MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead women's basketball is set to begin 2024 on the road with a pair of NSIC road tilts this weekend. MSUM will take on Augustana on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before traveling to Wayne, Neb., to challenge the Wayne State Wildcats on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Live stats and video will be available at msumdragons.com. 

Opening Tip

Quick Hits...MSUM's last victory over Augustana came on January 3, 2021, a 71-66 win in Sioux Falls. Augie has won the last two games of the series and four out of the last five games. Prior to that, MSUM held a three-game win stretch from 2016-2019. The Dragons have bested the Wildcats four out of the last five meetings, most recently a 73-63 win on January 6, 2023. 

It's A Bird, It's A Plane...It's Natalie Jens...Junior guard Natalie Jens paced MSUM in their last contest, a win against Minot State. Jens, who struggled from the floor against Minnesota Crookston on December 14, would respond with one the best games of her career. She scored a team-high 27 points to go along with six rebounds, five steals and two assists. In the game, Jens made 73.3 percent of her shot attempts. In her career against the Beavers, Jens has averaged 18.6 points per game including her career-high of 33 points. 

Terrific Terry...Sophomore post Terryn Johnson enters Friday's game against Augustana with three consecutive games with a double-double. This dates back to her 10 point, 11 rebound performance against St. Cloud State on December 9. Johnson has four double-doubles this season and is averaging 10.6 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Dragons this season. 

Still Dominating The Glass...MSUM has only continued to own the rebounding battle in NSIC contests. Against Minnesota Crookston on December 14, MSUM held a 46 to 32 rebound advantage over the Golden Eagles. In their win over Minot State, the Dragons commanded 42 rebounds to the Beavers 39. On average, MSUM grabs nearly four more rebounds than their opponents this season, a mark that is fourth-best in the NSIC. The Dragons are third in the league in rebounds per game with 40.5 a contest. 

Freshman Impact...Freshman Abby Berge was a key contributor in MSUM's 68-40 win over Minot State on December 16, scoring 11 points and snaring five rebounds. Berge shot four of nine from the floor in the game and has four games where she has scored in double figures. Fellow freshman Karlee Fisher provided the Dragons some needed momentum against Minnesota Crookston on December 14. Fisher scored seven points on 50 percent shooting, but was vital on the defensive side of the ball. She had three steals in the game, all of which coming in the fourth quarter. 

Locking In...The Dragon defensive effort has helped them win three of their last four games in NSIC competition. In those three wins, MSUM held their opponents to an average of 44.6 points per game on a combined 29.9 percent shooting. The Dragons forced 43 total turnovers across those three games. 

What They Do Well...The duo of Michaela Jewett and Lauren Sees pace the Vikings as the pair averages over 30 points per game combined for an Augustana team that is averaging 61.6 points per game. Jewett leads the team in rebounding while Sees is one of the best on-ball defenders in the conference. As for Wayne State, they bolster one of the top defenses in the NSIC, forcing 18 turnovers a game and just over 10 steals a contest. The Wildcats are second to league stalwart Minnesota State in steals per contest so far this year. 

Scouting Report

Augustana (2-9, 1-6 NSIC)

The Vikings have dropped their last five NSIC contests after winning their conference opener against Sioux Falls on November 21. In their most recent pair of conference contests, Augie fell to both Wayne State and Southwest Minnesota State. The Vikings defeated NAIA Northwestern 72-67 on December 30, which is their most recent game. Augustana is led by a pair of great seniors in Michaela Jewett and Lauren Sees. Jewett leads the team in points (16.3) per game and is second on the roster in rebounds per contest (7.5). Sees is just behind Jewett in scoring, netting 15 points a game on 42.6 percent shooting from the floor. She is also one of the standout defenders in the NSIC, forcing 12 steals so far this season. Junior Jennifer Aadland scored 10.5 points per game for the Vikings and leads the team with 7.9 rebounds a game and 16 blocked shots. Augustana has connected 36.3 percent of their field goal attempts this season and the Vikings struggles from long range, making just 30.7 percent3 from behind the line this year. 

Jillian Flores-Bennett is in her first season as head coach of the Vikings. 

Wayne State (4-6, 1-6 NSIC)

The Wildcats lone NSIC win came against Augustana on December 13. Prior to that, Wayne State suffered conference losses to Southwest Minnesota State, Minnesota Duluth, Concordia, St. Paul, Minnesota State and Winona State. Their most recent game was a 70-68 loss to Sioux Falls on the road on December 19. The Wildcats are led by graduate student forward Britney Ho, who leads the team in points (12.2) and rebounds (4.6) per game. Ho is efficient with her shot selection as she has made 47.7  percent of her attempts this season. Junior guard Jordon Heckert is the only other Wildcat averaging in double figures, scoring 11.1 points per contest at a 41.5 field goal percentage. Wayne State is stingy on the defensive end as they force over 18 turnovers a game against opponents. However, the Wildcats turn the ball over 16 times per game to still hold a +2.1 turnover differential against their foes. While Wayne State has made 41.1 percent of their shots this season, they also struggle from three-point range. So far this season, the Wildcats have made 31.1 percent of their long distance attempts. Wayne State also suffers from a -3 rebound differential to opponents. 

Brent Pollari is in his sixth season as Wayne State's head coach.