CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team takes their three-game win streak into the final two tilts of the 2021-22 season. Minnesota Crookston will play at No. 7/16 St. Cloud State University Thursday, February 17 at 5:30 p.m., before returning home to host No. 17 University of Minnesota Duluth Saturday, February 19 at 1 p.m.
Minnesota Crookston comes into the week with a 4-17 (3-12 NSIC) record. St. Cloud State enters Thursday's game with a 19-3 (17-2 NSIC) record, while Minnesota Duluth is 19-4 (17-2 NSIC). St. Cloud and Minnesota Duluth make up the top two teams in the NSIC North.
ST. CLOUD STATE SERIES
St. Cloud State has won the last three in the series. The last victory for Minnesota Crookston over the Huskies came February 22, 2020 with a 79-72 victory in Crookston. The last win for Minnesota Crookston at Halenbeck Hall came January 9, 2015 with a 91-68 win.
MINNESOTA DULUTH SERIES
The Bulldogs have captured the last six games in the series. Minnesota Crookston's last victory over Minnesota Duluth came January 5, 2019 with a 66-61 win at Lysaker Gymnasium.
THREE-STRAIGHT
• Minnesota Crookston has caught fire of late. The Golden Eagles have won three-consecutive games with wins over Minot State University, Northern State University, and Minnesota State University Moorhead. The Golden Eagles are looking to continue their positive momentum, but will have a tough task, as they face-off with two ranked teams. The Golden Eagles play No. 7/16 St. Cloud State University and No. 17 University of Minnesota Duluth.
SENIOR DAY
• Minnesota Crookston will honor four seniors on Saturday. The game against Minnesota Duluth will mark the final tilt for four players for the Golden Eagles.
Mary Burke,
Kylie Post,
Kylea Praska, and
Mattea Vetsch will all complete their careers against the Bulldogs. All four players have been integral pieces for the Golden Eagles over their time in the Maroon and Gold.
POST PLAY
• Minnesota Crookston senior guard
Kylie Post will play her final two games for the Golden Eagles this week. Post has been crucial in the three-consecutive wins for Minnesota Crookston. During the stretch, she is averaging nine points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. Post currently leads the team with 10.9 points per game. In her career, Post has 780 career points, 334 rebounds, and 185 assists. Post needs 11 assists to break into the Top 10 for career assists.
SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
• Mary Burke will also play her final two games in her career for the Golden Eagles. Burke has been on-fire from beyond the arc in the last three tilts. She is shooting 15-of-26 for 57.7 percent in those three games for the Golden Eagles. Burke comes in notching 10.4 points per game. She is shooting 39.0 percent from three on the season. In her career, Burke has 585 career points and 249 career rebounds. She will look to end her career on a great note this weekend.
BOXED OUT BY FOX
• Redshirt Junior
Bren Fox is the team co-leader with 5.7 rebounds per game to go with her 8.7 points per game. Fox recently broke into the Top 10 for career rebounds. She has 488 career boards, to go with 594 career points. Fox is currently ninth of the career rebounding list, she needs 24 to surpass Jamie Zelinsky in eighth place. Fox has been crucial in recent games, as she averaged 14.5 points on the weekend in wins over Northern State and MSU Moorhead.
ST. CLOUD STATE
NATIONALLY-RANKED
• St. Cloud State is currently No. 7 in the D2SIDA poll, and No. 16 in the WBCA poll. They are the top team in the region, according to D2SIDA.
WORTZ IS THE BEST
• Tori Wortz has been the scoring-leader this season for the Huskies. She comes in averaging 14.7 points per game. Wortz is shooting 34.4 percent from beyond the arc for the Huskies. She has five games with over 20 points this season.
KILBOTEN DOWN LOW
• Nikki Kilboten comes into the weekend notching 13.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Kilboten is shooting 52.9 percent from the field on the 2021-22 season. She was four double-doubles this season for the Huskies.
MINNESOTA DULUTH
OFF TO OLSON
• Brooke Olson leads the Bulldogs this season with 17.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. She has been the player everything goes through this season for Minnesota Duluth. Olson is shooting 50.5 percent from the field. She has seven games with 20 or more points for the year.
LET IT GROW
• Sarah Grow has been crucial for Minnesota Duluth over her career. She comes into the weekend notching 9.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs. Grow's best game came with 20 points against Winona State University January 14.
THE FACILITATOR
• Maesyn Thiesen guides the Bulldogs at point guard. She leads the way with 4.7 assists per game to go with her 8.8 points per tilt. Thiesen's season-high for assists came with nine against St. Cloud State November 23.
