Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State University women's basketball team travels to Colorado this weekend for a pair of contests against No. 5 Colorado State Pueblo and Westminster. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday against the ThunderWolves and 2 p.m. on Saturday versus the Griffons. 
 
The Wolves enter the weekend with a 2-1 record overall, notching wins over No. 3 Harding and Texas A&M International University. NSU opened the year with three exhibition contests versus Creighton, South Dakota State, and Dakota Wesleyan, coming away with the 83-68 win over the Tigers. Northern was picked second overall and in the North Division in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Wolves are shooting 47.9 percent from the floor, 38.2 percent from the arc, and 76.1 percent from the foul line, while averaging 80.7 points, 42.0 rebounds, 16.7 assists, 14.7 turnovers, 5.3 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. NSU is out-rebounding their opponents by 10.0 boards per game, accumulating 48 offense rebounds thus far in 2017-18.
 
Miranda Ristau leads the team averaging 16.7 points per game. The senior is also shooting a team leading 62.9 percent from the floor with 17 rebounds and three blocks. Four of the Wolves starters are averaging double digit points, with Jessi Marti, Jill Conrad, and Brianna Kusler notching 13.0, 10.3, and 10.0 points per game. Alexis Tappe is leading the team in rebounding averaging 6.0 boards per game, while dishing out a team leading eight assists. Alayna Johnson had a break-out game for the Wolves against TAMIU with a career high 12 points and seven rebounds. The freshman also shot 62.5 percent from the floor.
 
About the ThunderWolves
                • CSU Pueblo enters the weekend with a 1-1 record overall, notching a win of Texas A&M Commerce, 55-52 on the road.
                • The ThunderWolves were the 2016-17 RMAC regular season champions, finishing the year with a 28-4 record overall and 20-2 mark in league action.
                • CSUP returns 2016-17 RMAC Player of the Year Molly Rohrer and RMAC Defensive Player of the Year Katie Cunningham.
                • Rohrer led the team a season ago with a school record 77 blocks, while Cunningham tallied a team leading 9.2 rebounds per game.
                • They return all five starters from the 2016-17 roster.
                • Through the first two games of the season, Pueblo is shooting 35.1 percent from the floor, 28.6 percent from the arc, and 77.8 percent from the foul line, while averaging 53.5 points, 41.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 17.5 turnovers, 6.0 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game.
                • CSUP is led by head coach Curtis Loyd in his first season at the helm.
 
Last Match-Up
                • Northern is 1-0 all-time against CSU Pueblo with a 73-65 victory in 2003-04.
 
About the Griffons
                • Westminster enters the weekend with a record of 0-1 on the season falling to Concordia (Calif.).
                • In the game one loss, the Griffons shot 40.8 percent from the floor, 29.4 percent from the arc, and 87.5 percent from the foul line.
                • They recorded 59 points, 30 rebounds, 12 assist, 21 turnovers, six steals, and one block.
                • Three players tallied double figure points, led by Hunter Grebs with 14, while Denise Gonzalez led the team with five rebounds.
                • Westminster is coming off a 11-15 record overall and 9-13 record in the RMAC in 2016-17, in just their third season at the NCAA Division II level. The finished ninth overall in the league, going 6-6 at home, 5-8 on the road, and 0-1 in a neutral site contest.
                • They return seven players from a season ago that appeared in at least three games each, including leading scoring Gonzalez.
                • WC is led by head coach Shelley Jarrard in her seventh season at the helm, with a career record of 104-19.
 
Last Match-Up
                • The Wolves and Griffons have not faced each other in the history of either program.