MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead women's basketball begins the new year with a pair of home matchups in NSIC play. The Dragons take on 16th-ranked Concordia, St. Paul on Friday at 5:30 p.m. before matching up with Minnesota Duluth on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

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

Matchup History...The Golden Bears have won the previous two meetings against the Dragons and three of the last four games overall. Prior to that, MSUM held a seven-game win streak over CSP from January 2014 until January 2022. Minnesota Duluth bolsters a six-game win streak against the Dragons dating back to February 2020. The last time MSUM defeated the Bulldogs was on January 24, 2020 when MSUM defeated UMD at home, 56-51. The Bulldogs have claimed 10 of 15 games against the Dragons since the 2016-17 season. 

Ratz Finds The Groove...Junior guard Tori Ratz drained eight three-pointers across games against Minot State and Minnesota Crookston. Ratz connected on 47 percent of her long range attempts for MSUM, including sinking five of seven against the Golden Eagles. The Fergus Falls, Minn., native scored a career-high 15 points against Minnesota Crookston and averaged 12 points over the two games for MSUM. 

#SafranskiSteals...Freshman guard Ashton Safranski continues to play a vital role for MSUM, most notably on defense. Safranski is third in the NSIC in total steals (29) and steals per game (2.4) so far this season. Safranski averaged 4.5 steals per game against Minot State and Minnesota Crookston, which included a six-steal performance against the Golden Eagles. The Fargo, N.D., native also averaged 9.5 points and six rebounds across the two contests. 

Double-Double Extra Onions...Junior forward Terryn Johnson picked up her fourth double-double of the season against Minnesota Crookston on December 21. Johnson tallied 10 points with 12 rebounds as well as three assists in the game. In her career, Johnson has 13 double-doubles for the Dragons. In her career against the Golden Eagles, Johnson has averaged 11.6 points and 11.8 rebounds. Johnson is currently fourth in the NSIC in rebounds per game (8.4) and tied for third in total rebounds (101).

Defense Carries...Despite a pair of losses before the Holiday break, MSUM continues to bolster the NSIC's top defense. The Dragons only surrender an average of 60.6 points per game to the opposition, which is tops in the league. So far this season, MSUM has only surrendered 70 or more points on two occasions (v. UCM/v. NSU). MSUM has also held opponents to a 37.6 percent success rate from the floor, a number that is second-best in the NSIC.

Priming The Glass...Against Minot State and Minnesota Crookston, MSUM imposed themselves in the rebounding battle. The Dragons held a plus-20 differential across the two games, including a plus-23 advantage on the offensive glass. So far this season, MSUM is fourth in the NSIC in rebounding margin (plus-5.7) and second in offensive boards per contest (12.5).

Quick Scout...The nationally-ranked Golden Bears hold one of the most complete rosters in the Northern Sun this season. Concordia, St, Paul is led by post Lydia Haack, who averages 15.9 points per game, the seventh-best mark in the NSIC. CSP will also rely on Lindsey Becher, who is second in the conference in rebounding average (8.6). The Bulldogs are led by Myra Moojani, who scores 13.4 points per game. Minnesota Duluth gives up the fourth-most points in the NSIC, surrendering 72.7 per game to opponents.

Karla Nelson is in her 25th season as MSUM's head women's basketball coach.