Women's Basketball | 1/6/2016 4:28:00 PM

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The Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team begins a four-game homestand this weekend with a pair of games. The Dragons will play host to Mary at 6 p.m. on Friday and conclude the weekend against Minot State at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Both games will be at Nemzek Fieldhouse in Moorhead, Minn.

The games will be televised live on WDAY'Z Xtra with Steve d'Eustachio and Jared Bledsoe on the call. The games will also be broadcast online live online at msumdragons.com

MSUM will face Mary for a 37th time and holds a 23-13 series lead over the Marauders. The Dragons edged Mary, 62-61 in Bismarck in early December. The Dragons will meet Minot State for a 23rd time and hold a 17-5 series lead, including an 81-72 overtime win in December.

About MSUM
MSUM is 8-3 overall and 5-3 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Dragons split on the road last weekend, beating Upper Iowa, 71-55 on Saturday before losing to then-No. 9 Winona State, 52-49 on Sunday. Senior forward Heather Strese averaged 15.5 points and 10.0 rebounds for the week to pace MSUM.

Junior guard Morgan Banasik leads MSUM at 15.4 points per game, and also leads with 21 steals. Senior forward Heather Strese averages 14.3 points per game, while senior Savanna Handevidt averages 10.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Freshman Jacky Volkert leads with 27 assists in 11 games.  MSUM is averaging 68.9 points per game as a team. The Dragons are shooting 39.6 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from three-point range and 71.8 percent from the free-throw line.

MSUM is allowing 65.9 points per game and is outrebounding its opponents, 39.7-37.5.

Karla Nelson is in her 16th season as MSUM head coach with a record of 265-174 at the school.

About Mary
Mary is 8-8 overall and 2-6 in the NSIC. The Marauders ended a four-game losing streak with a 71-66 win over Bemidji State on Sunday.

Senior Brittney Dietz leads Mary -- and the NSIC -- at 22.7 points per game while junior Hannah Larson averages 9.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists a game and also leads the team with 34 blocks. Dani Williams averages 9.3 points per game.

Mary scores 70.3 points per game and allows 60.1. The Marauders outrebound their foes 43.4-36.1.

Rick Neumann is in his fourth season as Mary's head coach with a record of 54-48 at the school.

About Minot State
Minot State (7-7, 4-4 NSIC) split at home last weekend.  The Beavers rolled past Bemidji State, 80-49 on Saturday before losing to Minnesota Crookston, 63-43 on Sunday.

Senior Savana Kingsbury averages 12.6 points per game for Minot State while junior Alex Haley averages 12.2 points per game. Sarah Lester averages 10.2 points per game. Kingsbury leads at 7.7 rebounds per game while senior Amanda Sansaver averages 2.6 assists per game.  

Minot scores 70.0 points per game and allows 70.9. The Beavers are being outrebounded by a 38.3-35.4 margin.

Sheila Green Gerding is in her 21st season as the Minot head coach with a record of 353-246 at the school.

MSUM Notes
--MSUM has three conference losses which have come by a combined 10 points
--Dragons' 71-55 win over Upper Iowa improved their record to 18-0 all-time against the Peacocks
--senior forwards Heather Strese and Savanna Handevidt are averaging a combined 24.5 points and 15.6 rebounds per game
--freshman Jacky Volkert leads MSUM with 27 assists