CROOKSTON, Minn. - The Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team comes into the new year with a 2-8 (1-5 NSIC) mark. The Golden Eagles are looking for a fresh slate in 2020, as they look to move forward from a tough start in their 2019 portion of their schedule. Minnesota Crookston has a lot to look forward to though, as they have a very young roster with 10 players who are either freshmen or sophomores. The Golden Eagles played two of their best games in their last three tilts, as they earned a 66-65 win Dec. 14 over Wayne State College, and put up a strong effort versus Augustana University in a 63-54 loss to the perennial NSIC South power.

• DEAR ABBY. Minnesota Crookston junior Abby Guidinger has become Minnesota Crookston's go-to scoring option as evidenced by her 16.3 points per game in the last three tilts for Minnesota Crookston. Guidinger notched 20 points in the Dec. 14 win over Wayne State, going 9-of-15 from the field. Guidinger also can be a great facilitator from the high post and breakdown defenses, as she showed with four assists against Augustana. Guidinger has notched three assists per game for Minnesota Crookston in the last three games. She comes into Friday notching 9.0 points per game and shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from beyond the arc.

• GIVE ME SOME PEP. Okay, okay, she might not be hitting eight threes a week, but to play off the classic Beatles song "Eight Day's A Week", Weakley has been a strong threat from beyond the arc throughout her career. She is coming off nine points in the win over Wayne State, including going 2-of-6 from beyond the arc. Weakley has moved her average scoring to 4.1 points per game. Last Saturday's performance was her best of the season. On Friday, she tallied six points on 2-of-4 from behind the three-point line. Weakley is also trending upward as she is notching 6.3 points per game in the last four for Minnesota Crookston. Weakley is 6-of-15 for 40.0 percent from beyond the arc during that stretch.

• FOX IN THE BOX. Bren Fox continues to develop as a post player for Coach Mike Roysland and the Golden Eagles. She is coming off eight points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes against Bemidji State. Fox comes into the weekend averaging 8.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. She is looking to get back to her early season form as she had 23 points and eight rebounds in the first game of the season against Nebraska Kearney. Fox has the potential to be a big scoring threat and is also strong on the class. She has had three games with double-figure points and seven games with eight or more rebounds on the season.

• SOMETHING ABOUT MARY. Redshirt Freshman Mary Burke is in her first full season playing for the Golden Eagles and she has a bright future ahead of her. Burke had nine points and three boards in the win over Wayne State Dec. 14. She had a season-high 13 points in the first game of the season against Nebraska Kearney. Burke had six rebounds off the bench in
Minnesota Crookston's last game against Bemidji State. She has notched 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game on the 2019-20 season.

• POST GAME.  She might not be a post player, but Kylie Post continues to make a major impact on the game for the Golden Eagles. The sophomore from Corcoran, Minn., is averaging 6.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game on the 2019-20 season. Post has secured 10 or more points in two games this season, including 14 points in a win over Chaminade. Post had a season-high six rebounds versus Augustana and handed out four assists versus Chaminade. She is both a facilitator and a player that possesses the ability to get to the rim and score. Post will look to continue to grow as a player moving forward for Minnesota Crookston.

• FRESHMEN.  Minnesota Crookston has moved to starting a pair of freshmen this season, as Mattea Vetsch and Alyssa Peterson have both moved into the starting line-up recently. Vetsch, a native of Devils Lake, N.D., has started seven games on the season, while Peterson has started five games for the Golden Eagles. Vetsch is great on the defensive end, and has shown off her ability to shoot the ball, including a season-high 17 points against Northern State. Vetsch was an impressive 5-of-7 from beyond the arc at Wachs Arena. Peterson also is a strong shooter for Minnesota Crookston. She had a season-high 15 points on the road at Minnesota State University Moorhead with 15 points, including 3-of-8 from behind the three-point line. Both Peterson and Vetsch will be key players for Coach Mike Roysland's squad moving forward.

• FINDING THE THREE BALL.  Minnesota Crookston has continued to try to find their three-point shot this season. The Golden Eagles are currently shooting 27.6 percent from beyond the arc this season, while their opponents are hitting at a 38.5 percent clip. Minnesota Crookston's best three-point shooting night came against Northern State on Dec. 7, as they went 14-of-30 for 46.7 percent. The Golden Eagles were 6-of-17 for 35.3 percent from deep in a win over Wayne State. They have eclipsed 35.0 percent four times this season with two wins coming while shooting well from beyond the arc.

• AGAINST THE HUSKIES.  Minnesota Crookston has lost their last four meetings against the Huskies. They are 5-9 against St. Cloud State since 2010. The last win for the Golden Eagles came Jan. 7, 2017 in Crookston, Minn., with a 78-76 victory. Minnesota Crookston's last win in St. Cloud State, occurred Jan. 9, 2015 with a 91-68 victory over the Huskies at Halenbeck Hall.

• BATTLING THE BULLDOGS.  Minnesota Crookston went 1-1 last season against Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs have won five of the last six games in the series. Minnesota Crookston's last win in Duluth came Feb. 1, 2002 with a 83-75 victory over Minnesota Duluth.

#Tidbits

ST. CLOUD STATE. St. Cloud State comes into the weekend with a 6-4 (3-3 NSIC) mark. The Huskies are currently tied fourth in the NSIC North with Bemidji State and Northern State. St. Cloud State ended 2019 with a 64-59 loss to Minnesota Duluth. The Huskies are averaging 66.9 points per game, while allowing 60.0 points per tilt to their foes. St. Cloud State is shooting 41.8 percent from the field, and 34.2 percent from beyond the arc. The Huskies are hitting at a 68.6 percent clip from the charity stripe.

MADELIN'S WORLD. St. Cloud State guard Madelin Dammann has been the go-to player for the Huskies this season. Dammann is averaging 12.6 points per game on the season. She is shooting 35.1 percent from the field on the 2019-20 season. Dammann had a season-high 27 points earlier this season against Northern Michigan. Dammann has scored in double-figures in seven games this season. Dammann was held to seven points versus Minnesota Duluth.

THE WORTZ PART. Tori Wortz of the Huskies comes in notching 12.2 points per game on the 2019-20 season. Wortz has also been a key player for St. Cloud State this season. Wortz has six games with double-figure scoring this season. She had a season-high 23 points in an NSIC tilt against Sioux Falls. Wortz will be a crucial player this weekend against Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State.

IN THE POST. St. Cloud State post Nikki Kilboten enters the weekend notching 10.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Kilboten had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds versus Southwest Minnesota State. Kilboten had a season-high 16 points versus Minnesota Duluth.

MINNESOTA DULUTH. Minnesota Duluth has been off to a great start to the 2019-20 season with a 9-3 (5-0 NSIC) mark. The Bulldogs have been on a roll as they have won nine-straight games entering this weekend. Their last loss came to Drury on Nov. 11. The Bulldogs are tallying 67.6 points and giving up 62.2 points per game to their foes. UMD is shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from beyond the arc.

BROOKE ON THE BLOCK. Brooke Olson has been huge for the Bulldogs as an inside-outside player for Minnesota Duluth. Olson is averaging 16.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Olson has also been strong from beyond the arc, hitting at a 45.8 percent clip from beyond the arc. Olson had 15 points the last time out versus St. Cloud State.

LET IT GROW. Sarah Grow has also been key to UMD's efforts this season. The 6-2 junior from Circle Pines, Minn., is notching 9.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Grow has six double-figure scoring games on the season. She had a season-high 18 points against Sioux Falls. Against St. Cloud State, Grow had a near double-double of 11 points and nine boards.

ON THE ASSIST. Maesyn Theisen has made a major impact as a sophomore point guard for the Bulldogs. She will be the key point that gets Minnesota Duluth's offense working this weekend. Theisen enters the weekend notching 58 assists on the season for 4.8 assists per game. She has six games with over six assists on the season, including nine versus Missouri Western. Theisen is also averaging 9.0 points per game on the 2019-20 season.  She had a season-high 18 points against UMary. Theisen is shooting 32.0 percent from beyond the arc on the season.

GAMEDAY

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON at ST. CLOUD STATE
DATE: Fri., Jan. 3
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
SITE: St. Cloud, Minn.
ARENA: Halenbeck Hall
LIVE STATS: https://scsuhuskies.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
LIVE VIDEO: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scsu/
TWITTER: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON at MINNESOTA DULUTH
DATE: Sat., Jan. 4
TIME: 3:30 p.m.
SITE: Duluth, Minn.
ARENA: Romano Gymnasium
LIVE STATS: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/umd/
LIVE VIDEO: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/umd/
RADIO: 1260 KROX AM/105.7 FM
TWITTER: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB

WEEKLY SNAPSHOT

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
Projected Starters
So. PG 5 Kylie Post (5-7, Corcoran, Minn.) 6.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.8 APG
Fr. SG 3 Alyssa Peterson (5-8, Menahga, Minn.) 4.3 PPG, 1.1 RPG
Fr. 3G 15 Mattea Vetsch (5-7, Devils Lake, N.D.) 4.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG
Sr. SF 32 Paige Weakley (5-9, Kearney, Mo.) 4.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG
So. PF 23 Bren Fox (6-3, Norwood Young America, Minn.) 8.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG

Top Bench Players
Jr. G/F 12 Abby Guidinger (5-10, Waukesha, Wis.) 9.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.6 APG
R-Fr. F 22 Mary Burke (5-11, Virginia, Minn.) 5.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG
So. G 24 Paige Cornale (5-10, Oak Creek, Wis.) 5.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG
So. F/C 31 Julia Peplinski (5-11, Hustisford, Wis.) 5.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG
Fr. G 21 Emma Carpenter (5-10, Eagan, Minn.) 1.8 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 2.0 APG

ST. CLOUD STATE
Projected Starters
So. PG 10 Brehna Evans (5-8, De Pere, Wis.) 6.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.9 APG
Jr. SG 2 Tori Wortz (5-8, Hutchinson, Minn.) 12.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.9 APG
Sr. 3G 4 Madelin Dammann (5-9, Waconia, Minn.) 12.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.7 APG
So. SF 45 Katrina Theis (5-11, Maple Grove, Minn.) 11.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG
Jr. PF 40 Nikki Kilboten (6-2, Eau Claire, Wis.) 10.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG
Top Bench Players
Jr. G/F 23 Caitlyn Peterson (5-11, Lakeville, Minn.) 5.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG
So. G 32 Kelsey Peschel (5-6, Sauk Centre, Minn.) 4.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG

MINNESOTA DULUTH
Projected Starters
So. PG 32 Maesyn Theisen (5-7, Sauk Centre, Minn.) 9.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 4.8 APG
Jr. SG 11 Ann Simonet (5-7, Brooklyn Park, Minn.) 9.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.3 APG
Jr. 3G 21 Payton Kahl (6-0, Stoughton, Wis.) 8.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG
Sr. SF 31 Katie Stark (5-11, Hayward, Wis.) 8.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG
So. PF 24 Brooke Olson (6-2, Rice Lake, Wis.) 16.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.8 APG
Top Bench Players
Jr. F 42 Sarah Grow (6-2, Circle Pines, Minn.) 9.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG
Sr. G 3 Taylor Schneider (5-9, Turtle Lake, Wis.) 4.9 PPG, 1.6 RPG
Fr. G 0 Taytum Rhoades (5-9, St. Paul, Minn.) 3.8 PPG, 1.8 RPG

KEYS TO THE WEEKEND

- Can the Golden Eagles start off 2020 on a strong note?

- Can the Golden Eagles get another big performance out of Abby Guidinger?

- Who will step up in a big way for Minnesota Crookston this weekend?

- Can the Golden Eagles limit the touches of Madelin Dammann and Tori Wortz for St. Cloud State?

- Can Minnesota Crookston limit Brooke Olson's impact on the game against Minnesota Duluth?

- Can Minnesota Crookston end a long drought at Minnesota Duluth?

- Will Minnesota Crookston be able to slow down the creative hand of Maesyn Theisen at point guard for UMD?