MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Seventh-seeded MSU Moorhead women's basketball is set to host 10th-seeded Wayne State to begin the 2025 NSIC Tournament on Wednesday evening. Tipoff against the Wildcats is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Live video and stats will be available at msumdragons.com. Steve d'Eustachio and Jared Bledsoe will have the call on the Dragon Digital Network. Fans can listen to the game on AM 1100/FM 92.3 with Jace Denman and 'Big Game' James McCarty on the call. 

Matchup History...The Dragons won the lone matchup with the Wildcats this season back on January 25. MSUM defeated Wayne State 63-53 thanks to 15 points from Abby Berge. Terryn Johnson had a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Dragons hold a four-game winning streak over the Wildcats since January 6, 2023. In total, MSUM has won eight of the last 10 games against Wayne State. 

Last Time Out...The Dragons closed the regular season on a high note last weekend. While MSUM fell to Winona State to begin the weekend (58-48), the Dragons would fully respond on Saturday. A strong second-half effort helped lift MSUM over 25th-ranked Minnesota State, 74-69. The win snaps a five-game losing streak to the Mavericks. Natalie Jens led MSUM on Senior Day, scoring 22 points while Abby Berge scored 17 points with eight rebounds. 

That's Super Jens' Music...Senior guard Natalie Jens was superb against Minnesota State on Saturday. Jens scored a game-high 22 points, which was also a season-best effort for the senior. The Beaver Dam, Wis., also had five rebounds and a pair of assists in the Dragon victory. Jens was effective from the floor as well, marking a 43.7 percent clip from the field and 50 percent from long range.

Big Berge Business...Sophomore Abby Berge was sensational all weekend for the Dragons. Berge scored 15 points against Winona State on Friday before pouring in 17 points with eight rebounds against Minnesota State. The Sunburg, Minn., native shot 57.1 percent from the field across both games while burying all seven of her foul shot attempts. 

#SafranskiSteals...Freshman Ashton Safranski finished the regular season with 75 steals, which was tied for the NSIC lead for the year. However, Safranski led the league in steals in conference games, nabbing 67 of her 75 steals in NSIC contests. At the conclusion of the regular season, Safranski is tied for 15th in the nation in total steals. 

Tried and True Terry...Junior post Terryn Johnson set a new career high for rebounds this past weekend, capping the regular season with 245 boards. The mark was the third-highest total in the NSIC this season while Johnson's rebounding average (8.8) was also third-best in the conference. Johnson also set a career-best in field goal percentage, marking a 55.4 percent clip during the regular season. 

More Maciej!...Sophomore post Katelyn Maciej played a vital role in MSUM's victory over Minnesota State on Saturday. Maciej dropped in four points and three rebounds while serving as a crucial piece to the Dragon press break. Maciej has found success against the Mavericks specifically as she scored a career-high seven points against MSU in last season's NSIC Tournament. 

Coach Rewrites History...Head coach Karla Nelson will stroll the sidelines for the 43rd time in the NSIC Tournament on Wednesday. Nelson holds the NSIC record for NSIC Tournament games coached after surpassing Northern State's Curt Fredrickson last season against Winona State.

Quick Scout...The Dragons relied heavily on their 'bread and butter' in the lone meeting with the Wildcats. MSUM outrebounded Wayne State by a plus-16 margin while limiting the Wildcats to 53 points on 38.6 percent shooting. Even more impressive, MSUM limited Wildcat leaders Maya Fitzpatrick and Kylah vanDonkersgoed to a combined 12 points on January 25. 

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