THE OPENING TIP: With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the University of Minnesota Duluth can take control of the driver's seat of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with its last road games of the 2018-19 season. The Bulldogs collide this Friday and Saturday with Northern State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead with the Wolves going head-to-head with the Bulldogs on Friday at 5:30 p.m. The Bulldogs and the Dragons will fight for the top spot in the NSIC on Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. tip-off.

SCOUTING REPORT ON NORTHERN STATE: The Wolves are 9-15 overall and 6-12 in the NSIC. They defeated Southwest Minnesota State at home on Saturday to snap a seven-game losing streak. They are 6-5 at Wachs Arena this season.

Northern State scores 57.7 points per game and allows 60.4 points per game this season. It is 15th in the NSIC in offense and seventh defensively in the NSIC. The Wolves are shooting 38.7 percent (15th in the NSIC) but they are holding teams to 37.9 percent shooting (5th in the NSIC). Northern State ranks fifth in the NSIC in rebounds (39.3) and second in rebounding margin (7.7). The Wolves are 11th in assists (11.9), 15th in blocks (2.0) and last in steals (4.4).

Brianna Kusler leads Northern State averaging 11.4 points per game, 10.1 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game. She is third in the NSIC in rebounding and is first in defensive rebounding in the league (9.0). Lexi Wadsworth is scoring 9.9 points per game. She has led the team is scoring in four of the last eight games for the Wolves. Anika Fredrick leads the Wolves from the floor shooting at 44.7 percent. Brooke Luitjens has a team-high 25 three-pointers and leads Northern State with 20 steals.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MSU MOORHEAD: The Dragons are 19-5 overall and tied for the NSIC-lead with UMD at 15-3. Since MSU Moorhead lost to the Bulldogs, ending its 14-game winning streak, the Dragons are 3-2 including dropping a home contest at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse to Sioux Falls last Saturday. They are 8-1 at home this season. 

MSU Moorhead averages 68.2 points per game and gives up 58.8 points per game this season. It is seventh in the NSIC in offense and third in the NSIC in defense. The Dragons shoot 40.8 percent (seventh in the NSIC) and 75.5 percent (second in the NSIC) from the free-throw line for the season. They also rank first in the NSIC in turnovers per game (11.3), third in rebounds (41.6), first in offensive rebounds (14.0), ninth in blocks (2.8) and tenth in assists (12.7).

Kiley Borowicz is eighth in the NSIC in scoring and leads MSU Moorhead with 15.0 points per game. Borowicz leads the NSIC in three-point shooting. She is also averaging 2.2 assists per game and a team-leading 1.6 steals per game. Megan Hintz averages 14.6 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game, which leads the NSIC. She has a league-leading 11 double-doubles and is shooting a league-high 55.0 percentage. Jacky Volkert is scoring 12.8 points per game and leads the NSIC with 4.5 assists per game.

THE SERIES: UMD and Northern State will play in the 67th meeting this Saturday with the series tied at 33-33. The Bulldogs put a stop to Northern State's 13-game winning streak over UMD this past January with a 57-41 win at Romano Gymnasium. The last Bulldog victory in Aberdeen came on Dec. 18, 2010.

UMD and MSU Moorhead are set to play in the 88th meeting, the Bulldogs most-played rivalry. UMD leads the all-time series 53-34. The series has split each of the past two seasons but the Bulldogs have the chance to sweep the Dragons for the first time since the 2012-13 season. UMD beat MSUM 69-53 at Romano Gymnasium on Jan. 25, 2019.

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

LAST TIME OUT: UMD have won a NSIC-leading six straight games after taking care of Augustana University and Wayne State College this past week on the road. The Bulldogs defeated the Vikings 69-45 on Friday with four players scoring double figures. Senior forward Emma Boehm led UMD with 14 points off four three-pointers. The Bulldogs posted a season high 47 rebounds against Augustana and senior guard Sammy Kozlowski grabbed a collegiate best nine rebounds. UMD followed up with a 79-57 win over the Wildcats. Freshman forward Brooke Olson notched a career-high 18 points with 14 points in the third quarter alone. The Bulldogs forced a 25 turnovers and nabbed 19 steals, both season highs.

NORTH DIVISION PLAYER OF THE WEEK ACCOLADES: On three instances this season the Bulldogs have had a player named the NSIC North Division Player of the Week. Sophomore forward Sarah Grow was bestowed with the honor on Dec. 17, 2018. Senior guard Sammy Kozlowski was rewarded with the citation twice (Jan. 14 and 28).

CHASING THE NSIC REGULAR SEASON CROWN: Tied with Minnesota State Moorhead for the top spot, UMD is looking for its first NSIC crown in 16 years. The 2002-03 Bulldogs went 25-5 and 15-3 in conference play. They also won the NSIC postseason title and went to the NCAA North Central Region Tournament.

WINNING!: UMD has 15 wins in the NSIC this season. That is the most conference wins in a season since 2011-12. With four games remaining in league action, the Bulldogs can eclipse their 16-win total from the 1999-2000 season, the most by any UMD team. The Bulldogs went 16-2 and captured their then-ninth NSIC championship that season.

CONSISTENT DOGS: UMD has achieved at least 14 wins in nine of the last 11 years. Head coach Mandy Pearson has reached that threshold now in the previous three seasons.

HOME COOKIN': At Romano Gymnasium this season, the Bulldogs are 9-1 overall and 9-0 against NSIC competition. They are one win away from collecting its first 10-win home season since the 2011-12 season. 

AGAINST THE TOP 25: The victory over No. 24 MSU Moorhead on Jan. 25 was the first time in five attempts the Bulldogs came out with a victory against a ranked opponent. The Dragon were also the last team UMD beat before that handing the then-No. 15 team a 71-59 loss on Jan. 20, 2017.

1K FOR KOZLOWSKI: Senior guard Sammy Kozlowski reached 1,000 points for her collegiate career in the Dec. 19 game against Michigan Tech. She became the 21st Bulldog to accomplish the feat when she sunk a free-throw-line jumper in the third quarter. Taylor Meyer is last UMD player to amass 1,000 points as she reached the mark in the 2016-17 season.

CLIMBING THE SCORING RANKS: Senior guard Sammy Kozlowski has 1,148 career point which ranks her 16th on the Bulldogs' all-time scoring list passing former teammate Taylor Meyer (1,142 points). She is also 17 points away from passing Mary Barker for 15th all-time.

SAM I AM: Senior guard Sammy Kozlowski is approaching the top-5 in three statistical Bulldog categories -- three-point field goals, assists and steals. 

MASTER THIEF: Senior guard Sammy Kozlowski ranks ninth among active Division II players in total steals with her 236 career takeaways.

PICKPOCKET: Senior guard Sammy Kozlowski is ranked first in the conference in steals with 3.0 per contest. She is ranked 15th in the nation on a per game basis. She has 64 steals in 21 games.

SWIPED: Senior guard Sammy Kozlowski recorded a collegiate best eight steals against Mary on Jan. 11. Kozlowski has recorded a steal in every game this season. In fact, she has at least a steal in the last 30 games dating back to Jan. 20, 2018.

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 21 games this season. Grow is collecting 6.3 rebounds per game.

GET THAT OUTTA HERE: Sophomore forward Sarah Grow is first in the conference in blocked shots. Grow averages 2.38 blocks per game and has at least two blocks in 15 games this season.

PAINT PROTECTOR: Sophomore forward Sarah Grow is one of the best at protecting the basket. She is 29th in the NCAA with 2.37 blocks per game. She tallied a career high six blocks in the season opener against Northern Michigan. 

MILESTONE REJECTION: Sophomore forward Sarah Grow has 97 blocks for her career and is eight away from 100 blocks. Julie Coughlin holds the UMD record with 160 career rejections. 

BURYING TREYS: Senior forward Emma Boehm leads the NSIC in three-point field-goal percentage. On the season, Boehm is 26-for-49 from outside the arc. She is hitting her outside jumpers at a 53.1 percent clip. Cassie Askvig (Mary) is next at 47.2 percent.

LAY-UPS: The last six games has been won with ease. The Bulldogs have won each of the last six games by a margin of 15 points or more. They have 11 victories this season by 15 points or more.

DE-FENSE: UMD is allowing 54.0 points per game this season. That is the best figure in the NSIC and only nine other teams in the NCAA are holding opponents to a fewer points per game. Bowie State leads the nation at 49.1 points per game.

DENY THE THREE: Opposing teams are shooting 27.9 percent from behind the arc. That percentage clip is 32nd-best in the nation and first in the NSIC. Teams, this season, have shot 20 percent or lower on five occasions.

FROM DOWNTOWN: The Bulldogs have the best shooting percentage in the NSIC for three-point range and the 37th best overall in Division II. UMD is 126-for-359 for 35.1 percent.

BLOCK IT OR TAKE IT AWAY: UMD is first in the conference in blocks per game and second in steals per game. The Bulldogs average 4.4 blocks per game and 10.1 steals per game. Nationally, they are 37th in blocks and 38th in steals.

PRESSURE COOKER: The Bulldogs force 18.1 turnovers per game this season. That average is the third highest in the NSIC. They have forced at least 20 turnovers nine times already this season.

PRESSURE COOKER II: UMD has forced at least 11 turnovers in every game this year. It created a season high 25 times against Wayne State.

NO WASTED POSSESSIONS: UMD has 11.6 turnovers per game. It ranks as one of the best teams in the country in not spoiling scoring opportunities. Three other DII schools give the ball away less.

POSSESSIONS APLENTY: Stellar defense and taking care of the ball have poised the Bulldogs with one of the better turnover margins in the nation. They are 13th in the nation with a plus 6.50 turnover differential.

BALL CONTROL: UMD has the third best assist-to-turnover ratio in the nation. The 1.39 A/TO ratio is No. 1 in the NSIC  while Ashland has the top ratio at 1.52.

A NEAR SHUTOUT: UMD held SMSU to two points in the entire second quarter. It would have marked to first time the Bulldogs held a team to no points in a 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.

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 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 ends the regular season at home with the University of Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State University next weekend (Feb. 22-23).