The #9 University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team will take the court on  Feb. 25 at 11:00 a.m. at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls where they will take on Concordia St. Paul in the NSIC Tournament quarterfinals. 

The Bulldogs currently lead the NSIC in tournament titles with seven. Their most recent being in 2022 where they won their third consecutive NSIC tournament. This will mark the second time since the 2013/2014 season that the Bulldogs and Golden Bears have faced each other in the NSIC postseason.

ON THE SEASON
The  Bulldogs are coming into the NSIC quarterfinals with a 24-3 record and a six game winning streak. The Bulldogs currently hold the #9 ranking in the country and the #2 spot in the NCAA Central region. UMD will look to win a fourth straight NSIC Tournament championship and add to their NSIC regular season championship. 

2022-23 NSIC Coach of the Year Mandy Pearson will lead the way for the Bulldogs. Pearson, who is in her 8th season with the Bulldogs, has turned UMD Women's basketball into a powerhouse not only in the NSIC but also in the NCAA central region. 

The Bulldog defense ranks in the top ten nationally and first in the NSIC in scoring defense. UMD has been giving up just 55.2 points per game, holding eight opponents under 50 points and two opponents under 40 points. Their lowest game is against the Golden Bears in January when they held them to just 34 points. The Bulldogs are also ranked eighth in the country for their 5.1 average of blocks per game. 

Offensively the Bulldogs are just as dangerous, ranked number five nationally and first in the NSIC for field goals, the Bulldogs are shooting 47 percent from the field and average the 16th fewest turnovers per game with 12.9. 

UMD's offensive success is centered around the 2022-23 NSIC North Division Player of the Year Brooke Olson. The fifth-year forward has had a historical season with four consecutive NSIC North Player of the Year awards, three consecutive NSIC tournament championships, and is a three time All-American. 

Olson also finished the regular season as the NSIC's all-time regular season scorer with 1615 points. Good for an average of 21.2 points per game, ranking her first in the NSIC and tenth in Division II. She is also on the NCAA DII all-time scoring list for active players with 2270 points. Her career high came in the Bulldogs last regular season game against Bemidji State where she scored 40 points, surpassing her previous career high at 35 points. 

History against the Golden Bears
This will be the 48th meeting for the Bulldogs and Golden Bears on Saturday. UMD holds the narrow lead over the Golden Bears with a 25-22 lead in the all-time series since the 1975-76 season. 

In NSIC play the Bulldogs hold a 12-14 record against the Bears; however, the Bulldogs have gone 4-1 since the 2017-18 season. Head Coach Mandy Pearson holds a 5-2 record against the Golden Bears in the regular season.