Women's Basketball | 2/17/2016 2:42:00 PM

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The Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team concludes the regular season at home this week by hosting Bemidji State on Friday (6 p.m. tipoff) and Minnesota Crookston on Saturday (4 p.m.).

The Dragons are tied for first in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division with Northern State; both teams have 15-5 league marks. Minnesota Crookston is one game back at 14-6.  MSUM has already clinched a top three seed and a home game in the first round of the NSIC tournament.

The games will be broadcast live at WDAY'Z Xtra with Steve d'Eustachio and Jared Bledsoe on the call. Live stats and live online audio/video are available at msumdragons.com

Steve d'Eustachio will broadcast the games live online for both Dragon games.

MSUM will face Bemidji State for a 98th time and holds a 58-39 series lead. The Dragons beat Bemidji State in January, 75-67 in Bemidji. The Dragons will face Minnesota Crookston for a 37th time and lead the series, 30-6. UMC won the first meeting this year, 71-60 in Crookston.

About MSUM
MSUM rolled to a pair of road wins last weekend, beating Minnesota Duluth, 76-56 on Feb. 12 and topping St. Cloud State, 74-50 on Feb. 13. Junior Morgan Banasik averaged 17.0 points per game to pace a balanced Dragon attack for the weekend.

Junior Morgan Banasik averages 15.0 points per game to lead MSUM while senior Heather Strese averages 13.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.  Senior Savanna Handevidt averages 9.7 points and a team-best 7.9 rebounds per game, while junior guard Natalie Van Wyhe averages 2.9 assists per game. Banasik leads with 40 steals.

The Dragons score 69.4 points per game and shoot 40.4 percent from the field.  They outrebound their foes 41.8-36.6 and allow 60.4 points per game on defense.

Karla Nelson is in her 16th season as MSUM head coach with a record of 275-176 at the school.

About Bemidji State
The Beavers (7-17, 3-17 NSIC) enter the week having lost four in a row and nine of 10. They were swept at home last weekend, falling to Mary, 75-67 on Feb. 12 and Minot State, 66-58 the next day.

Four Bemidji players average in double figures: Sierra Senske (13.3), Aimee Pelzer (13.1), Tatum Sheley (12.9) and Hanna Zerr (11.0). Senske averages 5.8 rebounds per game while Pelzer leads at 3.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

The Beavers score 65.8 points per game and allow 68.5. MSUM beat Bemidji State 75-67 earlier this year.

Chelsea DeVille is in her first season as Bemidji State's head coach.

About Minnesota Crookston
The Golden Eagles (17-7, 14-6 NSIC), who face Northern State prior to facing MSUM, enter the week on a three-game winning streak after beating Minot State (78-62) and Mary (83-72) at home last week.

Katrina Nordick leads UMC at 17.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Alexa Thielman averages 15.3 points per game while Alison Hughes is at 11.0 points and 3.2 assists per game.

The Golden Eagles score 74 points per game and allow 65.9.  They beat the Dragons, 71-60 in Crookston in January.

Mike Roysland is in his 10th season as UMC's head coach with a record of 96-170 at the school.

MSUM Notes
—Dragons have never had a losing season under Head Coach Karla Nelson and with two wins this weekend, would have their first 20-win season since 2008-09.
—MSUM is ranked 10th in the nation at 31.0 defensive rebounds per game, which also leads the NSIC.
—The Dragons also rank in the top 40 nationally in turnovers per game (31st, 13.7) and three-point field goals per game (7.6)
—Senior Heather Strese is shooting 53.2 percent from the field on the season, second-best in the NSIC and 34th-best in the nation.
—Senior guard Morgan Banasik leads the NSIC in minutes played per game (36.13), which is 32nd nationally.
— Sophomore Drew Sannes has climbed into the top five in school history in career blocks with 85