THE OPENING TIP: The University of Minnesota Duluth opens the new year with a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate opponents in Bemidji State University (Jan. 3) and the University of Minnesota Crookston (Jan. 4).

SCOUTING REPORT ON BEMIDJI STATE: The Beavers come in to the weekend after closing out 2019 with a pair of wins and a loss. The loss would come to Wayne State University (87-82) before beating Augustana University  (74-57) and MInnesota Crookston (79-57). BSU currently sits in fifth in the northern division and T-7th overall in the NSIC to start the new year. The Beavers carry a 3-3 conference record while going 6-4 overall on the season. Chelsea Deville heads Bemidji State this year, in her fifth year as the head coach. As head coach, Deville has carried a 30-89 (.252) record with the Beavers. With six wins on the year to this point, BSU is has tied the win count for last year and is looking to have their best year under Deville.
Brooklyn Bachmann was selected as the Beavers preseaon Player to Watch for the season. So far on the seaosn, Bachmann has carried a 9.2 points per game which sits third on the squad. She is averaging 5.2 rebounds per game which is tied for second on the team. Trinity Myer has lead the team in scoring this season, averaging 14.0 points per game while leading the team in rebounds as well with 6.3 per game. While leading the team in ppg and rpg, she as well leads the team with a totl of 38 assists. She has two blocks and 15 steals on the season as well.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MINNESOTA CROOKSTON: The Golden Eagles break into the new year after going 1-2 to finish out 2019. UMC would lose to Augustana (63-54) before beating Wayne State in a battle until the end (66-65). In their final game of 2019, UMC would fall to Bemidji State (79-57). The Golden Eagles currently sit 7th in the northern division and T-12th overall in the NSIC. UMC carries a 1-5 conference record while going 2-8 overall on the season. Mike Roysland is in his 14th season with the Golden Eagles, carrying a 125-240 (.342) overall record in that span.
Paige Weakley was selected as UMC's preseason Player to Watch this season. So far this season, Weakly has managed to score 4.2 points per game, grabbing 2.8 rebounds per game in the process. Abby Guidinger has been leading the way for UMC, scoring an average of 9.0 points per game while being able to grab an average of 2.7 rebounds per game. Bren Fox has been leading the way for the Golden Eagles in rebounds, grabbing an average of 7.8 per game.

THE SERIES: Since the turn of the decade, UMD has had the upper on the Beavers, going 17-1 against BSU. The Bulldogs have won the past four match-ups and are 4-0 in the past two seasons, with the last contest coming last season, with UMD winning 68-47. The Bulldogs record looks similar against the Golden Eagles, carrying an 18-2 record against UMC since 2010. In the past two seasons, the Bulldogs have been 3-1 against UMC, with the last contest going in favor of UMD with a 77-49 victory.

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs closed out the 2019 calender year on a nine game win streak and going 6-0 in conference play, beating St. Cloud State in a 64-59 battle. The UMD currently sits atop the northern division as well as overall in the NSIC.

HOW THEY RANK: Below is a look at the Bulldogs overall record, conference rank, and rank in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association DII Poll, as well as their opponents.
 

SCHOOL	RECORD	NSIC RANK	WABC
UMD	9-3	1ST	RV
BSU	6-4	T-7TH	NR
UMC	2-8	T-12TH	NR

THE BROADCAST: The game between the Bulldogs and the Huskies will be available through live streaming capabilities at the following link:

UMDBulldogs.com/watch

Live stats are available through the same link, following the live stats button: UMDBulldogs.com/watch

THAT'S OUR BALL: The Bulldogs currently rank eighth in the NSIC in total rebounds with 417 in nine games this season. Katie Stark has been leading the charge and has an average of 6.6 per game, which is good for 10th in the NSIC, and has totaled 79, which is 11th in the NSIC.

PASS ME THE ROCK: The Bulldogs are currently in third in the NSIC in assists per game, averaging 15.58, and third for total assists with 187.  Sophomore guard Maesyn Thiesen is leading the way, leading the NSIC in assists per game with 4.8 (37th in DII) and sits in second in total assists with 58.

TOP OF THE BOARD: UMD ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the NSIC in every single stat category as a team in 2018-19.  Along with ranking top or number two in every category, the Bulldogs 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 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 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 recipient to the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic award.

ON TAP: The Bulldogs take to the road to square off against the University of Mary (Jan. 10) and Minot State (Jan. 11).