The Scoop
    The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team will close out their 2017-18 home slate Fri., Feb. 9 and Sat., Feb. 10 against Northern State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead. Saturday will mark senior day for seniors Micaela Noga and Emily Gruber, who will both play their final home games at Minnesota Crookston this weekend.

Previewing the Golden Eagles
    Minnesota Crookston lost a pair last weekend at home against the top NSIC South teams in Augustana and Wayne State. This weekend they take on the top two NSIC North teams in Northern State and MSU Moorhead. The Golden Eagle women's basketball team looks to redshirt junior post Isieoma Odor to lead the way. Odor is averaging 13.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Senior Micaela Noga has also been a key cog for the Golden Eagles. The 1,000 point scorer is tallying 12.2 points per game on the season. Her backcourt mate Caitlin Michaelis is tallying 11.4 points per game. Noga's fellow senior Emily Gruber is averaging 9.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Gruber notched 21 points on 8-of-19 from the field last Saturday against Wayne State. Gruber needs just 70 points to become the 12th player in school history to notch 1,000 points. She would join her teammate Micaela Noga. Odor is also closing in on 1,000 points as she needs just 92 points to join the club.

    In addition, Abby Guidinger has been strong over the last month for the Golden Eagles. The freshman from Waukesha, Wis., is tallying 11.9 points per game for the Golden Eagles since Jan. 12. Guidinger looks to continue to come into her own for Minnesota Crookston.

    The Golden Eagles come into the weekend averaging 63.8 points per game. Defensively, they are giving up 68.8 points per contest. Minnesota Crookston is shooting 39.0 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles have been strong from the charity stripe where they are shooting 80.0 percent.

Previewing the Wolves
    Northern State enters the week with a 20-4 (15-3 NSIC) mark. The Wolves are No. 2 in the NSIC North coming into the weekend. Northern State has a strong post presence led by Miranda Ristau's 19.3 points per game. Jill Conrad enters the weekend averaging 11.9 points per game. In addition, Jessi Marti comes in averaging 7.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, while Brianna Kusler is averaging 7.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Kusler has been the top outside shooter for Northern State as she comes into the weekend shooting 46.0 percent from distance.
    The Wolves are shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from beyond the arc. Almost 79 percent of the shots Northern State takes are from inside the three-point arc as they especially try to get the ball into the post. In addition, the Wolves come in shooting 73.8 percent from the foul line.

Previewing the Dragons
    MSU Moorhead currently leads the NSIC North with a 19-3 (16-2 NSIC) mark. The Dragons are led by Jacky Volkert's 13.9 points per game, while post player Drew Sannes is averaging 13.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. In addition, Megan Hintz has also been strong in the post with 12.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Cassidy Thorson enters the weekend tallying 10.5 points per game. The top player off of the bench for MSU Moorhead is Kiley Borowicz, who is averaging 8.0 points per game. The top outside shooter for the Dragons is Sannes at 39.2 percent, while Thorson is shooting 33.5 percent.

    MSU Moorhead is averaging 73.1 points per game, while giving up 61.0 points per contest to their foes. The Dragons are shooting 41.7 percent from the field, 32.8 percent from beyond the arc and 76.9 percent from the charity stripe.

Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Mike Roysland
Record at UMC: 111-210 Season at UMC: 12th Season

Northern State Wolves
Head Coach: Curt Fredrickson
Record at NSU: 840-304 Season at NSU: 38th Season

Minnesota State-Moorhead Dragons
Head Coach: Karla Nelson
Record at MSUM: 321-185 Season at MSUM: 18th Season

Date: Feb. 9, 2018
Time: 6 p.m.
Opponent: Northern State University
Site: Crookston, Minn. (Lysaker Gymnasium)
Date: Feb. 10, 2018
Time: 4 p.m.
Opponent: Minnesota State Moorhead
Site: Crookston, Minn. (Lysaker Gymnasium)
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/umcrookston/wbball/
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/crk/   
Radio: 1260 KROX AM/105.7 FM (Saturday)
Officials (Friday): Jim Erzar, Rob Nudell, Lisa Schwinden
Officials (Saturday): Danny Weigel, Kevin Sundre, Mike Bukowski
Last (NSU): Northern won 75-50 in Aberdeen on Dec. 9, 2017
Series: Northern holds the series lead 32-7 in Division II.
Last (MSUM): The Golden Eagles won 69-65 in Moorhead on Dec. 8, 2017
Series: Moorhead leads the all-time series 30-7 in Division II.

Minnesota Crookston
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 10 Micaela Noga, 5-7, Parkers Prairie, Minn.            12.2 PPG, 4.5RPG
Jr. SG 3 Caitlin Michaelis, 5-8, Marshfield, Wis.            11.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG
Fr. 3G 12 Abby Guidinger    , 5-10, Waukesha, Wis.            8.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG
Sr. SF 22 Emily Gruber, 5-11, Monticello, Minn.            9.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG
R-Jr. PF 15 Isieoma Odor, 6-0, Bloomington, Minn.            13.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG
Top Bench Players
So. PG 4 Stephanie McWilliams, 5-8, Grand Forks, N.D.        3.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG
So. G/F 32 Paige Weakley, 5-9, Kearney, Mo.                3.2 PPG, 1.2 4PG

Northern State Wolves
Projected Starters
S. PG 20 Haley Froelich, 5-7, Lemmon, SD.                6.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG
So. SG 34 Jessi Marti, 5-10, Cuba City, Wis.                8.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG
So. 3G 32 Brianna Kusler, 5-9, Aberdeen, SD.            7.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG
Sr. PF 40 Jill Conrad, 5-11, Lino Lakes, Minn.                11.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG
Sr. C 51 Miranda Ristau, 6-2, Warner, SD.                19.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG
Top Bench Players
Sr. F 30 Alexis Tappe, 5-11, Detroit Lakes, Minn.            7.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG
Sr. G 23 Brynn Flakus, 5-8, Aberdeen, SD.                3.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG

MSU Moorhead Dragons
Projected Starters
Fr. PG 10 Lauren Fech, 5-8, Wausau Wis.                3.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG
Jr. SG 12 Jacky Volkert, 5-7, Arden Hills, Minn.            13.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG
Sr. 3G 2 Cassidy Thorson, 5-11, West Fargo, N.D.            10.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG
Sr. PF 42 Drew Sannes, 6-3, Hawley, Minn.                13.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG
S0. C 51 Megan Hintz, 6-2, Rochester, Minn.                12.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG
Top Bench Players
Sr. F 32 Shannon Galegher, 5-10, Thompson, N.D.            2.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG
Fr. G 24 Kiley Borowicz, 5-8, Roseau, Minn.                8.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG

Minnesota Crookston redshirt junior forward Isieoma Odor has had a strong junior season.  Odor is closing in on 1,000 points in her career, as the post player needs just 92 points to reach the milestone. The junior has been strong of late as she has tallied double-figure scoring in six of the last seven games. During that stretch, Odor is averaging 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. She will look to continue to be a force this weekend for Minnesota Crookston.

Junior guard Caitlin Michaelis has perhaps been the most improved player for the Golden Eagles this season. Michaelis has come into her own this season and has especially shown this lately as she is averaging 14.0 points per game in the last six for Minnesota Crookston. Michaelis has also been hitting the boards as she has tallied 4.5 rebounds per game in those same six contests. Michaelis is the top outside shooter for Minnesota Crookston as she comes into the weekend shooting 39.2 percent from beyond the arc. Michaelis will look to knock down shots inside and outside this weekend.

Minnesota Crookston senior Micaela Noga became the 11th player in school history to eclipse 1,000 points against U-Mary. Noga continues to move up the charts as she recently moved past Jessica Forsline for ninth all-time. Noga will play her final games at Lysaker Gymnasium this weekend. She needs 18 points to move past Cathy Behr for eighth all-time.

Senior Emily Gruber is closing in on 1,000 points in a career for the Golden Eagles. She currently sits at 930 career points and is in need of 70 points to become the 12th player to reach 1,000 points, joining her teammate Micaela Noga. Gruber has at least five games to reach the mark. She needs to average 14.0 points per game in order to reach the mark. Gruber is coming off a season-high 21 points against Wayne State.