The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team faces their first conference road games of the 2024-25 season, facing off against the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs on Friday, Dec. 6, at 5:30 PM and the University of Sioux Falls Cougars on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 3:30 PM.
Last Time Out
The Bulldogs opened up their Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) schedule last week at home in Romano Gymnasium, falling 64-82 to the reigning national champions, the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks.
The Bulldogs put up a strong defensive performance, forcing 14 Maverick turnovers throughout the contest which turned into 12 points on the other end of the floor. UMD struggled to keep up with MSU offensively however, going into the halftime break with a thirteen point deficit that only grew by the end of the game.
Last Week's Spotlight Players
#33 Lexi Karlen - 1 GP, 19 PTS, 10 REB, 8-14 (57.1%) FG
#11 Myra Moorjani - 1 GP, 12 PTS, 3 REB, 4 A, 2-3 (66.6%) FT
#23 Claire Bjorge - 1 GP, 11 PTS, 8 REB, 3 A, 2 BLK, 2 STL
Scouting Report - Southwest Minn. State
The Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs are 7-0 overall and 1-0 against NSIC opponents throughout 2024-25 so far, most recently coming off a 111-58 win over Bethany Lutheran.
The Bulldogs are 9-3 against the Mustangs since 2014, holding a 6-1 home record and a 3-2 away record against them. The Bulldogs' largest margin of victory over SMSU is 30 points (87-57, Feb. 2019), and most recently defeated the Mustangs in February of last season 72-57.
The Mustangs are led by senior guard #2 Bri Stoltzman, currently averaging 18 PPG with 108 total points over six games this season.
Scouting Report - University of Sioux Falls
The University of Sioux Falls Cougars are 5-3 overall and 1-0 against NSIC opponents throughout 2024-25 so far, most recently picking up a pair of wins at the Puerto Rico Clasico.
The Bulldogs are 11-3 against the Cougars since 2014, holding a 6-1 home record, 4-2 away record, and 1-0 neutral site record against them. The Bulldogs' largest margin of victory was 27 points (77-50, Dec. 2023), and most recently defeated the Cougars in February last season 73-69.
The Cougars are led by sophomore forward #30 Kami Wadsworth, currently averaging 14.3 PPG with 114 total points over eight games this season.
UMD Slated Eight in NSIC Preseason
The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team was slated to finish eighth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) preseason coaches poll. The Bulldogs received 119 points in the conference poll after finishing the 2023-24 season in the semifinal round of the NSIC tournament.
Moorjani Named NSIC Player to Watch
Junior guard Myra Moorjani has been named UMD's NSIC Player to Watch for the 2024-25 season. While she made an appearance in all 29 games, Moorjani became a mainstay member in the Bulldogs' starting five for the final 10 games of the 2023-24 season. Moorjani tallied 181 total points last season while averaging 6.2 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game, and was third on the team with 40 total assists.
Last Season
The Bulldogs closed out their season with a 19-10 overall record, falling in the semifinal round of the NSIC tournament to the University of Mary Marauders.
UMD carried the momentum from their one point win in their regular season finale against St. Cloud State into a dominant 73-69 home victory in the opening round of the tournament over the University of Sioux Falls.
The Bulldogs stayed alive in their first matchup at the Sanford Pentagon, turning a three point deficit after the third quarter into a nine point comeback victory over Concordia St Paul. UMD would go on to fall 75-83 in their semifinal matchup against the University of Marauders.
Looking Ahead
Bulldog women's basketball will return home to host the Augustana University Vikings and the Wayne State College Wildcats next weekend. Tip-off against the Vikings is currently set for Friday, Dec. 13, at 5:30 PM.
