Last weekend, the Bulldogs traveled to face off against Minot State on Saturday.
The Bulldogs started the game hot as they jumped out to an early 9-0 lead just two minutes into the game. From there, the Bevers responded with a run of their own as they battled their way back into the game. The Bulldogs once again went on another run to extend the Bulldogs lead to 8 points as they led 15-7 with 2:40 remaining in the first quarter. The Bulldogs managed to build their lead down the stretch as they took a 19-7 first quarter lead. The Bulldogs shot 8-17 (47.1%) from the field and 1-7 (14.3%) from three-point range in the first quarter. The Beavers shot 3-16 (18.8%) from the field and 1-6 (16.7%) from three-point range.
The Bulldogs continued their strong defensive start to the game in the second quarter as they held the Beavers scoreless for over three minutes into the second quarter. During that time, the Bulldogs managed to extend their lead to 23-9. Payton Kahl followed that up with a three-pointer on the next possession to extend the Bulldogs lead. The bulldogs continued to dominate as the Beavers had to answers to the Bulldogs attack. A Brooke Olson layup extended the Bulldog lead to 34-12 with 2:18 remaining in the half. Down the stretch, both defenses put together some stops as the Bulldogs led 34-14 at halftime. The Bulldogs shot 6-11 (54.5%) from the field and 1-1 from three-point range in the second quarter. The Beavers struggled from the field again as they shot 3-12 (25%) from the field and 0-6 from three-point range.
Both teams started the second half with a pair of baskets as both teams started off hot. The hot shooting continued to begin the half as the Beavers hit a three-pointer to cut the Bulldogs lead down. Maesyn Thiesen responded with a three-pointer of her own to extend the Bulldogs lead to 43-27 with 5:24 remaining in the third quarter. Thiesen stayed hot in the quarter as she hit another three-pointer to extend the Bulldogs lead back to over twenty points. Both teams traded baskets down the stretch as Brooke Olson capped off the third quarter with a layup to give the Bulldogs a 59-39 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs shot 11-19 (57.89%) from the field and 3-5 (60%) from three-point range in the third quarter. The Beavers shot 10-19 (52.6%) from the field and 2-6 (33.3%) from three-point range in the quarter.
Ann Simonet extended the Bulldogs lead to begin the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs led 62-39. From there, the Bulldogs and Beavers traded baskets for most of the quarter as both teams began to empty their benches. Taya Hakamaki added some quality minutes in the fourth quarter for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs their young bench players some quality minutes in the fourth quarter with the game well out of reach. The Bulldogs capped off their wire-to-wire win with a 77-58 road win!
For the Record
Coming into the matchup, the Bulldogs are currently 19-4 (17-2)... Bemidji State is 13-10 (11-8) coming into the Thursday matchup... Minnesota Crookston is currently 4-17 (3-12).
Previous Meetings
The Bulldogs have dominated the Beavers in recent history as the Bulldogs have won 10 straight games. They have also won 17 of the last 18 games in the series. Thier last matchup came earlier this season as UMD went on to win 61-59.
Coming into the matchup with the Golden Eagles, the Bulldogs have controlled the recent matchups. The Bulldogs have won 6 straight games and have won 15 of the last 17 matchups in the series. The Bulldogs won their most recent matchup on December 4, 2021 when they won 78-46.
Scouting the Beavers
Coming into this weekend, Bemidji State has the 5th best scoring offense in the NSIC. They are also 6th in the conference in points allowed as they are allowing just 64.4 points per game. The Beavers are led by Rachael Heittola who is 5th in the conference in scoring as she is averaging 15.7 points per game.
Scouting the Golden Eagles
The Golden Eagles currently are 15th in the conference in scoring as they are averaging 59.6 points per game. They are also 8th in the conference as they are allowing 66.0 points per game. They are led by Kylie Post who is averaging 10.94 points per game this season.
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 17.7 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game. She has also been awarded the North Division Player of the Week twice this season.
Three of the NSIC's Best
The matchup between Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State will feature two of the top scorers in the NSIC. UMD's Brooke Olson is currently 2nd in the conference in scoring as she is averaging 17.7 points per game. Bemidji State's Rachael Heittola is 5th in the conference as she is averaging 15.7 points per game.
Efficiency
The Bulldogs are currently the most efficient team in the NSIC this season. The Bulldogs are first in the NSIC in field goal percentage this season as they are shooting 44.8% from the field. They also lead the conference as they are allowing just 36.1% shooting on the defensive end of the floor.
Defensive Battle
The Bulldogs come into the weekend with the second best scoring defense in the NSIC. The Bulldogs are currently allowing just 55.2 points per game this season. Bemidji State ranks 6th in the conference in scoring defense as they are allowing just 64.4 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. This recent WBCA poll had the Bulldogs receiving votes, coming on the heels of their 11 game win streak.
