#WBBNOTES

• THE MINNESOTA CROOKSTON women's basketball team will head on the road this weekend for their first true NSIC weekend of the season. Minnesota Crookston is coming off a weekend which saw them get swept at the hands of Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State, two traditional NSIC powers. Minnesota Crookston will look for a win in Aberdeen for the second straight season and for just the fifth time in the last 12 seasons. The Golden Eagles have beaten the Dragons twice since 2017, both of which coming in Nemzek Hall. The Golden Eagles will look to continue that success on the road this weekend.

·   DOMINANT FOURTH QUARTER. A season ago, the Golden Eagles outscored Northern State 24-5 in the fourth quarter, one of the most dominant quarters in program history. The Golden Eagles went into the final 10 minutes down by 13, but turned the game on its head with an 18-0 run midway through the fourth quarter. Bren Fox, the lone returning starter from that team finished with 13 points in that win over the Wolves. The Golden Eagles dominated the last 10 minutes and they will look to do the same for a full 40 this weekend.

·  ALMOST WIRE-TO-WIRE. Minnesota Crookston followed up that win over the Wolves with their most dominant win of the season at MSUM last season. The game was played on a Sunday, due to one of the many nasty storms the upper midwest had last year, but that didn't matter to the Golden Eagles. Although it wasn't technically wire-to-wire, the Golden Eagles led for a majority of the game and eventually led by 22 points at the half. Minnesota Crookston may have a new roster, but the Golden Eagles will look for that same exact success against their NSIC North rivals.

·  STARTING TO FIND THE GROOVE. One of the returners from last year's squad is sophomore Alex Page. Although she is just in her second year on campus, Page has been looked at as one of the leaders for the Golden Eagles. She has started to find her footing as of late. In her last three games, the Grand Forks native is averaging 9.0 points per game and scored a season-high 12 against Minnesota Duluth on the road. In a loss to Nova Southeastern, Page finished with a then season-high of 11 on 5-6 shooting from the field. Getting Page to put the ball in the rim is going to be huge for the Golden Eagles as they enter NSIC play.

·  SCORE IN DIFFERENT WAYS. Janie Tormanen found a new and unique way to score her six points on Saturday afternoon against St. Cloud State. Tormanen didn't register a field goal attempt from the field, but she was 6-8 from the free throw line. The six makes and eight attempts from the charity stripe were both career-high. Tormanen has lived at the charity strip this season, as she leads the Golden Eagles with 21 attempts and is second with 13 makes from the free throw line.

·  PRETTY GOOD PATTERN. Ever since Albertville, Minn., native Emma Miller stepped foot on campus, she has made an impact. Miller is just one of two Golden Eagles to have started all nine games this season and she leads her team in scoring at 12.9 per game, the only Golden Eagle averaging double-figures on the season. Miller has only been held below the 10-point threshold just three times this season, but has scored more than 10 points the game following each of those three games. It shows the ability of Miller to bounce back and move onto the next game. Pretty good for a freshman.

• PROTECT THE BALL AT ALL COSTS. One of the things that the Golden Eagles have struggled with this season has been taking care of the basketball. The Golden Eagles have turned the ball over 10 or more times in every game this season. In their win over Bemidji State, the Golden Eagles turned the ball over 17 times, the third most as a team this season. Minnesota Crookston will look to take better care of the basketball and get shots at the rim when they have the basketball.

• DON'T HURT US FROM DEEP. Minnesota Crookston continues to prevent opponents from shooting the long ball well. The Golden Eagles held Minnesota Duluth to 7-19 from deep and the Huskies to just 5-17 from deep, less than 30 percent. It was the fifth time this season that the Golden Eagles have held their opponents to less than 30 percent shooting in a game. The Golden Eagles are sixth in the NSIC in 3-point field goal percentage defense and they will face the Dragons of MSU Moorhead on Saturday, who rank first in that same category.

• SCORE THE ROCK. This weekend will be a challenge for the Golden Eagles on the offensive side of the ball. Northern State and MSU Moorhead are both in the top 10 in the NSIC in scoring defense, with the Dragons ranked fifth and the Wolves ranked seventh. The Golden Eagles played the top two defenses in the conference last weekend, so it doesn't get any easier this weekend on the road.


GAMEDAY

Minnesota Crookston @ Northern State
DATE: Friday Dec. 9
TIME: 5:30 P.M.
SITE: Aberdeen, S.D.
ARENA: Wachs Arena
Watch Live: https://nsicnetwork.com/nsuwolves/
Live Stats: https://nsuwolves.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
Listen Live: https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KGIMAM
TWITTER: @UMNCrookstonATH/@UMNCrookstonWBB

Minnesota Crookston @ MSU Moorhead
DATE: Sat. Dec. 10
TIME: 3:30 P.M.
SITE: Moorhead, Minn.
ARENA: Nemzek Gymnasium
Watch Live: https://nsicnetwork.com/msumdragons/
Live Stats: https://www.msumdragons.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary



KEYS TO THE WEEKEND

- Get off to great starts

- Rebounding

- Defense

- Putting together a full 40 minutes

- Don't allow the big runs from teams

- Chance to sweep the Aberdeen-Moorhead trip for second straight season


Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Mike Roysland (Bemidji State, 1980)
Career Record: 138-293 (17th Season at Minnesota Crookston)
2015 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Coach of the Year


Northern State Wolves
Head Coach: Paula Krueger (Northern State)
Career Record: 53-59 (5th Season at NSU)


MSU Moorhead Dragons
Head Coach: Karla Nelson (University of North Dakota)
Career Record: 389-231 (23rd Season at MSUM)


WEEKLY SNAPSHOT

Minnesota Crookston
Projected Starters
Fr. G 1 Emma Miller (5-1, Albertville, Minn.) 14.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4 APG
So. G 5 Erika Lane (5-10, Breezy Point, Minn.) 6.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG
Fr. G 3 Taryn Frazer (5-4, Cass Lake, Minn.) 7.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG
Jr. F/C 4 Nicole Hernandez (6-2, Oak Creek, Minn.) 5.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG
R-Sr. C 23 Bren Fox (6-3, Norwood Young America, Minn.) 7.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG
Top Bench Players
So. F 20 Alex Page (6-0, Grand Forks, N.D.) 7.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG
Fr. F/C 15 Janie Tormanen (6-0, Menahga, Minn.) 6.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG
Fr. G 11 Natalie Mikrot (5-6, Willow River, Minn.) 5.1 PPG, 0.9 RPG
R-Jr. F 21 Abigail Leach (6-0, Wyoming, Minn.) 2.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG

Northern State
Projected Starters
Jr. G 3 Rianna Fillipi (5-8, Lennox, S.D.) 10.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG
So. G 23 Alayna Benike (5-11, Castlewood, S.D.) 6.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG
Fr. G 4 Morgan Fiedler (5-8, Aberdeen, S.D.) 5.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG
R-Jr. F 34 Kailee Oliverson (6-4, Cardwell, Mont.) 11.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG
Sr. F 41 Laurie Rogers (6-2, Aberdeen, S.D.) 11.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG
Top Bench Players
So. G 14 Jordyn Hilgemann (5-10, Marshall, Minn.) 6.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG
Jr. F 25 Brynn Alfson (6-0, Hayti, S.D.) 5.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG
Fr. C/F 2 Madelyn Bragg (6-2, Aberdeen, S.D.) 4.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG

MSU Moorhead
Projected Starters
Jr. G 1 Mariah McKeever (5-8, Ada, Minn.) 15.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG
So. G 10 Natalie Jens (5-7, Beaver Dam, Wis.) 15.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG
Jr. F 23 Olivia Skibiel (6-0, Snohomish, Wash.) 8.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG
Fr. F 22 Terryn Johnson (6-2, Kindred, N.D.) 3.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG
Sr. C 30 Peyton Boom (6-0, Barnesville, Minn.) 13.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG
Top Bench Players
Fr. F 24 Payton Bang (6-2, Parker, Colo.) 4.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG
So. F 40 Allisa Knight (5-11, Brooten, Minn.) 3.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG
Fr. F 31 Kaila Youngs (6-0, Independence, Minn.) 2.9 PPG, 1.4 RPG


#Tidbits

NORTHERN STATE. The Wolves will be another great test for the Golden Eagles this weekend. NSU is 6-3 on the season and has a pair of nice wins over MSU Moorhead and nationally-ranked Embry-Riddle earlier this season. The Wolves have lost two in a row on the road at UMary and Minot State and will look to end their brief two-game losing streak this weekend against Minnesota Crookston.

DYNAMIC DUO. Laurie Rogers and Kailee Oliverson are two outstanding players in the low post for Northern State. The duo lead their squad in scoring with exactly 11.9 points per game, while Rogers leads the Wolves in rebounding with just under seven per game. In Saturday's loss to Minot State, Rogers and Oliverson combined for 25 field goal attempts, making 10 shots combined from the field. Stopping Rogers and Oliverson will be key for the Golden Eagles.

INSTANT IMPACT. The Golden Eagles have seen first hand just how good Rianna Fillipi is. In her two seasons at NSU, she has made the NSIC All-freshmen team in 2020-21 and made the All-NSIC Second team a season ago. In her freshman season, the junior from Lennox, S.D., finished with nine steals in two games against the Golden Eagles and is averaging 12 points in four games against the Golden Eagles in her career.

CHECK UP ON THAT. One thing that could determine the game on Friday is the 3-point line. The Wolves have made just 39 3-point field goals this season, compared to 64 for their opponents. On the flipside, the Golden Eagles have made 61 shots from deep and have three players with over 10 makes from long range. Will the Wolves win the 3-point battle? We will find out on Friday night.

MSU MOORHEAD. The Dragons and Golden Eagles are very familiar with each other. It features two schools that sit just an hour and a half from each other and two of the longest tenured coaches in the NSIC in Karla Nelson in her 23rd season at the helm of the Dragons and Mike Roysland, who is in his 17th season at Minnesota Crookston. The two coaches have combined for over 500 wins in their illustrious careers. The Dragons are 4-3 on the season and will look to avenge their loss against the Golden Eagles from a season ago.

SUFFOCATING DEFENSE. Last Friday night, MSUM proved why they are one of the best defensive teams in the conference. The Dragons allowed just 33 points to Minot State in a 57-33 triumph inside Nemzek Fieldhouse. It was the second lowest total in the Nelson era and the Dragons held the Beavers to shoot just 20.7 percent from the field.

BUILT BY BEAVER DAM. The Dragons are one of the best defensive teams in the NSIC, but they also have one of the best and most consistent scores in the entire conference, as well. Natalie Jens, the sophomore from Beaver Dam, Wis., is tied for the team lead in scoring at 15.0 points per game and has scored in double-figures in six straight games, including a career-high 24 against Rollins College the Friday after Thanksgiving. Jens is a 34 percent 3-point shooter on the season and buried five in that game against Rollins College.

BRING THE BOOM. Peyton Boom is another player in the NSIC who has been tough for opponents to stop for a while. The Barnesville, Minn., native is averaging 13 points per game on the season and has a pair of double-doubles on the season. In the season-opening loss to Rogers State, the senior finished with 13 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high seven assists. In eight games against the Golden Eagles, Boom is averaging 16 points per game and scored 27 against the Golden Eagles in 2021. Ever since she stepped foot on campus in 2018, she has brought the boom to her opponents.