GAME NOTES (PDF)
SETTING THE STAGE: The Northern State women's basketball team (15-6, 12-5 NSIC) will host their final games of the season when they take on Augustana (18-6, 11-6 NSIC) on Friday night and No. 9 Wayne State (19-2, 16-1 NSIC) in Wachs Arena. Tip off for both is set for 6 p.m.
THE SERIES:
SIZING UP THE COMPETITION:
WSC used a strong defensive stance in the opening minutes of the first half to help propel the Wildcats past Southwest Minnesota State 69-47 in NSIC women's basketball action Friday.
Ashley Arlen and Mara Hjelle each recorded double-doubles to lift #9 Wayne State College over Minnesota State Saturday, 68-49.
LAST TIME OUT:
On Friday night, the Minnesota State Moorhead women's basketball team cut a Northern State ten-point lead to just three in the last minute and eight seconds of regulation to force the Wolves to barely squeak out a 67-64 win.
STREAK SNAPPED:
WOLVES RANKED IN CENTRAL REGION:
HIGHS FOR REINSCHMIDT:
GOOD DEFENSE:
TIED AT HALF:
WHO 2 WATCH 4:
•Northern State: Jodi Reinschmidt, averaging 15.9 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, second on team in assists with 59.
•Augustana: Molly Hayes, averaging 14.7 points per game, shooting 53 percent from field, leads team with 127 assists on season.
•Wayne State: Mara Hjelle, averaging 13.5 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, 20 blocks on season.
FOLLOW THE WOLVES:
Follow the the Wolves year-round on their website, www.nsuwolvesathletics.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/northernstatewolves. Saturday's game against Mary marks the first time Northern State has been tied at half time during the 2010-2011 season. Both teams sat at 27 going into the break. The Wolves are now 1-0 with a tie going into half, while they have won nine games when they lead at half and have earned victory in two games when they trail at the end of the first period.Northern currently ranks second in conference standings behind Wayne State in points allowed giving up an average of just 59. 5 points a game. The Wolves also sit second in field goal percentage at 46.5 percent. NSU is third in the NSIC grabbing an average of 27.47 defensive rebounds per game. While she may not have set the record for most points scored in an indvidual game (held by Maurie Simon with 44 points in 1975), Reinschmidt's career-high 38 points in Northern's win over Minnesota, Crookston is the most points scored by an NSU player since Jammie Coyle's 37-point performance on Nov. 7, 1999 against Francis Marion University. Reinschmidt's contribution sets her at top of the NSIC single-game season high point total as well as the single-game season high for field goals made with 17. The third Regional Rankings of the season were released on Wednesday with Northern State sitting in seventh. Leading the Central Region is Fort Lewis with previous leader Wayne State at third. Concordia-St. Paul and Augustana sit at fifth and sixth and Winona State sits at eighth. The next rankings will be released Wednesday. Before Saturday's loss, the Wolves sat undefeated since the road loss to Winona on January 4. This was the first time in team history Minnesota, Crookston has defeated NSU in the Wachs Arena. After notching an eight-game win streak, the Wolves suffered a loss at the hands of Minnesota, Crookston on Saturday night in a 75-66 decision. UMC shot 58 percent from the field (28-48) on the game, and 72 percent in the second half, missing just five shots and going 13-18. Augustana's home win streak extended to 18-games last weekend with wins over Minnesota State and Southwest Minnesota State. Megan Doyle hit two free-throws with 7.1 seconds left to give Augustana a three-point lead and help her Vikings to a 68-65 victory over MSU Friday evening. The Vikings then picked up a 72-66 win over SMSU Saturday.Augustana currently leads the series between the Vikings and Northern State, 20-13. The series began in the 1972-73 season and includes NSU's 62-71 loss earlier this season in Sioux Falls. Since the 1993-94 season Wayne State has also won 20 games against Northern State, while the Wolves have won 16. The Wildcats currently hold a six-game winning streak including this season's 61-50 win over NSU on December 10, in Wayne.
