THE OPENING TIP: The University of Minnesota Duluth will host Minnesota State University, Mankato at home in the first round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season. It is also the third straight time the Bulldogs host the Mavericks in the opening round, also doing so in 2011-12. UMD and MSU will lock up on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7:00 p.m. inside Romano Gymnasium with the winner heading on to play in the quarterfinals at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Sunday Feb. 25.

NSIC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: UMD is 17-10 all-time in the conference tournament but has struggled since returning to the NSIC in 2008-09. The Bulldogs are 3-9 since it came back into the conference. They lost the last six first round matchups before UMD defeated Minnesota State last year. The Bulldogs have won four  NSIC Tournament titles all within a five-year period from 2000 to 2004. The last NSIC Championship game UMD was a part of was in 2009-10 when it went to the NCAA Tournament.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MINNESOTA STATE: The Mavericks are 12-16 and 10-12 in the NSIC. Minnesota State is coached by sixth-year head coach Emilee Thiesse. The Mavericks have won four straight after being swept on the road by UMD and St. Cloud State University. 
Minnesota State is leading the NSIC in offensive rebounds per game (14.0). It is third in steals per game (9.3) and second in forced turnovers (17.6). It attacks the basket often and gets to the line. The Mavericks are second in attempts (546) and third in makes (364). Compared to the rest of the NSIC, Minnesota State doesn't have the three-pointer in its arsenal, having only 5.3 makes per game.
The Mavericks have a balanced offensive attack that is led by Claire Ziegler. Ziegler has the best shooting percentage (48.6) of MSU players and leads all Mavericks with 12.5 points. Ziegler also is the team's leading rebounder (7.9) and has posted 10 double-doubles on the season, the second most in the NSIC. Monica Muth is averaging 6.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and a team-leading 2.4 assists. Taylor Klug has led the team is scoring the last two games including 24 points in the season finale against Sioux Falls. 

THE SERIES: UMD leads the all-time matchup 33-29 over Minnesota State. The Bulldogs have won the last three contests heading into the playoff tilt. The Bulldogs trampled the Mavericks 68-55 at Romano Gymnasium back on Feb. 2. Last year, UMD defeated Minnesota State on the road then ended the Maverick season in UMD's first home playoff game in five years in the opening round of the NSIC Tournament. 

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and MSU stack up in the NSIC standings and in the Women's Coaches Basketball Association (WCBA) and the D2SIDA media polls.
TEAM    NSIC        WCBA        D2SIDA
UMD       6th            NR               NR
MSU       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

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs split in their final regular season weekend with Northern State University and Minnesota State University-Moorhead. The Wolves were one of few teams to shut down the UMD offense. The Bulldogs scored 16 first-half points, a season-low,  and only made 19 percent from behind the arc. They were out-rebounded by 16 on the glass and they had a season-low six assists. Katie Stark had 14 points to lead UMD in the loss. After suffering its worst loss at home earlier this season, the Bulldogs avenged their loss to the Dragons by ending MSU-Moorhead's 16-game winning streak in the regular season finale. The Dragons scored 18 points in the second half as UMD wiped away an 11-point deficit behind Sammy Kozlowski's 17 points and Sarah Grow's double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. 

OVERTIME WOES: UMD was not involved in an overtime game in 2016-17 but is 1-2 in such events this season. The Bulldogs lost both of their OT games against ranked competition -- a non-conference loss at No. 21 Michigan Tech University 79-70 then 84-83 at home to No. 22 Northern State University. UMD finally won 69-66 on Feb. 10 against U-Mary. The last time the Bulldogs claimed an overtime victory before the victory over the Marauders was on Dec. 5, 2015.

NO LATE GAME HEROICS: Only St. Cloud State has overcome any deficit with five minutes to play in any game this season as the Huskies wiped a 11-point lead at one point to steal a victory over the Bulldog. UMD is 15-0 than the SCSU game. The Bulldogs are winless against teams with leads in the last five minutes (0-8).

LIGHT 'EM UP: Ten of the 16 victories this season have come by double figures. The Bulldogs have wins of 25, 38, 10, 15, 18, 21, 31, 13, 17 and, most recently this past weekend, 12 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.

DEFENSE, DEFENSE: The Bulldogs have held opponents to under 60 points in half of their games. They have allowed 60.5 points per game, good for third best in the NSIC and 54th in Division II. UMD is 11-2 when holding teams under 60 points and 5-8 when teams score more than 60 points. UMD is 0-7 when teams score at least 69 points. Upper Iowa managed to score only 34 points in the Jan. 13, 2018 outing, which was a season-low allowed by the Bulldogs. That mark was the lowest since the University of Minnesota-Morris put up 31 points on Jan. 6, 2001.

GOING THE OTHER WAY: A three-week streak spanning seven games came to an end as UMD combined for at least double-digit steals in those games before only tallying nine and seven this past weekend. It has 12 games with at least 10 steals including a season high 16 steals in the dominant win over Upper Iowa. The recently high string of steals has rocketed the Bulldogs up to fourth in the NSIC in steals per game (8.8). They cracked the top-100 overall (85th) in the country. 

THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 43: When the Bulldogs hold opponents to under 43 percent shooting they are 13-2. The two losses came against Augustana when the Vikings shot 39.7 percent and Northern State this past Friday when it shot 41.2 percent. Trouble looms, however, when teams hit above that mark as UMD is 3-8.

AGGRESSIVE ON THE BOARDS: Fifteen out of the 21 games this season the Bulldogs have either tied or won the battle in the paint with rebounding. In those 15 games, UMD is 13-2 with those two losses coming in the overtime game to Michigan Tech and the six-point setback to Wayne State. 

PROTECTING THE BALL: No one in the NSIC excels at limiting its turnovers like UMD. It has done a masterful job at getting it done on the offensive end without giving possessions away. Actually, no one else commits fewer turnovers per game than the Bulldogs, who lose the ball 11.3 times a game.
UMD is third in the country in fewest turnovers with 293 sitting 14 behind the Central Missouri for the lead. It also possesses 16th best turnover margin at 5.5. Only Augustana (7.7) has a better margin in the NSIC. The Bulldogs have won the turnover battle the last eight contests and has turned the ball over less than nine games the last four outings

DROPPING DIMES: UMD's offense is coordinated for success off the open look via the dish. Ranked third in the conference in assists per game, the Bulldogs average 15.7 assists per game, which equates to 63.4 percent of their total offensive production. Nationally, they are ranked 45th in assists per contest and 35th in total assists.
Combined with the success of protecting the ball and dishing out assists, UMD rates as the seventh-best team nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. The 1.40 ratio is 11 points behind Augustana for the conference lead. 
In the match against Lake Superior State, UMD assisted on 27 made buckets, the most by the team since Jan. 6, 2001 when it dished out 28 dimes against the University of Minnesota Morris.
Five returnees have set personal bests in assists for a game this season (Sammy Kozlowski, Emma Boehm, Ayo Porte, Taylor Schneider, and Katie Stark). Kozlowski, Boehm, Stark and Ann Simonet have registered at least five assists in a game.

RUNNING THE POINT: There are not many elite passers in the NSIC better than Sammy Kozlowski. The New Berlin, Wis., native is the second-best player in the conference with 5.3 assists per game. Kozlowski ranks 21st in the country. She is also 19th in total assists with 137. Kozlowski, in a battle with MSU-Moorhead's Jacky Volkert for the league lead, is in the running to became the first UMD player to lead the NSIC in assists since Susan Anderson averaged 6.97 assists in the 2000-01 season. 
Against SCSU on Feb. 6, Kozlowski had herself a night with a career-high with 13 assists, distributing the ball to six different scorers. Her 13 assists were a season-high mark in the NSIC, tied for ninth most in the NCAA Division II this season and tops among juniors. She was two assists shy of tying Denise Holm for the Bulldog single-game high. Holm had 15 assists on Feb. 18, 1989 versus Minnesota Morris.

SLIGHT OF HAND: In addition to her passing, Sammy Kozlowski is a master of the pickpocket. The 2016-17 All-NSIC Defensive Team selection has 54 steals this season good for an average of 2.1 per game. She is second in the NSIC in total steals and per game. Logan O'Farrell from Augustana is first in both categories.

THREE-POINT MARKSMAN: Nailing four three pointers during her career high 18 points, Ann Simonet has slowly found her niche in her first collegiate season. The Park Center H.S. product has been deadly from deep as she is slowly climbing the charts in three-point shooting. Simonet, who has notched a three in 18 of the last 22 games, has been successful from behind the arc 42 times and is shooting a team high 38 percent. She ranks ninth in the NSIC in made three-pointers per game (1.7).

PROCEED WITH CAUTION: Enter the restricted paint at your risk. Sarah Grow has been waiting to reject shots in the interior. She may be sixth among her conference peers in blocks per game (1.7) but the freshman is 56th throughout all of Division II and ninth among all first-year newcomers. Grow had a season --and career-- high five blocks last Saturday against MSU-Moorhead. 

WEEKLY HONORS: Recognition was given to Sammy Kozlowski when 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. Southwest Minnesota State University and 16 points versus University of Sioux Falls. 

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.

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: With a win over Minnesota State, UMD will advance to the quarterfinal round of the NSIC Tournament against the winner of Augustana University (S1) and Bemidji State University (N8) at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m.