THE OPENING TIP: The University of Minnesota Duluth will set its course south this Friday and Saturday to square off against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division foes Augustana University and Wayne State College. The Bulldogs (14-5; 13-3 NSIC) put their conference-leading four-game winning streak on the line in Sioux Falls, S.D., and Wayne, Neb., in the start of the longest road trip of the season. Friday's contest against the Vikings will begin at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday's contest versus the Wildcats will tip at 3:30 p.m.

SCOUTING REPORT ON AUGUSTANA: The Vikings are 19-6 overall and 11-5 in the NSIC. They lost in their recent outing to Mary on the road. Augustana started 14-1 but have cooled off as of late, going 5-5 in its last 10 games. The Vikings have been nearly unbeatable at home as they boast a 10-1 record at the Elmen Center. Augustana is the top scoring offense in the NSIC, scoring 76.0 points per game. Its defense is allowing 61.9 points per game and it has the biggest average margin of victory this season. The Vikings have relied on three-point shooting and tough defense. Augustana is averaging a NSIC-best 8.8 triples this season. It is shooting 42.6 percent for the season, third in the NSIC. Opposing teams are shooting only 36 percent, which is the No. 1 in the league. The Vikings are also the top team in the NSIC in steals (10.9) and forced turnovers (17.9) per game. Shelby Selland was averaging 14.4 points and 8.1 rebounds this season before having her season come to a halt with an injury that has sidelined her fort three last eight Viking games. Lynsey Prosser now directs Augustana with 12.4 points per game. She also has 4.6 rebounds and paces the Vikings with 3.9 assists. Vishe Rabb and Abby Hora are each dropping 11 points per game this season.

SCOUTING REPORT ON WAYNE STATE: The Wildcats are 13-9 overall and 8-8 in the NSIC. They were swept on the road last weekend to Minot State and Mary. Wayne State, who has lost four of the last six, is fighting for one of the final home conference postseason spots with three weeks remaining. The Wildcats are sixth in the NSIC with 70.0 points per game and they allow 67.0 points on average this season. They shoot only 38.8 percent from the field, which is 13th in the league, but they are among the conference's best in getting the free-throw line. Wayne State is fourth in the NSIC in blocks (4.0) and assists (15.5). Erin Norling leads the Wildcats with 15.2 points per game this season. She is fifth in the NSIC in scoring. Brittany Bongratz is second for Wayne State with 12.0 points per game. Hailey Busse is averaging 11.6 points per game and is the leading the team behind the arc (39 triples and 39.4 percent). Andrea Larsen pulls down a team high 6.3 rebounds and Busse leds the team with 3.7 assists per game. 

THE SERIES: UMD and Augustana will play in the 29th meeting all-time with the Vikings leading the series 19-9. Augustana has won the last three games against the Bulldogs including a 69-46 win last season in Sioux Falls. The last win on the road against the Vikings for UMD came on Jan. 31, 2014.

UMD and Wayne State will play for the 17th time with the victor on Saturday gaining the edge in the series. Both teams have won 13 times but the Wildcats have won nine of the last 10 meetings. Wayne State held off the Bulldogs 76-70 last season in Wayne. The last UMD victory came two seasons ago at home but the Bulldogs haven't left Wayne State with a win since Jan. 2, 2009 (63-54 win).

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 ran its winning streak to four in-a-row, the longest in the NSIC, after beating Winona State University and Upper Iowa University. 

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

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.

CHASING THE NSIC REGULAR SEASON CROWN: One game back in the conference race, 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.

CONFERENCE WINNING!: UMD has 13 wins in the NSIC this season. That ties the conference mark from last season. With six games remaining in league action, the Bulldogs can eclipse their 16-win total from the 1999-2000 season, the most by a UMD team. The Bulldogs went 16-2 and captured their then-ninth NSIC championship that season.

13 AND COUNTING: Since the conference went to the 22-game schedule, the Bulldogs have won over 13 games during their league slate just once (2011-12; 15-7). One win this weekend will mark the second time in nine seasons the Bulldogs won at least 14 conference contests.

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 1,129 career point which ranks her 17th on the Bulldogs' all-time scoring list. Former teammate Taylor Meyer is ahead of Kozlowski for 16th with 1,142 points. She is also 36 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 229 career takeaways.

PICKPOCKET: Senior guard Sammy Kozlowski is ranked first in the conference in steals with 3.0 per contest. She is ranked 13th in the nation on a per game basis. She has 57 steals in 19 games.

YOINK: Senior guard Sammy Kozlowski swiped a collegiate best eight steals against Mary. Only on 18 other occasions this year has a player garnered as many steals as her. Kozlowski has recorded a steal in every game this season. In fact, she has at least a steal in the last 28 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 19 games this season. Grow is collecting 6.2 rebounds per game.

GET THAT OUTTA HERE: Sophomore forward Sarah Grow is first in the conference in blocked shots. Grow averages 2.37 blocks per game and has at least two blocks in 13 games this season.

PAINT PROTECTOR: Sophomore forward Sarah Grow is one of the best at protecting the basket. She is 28th 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 92 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 21-for-40 from outside the arc. She is hitting her outside jumpers at a 52.5 percent clip. Cassie Askvig (Mary) is next at 47.9 percent.

CAREER OUTINGS: Senior forward Emma Boehm scored a career high 20 points two seasons away against Wayne State. In last season's contest against the Wildcats, junior forward Katie Stark dished out a career high six assists  and sophomore guard Ann Simonet tied her collegiate high with four steals. 

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

DE-FENSE: UMD is allowing 54.4 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 49.6 points per game.

DENY THE THREE: Opposing teams are shooting 27.5 percent from behind the arc. That percentage clip is 25th-best in the nation and second in the NSIC. Teams, this season, have shot 20 percent or lower on five occasions.

FROM DOWNTOWN: The Bulldogs have the second best shooting percentage in the NSIC for three-point range and the 32nd best overall in Division II. UMD is 117-for-330 for 35.5 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 9.8 steals per game. Nationally,  they are 32nd in blocks and 52nd in steals.

PRESSURE COOKER: The Bulldogs force 17.6 turnovers per game this season. That average is the third highest in the NSIC. They have forced at least 20 turnovers eight times already this season.

PRESSURE COOKER II: UMD has forced at least 11 turnovers in every game this year. It created a season-high 24 turnovers against Minnesota State.

NO WASTED POSSESSIONS: UMD has 11.5 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. Fort Hays State is No.1 at 10.8.

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 20th in the nation with a plus 6.16 turnover differential.

BALL CONTROL: UMD has the fourth best assist-to-turnover ratio in the nation. The 1.38 A/TO ratio is No. 1 in the NSIC  while Ashland has the top ratio at 1.53.

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.

ON TAP: UMD will make its final regular season road trip of the season next weekend (Feb. 15-16) when it challenges Northern State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead.