THE OPENING TIP: The University of Minnesota Duluth will take its five-game winning streak on another Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference slate at St. Cloud State University on Saturday, Dec. 16. That matchup will tip off at 2:00 p.m.

SCOUTING REPORT ON ST. CLOUD STATE: The Huskies are 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the NSIC. SCSU is coached by Lori Fish, who is in her ninth season. The Huskies are 3-1 at home including knocking off SMSU 76-68.
SCSU is holding teams to 53.8 points which is 12th best in the nation and first in the conference. It has held opponents under 52 points four times. It also holds the best three-point defense in the NSIC at 23. 4 percent. That clip is 11th in the country. Offensively, it is shooting 34.5 percent from behind the arc, third best in the NSIC. 
Andrea Thomas leads the Huskies with 14.3 points on 41 percent shooting. Thomas is also the lead assister and steal artist for SCSU this season. 

THE SERIES: UMD has a slight one-game advantage over the St. Cloud State as it leads the all-time series 28-27. Last year, each team won on each other's opposing team's home floor. The Huskies won at Romano 84-65 on Nov. 26. The Bulldogs won at St. Cloud State 61-55 on Dec. 12.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and their opponents stack up in the conference standings and in the Women's Coaches Basketball Association (WCBA) and D2SIDA media polls.
TEAM        NSIC        WCBA        D2SIDA
UMD         T-2nd           NR               NR
SCSU          9th             NR              NR

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

In addition, the game will also have live stats available at:
www.sidearmstats.com/stcloudstate/wbball

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs moved their winning streak to five games and 4-0 in conference play after sweeping the home weekend slate. UMD easily handled SMSU 72-57 last Friday then bowed over Sioux Falls 69-51 Saturday. 

FOURTH QUARTER SURGE: The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 121-76 in the last quarter this season, the largest margin (45) of any quarter. The 76 points is the lowest quarter total UMD has allowed. UMD is holding opponents to under 28 percent from the floor in the quarter and 14 percent from downtown.

LIGHT 'EM UP: Five of the six victories this season have come by double figures. The Bulldogs have wins of 25, 38, 10, 15 and 18 points this season.
UMD's largest margin of victory came in the home opener vs. Lake Superior State when it blasted them in a 38-point rout. The 38-point victory was the largest since Nov. 19, 2013 when Wisconsin-Superior fell 89-43 at Romano.

WEEKLY HONORS: Recognition was given to Sammy Kozlowski this week as she was named the NSIC North Division Player of the Week on Monday, Dec. 11. Kozlowski is the first Bulldog to achieve the honor since Taylor Meyer grabbed her third award of the season back in 2015.
For the weekend, Kozlowski averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 steals. She shot 52 percent from the floor (13-of-25) including makes on five of her eight attempts from three point range. The New Berlin, Wis., native led the team in scoring each night, knocking down 17 points vs. SMSU and 16 points versus USF. Kozlowski is off to a strong start to the 2017-18 season as she has scored in double figures in all but one game this season.

RED-HOT DOGS: UMD is off to its best start since the 2004-05 season when it began the season 9-1. The Bulldogs are also 4-0 in the NSIC for the first time since 2000-01. Those same Bulldogs started conference play 7-0. With a win on Saturday, UMD will stretch its winning streak to six for the first time in 11 years.

DEFENSE, DEFENSE: The Bulldogs have held opponents to under 60 points in five of their seven games. They have allowed 56.4 points per game, good for third best in the NSIC and 28th in Division II.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: The NSIC excels at limiting its turnovers and UMD is no exception to getting it done on the offensive end without giving possessions away. The Bulldogs are one of four conference teams to have less than 13 turnovers per game. Those four NSIC teams (Winona State, Sioux Falls, MSU-Moorhead) are all within the top 15 in the nation in fewest turnovers per game. UMD is ninth in the country in fewest turnovers with 89.

BOXING OUT: UMD is nationally one of the better teams in terms of rebounding. The Bulldogs are averaging 44.6 rebounds a game, putting them 25th in the nation and second in the NSIC. UMD leads the NSIC with 14 offensive rebounds per game.

GET THAT OUTTA HERE: The Bulldogs are 10th in the nation in blocks shots per game. They are averaging 5.6 blocks which is also second in the NSIC. Sarah Grow leads UMD with 16 blocks (2.3 per game) and Katie Stark has nine (1.3 per game). The duo is in the top 15 in the NSIC.

GO AHEAD AND SHOOT FROM DEEP: Opposing clubs struggle to hit the three-ball against UMD's defense. Teams are shooting 23.9 percent from behind the arc. That figure is 17th in the nation and second in the conference.

CONSISTENCE GOES BY THE NAME OF STARK: Junior forward Katie Stark has been one of the more reliable players game-in and game-out. Stark had scored at least eight points in all games this year. She also has at least five boards in six games.

DROPPING DIMES: There is not a more elite passer in the NSIC right now than Sammy Kozlowski. The New Berlin, Wis., native is the top player in the conference in assists per game. Her 5.9 assists ratio is 18th in the country.

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.

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.
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 six 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. UMD also picked up another guard in Chelsea Mason from Mountain Iron, Minn. who dominated the high school landscape in northern Minnesota.

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 have one more home game in 2017 as they will be at Romano Gymnasium Tuesday, Dec. 19 to face Northern Michigan University.