Women's Basketball | 1/25/2018 9:56:00 AM

Aberdeen S.D. - The Northern State University Women's Basketball team will face two South Division teams at Wachs Arena this weekend. The Wolves will face University of Sioux Falls on Friday and Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday. Tip-off for Friday against the Cougars is set for 6 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday against the Mustangs.

The Wolves enter the I Hate Winter Weekend after a 2-1 week, with wins over Presentation College and Minnesota Duluth. NSU is currently second in the NSIC North and third in the league overall standings with a 16-4 record overall and 11-3 mark in the league. Miranda Ristau and Jill Conrad are leading the team averaging 18.8 and 12.3 points and 7.5 and 5.8 rebounds per game this season. Ristau is shooting a team leading 56.6 percent from the field, while Brianna Kusler leads the team shooting 43.9 percent from the arc. Kusler also leads the team with 64 assists and 24 steals in 2017-18. The Wolves are shooting 46.5 percent from the floor, 38.3 percent from the arc, and 73.8 percent from the foul line. They are averaging 74.8 points, 44.2 rebounds, 18.6 assists, 14.3 turnovers, 5.4 steals, and 3.6 blocks per game, out-scoring their opponents by 11.7 points and out-rebounding their opponents by 13.5 boards per game. Northern currently sits top-5 in the league scoring offense (71.8), scoring margin (+9.0), field goal percentage (45.8), field goal percentage defense (36.8), 3-point field goal percentage (36.2), assists (18.7), assist/turnover ratio (1.3), offensive rebounds (13.1) and defensive rebounds (31.0), and lead the league in rebounding margin (+13.1).
 
About the Cougars
    • The Sioux Falls women enter the weekend with a 13-5 record overall and 10-4 mark in the NSIC.
    • The Cougars are shooting 40.0 percent from the floor, 33.5 percent from the arc, and 71.1 percent from the foul line, while averaging 67.6 points, 37.6 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 12.9 turnovers, 7.9 steals, and 3.8 blocks per game this season.
    • Kaely Hummel leads three in double figures averaging 16.9 points per game this season. She is also the only Cougar to start all 18 games.
    • Jacey Huinker is averaging a team leading 10.4 rebounds per game, and shooting a team leading 48.9 percent from the floor.
    • Mariah Szymanski leads the team shooting 43.3 percent from the arc, with a team second best 39 made 3-pointers.
    • USF is led by head coach Travis Traphagen in his tenth season at the helm.
 
Last Match-Up
    • The Wolves defeated the Cougars 63-62 in the regular season and 55-52 in the NSIC Tournament Championship.
    • In the game one win, Ristau and Conrad led the team with 23 and 12 points respectively.
    • Conrad and Ristau again led the team from the Pentagon with 18 and 15 points apiece, both being named to the All-Tournament team.
    • Northern is 12-4 all-time against the Cougars, winning both contests in 2016-17.
 
About the Mustangs
    • Southwest Minnesota State enters the weekend with a 4-13 record overall and 3-11 mark in league action.
    • Caleigh Rodning and Erin Baxter lead the team averaging 13.1 and 10.9 points per game, with Rodning notching a team leading 7.9 rebounds per game.
    • Lauren Hedlund is shooting a team leading 47.8 percent from the floor, while Baxter is shooting a team high 35.0 percent from the arc with 21 made 3-pointers.
    • Sadie Stelter has dished out a team high 44 assists.
    • The Mustangs are shooting 36.4 percent from the floor, 28.5 percent from the arc, and 74.8 percent from the foul line this season.
    • They are averaging 64.2 points, 38.9 rebounds, 10.6 assists, 16.5 turnovers, 6.8 steals, and 4.2 blocks per game.
    • SMSU is led by head coach Tom Webb in his second season with the program.
 
Last Match-Up
    • The Wolves defeated the Mustangs 90-65 on the road in 2016-17.
    • Jill Conrad led four in double figures with 16 points, and dished out a career high ten assists.
    • NSU notched 46 points off the bench led by Anika Fredrick with ten, and shot 60.7 percent from the floor and 57.1 percent from the arc as a team.
    • Northern is 48-16 all-time against Southwest and on a 4-game win streak.