The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team hosts the University of Sioux Falls as their first home matchup of the new year tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., with Southwest Minnesota State University following on Saturday as the annual Sophie's Squad game for mental health awareness at 5:30 p.m.
 
RECEIVING VOTES: This week, the Bulldogs began receiving votes in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 Poll. 
 
8-0 NSIC START: Through seven matches, UMD currently sits atop the North Division as the only undefeated team with victories against Bemidji State (74-63), Minnesota Crookston (76-54), MSU Moorhead (73-69), Northern State (69-63), Jamestown (82-36), Minot State (83-69), UMary (80-65), and Bemidji State (78-50). The only other undefeated team is Minnesota State Mankato who is the favorite to win the NSIC South Division.
 
NSIC LEADERS: The team holds fourth in the conference for scoring offense (75.6 avg/g), second in scoring margin (13.3), first in scoring defense (62.3 avg/g), third in field goal percentage (45.2%), second in opponent field goal percentage (38.8%), fifth in three-point field goals (34.2%), third in opponent three-point field goals (27.8%), first in free throw percentage (79.7%), fourth in turnover margin (2.75), second in assist/turnover ratio (1.18), and third in blocked shots (4.08 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 earned 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'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.
 
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.
 
LAST MATCH: The Bulldogs overpowered Bemidji State University 78-50 in their first victory of 2026 and marked an 8-0 record in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
 
Leading the scoring effort for the Bulldogs was Claire Bjorge with 18 points. She marked a 66.7% (8-12) accuracy from the field, and 100% (2-2) from the free throw line while earning one steal, one block, two assists, and three rebounds. Following close behind was Lexi Karge with 17 points, six rebounds (one offensive), and a team-leading four blocks.
 
Entering the first quarter, the Beavers were able to hold off the Bulldogs on a 13-11 scoring run, but a Maria Counts three-pointer finally put UMD on top with 3:32 to go. That put the Bulldogs on top for the duration, starting a 7-1 scoring run between Counts, Karge, and Bjorge that closed out the quarter at 18-14.
 
In the second quarter, UMD hit its stride on a 23-12 run with a combined scoring effort from Ashley Fritz, Grace Counts, Karly Jusczak, Bjorge, Torie Neubauer, and Karge for a dominant 41-26 lead into the halftime break.
 
Out of the halftime break, the offense continued to roll as Karge, Bjorge, Counts, Fritz, Vanessa Bickford, and Jusczak combined for a 27-point third quarter to overpower the Beavers' 13 points.
 
The fourth quarter saw the Bulldogs hold firm defensively, only allowing 11 points by BSU to close out the final score at 78-50 after a 10-point effort by UMD.
 
Overall, the Bulldogs outdid the Beavers in every shooting category, including 50% (31-62) from the field, 33.3% (7-21) from the three-point line, and 81.8% from the free throw line. The team outrebounded BSU 34-28, with Karge and Jusczak each earning six.
 
MORE ON THE COUGARS: Overall, the Bulldogs own an 11-4 record over the Cougars since 2014, prior to last season's 68-79 loss UMD was on a dominant nine-game win streak.

USF has opened NSIC competition with a 5-3 record and is currently on a three-game losing streak (MSU 89-93, SMSU 79-87, and NSU 58-77). Leading the scoring effort with 21 average points per game is Anna Vaaler, with a 46.2% from the field and 40.7% from the three-point line.

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST USF: After jumping out to a 4-2 advantage, UMD went on a 6-0 run with 7:29 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Moorjani, to increase its lead to 10-2. The Bulldogs then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 24-18 advantage. UMD relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down five shots to account for 15 of its 24 points.
 
The Bulldogs could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and were out-scored throughout the second frame 27-13, entering halftime trailing 45-37.
 
USF continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 56-43 advantage before UMD collected nine unanswered points, punctuated by a basket from Karge, to trim its deficit to 56-52 with five seconds to go in the third. The Bulldogs' bench made the most of its minutes in the period, as non-starters totaled seven of the team's 15 third-quarter points.
 
USF kept widening their lead in the fourth, constructing a 61-52 advantage before UMD went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Lexi Karlen's jumper, to shrink the deficit to 61-58 with 6:29 to go in the contest. The Cougars responded and outscored the Bulldogs 18-10 the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 79-68. UMD took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring eight of its 16 points in the paint.
 
MORE ON THE MUSTANGS: Overall, the Bulldogs hold the advantage since 2014 with a 9-5 record but were dealt the last two losses by a combined score of 171-119.
The Mustangs are led by Nicole Maenke who is averaging 16.2 points per game with Audrey Swanson also averaging 15.9 points per game. Maenke is currently shooting 37.1% beyond the arc and 47% from the field. 
 
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST SMSU: After falling behind 16-6, UMD went on a 5-0 run with 1:47 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Moorjani, to narrow its deficit to 16-11. SMSU answered back and added to its lead, leaving the Bulldogs down 20-11 entering the second quarter.
 
The Bulldogs then cut the Mustangs lead to 32-24 before collecting nine unanswered points, highlighted by a three from Moorjani, to take a 33-32 lead. The Mustangs then came back to take a 35-33 lead heading into the halftime break.

UMD's deficit continued to grow after the intermission, and the Bulldogs faced a 67-49 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. UMD played well near the basket throughout the quarter, scoring 12 of its 16 points in the paint.

UMD could not pull any closer in the fourth, losing by a final of 89-63. The Bulldogs got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring five of their 14 total points.

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).