MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead women's basketball will look to continue their NSIC Tournament success in a matchup with top-seeded Minnesota State on Saturday, March 2. The Dragons and Mavericks will tip off from the Sanford Pentagon at 4:30 p.m.
Live stats and video will be available at msumdragons.com. Please note that NSIC Tournament games are exclusively broadcast by Midco Sports and is available on the network's pay-per-view platform, Midco Sports Plus.
Opening Tip
Quick Hits...The Mavericks defeated the Dragons in their only meeting of the season back on January 27 when MSU toppled over MSUM 80-57 inside the Taylor Center in Mankato. The Mavericks currently hold a three-game win streak over the Dragons dating back to January 28, 2022. Minnesota State's 23-point victory over MSUM is the largest margin of victory in the series since the Dragons defeated the Mavericks on December 30, 2017, 81-64. The Dragons last win over the Mavericks came on January 31, 2020 in a 66-63 home victory.
All-Conference Dragons...Junior guard Natalie Jens and sophomore forward Terryn Johnson were named to the All-NSIC team on Thursday morning. Jens was tabbed as a First Team performer with Johnson garnering Second Team recognition. Jens, a junior from Beaver Dam, Wis., was a true Swiss Army knife for the Dragons in 2023-24, averaging a team-best 14.6 points per game. The junior also collected career highs in assists per game (3.9) and total steals (57) while averaging 4.2 rebounds per game. Johnson, a sophomore from Kindred, N.D., established herself as one of the best rebounders in the conference this season. The sophomore averaged 9.9 points and a team-best eight rebounds a game for the Dragons.
She Kept It Rolling...Natalie Jens continues to move up the MSUM all-time scoring list after the junior scored 22 points over two games last weekend. Heading into Wednesday's contest against the Warriors, Jens needed 21 points to secure 1,000 for her Dragon career. In true Jens fashion, she would score 21 points on the nose in the win over Winona State. She becomes the 27th player in MSUM women's basketball history to achieve the career feat. Of the 27 student-athletes already on the 1,000 point list, 20 have come in Karla Nelson's tenure as Dragon head coach.
The Gus Bus Rides Again...Graduate student guard Ashley Gustavson has started to play her best basketball of the season for MSUM down the stretch. Gustavson turned in two stellar performances last weekend against Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. The North Mankato, Minn., native scored 12 points on Friday night against the Cougars in 16 minutes of action. In Saturday's win over the Mustangs, Gustavson scored 11 points in 19 minutes of play, netting two triples. Gustavson scored a career high 18 points against Winona State on Wednesday with her fourth quarter free throws sealing the Dragon win.
A Wild Skibiel Has Appeared...Graduate student Olivia Skibiel is not ready to end her basketball career quite yet as her recent hot shooting has helped lift the Dragons. Over the past four games, Skibiel has made 58.8 percent of her three-point attempts (10-17). Against Winona State on Wednesday, Skibiel drained four threes (three in the second half) to help MSUM build a lead as large as 14 points.
Coach Nelson Makes History (Again)...Head coach Karla Nelson coached in her now record 41st NSIC Tournament game in MSUM's 72-67 win over Winona State on Wednesday evening. The previous record, held by former Northern State head coach Curt Fredrickson, stood at 40 games. Nelson's teams have qualified for the NSIC Tournament in all 24 seasons of her tenure. The MSUM women's basketball program is the only program (men's or women's) to qualify for every conference tournament since its establishment in 1999.
What They Do Well...It's no secret that Minnesota State is the best defensive team in the NSIC by a relatively wide margin. The Mavericks force a whopping 28.3 turnovers per game and hold a plus-13.29 turnover margin. Both marks are best in the NSIC.
Karla Nelson is in her 24th season as Dragon head coach.
