The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team battles its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) opponent tomorrow inside Romano Gymnasium, with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.

SIX AND BULLDOG: The Bulldogs shattered the No. 15 (WBCA) ranked Northern Michigan Wildcats in a stunning 85-70 victory on their home court. 

Entering the matchup, the Wildcats were on an unbeaten six-game win streak to start the season. That is, until the Bulldogs came to town. In another double-digit point game for four UMD athletes, Claire Bjorge led the way with 20 points, with Myra Moorjani and Lexi Karge following one point behind. Grace Counts put up an 11-point game for the top four UMD scorers to combine for 69 points of 85 total. Karge also led the Bulldogs with eight rebounds to keep the ball out of the Wildcats' hands.

In all, UMD shot 56.9% in field goals, 56.3% from beyond the arc, and 85.7% from the free throw line. Overall, the team combined for season highs in points, field goals made, and free throws made.

NSIC LEADERS: Maria Counts is currently leading the three point field goal percentage (88.9%).

HEAD COACH MANDY PEARSON'S 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.

MORE ON THE BEAVERS: Since 2013 the Bulldogs have only lost one game to the Beavers for a 23-1 record. The last time UMD lost was in 2017 in a narrow 57-60 loss on the road. 

Bemidji has started the season 2-0 after facing Valley City State University (81-68) and University of Minnesota Morris (85-53). The offense is led by Kassandra Caron who has started the season averaging 17 points per game (34 total) and is currency shooting 56.5% from the field. 

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST BEMIDJI: After jumping out to a 9-5 advantage to open the night, UMD went on a 6-0 run with 6:47 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Johanna Miller, to increase its lead to 15-5. The Bulldogs maintained that lead throughout the rest of the period and entered the quarter break with a 24-14 advantage. UMD did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 16 of its 24 points close to the basket.
 
UMD kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 7-0 run starting at the 1:37 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Maria Counts, to increase its lead to 41-25, a score that would hold until halftime. UMD saw non-starters score seven of its 17 total points off the bench in the quarter.
 
UMD continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 9-0 run, punctuated by a three from Grace Counts, to expand its lead further to 54-36 with 1:40 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Beavers had cut into the lead somewhat, but the Bulldogs still entered the fourth quarter with a 54-40 edge. UMD knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 13 total points.

UMD kept its lead intact before going on an 11-0 run, finished off by Karge's jumper, to grow the lead to 71-52 with 1:00 to go in the contest. The Beavers narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Bulldogs still cruised the rest of the way for the 71-54 win. UMD got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring 11 of its 17 total points.

The Bulldogs had two players score in double figures, led by Counts, who had a career high 31 points. Myra Moorjani added 12 points and six rebounds and Maria Counts added seven points and four steals.
Led by four offensive rebounds from Lexi Karge, UMD did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 13 boards that resulted in 14 second chance points.

The Bulldogs' defense held Bemidji State to only 37% shooting from the field, including 16.7% from beyond the arc. The Beavers did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with five offensive rebounds and managed five second chance points while UMD cleared 25 defensive rebounds.

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).