THE OPENING TIP: The University of Minnesota Duluth will participate in the MIAA/NSIC Crossover tounament in St. Joseph, Mo., to start the regular season. The Bulldogs take on Fort Hays State (Nov. 8, 1:30 PM) and Missouri Western State (Nov. 9, 6:00 PM).

SCOUTING REPORT ON NO. 7 FORT HAYS: The Tigers finished out the 2018-19 season with a 32-2 overall record, and winnig the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association conference tournament, beating 24th ranked Central Missouri. FHSU would go on to lose in the Central Regional Finals to No. 7 Southwestern Oklahoma State in a 88-77 battle. The Tigers are fresh off a 78-60 loss in an exhibition match with Kansas State. Tony Hobson enters his 12th season as the head coach of the Tigers, boasting a 237-94 (.716) overall record with FHSU.
Laine Page is returing for Fort Hays, who sat second on the team in total points last season with 394 (11.6 per game). She averaged 3.1 rebounds a game, along with a 42.5 shooting percentage from the floor. Belle Barbieri is back for the tigers as well, sitting just behind Page in points with 371 total (10.9 per game). She managed an average of 6.9 rebounds per game and shot 60.6 from the floor.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MISSOURI WESTERN STATE: The Gargoyles come off a season where they boasted a 24-3 record, with their road to the NCAA tournament being halted by the MIAA Champions in Fort Hays. MWSU would drop out of the MIAA conference tournament in just the second round, unable to earn a bid into the NCAA tournament. The Gargoyles are fresh off an exhibition match where they took on Iowa State, losing 87-54. MWSU's head coach Candi Whitaker is the ninth coach to head the program. This will be Whitaker's third team as head coach, after being at Texas Tech for five seasons and Kansas City for six before that.
Katrina Roenfeldt is returning for MWSU. She lead the offense last season, with an average of 16.2 points (487 total) per game last season and 5.2 rebounds per game. She went 166-407, shooting 40.8 from the floor.

THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between UMD and FHSU. This will be the second time in the Bulldogs history that they square off against MWSU, with the last meeting coming in 1997-98 where UMD was able to best the Gargoyles.

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs finished last year with a final overall record of 23-7 (18-4 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, finishing second in the Northern Division). UMD won the NSIC Championship tournament, before bowing out in the first round of the NCAA tournament to MSU Moorhead, who they beat to win the NSIC Tournament. UMD also took a pair of exhibition wins this past weekend, besting Bethel  University (81-63) and the University of Wisconsin Superior (82-45).

TOP OF THE BOARD: UMD ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the NSIC in every single stat category as a team. Along with ranking top or number two in every category, the Bulldgos ranked in the top six nationally (DII) in seven of those categories.

WHAT'S A TURNOVER: The Bulldogs ranked number No. 1 in all DII last season in assist turnover ration, finishing the season with a 2.20 average. UMD also held the top spot in DII in turnovers per game, finishing with an astonishing average of 5.0 per game. The next closest team was Walsh University, with 7.0.

BRICK CITY: The 34.5 field goal percentage was ranked first in the NSIC and sixth in all DII. The Bulldogs also were tops in the NSIC in blocked shots per game, and 24th in DII, with an average of 5.0 per game.

VALUE POSSESSIONS: UMD held the lowest turnovers in a single game last season, on that omitted just five turnovers. It was the season lowest recorded in DII.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: returnees senior guard Taylor Schneider and senior forward Katie Stark will be the captains of the 2019-20 UMD Bulldogs.

FAMILIAR FACES: The Bulldogs return nine players from last years NSIC regular season/tournament winning team, including All-NSIC second team recipient junior forward Sarah Grow and All-NSIC Freshman team recipient forward Brooke Olson. Grow received NSIC Player of the Week honors once last season, on December 17th.

OLSON PLAYER TO WATCH: Sophomore forward Brooke Olson was named the Bulldogs preseason player to watch for the season. Olson finished 2018-19 averaging 5.4 (166 total) rebounds per game, ranking 20th in the NSIC. She shot .425 from the floor, finishing third on the team while attempting 233 shots (made 99). She's expected to have a breakout year on both sides of the ball. She averaged 20.1 minutes a game last season.
 
NSIC PRESEASON COACHES POLL: The Bulldogs have steadily climbed to the forefront of the NSIC the past four 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 place second in the northern division and third overall in the NSIC.

The Bulldogs were picked this year to finish just behind MSU Moorhead in the northern division this year, finishing just three points back and receiving one first place vote. The Bulldogs did receive one first place vote for overall standing, finishing in third behind Sioux Falls (receiving six first place votes) and MSU Moorhead (finishing with nine first place votes).

Megan Hintz from MSU Moorhead was named  the NSIC North Division Preseason Player of the Year while Sioux Fall's Kaely Hummel was bestowed the NSIC South Division Preseason Player of the Year honors.

THE COACH: Fifth-year head coach Mandy Pearson has the program trending in the right direction. The Bulldogs have displayed definite signs of a program steadily rising the ranks. UMD doubled their win total from Pearson's first season at the helm and last season was another rewarding step as the Bulldogs finished 23-7 overall and 18-4 in league action, both program best season.

Already in four seasons, Pearson has evolved a trio of players to all-conference heights in forward Taylor Meyer, junior forward Sarah Grow and guard Sammy Kozlowski. Pearson's ingenuity has UMD boast one of the better defensive and ball control units in the nation. The Bulldogs were tops in all of Division II in turnovers per game and in the top-60 for points allowed per game in 2017-18. In 2018-19, UMD was No. 11 in points allowed per game, and No. 2 in fewest turnovers in all of Division II.

UMD officially announced in August 2015 the selection of former Saint Mary's University head coach Mandy Pearson to lead the next generation of UMD Bulldog women's basketball.

Pearson proved her ability to turn a program around while leading the NCAA Division III Cardinals since the 2007 season, providing stability to a program that posted a 7-18 record during the 2006-07 season and needed its third coach in as many seasons before she stepped into the role. 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 Recogntion 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 2013-14 and in the top-25 from d3hoops.com in 2014-15. 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 Artsin 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 six 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.

2018-19 ACCOLADES: Two players, alumnae Sammy Kozlowski and junior forward Sarah Grow were named to the All-NSIC team. Kozlowski was named to the first team while Grow was honored with second team honors. Sophomore forward Brooke Olson was named to the All-NSIC Freshman team and Kozlowski was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year. The Bulldogs won NSIC Player of the Week a total of three times last year, with Grow winning it once in December and Kozlowski winning it twice in January. Eight Bulldogs were named to the NSIC All-Academic team. Alumnae Emma Boehm, Josie Buckley, Maizi Deihl, Sammy Kozlowski, senior Katie Stark, junior Ann Simonet, junior Payton Kahl and sophomore Sarah Grow were all honored to the team. Emma Boehm was named as the recipent to the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic award.

ON TAP: The Bulldogs head to Springfield, Mo., to take on Drury university (Nov. 11, 5 PM).