THE OPENING TIP: The University of Minnesota Duluth partakes in its final non-conference game of the season when it hosts Michigan Tech University on Wednesday, Dec. 19. The Bulldogs, who are in the middle of a four-game homestand, and Huskies will battle at 1:00 p.m. at Romano Gymnasium. 

SCOUTING REPORT ON MICHIGAN TECH: The Huskies are 6-5 overall and are 3-1 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Huskies dropped a 65-51 non-conference decision to No. 20 University of Lewis at home on Saturday. Ellie Welsh was selected the GLIAC North Player of the Week on Monday. She posted 15 points, which matched her season and career high, two assists and a rebound in the team's loss to the Flyers.

Michigan Tech is averaging 67.2 points per game and is giving up 62.1 points per game. It is shooting 42.7 percent from the field, which is fourth in the GLIAC and 74th overall in the nation, while opposing teams are shooting 32.7 percent. The Huskies have done a fairly decent shot at deflecting shots. They reject 3.9 shots per game, which is 39th in the nation. 

Abbie Botz is having a breakout junior campaign as she leads the team with 11.0 points per game. She has been held in check the past three games scoring a combined 17 points. She is also pulling down a team-leading 7.5 rebounds per game as well. Ellie Mackay has been a solid producer as a freshman with 9.8 points and 1.4 assists per contest. In the interior, Elizabeth Kelliher has 9.5 points, 6.4 boards and a team-leading 1.6 blocks per game.  

THE SERIES: UMD and Michigan Tech have played 52 times overall with the Bulldogs leading the all-time series 30-22. The Huskies have won the last four meetings. The two have played a non-conference match against once another for each of the last five seasons. UMD last beat Michigan Tech 84-80 on Nov. 23, 2013 in Houghton, Mich. The Huskies have won the last two times they have visited Romano Gymnasium.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and its opponents stack up with their records, in their conference standings and in the WBCA Coaches Poll.

THE BROADCAST: The game on Saturday can viewed at: portal.stretchinternet.com/umd

In addition, live stats are also available at: portal.stretchinternet.com/umd

LAST TIME OUT: UMD opened its home schedule with a sweep this past weekend. The Bulldogs captured double-digit victories over the University of Sioux Falls (51-36) and Southwest Minnesota State University (60-39). UMD held both opponents under 40 points and under 27 percent shooting. Junior forward Katie Stark led the Bulldogs with a season high 13 points in Friday's win over the Cougars. Sophomore forward Sarah Grow posted a season high 20 points and sophomore guard Ann SImonet registered a season high 14 points  in the beat down of the Mustangs on Saturday.  

GROWING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT: Sophomore forward Sarah Grow led the team to a pair of victories last weekend and was awarded the NSIC North Division Player of the Week on Monday. It is her first weekly accolade of her career.

Grow averaged a double-double registering 14.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 blocks. On Friday, she tallied nine points, a season-high 12 rebounds and three blocks in the win over Sioux Falls. Grow scored a season high 20 points, with eight rebounds and five blocks in the 21-point win against Southwest Minnesota State. She accounted for 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting in the second and third quarters as UMD went from trailing by 10 to leading by 17 versus SMSU.

1,000 POINTS WITHIN REACH: Senior guard Sammy Kozlowski is 11 points away from reaching 1,000 points for her collegiate career. She would be the 21st Bulldog to accomplish the feat. Taylor Meyer is last UMD player to amass 1,000 points as she reached the mark in the 2016-17 season.

CRASH THE GLASS: Sophomore forward Sarah Grow led the team in rebounds last year as a true freshman as is leading the way again through seven games this season. Grow is collecting 7.4 rebounds per game, which is a bout 22 percent of the team's total rebounds. She is 12th in the NSIC in rebounding and eighth in offensive rebounds (2.4) per game.

GET THAT OUTTA HERE: Sophomore forward Sarah Grow leads the NSIC in blocked shots. Grow averages 2.9 blocks per game and has at least two blocks in four games this season. She tallied a career high six blocks in the season opener against Northern Michigan. 

PICKPOCKET: Senior guard Sammy Kozlowski is ranked fourth in the conference in steals with 2.4 steals per contest. Kozlowski has recorded a steal in every game this season. In fact, she has a steal in the last 18 games, ranging back to the previous season, dating back to Jan. 20, 2018.

DE-FENSE: UMD is allowing 51.7 points per game this season. That is the best figure in the NSIC and only six other teams in the NCAA are holding opponents to a fewer points per game. 

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL: Opposing teams are hitting 34.4 percent from the field this season. UMD is 21st in the nation and second in the NSIC in field-goal percentage defense.

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL II: Only two teams have shot better than 40 percent against the Bulldogs this season. Sioux Falls shot just 21.3 percent last Friday. The last time an opposing team shot the ball with a lower success was the University of Minnesota Morris  (19.1) on Jan. 12, 2002.

DENY THE THREE: Opposing teams are shooting 21.9 percent from behind the arc. That percentage clip is second best in the nation behind Virginia State University (21.0). Last week, USF and SMSU combined for 11-of-58 from long distance, a 19.0 shooting percentage.

SECOND QUARTER TAKEOVER: The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 111-71 in the second quarter this season.  That is the best quarter margin for UMD this season. They are undefeated (5-0) this year when taking a lead into the second half.

A NEAR SHUTOUT: UMD held SMSU to two points in the entire second quarter on Saturday. It would have marked to first time the Bulldogs held a team to no points in any quarter since the NCAA switched to the 10-minute quarter format in 2015-16. The Mustangs didn't attempt a shot four minutes into the quarter as they finished 1-for-8 with six turnovers.

KEEP THEM UNDER 50: When holding opponents under 50 points, UMD has won its past 20 games. They are 5-0 this season when accomplishing that mark. The last loss to a team when holding them under 50 points came on Jan. 22, 2010 against Minnesota State University.

BACK-TO-BACK NIGHTS UNDER 40: SMSU and USF didn't crack the 40-point mark against the daunted UMD defense. It was the first time the Bulldogs held consecutive opponents to under 40 points since Dec. 3 & 6, 1997. Northland College (Wis.) and the University of St. Francis (Ill.) were UMD victims on those eventful dates.

NSIC PRESEASON COACHES POLL: The Bulldogs have steadily climbed to the forefront of the NSIC the past three seasons under the new regime of head coach Mandy Pearson. Around the league, the coaches highlighted UMD as one of the teams to beat this season., UMD was picked to win the NSIC North Division and fifth overall in the annual preseason poll, released Oct. 18. 

For the second time, UMD was picked to win the north edging out Minnesota State University Moorhead for the preseason divisional crown. It's the Bulldogs first since the conference originally introduced divisions in 2012-13. The University of Sioux Falls was chosen by the league coaches as the overall favorites in the NSIC for the 2018-19 season. The Cougars were also selected as the south division favorites.

Gabbie Bohl from the University of Mary was named  the NSIC North Division Preseason Player of the Year while Concordia-St. Paul's Anna Schmitt was bestowed the NSIC South Division Preseason Player of the Year honors.

NEW DOGS ON THE BLOCK: The Bulldogs bring in four newcomers this season after losing five letterwinners and a total of four seniors from last season. UMD bring in a pair of forwards -- Brooke Olson (Rice Lake, Wis.) and Lauren Miller (Zumbrota, Minn.) -- to strengthen the interior. In addition, the Bulldogs brought in the a pair of guards for added backcourt depth. Maesyn Thiesen (Sauk Centre, Minn.) is prepping to be the point guard of the future while Emma Schmidt (Dumont, Minn.) is a slashing off-ball guard.

ON TAP: UMD cap off 2018 with at home matchup against St. Cloud State University on Sunday, Dec. 30.