The University of Minnesota Duluth returns to the hard court at Romano Gymnasium this weekend, set to host a pair of tough Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North division opponents as the No. 3-ranked Northern State University and Minnesota State University-Moorhead.

The tough road continues for UMD (4-3, 2-1 NSIC), whose three losses have come at the hands of three teams ranked in the women's Division II Regional Top 10s this week, with Michigan Tech University (RV) ranked fifth in the midwest region, No. 6 Pittsburg State University ranked fifth and St. Cloud State University (RV) ranked eighth in the Central region. The path to the top of the Central region isn't easy with six teams ranked in the WABC Coaches Top 25 poll and three more among the teams receiving multiple votes.

"It's such a great honor for Taylor, but it also showed how well we are playing together as a team," said head coach Annette Wiles on UMD junior forward Taylor Meyer earning NSIC North Player of the Week honors on Monday. "If you look at Jessica Newman's numbers, she would have been a candidate as well if not for Taylor's success. It really did show how we had two good team wins."

FREE THROWS
• UMD swept a weekend road trip through Minnesota-Crookston and Bemidji State, edging the Golden Eagles in the second half while dominating the Beavers in the first half to hold on for a 21-point win.
• To earn that Player of the Week nod, Meyer averaged 26.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game while shooting 67.9 percent shooting and a perfect 11-11 mark at the free-throw line to lift UMD. She scored 25 points and hauled in a career-high 19 rebounds on Saturday night against the Beavers while adding three assists and a pair of steals and going a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line
• Newman also put together a big weekend for the Bulldogs, averaging 20.0 points per game in a pair of wins and hauling in 6.5 rebounds. Freshman forward Anna Monke averaged 7.0 rebounds, falling a basket shy of her first career double-double with a season-high eight points and 11 boards on Friday night
• UMD scored 79.5 points per game on the weekend, up 12 points from their season average (67.9) while holding opponents to 39.5 percent shooting on the weekend.  The Bulldogs outscored their two foes 77-58 in the first halves last week.

SCOUTING THE WOLVES (Friday, Dec. 12, 6:00 p.m.) - Live Stats/Video
• No. 3 Northern State (9-0, 3-0 NSIC) has yet to be truly challenged in a game this season with an average margin of victory of 23.9 points, with the shortest margin being 12 points last time out against Minot State. NSU defeated Northwest Missouri State University 73-49 in its season opener; The Bulldogs defeated the Bearcats 68-58 earlier this season. UMD is 33-25 all-time against the Wolves, but fell 75-66 last season on Feb. 7, 2014.
• Senior Rachel Krogman's 15.1 points per game for Northern State ranks eighth in the NSIC, but she's not the only Wolves player topping double digits scoring as seniors Megan Mutchler and Sadie Stotesbery are scoring 11.6 and 10.3 ppg, respectively.
• Krogman has averaged a double-double for Northern, hauling in an NSIC-best 11.0 rebounds per game while also adding a block and a steal per game. She's yet to take a shot from beyond the arc but shooting 53.6 percent for the season.

SCOUTING THE DRAGONS (Saturday, Dec. 13, 4:00 p.m.) - Live Stats/Video
• MSU-Moorhead (3-4, 2-1 NSIC) has won two in a row entering the weekend but will travel to St. Cloud State on Friday before heading to Duluth. Like UMD, each of the Dragons' four losses have come against regionally ranked competitiont. The Bulldogs are 50-28 all-time against the Dragons, but were edged by a pair of points last time out on Feb. 8, 2014.
• Junior Meghan Roehrich ranks fourth in the NSIC averaging 17.0 point per game for Moorhead. Her classmate Heather Strese has averaged 11.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, a mark that ranks eighth in conference play.
• Sophomore Morgan Banasik averages 1.7 steals per game, and has a +1.5 assist-turnover ratio this season. She's scored 7.4 ppg this season.

UMD and Northern State will tip off the action this weekend at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night.