The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team headed out to Michigan for two matchups, including tonight's opponent, the Michigan Technological University Huskies, and tomorrow's Northern Michigan University. Tonight's tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. inside SDC Gymnasium, with tomorrow's tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. inside Vandament Arena.

NSIC LEADERS: Claire Bjorge leads the conference in steals per game average with four per game. Maria Counts is currently leading the assist/turnover ratio category with a 6.0.

HEAD COACH MANDY PEARSON 11TH SEASON: Since taking over the program in 2015, she has led the team to five NCAA II Tournament births, three of which happened back-to-back, with one going all the way to the Championship in the 2022-23 season. Pearson has an overall record of 185-96 with 140-67 in conference play and three NSIC regular-season champion finishes.

TOP PERFORMERS: In the Bulldogs' lone victory to start the season, UMD had two players score in double figures, led by Johanna Miller who tallied 17 points. Myra Moorjani added 17 points and five assists and Lexi Karge added nine points, seven rebounds and four assists.

As a team, the Bulldogs earned a 43.1% field goal percentage and 34.6% from the three-point line. They also kept the ball out of the Savage Storm's hands with 10 steals to their seven and out rebounded them 41-35.

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST MICHIGAN TECH: After jumping out to a 16-14 advantage to open the afternoon, UMD went on a 5-0 run with 41 seconds left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Moorjani, to increase its lead to 21-14 before the end of the period. The Bulldogs relied on their three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc to account for nine of their 21 points.

UMD kept its first quarter lead intact before collecting another six unanswered points starting at the 5:35 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Johanna Miller, to increase its lead to 33-26. The Huskies cut into that lead with a pair of three point shots throughout the final two and a half minutes, but the Bulldogs still enjoyed a 37-32 advantage heading into halftime. UMD saw non-starters score four of their 16 total points off the bench throughout the quarter.

The Bulldogs had lost that lead by the end of the third quarter, being out-scored by MTU 20-15 throughout the frame, and entered the fourth with the score tied 52-52. UMD took advantage of four Michigan Tech turnovers in the quarter, scoring four points off of takeaways.

Michigan Tech then snagged a 59-57 advantage before UMD responded by going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Karlen's jumper, to seize a 63-59 lead with 4:39 to go in the contest. The Huskies were able to tie the game up at 67-67 with just under two and a half minutes to go, but a pair of successful trips to the foul line for Bjorge in the final seconds would keep MTU at bay and secure a 71-67 win for the Bulldogs. UMD got up and down the court quickly in the quarter, scoring six fast break points.

The Bulldogs had four players score in double figures, led by Claire Bjorge, who had 17 points. Lexi Karlen tacked on 13 points from the bench and Myra Moorjani chipped in as well with 11 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST NORTHERN MICHIGAN: The Bulldogs got out to a quick start, jumping up to a 6-4 advantage before collecting seven unanswered points with 5:19 left in the first quarter to increase their lead to 13-4. UMD then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 15-9 advantage. The Bulldogs did most of their first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 10 of their 15 points close to the basket.

NMU fought back to tie the game at 17-17 before UMD went on an 11-0 run starting at the 6:20 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Vanessa Bickford, to take back a 28-17 lead. The Wildcats cut into that lead, but the Bulldogs still enjoyed a 30-23 advantage heading into halftime. UMD continued to dominate in the paint, scoring eight of their 15 second quarter points close to the basket.

The Bulldogs continued to preserve their halftime lead before collecting another seven unanswered points, punctuated by a three from Drew Johnston, to expand their lead further to 42-30 with 4:45 to go in the quarter. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Wildcats had cut into that lead by seven points, but the Bulldogs still entered the fourth quarter with a 49-44 edge. UMD knocked down three three-pointers in the third quarter to score nine of their 19 total points.

The Wildcats erased the Bulldog lead in the game's final quarter for a 65-63 comeback victory. UMD took advantage of its opportunities in the post throughout the fourth, scoring 12 of their 14 points in the paint.

The Bulldogs had two players score in double figures, led by Johanna Miller who tallied 17 points. Myra Moorjani added 17 points and five assists and Lexi Karge added nine points, seven rebounds and four assists.

NSIC REVIVES NORTH/SOUTH DIVISION: With the reformation of the North and South Divisions, the University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team has been selected to finish third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) North Division, with Lexi Karge selected as the Player to Watch for the Bulldogs.

In the NSIC's annual preseason poll, UMD has been selected to finish third in the North Division, receiving 37 points. They fall behind the University of Mary in second (42 points) and Minnesota State University Moorhead in first (43 points). Overall, the team ranks middle of the pack in eighth with 139 points to fall one point behind MSUM, University of Mary in sixth (152), St. Cloud State University in fifth (155), and Southwestern Minnesota State University in fourth (172). Concordia University St. Paul splits second with the University of Sioux Falls (202), with Minnesota State University Mankato out ahead (215). 

The North Division has seen the Bulldogs finish first in the last four seasons from 2019-2023. The season prior, they managed a second-place finish. The conference spent the last two seasons with a single division structure where the maroon and gold settled for a combined 22-22 record in NSIC competition.

Senior forward Lexi Karge has been tapped as the NSIC's Bulldog Player to Watch after averaging a team-second high 11 points per game last season. She was also second on the team in average of rebounds per game (6.1), blocked shots (21), field goals made (126), and free throws made (41).