in school history was the 2015-16 squad that opened the season with a 6-3 record in their  first nine contests. The 2015-16 team finished the year with an 18-10 record.

•    REGIONALLY RANKED. The Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team was ranked 10th in the D2SIDA Central Region rankings released Monday. It is the first time in recent history that the Golden Eagles have been ranked in the region. Minnesota Crookston is one of three NSIC squads currently ranked. Augustana University is currently fourth in the region, while University of Sioux Falls was one spot ahead of the Golden Eagles in ninth place.

•    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. Odor is currently averaging a double-double of  17.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. She has secured double-doubles in four games this season. Odor has already been named NSIC North Player of the Week three times out of four opportunities on the 2018-19 campaign. She is coming off a 21 point and seven rebound performance in last Saturday's win over Bemidji State. Odor is currently seventh all-time in scoring with 1,122 points, recently surpassing former teammate Micaela Noga. She needs 84 points to move past Brittani Wiese for sixth all-time. In addition, Odor ranks third all-time in career rebounds with 609 career boards. She needs 87 rebounds to surpass Laurie Tyson for second all-time, and 89 boards to move past Katrina Nordick for the all-time rebounding mark. 

•    A REBOUND SHORT OF A MCDOUBLE. Minnesota Crookston junior Stephanie McWilliams has been a spark plug for the Golden Eagles throughout her career. She has continued to be that this season as she is coming off 10 points and nine rebounds, just short of a double double, against Bemidji State. McWilliams has been coming off the bench this season and is major factor for Minnesota Crookston. McWilliams is averaging 4.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game on the 2018-19 campaign.

•    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 averaging 16.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Michaelis is 15-of-41 from beyond the arc on the season for 36.6 percent. Michaelis tallied 18 points on 5-of-14 from the field and 4-of-7 from behind the three-point line in the win over Bemidji State. She secured 10 of her points in the final 5:30 of the game. 

•    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 2.9 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 12.6 points per game. She will continue to be a major factor as the Golden Eagles take on MSU Moorhead and Northern State this weekend.

•    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 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season. Guidinger comes into the weekend shooting 87.5 percent from the charity stripe and 39.7 percent from the field. Her best game came in the season opener with a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds in a win over University of Nebraska-Kearney.

•    FOXING OUT THE OPPONENT. Minnesota Crookston freshman Bren Fox was crucial in 11 minutes against  Bemidji State due to foul trouble in the first half from Isieoma Odor. The 6-3 newcomer was big on the boards  as she "foxed out" the opposition for five boards on the day to go with three points. Fox will look to continue  to be a major factor off the bench as she continues to develop as a newcomer for Minnesota Crookston.

•    STARTING FIVE. Minnesota Crookston's starting five has been instrumental through the first seven games.  The Golden Eagle starting five is currently averaging 62.2 points per game of 72.7 points per tilt that the team is scoring. Minnesota Crookston's starters will look to have a major impact this weekend. 

Dragon Women's Basketball. The Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons come into the weekend with a record of 5-2 overall. The Dragons started out their NSIC campaign with a low-scoring, 47-39 victory over travel partner Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D. The Dragons are coached by Erskine native, Karla Nelson. Nelson, the three-time NSIC Coach of the Year is in her 19th year at the helm of MSU Moorhead.

Local Flavor. The Dragons feature five kids from the area on their roster. Natalie Steichen (Dilworth, Minn.), Kiley Borowicz (Roseau, Minn.), Peyton Boom (Barnesville, Minn.), Nicole Herbranson (Rollag, Minn.) and Grace Swenson (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) all make up the local flavor that don the red and black.

Ram To A Dragon. Sophomore guard Kylie Borowicz is having a breakout season her second year in Moorhead. The former Roseau Ram is averaging 12.3 points per game, including a season-high 20 points in a win over Colorado Christian. Borowicz also leads her team in three-point makes with 13. Borowicz averages 4.3 rebounds per game as well.

Boom Goes The Dynamite. Peyton Boom leads the Dragons in field goal percentage at 63 percent. Boom has just missed 12 shots on 33 attempts. Boom scored a career high 12 points on 6-7 shooting from the field in a 21-point victory over MSU-Denver on 11/23/18.

Wolves Women's Basketball. The Wolves come into Saturday's matchup with a record of 2-4 overall and 0-1 in NSIC play after a loss to Minnesota State University Moorhead 47-39 last Saturday afternoon at home. NSU is coached by alum Paula Krueger, who is in her first year at the helm of the Wolves, after spending 10 as an assistant to the legendary Curt Fredrickson, who retired after 39 years. Krueger has a spot in Northern State's Athletics Hall Of Fame, as well as in the NSIC Hall Of Fame.

Goodbye To A Legend. Curt Fredrickson retired after the 2017-18 season after 39 seasons as the head coach of his alma mater, Northern State University. Fredrickson is one of just a handful of coaches in all of collegiate sports to have more than 800 wins, a mark Fredrickson met in November of 2016 in a win over Nebraska-Kearney. Fredrickson was the NSIC coach of the year seven times in his legendary coaching career.

Tvedt That. Sara Tvedt has been one of the Wolves go-to players through six games. Tvedt has started in all six games for NSU, and is nearly averaging a double-double, at 9.8 points per game and 8 rebounds per game. The junior from Brookings, S.D. had 13 rebounds earlier this season in a 33-point victory over Arkansas Tech.

Luitjensdary. Brooke Luitjens is one of the Wolves main threats from deep. The redshirt Freshman from Sioux Falls, S.D., is shooting 41 percent from the three point line this season. Luitjens hit a season high 5 three point shots in a win over Arkansas Tech.

#5StoryLines
1. Can the Golden Eagle offense overcome a MSU Moorhead defense that is limiting opponents to 52.4 points per game?

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

3. Can the Golden Eagles get their first win over Northern State since 2013?

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

5. Can Minnesota Crookston knock down the three ball consistently in both games this weekend?

Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Mike Roysland
Record at UMC: 119-214 Season at UMC: 13th Season

MSU Moorhead Dragons
Head Coach: Karla Nelson
Record at MSUM: 325-188 Season at MSUM: 19th Season

Northern State Wolves
Head Coach: Paula Krueger
Record at NSU: 2-4 Season at NSU: First Season

MSU Moorhead at Minnesota Crookston
Date: Dec. 7, 2018
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Site: Lysaker Gymnasium (Crookston, Minn.)
Live Stats: https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/crk/
Officials: Dave Klundt, Lisa Schwinden, Ryan Weiser
Last: MSU Moorhead won 71-56 in Crookston, Minn. Feb. 10
Trends: MSU Moorhead has won 3 of the last 4
Series: MSU Moorhead leads 31-7
Northern State at Minnesota Crookston
Date: Dec. 8, 2018
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Site: Lysaker Gymnasium (Crookston, Minn.)
Live Stats: https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/crk/
Officials: Chad Palmer, Ivan Hirst, Jaden Pfeifer
Last: Northern State won 89-66 in Crookston, Minn. Feb. 9
Trends: Northern State has won the last 12 games 
Series: Northern State leads 32-7
Radio: 1260 KROX AM/105.7 FM, www.kroxam.com, on the app, or on Amazon Alexa