Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State women's basketball team will wrap-up a stretch of three consecutive games on the road in NSIC play this weekend, traveling to Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. The Wolves and Cougars open the weekend with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off Friday evening in the Stewart Center. Northern will then close-out the road-trip with a 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon contest at the R/A Facility in Marshall, Minnesota, against the Mustangs.

GAME & FAN INFORMATION

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

NORTHERN STATE STORYLINES

• Northern State enters the weekend with a record of 9-7 (4-6 NSIC) on the season
• Northern is tied for tenth overall in the NSIC standings and are sixth in the North Division
• The Wolves dropped a mid-week NSIC North battle at travel partner MSU Moorhead (60-53) on Tuesday night
• Kailee Oliverson leads a trio of Wolves averaging double figures in scoring with 12.2 points per game, while Laurie Rogers and Rianna Fillipi add 11.4 and 10.0 respectively
• Rogers adds a team-best 7.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, while Fillipi leads NSU with 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game
• Rogers leads the NSIC in free throw percentage in conference play, making 36-40 (90.0%) from the charity stripe
• Rogers ranks among the top-20 nationally in two statistical categories, tying for tenth with 31 blocked shots this season and 18^th with 1.94 blocks per game
• Northern State remains the NCAA Division II leader in turnovers per game, averaging the nation's lowest mark of 11.0 turnovers per game; the Wolves have recorded ten or fewer turnovers in seven games this season, notching a 6-1 record in those games
• Northern also ranks among the top-30 nationally in two other statistical categories, tying for 17^th in blocks per game (4.4) and ranking 28^th in assist/turnover ratio (1.1)

SIOUX FALLS STORYLINES

• Sioux Falls enters the weekend with a record of 4-12 (1-9 NSIC) on the season
• USF is tied for 15^th overall in the NSIC standings and are eighth in the South Division
• The Cougars got swept on the road in their first NSIC cross-division games of the season, falling to Minot State (64-38) and UMary (71-59) to extend their losing streak to six games
• Brecli Honner is the lone Cougar to average double figures in scoring with 10.6 points per game and adds 4.2 rebounds per game this season
• Honner is second in the NSIC in field goal percentage in conference play, shooting 50-91 (54.9%) from the field in nine games
• Olivia Gamoke is a close second in scoring with 9.9 points per game and a team-best 2.6 assists per game, she also adds 1.4 steals per game
• Gamoke leads the NSIC in minutes played in league play, averaging 37.0 minutes per contest
• Travis Traphagen is in his 15^th season as the head women's basketball coach at Sioux Falls, holding a career record of 271-147 during his time with the Cougars

LAST MATCH-UP

• Laurie Rogers and Rianna Fillipi combined to score 37 points for the Wolves as Northern State battled to a 60-59 home victory against Sioux Falls on January 15, 2022
• Northern leads the all-time series 15-6 and have won four of the last six meetings

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE STORYLINES

• Southwest Minnesota State enters the weekend with a record of 10-5 (7-3 NSIC) on the season
• Southwest is tied for third overall in the NSIC standings and are tied for second in the South Division
• The Mustangs split their opening weekend of NSIC cross-division play, falling at UMary (89-74) before bouncing back to defeat Minot State (75-58)
• Bri Stoltzman leads four Mustangs who average double figures in scoring with 13.1 points per game, she also averages a team-high 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game
• Other SMSU players to average double figures in scoring include Hannah Parsley (12.7), Jenna Borchers (12.5), and Sam Wall (12.2)
• Borchers leads Southwest with 2.5 assists per game, while Parsley also averages a team-high 1.9 steals per game
• In conference play, Southwest Minnesota State leads the NSIC in 3-pointers made per game (9.4) and is tied for the league lead in 3-point percentage (37.3%)
• Three Mustangs rank among the top-15 in 3-pointers made per game in NSIC play, Borchers and Wall are both tied for seventh with 2.1 3-pointers per game while Peyton Blandin is tied for 11^th with 1.8 3-pointers per game
• Tom Webb is in his seventh season as the head women's basketball coach at Southwest Minnesota State, holding a 68-96 record with the Mustangs; Webb owns a 159-219 career record in his 15^th season as a collegiate women's basketball coach at the NCAA Division II level

LAST MATCH-UP

• Rianna Fillipi (18), Laurie Rogers (17), and Kailee Oliverson (15) all scored in double figures for the Wolves as Northern State defeated Southwest Minnesota State 74-64 at home on January 14, 2022
• Northern leads the all-time series 50-17 and have won 13 of the last 15 meetings