THE OPENING TIP: It's the most wonderful time of the season as the University of Minnesota Duluth opens up Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference pay this weekend with Bemidji State University and the University of Minnesota Crookston. The Bulldogs begin league action Friday night with the Beavers at 6:00 p.m. then swing over to play the Golden Eagles Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. Both games are on the road.

SCOUTING REPORT ON BEMIDJI STATE: The Beavers is 1-3 on the season and was swept in the Metro State Thanksgiving Classic by Metro State and Colorado Christian. Bemidji State finished the past weekend shooting 35.5 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Sierra Senske scored a season-high 20 points against Metro State, while also breaking BSU's all-time program record for free throws with 327. Senske is second on the team in scoring with 13.3 points. Brooklyn Bachmann holds that distinction with 14.0 per game and is also the team's leading rebounder (5.0).

SCOUTING REPORT ON MINNESOTA CROOKSTON: The Golden Eagles are winless on the season after falling in a pair of games at the Cesar Odio Thanksgiving Classic in Miami Shores, Fla. this past weekend.
Isieoma Odor was named to the Cesar Odio Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging a near double-double of 14.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Odor, who leads the team in scoring, is tied for fifth in the league at 14.8 points per game. Emily Gruber is the current blocks leader for the Golden Eagles at six. She also has four steals to go along with 7.3 boards a game.

THE SERIES: UMD has a 64-17 edge in the all-time series against Bemidji State. Both teams grabbed a victory as they split the season series. Each team won at their home arena.
The Bulldogs also lead in the all-time series 32-2 to Minnesota Crookston. UMD swept the season series last year.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and their opponents stack up in the conference standings last year and in the Women's Coaches Basketball Association (WCBA) poll.
TEAM        NSIC        WCBA
UMD           9th             NR
BSU           12th            NR
UMC         T-13th          NR

THE BROADCAST: Both games this weekend will be carried live through a video stream and is available at:
portal.stretchinternet.com/umd

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs blasted Lake Superior State University as they led by as much as 39 in the second half as they blew out the Lakers 89-51 at Romano Gymnasium. The 89 points was the most scored by the program since Feb. 14, 2014 versus Upper Iowa when that team also posted 89 points. UMD shot a scorching 50 percent from the floor including 6-of-7 from three-point land in the second half. Sammy Kozlowski led the Bulldogs flirted with a triple-double racking up nine points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Sarah Grow continued her hot collegiate career putting up a game-high 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for her second double-double. 
The Bulldogs dominated the interior, scoring 40 points in the paint and had 24 second chance points thanks in part to 17 offensive rebounds. Taylor Schneider had the hot hand when she was inserted in the second half with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Josie Buckley also supplied good effort off the bench with eight points and eight rebounds.

FOUR NEW FACES IN THE STARTING FIVE: UMD replaced four of its starters as Taylor Meyer, Kenzie Kane, Jenna Orr and Allyson Harris each played their final collegiate games in 2016-17. Sammy Kozlowski is the only starter returning. The Bulldogs have started Katie Stark, Ann Simonet, Emma Boehm and Sarah Grow in each game this season.

NOT A BAD DEBUT, PUPS: Four of the five freshman scored in their first collegiate action against the Rangers. Ann Simonet led all freshmen with 14 and Sarah Grow followed up with 12. The first-year players combined for 41 percent of the 73 points in the first game of the season. Thus far, the freshmen have accounted for 38 percent of the team's total points.

LIGHT 'EM UP: Both of the victories this season have come in routs. UMD won by 24 in the season opener then stacked a 38-point victory in the home opener four days later. 
The 38-point margin of victory was the largest since Nov. 19, 2013 when Wisconsin-Superior fell 89-43 at Romano. The last time the Bulldogs had two consecutive victories of more than 20 points goes back to Feb. 21-22, 2014 when UMD defeated Bemidji State by 22 and Minnesota Crookston by 23.

PURE SECOND HALF DOMINATION: The first three games of the season have not bolded well for opposing teams as they have been outscored 110-57 by UMD and are shooting a lackluster 21.4 percent in the half. They are also overmatched on boards 81-55.
The Rangers only scored 14 points in the second half as the Bulldogs blew the doors open and won by 24 points. No team this season has put up more than 22 points (Michigan Tech) in the second half. 

TAKE CARE OF THE BALL: Despite turning the ball over 45 times in the opening three games, UMD actually is winning the turnover battle.  It has forced 46 turnovers. The Bulldogs rank 74th in the nation in ball possession which is ninth in the NSIC.

AMONG THE BEST: UMD ranks near the top nationally in three-point percentage (26th), offense (25th), defense (first) and total rebounds per game (third), field-goal defense percentage (30th), block shots per game (18th) and assists per game (19th).
The Bulldogs rank first in the NSIC in every rebounding per game category. They are also second in assists per game and third in blocks per set.

KOZLOWSKI AND GROW TO TERRORIZE THE NSIC?: The dynamic duo of Kozlowski and Grow could haunt the NSIC this season. In the first three non-conference games, Kozlowski leads the NSIC in assists per set with 5.3, 33rd in the nation, and first among guards in rebounds a game with 8.3. Grow is third in the conference in blocks per set and 15th in the nation. She is also second in the league in rebounds per game at 10.7.

CONFERENCE COACHES CORNER: On Oct. 25, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference 2017-18 Preseason Coaches' Poll picked UMD to finish in eighth in the conference and fourth in the North Division. The Bulldogs, which finished third in the division and ninth overall a season ago, received 132 points in the poll.
Minnesota State Moorhead, who claimed the preseason favorite in the North Division, topped out in the overall poll with 213 points slightly topping division rival Northern State with 209. Augustana, who was picked to finish first in the south, was picked to finish third overall in the NSIC. MSUM received 10 first-place votes while NSU got four and Augustana gathered collected the last two. 
The Dragons' senior forward Drew Sannes was named the North Division Preseason Player of the Year. The Wildcats' senior forward Paige Ballinger was named the South Division Preseason Player of the Year.

NEW DOGS ON THE BLOCK: The Bulldogs bring in five newcomers this season after losing seven letterwinners from last season. UMD hopes to have found its next low post dominator in Sarah Grow (Circle Pines, Minn.). The Bulldogs bring in a pair of guards who had a bunch of success scoring in bunches. Maizie Deihl (New Prague, Minn.) and Ann Simonet (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) each reached the 1,000-point threshold in their careers for their respective high schools. Payton Kahl (Stoughton, Wis.) and Jordyn Thomas (Hermantown, Minn.) are athletic wing players that can play the tweener between guard and forward.

2016-17 ACCOLADES: Sophomore guard Sammy Kozlowski is the only returnee who gained recognition from the NSIC. Kozlowski was named to the All-NSIC Second Team and All-Defensive team. Taylor Meyer, who graduated as the 16th leading scorer in program history, also was tabbed with second team honors.

THE COACH: Third-year head coach Mandy Pearson, following a 14-14 (11-11 NSIC) second season, will look to continue to stamp her mark on the University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball program.
The Bulldogs doubled their win total from Pearson's first season at the helm, displaying definite signs of a program headed in the right direction. Pearson will look to continue to take steps forward in the 2017-18 season and vault UMD further up the NSIC standings.
Pearson proved her ability to turn a program around while leading the NCAA Division III Cardinals since the 2007 season. Saint Mary's quickly moved up the ranks in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference under her guidance, securing its first playoff bid since 2005 during the 2011-12 campaign. A year later, the Cardinals posted a 22-5 record, second-best in program history, advanced to the MIAC Tournament semifinals, and earned a victory over UMD's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rival Winona State University. Pearson was named the MIAC Coach of the Year for the first time in 2012-13, repeating that feat a year later, and also earned the SMU Staff Recognition Award following that season.
Her last two years with the Cardinals, Pearson's squads posted a 42-13 combined record including a 24-4 mark--best in program history--in 2013-14. The team found itself ranked in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today Sports NCAA III Top 25 Coaches' Poll and d3hoops.com polls for the first time ever, as high as no. 12. In her nine seasons as the SMU bench boss, Pearson produced one d3hoops.com All-American selection in Courtney Euerle (an honorable mention in 2013-14), who also earned MIAC Player of the Year honors and was the only player from the entire conference to earn All-America recognition that season. Pearson also produced two All-NCAA III West Region Team members, nine All-MIAC award selections, seven all-conference honorable mentions, four All-MIAC Defensive Team selections, and four MIAC All-First Year Team picks.
Before joining Saint Mary's, Pearson served as an assistant with NCAA III Hamline University during the 2005-07 seasons after wrapping up a four-year playing career at another MIAC school, Concordia College of Moorhead. Pearson earned three All-MIAC selections during her playing career and was named a First Team All-American during her senior season in 2004-05. She was the first Cobber to achieve 1,000 points and 500 assists in her career. She also played softball for Concordia-Moorhead, earning All-MIAC citation on the diamond as well in her senior campaign. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Concordia with minors in sociology, health and coaching. While coaching at Saint Mary's, she earned her Master of Arts degree in human development in 2013.
Over the last five years, Pearson has spoken at several camps and clinics, including the Minnesota State High School League Association Clinic in 2011. She also polished her own coaching acumen at the Nike Championship Basketball Clinic, the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, Northern State University, and Final Four Coaching Clinics.

ON TAP: The Bulldogs will make their home debut in the NSIC next week against Southwest Minnesota State University and Sioux Falls University. Last season the Bulldogs finished 9-5 at home and 7-4 within the conference at Romano.