Aberdeen, S.D. – For the second consecutive season the Northern State women's basketball team will open the season with a pair of MIAA opponents in the Central Region Conference Challenge. Both games will be hosted by MSU Moorhead at Nemzek Fieldhouse in Moorhead, Minnesota. The Wolves will face Central Missouri at 8 p.m. on Friday night and Rogers State at 5 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

GAME & FAN INFORMATION

• Links to watch the games, follow live stats, and view the NSU game notes are available above

NORTHERN STATE STORYLINES

• Northern State went 13-15 (9-12 NSIC) a season ago, finishing fifth place in the North Division and tenth place overall in the conference standings
• The Wolves advanced to the NSIC Tournament Quarterfinals last season with a first round win at Augustana (76-66) prior to falling to No. 13 St. Cloud State (61-50) at the Sanford Pentagon
• In the 2022-23 NSIC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, Northern was picked to finish third in the North Division and sixth overall in the league by the coaches
• NSU returns a pair of All-NSIC performers this season in Kailee Oliverson (first team) and Rianna Fillipi (second team); Oliverson was tabbed as the Wolves Player to Watch this upcoming season in the NSIC Season Preview
• Northern State returns three of four players who averaged double figures scoring last season with Oliverson (15.6 ppg), Fillipi (11.8 ppg), and Laurie Rogers (10.4) returning
• While both averaged double figures scoring, Rogers led the team in rebounds (8.2) and blocks (2.8) while Fillipi led the team in assists (4.3) and steals (2.0) in 2021-22
• Rogers 2.8 blocks per game ranked ninth nationally and her 78 blocks ranked 11^th nationally
• Northern held a +6.8 advantage in rebound margin last season, ranking first in the NSIC and tying for 30^th nationally; the Wolves held an advantage of +10 or more on the boards nine times a year ago
• As a team NSU averaged 4.5 blocks per game in 2021-22, ranking third in the NSIC and 27^th nationally; Northern State recorded five or more blocks in 15 games last season and had at least one in all 28 games

CENTRAL MISSOURI STORYLINES

• Central Missouri went 19-11 (15-7 MIAA) a season ago, finishing fourth place in the conference standings
• The Jennies qualified for the MIAA Tournament but fell in the quarterfinal round to Missouri Western (69-55)
• The Jennies were picked to finish third in the MIAA Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll (3 first place votes), and fifth in the MIAA Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
• Brooke Littrell, Olivia Nelson, and Charley Bovaird are all back for their redshirt-sophomore seasons after the trio started all 30 games a season ago, they all ranked 1-2-3 in the MIAA in minutes played per game as Bovaird (36.3), Nelson (36.0), and Littrell (35.3) all averaged 35+ minutes per game
• Littrell earned several accolades last season, earning All-MIAA First Team, D2CCA First Team All-Central Region, and D2CCA Second Team All-American
• Littrell averaged a team best 21.0 points per game last season, ranking second in the MIAA and fifth in NCAA Division II, she added 9.3 rebounds per game and notched 13 double-doubles
• Nelson, who earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention a season ago (2020-21 All-MIAA Second Team), is the only other UCM player to average double figures in scoring a season ago and return, averaging 13.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game
• Graycen Holden returns to the Jennies lineup in 2022-23 after having to sit out last season due to an injury, two seasons ago she earned All-MIAA Third Team honors after averaging 11.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game
• Dave Slifer enters his 19^th season as the head women's basketball coach at Central Missouri, he holds a record of 375-166 with the Jennies; Slifer also enters his 34^th year as a collegiate women's basketball head coach, he's led his teams to a record of 759-265

LAST MATCH-UP

• Central Missouri used a big first quarter to grab an early led enroute to a 79-60 win in Warrensburg, Missouri last season
• The Jennies lead the all-time series 4-0

ROGERS STATE STORYLINES

• Rogers State went 11-17 (7-15 MIAA) a season ago, finishing 11^th in the conference standings
• The Hillcats are picked finish 11^th place once again in both the MIAA Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll and the MIAA Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
• RSU returns their top two scorers from last season as Bailey Kliewer (12.7) and Jordan Lewis (12.2) are both back; Kliewer and Lewis tied for the team lead with 5.4 rebounds per game
• Rogers State ranked second in the MIAA in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting the ball at a 34.6 percent clip and made 6.4 3-point field goals per game
• In four games last season RSU made ten or more 3-pointers, with a season-high mark of 12 in a game at Nebraska-Kearney; the Hillcats made six or more 3-pointers in 17 games in 2021-22
• Rogers State has three players back who made 20+ 3-pointers last season, Lewis (26), Kliewer (23), and Kylee Day (23); all three players shot 33 percent or better from beyond the arc
• Kyle Bent enters his fifth season as the head women's basketball coach at Rogers State, he holds a record of 35-71 with the Hillcats; Bent also enters his 13^th season as a collegiate women's basketball head coach, he's led his teams to a record of 196-166

LAST MATCH-UP

• Northern State scored win number one of the 2021-22 season against Rogers State with an 82-74 win in Warrensburg, Missouri last season
• Rianna Fillipi led the Wolves with 24 points and four assists, Laurie Rogers added 18 points and five blocks, and Kailee Oliverson recorded her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds
• The Wolves lead the all-time series 2-0