MINNESOTA CROOKSTON GOLDEN EAGLES
Head Coach: Mike Roysland (Bemidji State University, 1980)
Career Record: 123-232 (14th Season at Minnesota Crookston)
2015 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Coach of the Year

NEBRASKA KEARNEY LOPERS
Head Coach: Carrie Eighmey (Hastings College, 2004)
UNK Record: 64-51 (Fourth Season at Nebraska Kearney)
Career Record: 132-82 (Seventh Season in College WBB)

NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE  BEARCATS
Head Coach: Austin Meyer (Northwest Missouri State, 2006)
Career Record: 8-20 (Second Season at Northwest Missouri State)

#WBBNOTES

• The Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team is heading into their first games of the season as they take on University of Nebraska Kearney and Northwest Missouri State University at Health and Sports Center in Kearney, Neb,. for the UNK Crossover Tournament. The Golden Eagles are looking to build on a 10-19 mark from 2018-19. The Golden Eagles started lsat season with a 6-1 mark, earning votes in the D2SIDA Central Region poll. Minnesota Crookston will look to channel some of their early season magic as they open the 2019-20 slate.

• DEPTH. The Golden Eagles have showcased depth in their two exhibition games. Minnesota Crookston had 11players play over 10 minutes against Division I foe North Dakota State University Nov. 1 and Division III opponent Concordia College Moorhead. Minnesota Crookston looks like they have developed great depth for the season, and they will look to show that off their depth versus Nebraska Kearney and Northwest Missouri State.

• THE WEAKLEY FACTOR. A big thing for Minnesota Crookston this season will be the shooting of senior guard Paige Weakley. Weakley showcased her shooting touch in a 93-50 win over Concordia College on Oct. 30. Weakley was 6-of-6 from beyond the arc for 18 points as she led the Golden Eagles to an exhibition win. Weakley has the ability to be a big game changer from beyond the arc for Minnesota Crookston, but they key is consistency. She shot 39.8 percent from beyond the arc as a junior.  Her best game came with 23 points on 7-of-14 from the field and 5-of-11 from beyond the arc against Minnesota State University.

• JULIA . Julia Peplinski looks to have come into her own through the exhibition games. She had 13 points and six rebounds in the win over Concordia Moorhead. Peplinski showcased some of her potential late in the year as a freshman for Minnesota Crookston. She had 14 points against Minot State University. In addition, Peplinski had seven points and 11 boards versus UMary.

JUST TRY AND BOX OUT FOX.  Sophomore Bren Fox, a native of Norwood Young America, Minn., was crucial on the boards for the Golden Eagles as a freshman averaging 5.6 rebounds per game. Fox had five games with over 10 rebounds, including an astonishing 19 boards against Minot State University. Fox will be crucial in the post for the Golden Eagles, in the absence of All-NSIC First Team pick Isieoma Odor.

• JUST CALL THE CARPENTER. Freshman Emma Carpenter has been key off the bench for the Golden Eagles in exhibition play. She has been both a scorer and a facilitator for the Golden Eagles. Carpenter notched 10 points and six assists in the win over Concordia College. In the exhibition against North Dakota State, she tallied five points. She is a very dynamic player, who will be key for the Golden Eagles as she continues to come into her own as a college basketball player.

• POST GAME.  Kylie Post, might not play center, but she is quite the "Post" presence for Minnesota Crookston. In the exhibition against NDSU, the 5-7 Post grabbed 10 rebounds against a long and athletic Bison squad. Post is going to be a player that will do the little things to help the Golden Eagles win. She is the leading returnee for Minnesota Crookston after tallying 8.8 points per game as a freshman and 3.3 rebounds per tilt. Post will look to make an impact any way she can starting this weekend.

• TURN THE PAIGE.  Minnesota Crookston will more than likely have two Paige's in the lineup with Paige Weakley and Paige Cornale. Look for Cornale, like Weakley, to make a huge impact this season for Minnesota Crookston. Cornale had a strong freshman campaign notching 4.8 points per game and shooting 47.8 percent from beyond the arc. Her best game came with 14 points last season against Southwest Minnesota State. In exhibition play, Cornale led the team with 12 points, including going 6-of-6 from the charity stripe against North Dakota State.  

• SOMETHING ABOUT MARY.  Mary Burke missed last season due to an injury suffered in game two of the season against Northwest Missouri State University. Burke will look to get back into it as she enters her redshirt freshman season for the Golden Eagles. She had five points in both exhibition game for the Golden Eagles. Burke notched four rebounds in the win at home over Concordia College. She will also be a key down low for Minnesota Crookston this season.

• DEAR ABBY.  Abby Guidinger is a player that both offers a great shot for the Golden Eagles and an innate ability to find her teammates. Guidinger is tallying four assists per game in exhibition play. Last season, she notched 8.4 points per game before missing the end of the season due to injury. She will be a key player for Minnesota Crookston this season.

• UNSELFISH.  The key word for the Golden Eagles in exhibition play in unselfishness. Minnesota Crookston had 25 assists on 33 made field goals in their exhibition win over Concordia College. The Golden Eagles might not have an Isieoma Odor, a Katrina Nordick, or an Alexa Thielman on this squad, but they do have a group of young ladies that are willing to accept their roles and help the team do their best. Minnesota Crookston's key this season is the team, and who can step up in key spots for the Golden Eagles.

• SUCCESS.  Minnesota Crookston had great success in these two games last year, but the Golden Eagles will not be taken lightly by either team this year. Minnesota Crookston defeated Nebraska Kearney 71-59 in Wayne, Neb. Nov. 9, 2018 led by 19 points and 11 rebounds from Abby Guidinger. Kylie Post added 10 points and five boards. Against Northwest Missouri State, the Golden Eagles came away with a 79-71 victory. Minnesota Crookston looked to 21 points from Post, along with 13 points from Weakley. 

KEYS TO THE WEEKEND

- Can the Golden Eagles knock down shots from beyond the arc?

- What can Minnesota Crookston get out of the post with the tandem of Bren Fox and Julia Peplinski?

- How will the depth of the Golden Eagles benefit them this season?

- Can the Golden Eagles limit Nebraska Kearney down low?

- Can Minnesota Crookston slow down Northwest Missouri State's Kendey Eaton?

- What players will become Minnesota Crookston's go-to players for the 2019-20 season?

- What newcomers will step up for the Golden Eagles this weekend?

WEEKLY SNAPSHOT
MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
Projected Starters (Stats Based on Exhibitions)
So. PG 5 Kylie Post (5-7, Corcoran, Minn.) 4.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.0 APG
So. SG 24 Paige Cornale (5-10, Oak Creek, Wis.) 8.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.0 APG
Sr. 3G 32 Paige Weakley (5-9, Kearney, Mo.) 10.0 PPG, 0.5 RPG
Jr. SF 12 Abby Guidinger (5-10, Waukesha, Wis.) 4.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 4.0 APG
So. PF 23 Bren Fox (6-3, Norwood Young America, Minn.) 6.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG
Top Bench Players
Fr. G 21 Emma Carpenter (5-10, Eagan, Minn.) 7.5 PPG, 0.5 RPG, 3.5 APG
So. F/C 31 Julia Peplinski (5-10, Hustisford, Wis.) 10.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG
R-Fr. F 22 Mary Burke (5-11, Virginia, Minn.) 5.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG
Fr. G 15 Mattea Vettsch (5-8, Devils Lake, N.D.) 3.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG
Fr. G 3 Alyssa Peterson (5-7, Menagha, Minn.) 2.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.5 APG
So. G 11 Kylea Praska (5-8, Thief River Falls, Minn.) 5.5 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 1.5 APG

NEBRASKA KEARNEY
Projected Starters (Stats Based on Last Season)
Jr. PG 22 Adreon Bell (5-6, Independence, Mo.) 5.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.4 APG
Jr. SG 32 Kelsey Sanger (5-8, Crofton, Neb.) 10.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.7 APG
So. 3G 20 Klaire Kirsch (5-11, Rapid City, S.D.) 7.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.9 APG
So. SF 25 Shiloh McCool (5-11, Pleasant Hill, Iowa) 10.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG
So. PF 15 Maegan Holt (6-0, Council Bluffs, Iowa) 10.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG
Top Bench Players
So. F 45 Brooke Carlson (6-1, Elkhorn, Neb.) 10.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG
So. G/F 5 Elisa Backes (6-1, Salina, Kan.) 6.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG
So. G 12 Aspen Jansa (5-7, Wahoo, Neb.) 3.5 PPG, 1.2 RPG
Sr. G 10 Haley Simental (5-8, Pueblo West, Colo.) (At Denver, 2018-19) 1.7 PPG, 0.6 RPG

NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE
Projected Starters (Stats Based on Exhibition)
Sr. PG 5 Kendey Eaton (5-6, Mound City, Mo.) 25.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 3.0 APG
Jr. SG 3 Jaelyn Haggard (5-5, St. Joseph, Mo.) 9.0 PPG, 3.0 APG
Sr. 3G 10 Erika Schlosser (5-9, Apple Valley, Minn.) 6.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG
Jr. SF 44 Mia Stillman (5-11, St. Joseph, Mo.) 9.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG
Fr. PF 35 Paityn Rau (6-2, Des Moines, Iowa) 4.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG
Top Bench Players
Jr. G 4 Kylie Coleman (5-9, Waukee, Iowa) 5.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG
Fr. F 32 Jayna Green (6-0, Omaha, Neb.) 0.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG
Jr. G 12 Zoie Hayward (5-8, Leavenworth, Kan.) 0.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 2.0 APG