Last weekend, the Bulldogs traveled to face off against Augustana and Wayne State.

In the first quarter, the Vikings took an early advantage as they led 10-6 after a few quick baskets in the paint. The Bulldogs quickly answered to take an 13-10 lead with 4:28 left in the first quarter. From there, teams traded baskets down the stretch as the Bulldogs managed to pull away for a 18-14 first quarter lead. The Vikings offense began to come alive early in the second quarter as they were able to jump out to an 29-22 Vikings lead. Thanks to a Kaylee Nelson three-pointer with :17 seconds remaining, the Bulldogs were able to trim the lead to two points as the Vikings took a halftime lead 34-32.

The second half began with both teams once again battling as the Bulldogs managed to cut into the Augustana lead. After taking a 43-42 lead, the Bulldogs went on an 8-point run to take an 51-42 lead with 3:20 remaining in the third quarter. The Vikings responded with two straight baskets before Madelyn Granica hit a three-pointer as time expired to give the Bulldogs a 54-46 lead going into the fourth quarter. To begin the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs managed to extend their lead to 57-48 early in the fourth quarter. Despite the lead, the Vikings managed to cut into the Bulldog lead as they tied the game at 59-59 with 3:09 remaining. After a three-pointer from Ann Simonet gave the Bulldogs a 62-59 lead, the Vikings answered to trim the Bulldog lead down to 62-61. From there, the Bulldogs managed to sink some free-throws to ice the game and win on the road 64-61.

The Bulldogs responded quickly however as a Brooke Olson scored on back-to-back possessions to tie the game up at 9-9. From there, the Bulldogs slowly began to take control of the game as they worked their way out to a 17-11 lead late in the quarter. The Wildcats managed to score at the buzzer as the Bulldogs took a 17-13 first quarter lead. To begin the second quarter, the Wildcats quickly erased the Bulldogs lead and created one of their own. After a Sarah Grow jump shot gave the Bulldogs an 28-26 lead with :31 seconds remaining, the Wildcats answered with a layup right before half to tie it up at halftime 28-28.

The Bulldogs started the second half on fire from the field as they quickly jumped out to an 40-33 lead with 7:31 left in the third quarter. The Bulldogs continued to hold onto their lead for most of the quarter until the Wildcats managed to chip away at the Bulldogs lead late in the third quarter and managed to tie the game up at 50-50 with 1:16 remaining in the quarter. Teams were tied up at 52-52. The Bulldogs managed to build up their lead throughout the quarter as they managed to gain a 63-56 lead with 4:20 remaining. The Bulldogs went on to win the game 69-65.

For the Record

Coming into the matchup, the Bulldogs are currently 14-4 (12-2)...

Southwest Minnesota State currently hols a 9-7 (6-6) record... Sioux Falls has a record of 13-6 (8-4).

Previous Meetings

The Bulldogs have had the Mustangs number in recent history as they have won the previous 5 meetings between the teams. The last meeting came during the 2019-20 season when the Bulldogs beat the Mustangs on the road 70-59.

Coming into the matchup with the Cougars, the Bulldogs have won 4 straight matchups. The last meeting between the teams came during last years NSIC Conference Tournament when the Bulldogs won 78-64.

Scouting the Mustangs

Coming into this weekend, the Mustangs currently rank 7th in the conference in scoring as they are averaging 68.8 points per game. They also currently rank 8th in the conference allowing just 65.6 points per game. The Mustangs are led by Meleah Reinhart who is 10th in scoring in the conference as she is averaging 14.3 points per game.

Scouting the Cougars

The Cougars are currently 4th in the NSIC in scoring as they are averaging 70.9 points per game. They also are 3rd in scoring defense as they are allowing just 60.6 points per game. Sioux Falls is led by Megan Fannin who is 9th in the conference averaging 14.5 points per game.

Experienced

The Bulldogs feature a very experienced lineup. Their lineup features 3 fifth years, 3 seniors and 5 juniors. This is a team 6 players with over 50 games played, including a trio of players with over 100 games played. The Bulldogs come into the season with a lot of experience of what it takes to make it through a long season and make it to the conference championship game.

NSIC Preseason Player of the Year

Bulldogs senior forward Brooke Olson was named as they NSIC Preseason Player of the Year. So far this season, Olson has averaged 17.9 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. She has also been awarded the North Division Player of the Week once this season.
 

Three of the NSIC's Best

The matchup between Minnesota Duluth, Southwest Minnesota State, and Sioux Falls will feature three of the top ten scorers in the NSIC. UMD's Brooke Olson is tied for second in the conference as she is averaging 17.9 points per game. USF's Megan Fannin is 9th in the conference with 14.5 points. SMSU's Meleah Reinhart is 10th in the conference with 14.3 points per game.

Efficiency

The Bulldogs are currently one of the most efficient teams in the NSIC this season. The Bulldogs are second in the NSIC in field goal percentage this season as they are shooting 44%. They also lead the conference as they are allowing just 36.8% shooting on the defensive end of the floor.

Defensive Battle

The Bulldogs come into the weekend with the  best scoring defense in the NSIC. The Bulldogs are currently allowing just 56.1 points per game this season. Sioux Falls also ranks towards the top of the conference as they are allowing just 60.6 points per game.

Nationally Ranked

Coming into the season, the Bulldogs were ranked No. 18 in the country according to the WBCA preseason coaches poll. The Bulldogs finished last season ranked No. 12 in the country in the WBCA poll. The Bulldogs also earned the No. 15 rank in the D2SIDA preseason poll. Following their first week of games, the Bulldogs jumped up to the No. 15 spot in the country but following two straight losses, the Bulldogs fell out of the top 25.