Women's Basketball | 11/15/2018 3:36:00 PM

Live Stats (MTU)
Live Stats (NMU)
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Live Video (NMU)
Game Notes (pdf)
The Minnesota State University Moorhead women's basketball team continues nonconference play on the road this weekend with a pair of games on the upper peninsula of Michigan. MSUM will face Michigan Tech at 5 p.m. Central on Friday in Houghton, Mich., and then wrap up the trip against Northern Michigan at 10 a.m. CT on Sunday in Marquette, Mich.

MSUM is 2-0 on the season after recording two wins at the Central Region Challenge in Kansas City, Mo. The Dragons beat Arkansas Tech, 65-51 and Pittsburg State, 66-55. Senior forward Megan Hintz had a pair of double-doubles for the Dragons and averaged 17.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

Hintz averages 17.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game for MSUM to lead the Dragons in both categories. She is shooting 53.8 percent from the field. Sophomore guard Kiley Borowicz averages 12.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Junior forward Madi Green averages 5.5 rebounds per game while senior guard Jacky Volkert averages 3.0 assists per game.

As a team MSUM scores 61.5 points per game and shoots 41 percent from the field. The Dragons outrebound their foes 46-35 and allow 53 points per game.

Karla Nelson is in her 19th season as the MSUM head coach with a record of 327-188 at the school.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION...
About Michigan Tech
The Huskies are 2-0 on the regular season after earning wins over Ursuline (96-65) and Davis & Elkins (75-39) to open the season. They also recorded a 66-61 exhibition win over Division I foe Eastern Michigan.

Baillie McGirk averages 17.0 points per game to lead the Huskies while Abbie Botz averages 15.5. Hannah Hobson averages 11.0 points per game while Jordan Ludescher averages 10.5.  Ludescher averages 5.0 rebounds per game and shares the team lead with Cassidy Trotter at 3.5 assists per game.

The Huskies score 85.5 points per game and shoot 53.2 percent from the field. They outrebound foes 40.0-27.0 and allow 52 points per game.

Sam Hoyt is in her first season as the Michigan Tech head coach.

About Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan is 2-1 on the season. The Wildcats opened with two wins before falling to Minnesota Duluth, 51-45 on Tuesday. They will face Minnesota State, Mankato prior to facing MSUM.

NMU doesn't have a player averaging in double figures. Jessica Schultz and Lexi Smith lead the way at 9.7 points per game while Taylor Hodell averages 9.3. Erin Honkala leads at 6.0 rebounds per game while Darby Youngstrom averages 2.7 assists per game. As a team Northern Michigan scores 57 points per game and shoots 38.7 percent from the field.

On defense the Wildcats allow 56 points per game and outrebound their foes 36.3-30.3.

Troy Mattson is in his 14th season as the NMU head coach with a record of 184-181 at the school.

Double-Doubles Piling Up for Hintz
Junior forward Megan Hintz opened the season with back-to-back double-doubles in the Dragons' wins at the Central Region Challenge. The Rochester, Minn., native had 16 points and 13 rebounds per game in the win over Arkansas Tech and had 19 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Pittsburg State. Hintz now has eight career double-doubles.

More Winning Under Nelson
The Dragon women's basketball program has never had a losing season since Karla Nelson took over in 2000. That included a 23-6 mark last season which is the sixth time MSUM has surpassed 20 wins in Nelson's tenure. MSUM is 327-188 in Nelson's tenure with five NCAA tournament trips.

Dragons tabbed second in NSIC preseason poll
MSUM was picked to finish second in the NSIC according to a poll of the league's coaches, and also picked to finish second in the NSIC North, which MSUM has won the past three years.

Volkert closing in on milestones
Senior guard Jacky Volkert is closing in on a pair of milestones. She is at 928 career points, just 72 away from the 1,000-point milestone. She is also at 359 career assists, fifth all-time in school history. The all-time career leader at MSUM is Krista Opheim who has 488.

Youth Movement
MSUM has one senior, Volkert, along with three juniors and three sophomores. A promising freshmen class of five individuals, plus redshirt freshman Peyton Boom, will look to bolster the returning nucleus.

National Rankings
Here is where MSUM ranks in the national rankings after one weekend of competition.
Individual
--junior forward Megan Hintz is tied for second in the nation with 2 double-doubles, is 15th in rebounds per game (12.5) and eighth in defensive reobunds per game (8.0)
Team Rankings
As a team, MSUM is ranked...
--4th in fewest fouls per game (11.0)
--5th in defensive rebounds (38.0)
--7th in free-throw percentage (85.0)
--37th in scoring defense (53.0)
--39th in rebound margin (11.0)