THE OPENING TIP: The University of Minnesota Duluth concludes it 2017-18 non-conference schedule on Tuesday, Dec. 19 when it brings Northern Michigan University to Romano Gymnasium. The 6-2 Bulldogs hope to stay perfect at home against the Wildcats as the first tip starts at 12:00 p.m. Tuesday game is Education Day at UMD where kids from the local schools will attend the game.
SCOUTING REPORT ON NORTHERN MICHIGAN: The Wildcats enter on a two-game losing streak at 6-6 overall. NMU is 5-3 on the road. Head Coach Troy Mattson is in his 13th season with the Wildcats.
Darby Youngstrom leads the way with 14.1 points per game but has sat out the last four games. NMU got a boost from Taylor Hodell as she returned from injury and posted 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Erin Honkala controls the paint leading the team in blocks and rebounds.
THE SERIES: UMD trails in the all-time series 16-21. Tuesday marks the third straight year the two squads will meet. NMU has won the last two matchups both in Marquette, Mich. The Bulldogs last win against the Wildcats came in 2011-12. NMU makes its first appearance in Romano Gymnasium in seven years.
HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and their opponents stack up in their respective conference standings and in the Women's Coaches Basketball Association (WCBA) and the D2SIDA media polls.
TEAM CONF WCBA D2SIDA
UMD T-5th NR NR
NMU T-5th 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
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs fell to St. Cloud State University 58-52 Saturday afternoon at Halenback Hall in St. Cloud, Minn. The Bulldogs had their five-game winning streak snapped as they shot 34 percent from the floor, a season low, but forced 22 Husky turnovers, a season-high for UMD.
The Huskies shot 53 percent overall but had 12 of their 22 turnovers come in the second half to allow the rally. The Bulldogs cut that 14-point margin down to four at the end of the third and tied it at 42 with eight minutes left. SCSU took the lead on a 6-0 run in the final three minutes.
FOURTH QUARTER SURGE: The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 135-92 in the last quarter this season, the largest margin (43) of any quarter. The 92 points is the lowest quarter total UMD has allowed. UMD is holding opponents to under 29 percent from the floor in the quarter and 13 percent from downtown.
NON CONFERENCE ACTION: UMD has gone 2-1 in non-NSIC matches with its only loss coming on the road to now-No. 15 Michigan Tech University in overtime. It is torching non-conference opponents by an average of 17.6 points. The Bulldogs have outscored teams 110-57 in the second half.
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.
DEFENSE, DEFENSE: The Bulldogs have held opponents to under 60 points in six of their eight games. They have allowed 56.4 points per game, good for third best in the NSIC and 28th in Division II. UMD is 6-1 when holding teams under 60 points.
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 21.1 rebounds a game, putting them 25th in the nation and fourth in the NSIC. UMD was ranked as high as third in the beginning of the season but have forced more turnovers as of late.
GET THAT OUTTA HERE: The Bulldogs are ninth 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 (2.0 per game) and Katie Stark has nine (1.13 per game). The duo is in the top 15 in the NSIC in total blocks and top 10 in blocks per game.
GO AHEAD AND SHOOT FROM DEEP: Opposing clubs struggle to hit the three-ball against UMD's defense. Teams are shooting 25.5 percent from behind the arc. That figure is 17th in the nation and second in the conference.
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 with 5.2 assists per game. Kozlowski ranks 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 in each game this season. Sarah Grow has received seven of the eight starts while Anna Monke tallied the other start.
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 and was a Ms. Minnesota finalist her senior season.
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 an 11-day break before hitting the hardwood again on Friday, Dec. 30 against the University of Mary.
