The University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball team is set to face the University of Mary and Minot State University for the second time this season. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. against UMary inside the McDowell Activity Center with Minot State to follow on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. inside the MSU Dome.
 
HEAD COACH MANDY PEARSON HITS 300 CAREER WINS AND 200 BULLDOG VICTORIES: With the victory over St. Cloud State, it marked head coach Mandy Pearson's 300^th career coaching victory, who has been at the helm of the program since 2015. Two weeks later she marked her 200th UMD coaching victory with the win over Wayne State.
 
Since taking over the program in 2015, she has led the team to five NCAA II Tournament berths, 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.
 
RECEIVING VOTES: For five weeks in a row, the Bulldogs are receiving votes in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 Poll. 
 
10-0 NSIC START: Through the first ten matches, UMD dominated with ten straight wins 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), Bemidji State (78-50), Sioux Falls (57-42), and SMSU (69-65). This came before falling narrowly to the only undefeated team in the NSIC, #2 Minnesota State Mankato, who is the favorite to win the NSIC South Division.
 
NSIC LEADERS: The team holds second in the conference for scoring margin (9.7), first in scoring defense (62.9 avg/g), third in opponent field goal percentage (39.5%), third in turnover margin (3.06), second in assist/turnover ratio (1.20), fourth in blocked shots (3.78 avg/g), and fifth in assists (14.83). Individually, Myra Moorjani ranks third in three-point field goals per game (2.3) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.7).
 
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.
 
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: UMD fell in the final seconds of the fourth quarter in 57-56 fashion by Augustana University inside the Elmen Center Saturday.
 
Leading the effort for the Bulldogs was Lexi Karge with 15 points while shooting 70% (7-10) from the field and 50% (1-2) from the free throw line. She also tallied three blocks, two assists, and eight total rebounds (four offensive). The only other Bulldog in double digits was Grace Counts with 11 points, shooting 50% (4-8) from the field and 60% (3-5) beyond the arc.
 
Karge got the scoring started for UMD after a quick pass from Claire Bjorge for a 2-0 lead 15 seconds in. The next nine minutes saw both teams battle up and down the court with UMD gaining a narrow 18-17 lead into the second quarter off the efforts of Karge (7), Counts (6), Vanessa Bickford (3), and Myra Moorjani (2).
 
The second quarter was a different story with the Bulldogs hitting 64.3% (9-14) from the field and 66.7% (4-6) beyond the arc. In the first five minutes, UMD went on a 10-5 run to break free from the Vikings at 28-22. Before halftime, the Bulldogs continued to expand the lead, outscoring the Vikings 12-10 from Counts (5), Karly Jusczak (3), Karge (2), and Bjorge (2).
 
Entering the third quarter at 40-32, the Bulldogs would chip ahead to a 10-point lead on an 8-6 scoring run for a 48-38 lead with 5:06 remaining. AU would flip the script on a 10-4 run with Karge being the only scorer for UMD to get back to 52-48 into the fourth quarter.
 
The first five minutes of the final quarter saw the Vikings cut the lead to one off a 7-4 scoring run with Jusczak being the only scorer for the Bulldogs. With the Bulldog lead down to 56-55, a last-second jumper by the Vikings dealt UMD a 57-56 loss.
 
Overall, the Bulldogs faltered in the fourth quarter, shooting 20% (2-10) from the field and 0% (0-5) beyond the arc in one of their lowest accuracy ratings of the season. UMD did win the rebounding effort slightly, 28-26, with Karge leading the individual effort with eight.

A LOOK AT THE MARAUDERS: UMary holds the advantage since 2013 with a 14-10 record over the Bulldogs. The Marauders have dealt UMD losses in the last five matchups with a combined score of 375-312 before the loss earlier this season. 
 
The UMary offense is led by Bergan Kinnebrew with 501 points (21.8 avg) who has earned two North Division Player of the Week selections. Alongside her is Allison Undlin who also earned two North Division Player of the Week awards averaging 15.4 points per game (385 total). 

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST UMARY: UMD earned multiple season highs in their seventh straight Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) victory in an 80-65 win over the University of Mary.
 
The team earned season highs in field goals made (34) and steals (14). Leading the scoring effort was Lexi Karge with 17 points while shooting 66.7% (8-12) from the field and making one of three beyond the arc. She also tallied seven rebounds (two offensive), two assists, and one block. Following close behind was Claire Bjorge and Myra Moorjani with 13 points each. Moorjani earned five steals to tie a season high with Ashley Fritz.
 
Entering the first quarter, Karge, Grace Counts, and Moorjani combined for a 13-2 scoring effort in the first four minutes to force a 13-2 lead over the Marauders. The Mary offense did pick up, narrowly being outscored 16-11 over the remainder, as Moorjani and Claire Bjorge led the way with five points each for a 29-13 lead into the second quarter.
 
The Bulldogs continued to keep the Marauders in the rear-view mirror as the quarter opened up with an even 10-10 scoring run to maintain the UMD lead at 39-23 with 4:56 to go. However, a colossal effort from Karge, Counts, Fritz, and Vanessa Bickford forced a combined 13 points to earn a 52-39 lead into the halftime break. This marked their first two quarters of shooting at a season-high 66.7% (24-36) accuracy from the field.
 
After the break, it would be Mary who found their footing on offense to go on a 26-16 run over the course of the third quarter to push back within 14 points. With the score at 68-54, Moorjani, Frist, Bjorge, and Bickford found room to combine for 12 points to hold off the Marauders' 11-point effort. The score then settled at 80-65 for the Bulldogs' seventh straight NSIC victory.
 
Overall, the team hit 47.9% (34-71) from the field, 11.8% (2-17) beyond the arc, and 66.7% (10-15) from the free throw line. The team combined for an impressive 60 points in the paint to overshadow the Marauders' 26.

MORE ON THE BEAVERS: Since 2013 the Bulldogs have an 18-6 record with MSU, losing the last two matchups before the win earlier this season.
 
MSU's top scorer is Taryn Hamling who has earned 376 points this season (16.3 avg/g). She is currently shooting 42.9% (130-303) from the field and 37.2% (68-183) beyond the arc.
 
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST MSU: UMD advanced to a 6-0 start to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) competition, helped by double-double efforts from Myra Moorjani and Claire Bjorge in an 83-69 victory over Minot State University inside Romano Gymnasium.
 
Both Moorjani and Bjorge put up double-double efforts. Bjorge earned 20 points and 10 rebounds, with Moorjani earning 17 points and 10 assists. The next top scorer for the Bulldogs was Grace Counts with 16 points, going 7-9 from the field and 2-4 from the three-point line.
 
The Bulldogs entered the first quarter firing on all cylinders, jumping ahead 6-0 in the first two minutes with four points from Bjorge and two from Maria Counts. This set the lead for the entire first two quarters as the rest of the first quarter saw UMD continue to speed ahead with 22 more points for a 28-9 lead.
 
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs maintained a 20-point lead off a 19-point effort between Moorjani, Ashley Fritz, Maria Counts, Grace Counts, Bjorge, and Lexi Karge. The first half of action saw the team hit 51.4% (18-35) of shots from the field and 57.1% (8-14) of shots beyond the arc.
 
After the break, the Bulldogs continued to outscore the Beavers in the third quarter on a 20-17 run, which included a colossal 12 points from Bjorge to put herself within range of a double-double.
 
Entering the fourth quarter with a 67-47 lead over Minot, the Beavers found room to go on a 19-8 scoring run to get within 12 points of the Bulldogs with 3:10 remaining. However, UMD managed to hold them off as both Bjorge and Moorjani earned double-doubles in the final minutes, sealing an 83-69 win.
 
Overall, the team made their most field goals (33) and three pointers (14) of the season while shooting 50% from the field and 51.9% from beyond the arc. UMD out-rebounded Minot with 46 rebounds to their 31. Leading that effort with her double-double was Bjorge with 10 total 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).