MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Minnesota State Moorhead women's basketball will embark on its postseason journey this Wednesday in an NSIC Tournament First Round tilt with Northern State. Tipoff from Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, S.D., is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Live video and stats will be available at msumdragons.com. Wednesday's game can also be listened to on AM 1100/FM 92.3 with Jace Denman and 'Big Game' James McCarty on the call.

Matchup History...The Dragons and Wolves split the regular season series with one another. Northern State holds the most recent victory, defeating the Dragons on February 7, 61-41. Moorhead was led by 10 points from Aubrey Morrison in that game. The Dragons claimed the first meeting between the two teams on December 18, topping the Wolves 77-76. A fourth-quarter surge, paced by Terryn Johnson, helped lead the Dragons to victory in that game. Johnson scored 24 points on 81.8 percent shooting from the floor in the victory. The teams have been relatively even with one another over the recent series history, but Northern State holds court in the all-time series, bolstering a 54-36 record. The programs first met during the 1979-80 season with the Wolves winning 77-46. The teams have not played a postseason contest against one another since March 2, 2011.

Dragons At The NSIC Tournament...Moorhead has had a rich tradition at the NSIC Tournament. This season will be MSUM's 27th straight appearance in the tournament since its inception in 2000. Wednesday's game against the Wolves will be Karla Nelson's 45th NSIC Tournament game as head coach, which stands as a conference record. 

Terryn Enters The Top Ten...Senior post Terryn Johnson moved her career rebound total to 784 last weekend, officially moving her into the top ten all-time in program history. Johnson surpassed Dragon greats Allison Swenson and Mary Ann Donnay on the all-time list last week. The Kindred, N.D., native is also poised to continue her movement up the list. Johnson sits three boards shy of overtaking Hall of Famer Angie Jetvig for the ninth position all-time.

More Cookies Please...Sophomore Ashton Safranski put on a defensive clinic last Thursday against Bemidji State. Safranski came away with an eye-popping nine steals, a new career high. The takeaways moved Safranski's all-time total to 152, surpassing Kristin Engeldorf (150) for the sixth-most in program history. Thanks to her effort against the Beavers, Safranski was the NSIC's weekly leader in steals per game. The Fargo, N.D., product is now just 13 steals away from entering the top five all-time in program history. 

Kelly Continues To Climb...Fellow sophomore Caylin Kelly enjoyed another impressive performance against Bemidji State last weekend. Kelly scored 12 points on 66.6 percent shooting from the floor. This included sinking two or three long range attempts in the victory. The Clark, S.D., native is flirting with a double figure scoring average, clipping 9.1 points per game so far this season. Thursday's outing against the Beavers was Kelly's 12th double figure scoring result. 

One Heckuva Run...Moorhead used a massive second and third quarter run to separate from Bemidji State last Thursday. MSUM would end the first half on a 17-0 run, extending that stretch to 26 unanswered points in the third period. The Dragon defense was the primary catalyst, holding the Beavers without a field goal make for nearly 15 minutes of in-game action. Moorhead's 36-point margin of victory is the second-highest this season (49 vs Alaska Fairbanks). 

State of Grace...Junior guard Grace Massaquoi turned up her offense for Moorhead last week. Massaquoi averaged 8.5 points and five rebounds for MSUM last week, including 11 points against UMD on Saturday. Massaquoi shot 47 percent across the two games. 

Karla Nelson is in her 26th season leading the MSUM's women's basketball program. 

Scouting The Opposition

Northern State
2025 Record: 16-12 (11-11 NSIC)
2024 Record: 19-11 (15-7 NSIC)
Head Coach: Paula Krueger (8th Season)
Nickname: Wolves
Top Wolf: Izzy Moore (19.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 48.8 FG%)