The No. 2 University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team will cap off its historic season Saturday in a bid to make the biggest history of all when the Bulldogs face No. 1 Ashland University in the NCAA Division II National Championship at American Airlines Center in Dallas Texas. UMD will make its first-ever title game appearance, while the Eagles will be stepping on to biggest stage in college basketball of a fifth time in program history.

Date: April 1, 2023  2:30 p.m. Saturday, NCAA Championship

Site: American Airlines Center - Dallas, Texas

UMD: 32-3

Ashland: 36-0

TV: CBS Sports Network

IT'S TOURNAMENT TIME!: UMD is in the midst of its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance.  The 15th NCAA Tournament trip for the Bulldogs has also been full of firsts -- including the fartherest UMD has ever gone in its postseason history. All-time, the Bulldogs are 13-13 in the NCAA postseason and 6-3 under eighth year head coach Mandy Pearson. Until last week, UMD had never played in an NCAA Elite Eight game, let alone made an NCAA Final Four appearance. 

Saturday will mark the program's first ever NCAA Championship title tilt -- in fact, it will mark just the third time in UMD athletics history that a Division II team has played for a national championship -- the football program won NCAA titles in both 2008 and 2010. (Both of UMD's Division I hockey programs have both won multiple NCAA titles and played in a plethra of NCAA national title games, and individually, the Bulldogs have multiple track and field athletes grab NCAA titles.)

OLSEN NEARS NCAA TOURNAMENT RECORD: Brooke Olson has recorded 145 points so far in the NCAA postseason -- just four points shy of the all-time DII NCAA Tournament record of 149 points, set by Johannah Leedham of Franklin Pierce in 2009.

OLSEN BY THE NCAA TOURNAMENT NUMBERS: Newly minted 2023 WBCA NCAA Division II Player of the Year Brooke Olson has had a 2023 NCAA Tournament to remember so far. The graduate senior, who is averaging 23.1 points a game through 35 games this season has offensively ignited in the tournament, averaging a staggering 29.0 ppg and 10.3 rebounds a game for a double-double average through five games. Olson owns a 61.1 field goal average and is 21-of-22 from the charity stripe for a 95.6 success rate.

Those numbers have Olson near the top of the NCAA Tournament in a multitude of categories, first with three NCAA postseason double-doubles. Olson ranks second in points per game (29.0), first in field goal attempts (95), and second in rebounds (51).

But Olson isn't the only Bulldog with some of the best NCAA Tournament stats in the country. Ella Gilbertson owns the second most steals (13), while also laying claim to the second-best assist/turnover ratio (4.00), while Taya Hakamaki sits fifth with six blocks.

CAREER NCAA TOURNAMENT NUMBERS: Brooke Olson and Maesyn Thiesen have already played in a program-record nine NCAA Tournament games, but their stats over those games is beyond impressive.

Olson has averaged 26.3 ppg in the NCAA postseason, and a double-double with 10.3 rebounds per game. Thiesen has averaged 7.5 ppg over those same nine games, and has added an average of 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per NCAA Tournament outing.

HOW UMD GOT TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP: 

BULLDOGS DEFEAT CATAWBA IN NCAA FINAL FOUR: The No. 2 Bulldogs won their first-ever NCAA Final Four game when UMD defeated No. 6 Catawba University 70-59 at the St. Joseph Civic Center in St. Joseph, Missouri.

"Coming into the tournament, we were like what, it takes six games to get to that national championship?" said graduate senior Brooke Olson after the game. "And I thought wow, that's not too many that we have to win in order or to get there, and so I think we again held on to that. It's definitely surreal. I don't think it'll hit me until after, or maybe when we're in Dallas, and I think that's just gonna be a great experience. So I think we're really just excited to get down there. I'm just really excited to be a part of it."

Catawba scored five straight points to open the game, and led UMD by14-7 at 2:58 of the first quarter, but the Bulldogs took a 19-16 lead on a three-pointer from Madelyn Granica, giving UMD its first advantage of the game.

After picking up her second foul 1:44 left in the first quarter, Olson didn't return to the game until 7:51 on the  second, with UMD trailing 25-24. But the forward went to work, recording seven-straight points for the Bulldogs and at 2:31 of the second, UMD had opened up a six point, 36-30 lead.

While Olson kept tallying points on the offense in the third quarter, the Bulldogs defense did what it has been doing best in the NCAA Tournament – smothering teams in the third frame. UMD didn't surrender a single field goal in the quarter, and held Catawba to season lows in field goals (16) and shooting percentage (27.6) in the game. The six-point third quarter for Catawba happened solely from the free-throw line, and those six points marked a season-low.

UMD has used its third quarters to pull away from teams over the tournament, and Wednesday was no different. The Bulldogs have allowed just 50 points through six games, forcing opponents into a 23.1%  field goal percentage (15-of-65) and just 2-of-14 from three-point land (14.2%).

The Bulldogs took a 48-39 lead into the final quarter, a lead that was never truly in jeopardy for the final 10 minutes. Ella Gilbertson continued her strong NCAA tournament, and made three-straight buckets to open the quarter. Catawba's last efforts were futile, and despite pulling within six points with 19.2 left in the game, Olson hit three-of-four possible free throw attempts in the final 16.3 to seal UMD's first-ever win in the NCAA Final Four.

Olson led all scorers with 34 points, and now stands just four points shy (145) of breaking the single-NCAA tournament record of 149 points set in 2009. Gilbertson added 14 off the bench, along with Taya Hakamaki, who had seven points and three assists and who attacked the basket at times UMD needed it most. Olson finished with a game-high 10 rebounds, while Gilbertson added six boards to go with three steals. The Bulldogs outrebounded Catawba 41-30, who finished its season 29-5.

NOTES FROM THE FINAL FOUR SEMIFINAL: UMD is now 13-13 all-time in the NCAA tournament, while UMD head coach Mandy Pearson and her two graduate seniors Brooke Olson and Maesyn Thiesen are 6-3. 

--Thiesen played all 40 minutes last Wednesday night and held Catawba's leading scorer Lyrik Thorne to just 11 points. 

--UMD is outscoring its opponents 87-50 in the third quarter

--Olson earned her seventh double-double and now has eight games this season with at least 30 points, including three in the last five games. It was also the graduate senior's 29th straight-game scoring in double figures.

----With its 13th NCAA triumph, UMD owns the second-most tournament wins among NSIC schools in league history.

UMD WINS FIRST-EVER ELITE EIGHT GAME: UMD's first-ever Elite Eight game was a good one back on March 20, when the Bulldogs defeated Assumption 61-41 to advance to their first-ever Final Four.

UMD's game plan took a detour when Brooke Olson picked up two fouls in the first 2:31 of action, but the Bulldogs rallied in the National Player of the Year's absence to go on a 11-2 run that pushed UMD into a 16-5 lead with 2:20 left to play in the first quarter. That run was jump-started by four-straight points from Ella Gilbertson, and ended with a 16-7 Bulldog advantage after the first 10 minutes of action.

The Greyhounds, who came into the game boasting the nation's top defense, were stifled by UMD's efforts, and scored just 14 points by half to the Bulldogs 27.

That trend continued in the second half, and by the time Olson returned, UMD held a turnover advantage of 11-1 midway through the third quarter, which helped steer the Bulldogs to a 39-26 lead after three quarters of play.

Assumption had its most offensively productive quarter in the fourth, managing 15 points, but the Bulldogs added 21 of their own to put away their first-ever NCAA Elite Eight game and claim their ticket to the NCAA Final Four – the first by a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Collegiate team in a decade.

Despite early foul trouble,  Olson led all scorers with 15 points in just 16:54 of time – nearly a point per minute for the graduate senior. Olson added 10 points in the second half to push her game total to 15 and hauled in six rebounds. Gilbertson posted 12 points, and five of her six boards came on the defensive end of the court. Maesyn Thiesen led all UMD players with seven total rebounds and both sides with a game-high four assists.

 But it was the Bulldogs defense that did the talking Monday, allowing program NCAA Tournament low 41 points to the Greyhounds, while forcing them into 19 turnovers that led to 22 UMD points. It also marked the second time this season UMD has held an opponent scoreless from the three-point line, all the while keeping Assumption so uncomfortable it shot just 28.3 from the field.

NOTES FROM THE ELITE EIGHT WIN: Multiple Bulldog players broke UMD's single-season game record in the win, stepping past Kelli Ritzer, Mary Zgonc, Denise Holm, Mary Hannula and Sue Peterson for their 34th game played (the old record was 33 games) Those players are Taya Hakamaki, Lexi Karge, Kaylee Nelson, Brooke Olson, Taytum Rhoades and Maesyn Thiesen.

--The Bulldogs had 28 points from their bench , while the Greyhounds had just five.

NCAA CENTRAL REGIONAL ROUND UP: On the way to get to an Elite Eight its never visited, UMD had to do something it had never done -- host an NCAA Regional Tournament.

The home court was home cooking for the Bulldogs, who averaged 76.3 points per game -- five more points than UMD averaged during the rest of the season. 

After knocking off eight seed Southern Nazarene 66-50 behind 32 points (15-22 shooting) and eight rebounds from Brooke Olson and an additional 10 points, four assists and four rebounds from Maesyn Thiesen, UMD got a NSIC Tournament Championship game rematch with Minnesota State University, Mankato on March 11th.

The Bulldogs used a 20-8 scoring run in the third quarter to put the Mavericks away 86-70, helped in part by Olson's career-best 43 point effort and 14 rebound night. Four other players posted double digit scoring lines Taya Hakamaki (13 points), Thiesen (12 points), and Taytum Rhoades (12 points).

UMD saved its best for last, however, and stunned Missouri Southern with a comeback in Romano Gym that will never be forgotten.  The Bulldogs trailed by as many as 20 points in the game, includling a deficit of 11 points with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter. But the Bulldogs went on a 16-4 scoring spree from 2:07 until the final buzzer, and a three-pointer from Ella Gilbertson with a tad over 15 seconds on the clock turned out to be the game-winner for the Bulldogs, who advanced to their first Elie Eight in program history after falling short in their one and only other attempt in 2000-01.

Olson and Gilbertson led UMD with 21 points apiece, while Olson added 13 rebounds and Gilbterson contributed five. Hakamaki, who has taken a shine to the NCAA postseason spotlight, added 14 points to go with her four assists. 

NICE TO MEET YOU: UMD and Ashland University will meet for the first time in either program history Saturday.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE EAGLES: The Eagles will bring an undefeated record of 36-0 into Saturday's showdown, and will make their program's fifth appearance in an NCAA title tilt. Ashland won NCAA titles in 2013 and 2017, and head coach Kari Pickens was a player on the 2013 team and an assistant coach on the 2017 team. Pickens would be the first player in DII history to win as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

Ashland is led by on the court by Annie Roshak, who is averaging 14.4 ppg.  Roshak is averaging 17.2 points in NCAA postseason play, while four Eagles are averaging double digits in points over the season.

TURNT UP FOR THE TOURNEY: Multiple Bulldogs have dialed up their offensive production in the NCAA Tournament without the last name Olson, and maybe none greater than sixth-player off the bench is junior forward Ella Gilbertson. Gilbertson is averaging 11.4 ppg through five NCAA games (she has averaged 10.3 overall now over the season), with 13 steals and a 4.00 assist/turnover ratio.  Right behind Gilbertson is junior guard Taya Hakamaki, who has recorded 10.2 ppg in the tournament after putting up 9.1 per game over the course of the whole season. Hakamaki, who trails only Olson in shooting perentage from the field with 44.7, is shooting 81.8 from the free throw line -- behind Olson (95.5), and Gilbertson (85.7)

Graduate senior Maesyn Thiesen is up to 8.2ppg after averaging 7.5 over the season

POINT TAKEN: Brooke Olson hasn't just been scoring in the postseason. The graduate senior ranks third in the NCAA currently with 23.1 points per game. Olson has compiled the second most overall points in program history and enters Wednesday's contest with 2,504 career points. UMD's all-time scoring leader is Dina Kangas, who piled up 2,810 points between 1987-91, an NCAA record.

BOARD MEMBER: Brooke Olson also has 935 career rebounds -- fourth most in program history and five shy of the third spot currently held by Carmen Kuntz from 1983-87. No player in the last 20 years has had more career rebounds than Olson -- the last player to get over 900 was Kim Toewe from 1999-03.

WINNING WAYS: The Bulldogds have blown past their win record for a single season with 32 -- the previous record was 26. UMD is also currently on a 14 game-winning streak -- the program's longest winning streak was 17 games, set Dec. 30, 1990 through March 7, 1991 under legendary head coach Karen Stromme.

Those 32 wins have pushed head coach Mandy Pearson to the 150 win plateau 

(and beyond with 156). Pearson is just the second head coach in program history to reach the mark.

UMD SECURES MULTIPLE NSIC RECORDS: Arguably one of the most competive conferences in the country, the Bulldogs are climbing right into the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference record books with their historic season.

With 32 wins, the Bulldogs have tied a conference record, and became just the fourth team to reach that win plateau. UMD is the seventh team in the NSIC ever to win over 30 games in a season. The Bulldogs also have the second most NCAA Tournament wins in conference history now with 13.

BROOKE (OLSON) BY THE (RECORD) BOOK: Brooke Olson has climbed towards the top of almost every statistical category over her career, starting with her 2,504 career points, the second most in program history. Olson also ranks fourth all-time in ppg (17.6), second in made field goals (1004) and field goal attempts (1,917), fifth in made free throws (320), fifth in free throw percentage (81.0), fourth in career rebounds (935), sixth in blocked shots (78) -- just one block shy of moving into a fifth place tie all-time.

Olson's not the only one in the UMD annuals anymore -- Maesyn Thiesen now ranks fifth in career assists with 489.

BEST FOR LAST: UMD averaged its most points in a game in the third quarter (19.1) over the regular season, but has averaged 22.2 points in the fourth quarter in the NCAA postseason.

THIRD QUARTER THEORYS: Over the season, the third quarter has been a major predictor of how the Bulldogs will end a game. UMD is outscoring teams in the third quarter 18.8-14.6 across all 35 games, and a smoking 17.4-10 in the NCAA postseason

In the Bulldogs three losses, however, their opponents outscored them in the third frame. Eight times this season a team has put more points on the board in the third than UMD, and in the five games that were triumphs, UMD won by single digits four times. In the 29 games the Bulldogs have outscored foes or tied them in the third quarter, 25 of them UMD won by 10 or more points.

A FAMILY AFFAIR: Brooke and Brynn Olson aren't the only members of their family to have made it to an NCAA DII Final Four in their playing careers. Their mom, Darla Innes at the time, helped lead Michigan Tech University into the 1993 NCAA DII Final Four. While Innes and the Huskies did not make it to the title game, they did take third place, earning a 74-60 win against Bentley. MTU went 30-3 that season.