The University of Minnesota Duluth rides a two-game winning streak in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division into a tough weekend test as the Bulldogs travel for the first time in conference play.

UMD (2-4, 2-1 NSIC) picked up the first conference win for first-year head coach Mandy Pearson last Friday night at Romano Gym, and the team finally seemed to find a rhyhtm, despite needing triple overtime to knock off Bemidji State University last time out. The Bulldogs will face their toughest tests yet of the NSIC season as they face Northern State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead this weekend. The Dragons stood among the teams outside the Top 25 but receiving votes in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Assocation (WBCA) Top 25 poll.

SCOUTING THE WOLVES | 5-3, 1-2 NSIC
Northern State will be home for the first time in the regular season when UMD comes to town on Friday night, splitting last weekend's games  against the University of Mary and Minot State University ... the Wolves knocked off Dakota Wesleyan University (an NAIA institution) 72-64 in an exhibition on Tuesday evening ... Northern State graduated each of its All-NSIC Selections a season ago in center Rachel Korgman and forward Megan Mutchler ... sophomore forward Jill Conrad leads the Wolves offense this season averaging 12.5 points per game while also hauling in a team-high 7.5 rebounds per outing ... sophomore center Miranda Ristau is hauling in 6.5 rebounds per game including 2.6 on the ofeensive end of the court, where she's averaging 8.6 ppg ... head coach Curt Frederickson is the second-winningest coach in NCAA Division II history with 773 wins entering this season ... UMD is 32-27 all-time against Northern State despite a season sweep by the Wolves last season, including a 79-59 victory for NSU on Feb. 14, 2015 in Aberdeen.

SCOUTING THE DRAGONS | 6-0, 3-0 NSIC
MSU Moorhead (RV) will host "Star Wars Night" when the Bulldogs head to Moorhead on Saturday ... the Dragons are 6-0 on the season but had a pair of games cancelled after a winter storm derailed a trip to Canyon, Texas for non-conference tournament play ... MSUM graduated 2014-15 All-NSIC First Team selection Meghan Roehrich but does return All-NSIC Freshman Team selection, forward Drew Sannes ... junior guard Morgan Banasik leads the Dragons averaging 19.0 points per game ... junior forward Heather Strese averages a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game to go with 14.7 ppg ... Sannes is at 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game ... head coach Karla Nelson is in her 16th season leading the Dragons ... UMD is 50-30 all-time against MSU Moorhead but the Dragons swept the season series in 2015-16, including a 68-59 victory on Feb. 13, 2015 in Moorhead.

FREE THROWS
UMD picked up its first two victories of the season as well as the Bulldog career of head coach Mandy Pearson, knocking off Minnesota Crookston on Friday night before needing triple overtime to take out Bemidji State on Saturday ... junior center Allyson Harris averaged 21.5 points per game while also grabbing 6.0 rebounds per outing on the week, shooting 48.1 percent and 17-of-23 from the free throw line ... freshman guard Sammy Kozlowski played 37.5 minutes per game, shooting 37.5 percent on the weekend averaging 9.0 points per game.

HOW TO FOLLOW
... vs. Northern State: Live Stats | Live Video
... vs. MSU Moorhead: Live Stats | Live Video

UP NEXT
UMD will open up the road trip in Aberdeen on Friday night taking on Northern State. Opening tip is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., preceding the men's contest.