The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) competition on the road against Northern State University tomorrow and the University of Jamestown Saturday. Tipoff against Northern State is set for 7:30 p.m. inside Wachs Arena, with Jamestown's start time set for 3:00 p.m. inside Harold Newman Arena.
 
NSIC LEADERS: The team holds fifth in the conference for scoring offense (73.6 avg/g), fifth in field goal percentage (42.8%), first in free throw percentage (81.9%), first in opponent free throw percentage (79.8%), fourth in turnover margin (1.71), second in assist/turnover ratio (1.10), and fifth in blocked shots (3.43 avg/g).
 
FIRST NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  Claire Bjorge earned both her career's first NSIC North Division Player of the Week award and the team's first of the 2025-26 season. Bjorge earns the selection after scoring a career high and team-leading 25 points in the victory over the University of Minnesota Crookston (76-54). In that effort, she shot an impressive 66.7% (10-15) from the field. Throughout the week, she averaged 21 points and seven rebounds in two conference wins. In the second matchup, she added another 17 points in the 73-69 win over Minnesota State University Moorhead.

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.
 
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.
 
MORE ON THE WOLVES: Since 2013, the Bulldogs have an 11-13 record with NSU, losing the last three matchups by a combined score of 231-172. UMD's last victory came on the road in 2023 in a 75-62 win led by Brooke Olson's 20 points.
 
NSU's top scorer is Izzy Moore, who has earned 149 points this season (18.6 avg/g) and is fifth in NSIC for scoring. She shoots an NSIC third-best 53.8% (57-106) from the field while scoring 40% (8-20) beyond the arc. With 52 rebounds, 16 steals, and 24 assists, she will be the Bulldogs' biggest threat.
 
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST NSU: UMD struggled out of the gate, falling behind 22-6 by the end of the first quarter.

The Bulldogs then cut the Wolves' lead to 31-16 before going on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Karge, to narrow its deficit to 31-23. NSU responded and expanded its lead before the break, leaving the Bulldogs trailing 38-27 heading into halftime.

NSU continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 53-33 advantage before UMD collected 10 unanswered points to trim its deficit to 53-43 with 3:22 to go in the third. The Wolves countered and stretched its lead to 60-49 heading into the fourth. UMD played well near the basket, scoring 18 of its 22 points in the paint.

The Bulldogs could not pull any closer in the fourth, losing by a final of 77-59. UMD took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 10 of its 10 points throughout the quarter in the paint.

The Bulldogs had two players score in double figures, led by Lexi Karge, who had 19 points and seven rebounds. Claire Bjorge tacked on 11 points off of the bench and Myra Moorjani added six points and seven rebounds.

Led by Karge's five offensive rebounds, the Bulldogs did a great job crashing the offensive glass by pulling down 10 boards that resulted in 12 second chance points.

A LOOK AT THE JIMMIES: This marks the first matchup with Jamestown since they joined the NSIC. The Jimmie offense is led by Allie Berns, who has scored 112 points to start the season (16 avg/g). She has also earned 33 rebounds, 10 assists, six steals, and an NSIC third-best 10 blocks.
 
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).