THIS WEEK: Minot State University renews an old rivalry and begins a couple new ones as MSU travels to the University of Mary Tuesday (7 p.m.), plays host to Southwest Minnesota State Thursday (6 p.m.) and caps off a busy week with a game at Augustana College Saturday (3 p.m.).

TRADITION IN TRANSITION: Minot State is in its third season of a four-year transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. MSU advanced to Year Three Provisional status in July and is expected to complete the transition in July 2012. Minot State was selected to join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in 2012-13.

RECORDS: MSU is 1-1 after a weekend split in Alaska. This is the regular season opener for the Marauders. Southwest Minnesota State is 0-1 and Augustana College enters the week 0-0.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State's Sheila Green Gerding enters her 17th season as head coach of the Beavers. She is just eight wins shy of 300 for her career, sporting a lofty 292-184. Mary is coached by Fred Fridley, who is 151-81 in eight seasons. SMSU's head coach Allison Krueger is in her second season and has a 7-20 record. Augustana College's head coach Dave Krauth enters his 23rd season with the Vikings and is 441-202.

FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: The game is broadcast locally on KCJB 910-AM with Scott Kittell calling the play-by-play. There will be radio coverage only during Friday's game. Live audio can be accessed online at (www.kcjb.com). MSU provides live stats as well as links to live audio and a MSU photo gallery all at (www.msubeavers.com).

RANKINGS:  None of the three teams were ranked preseason edition of the USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Poll.

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State pushed No. 12 Alaska Anchorage before falling 87-63 Friday in Anchorage and picked up the school's first win as an NCAA Division II Provisional team in a 72-59 win over Alaska Fairbanks Saturday. Mary dropped a pair of exhibition games to NCAA Division I Montana State and North Dakota State. The Mustangs fell 76-58 to the University of Sioux Falls in its season opener and Augustana opens the season on Tuesday with Sioux Falls.

OVERALL SERIES: The Beavers and Marauders haven't played since 2006, but the rivalry goes back to 1976. U-Mary holds a 46-23 advantage and has a 10-game winning streak against MSU. This is the first meeting between MSU and both AC and SMSU.

NOTING THE MARAUDERS: The University of Mary will have a burst of games that begins with MSU and ends with the Beavers. After Tuesday's clash in Bismarck, Mary travels to Florida for two games over the weekend playing Johnson and Wales and Northwood Friday and Sunday. It's back to North Dakota and a trip to Minot Sate on Nov. 23… The Marauders were picked eighth in the preseason coaches' poll… Junior Ali Collins was named to the NSIC Women's Basketball Players to Watch list… Collins and fellow junior Shauna Knife averaged in double figures last season for the Marauders with Collins scoring 11.2 points per game and Knife chipping in with 10.4 ppg.

NOTING THE MUSTANGS: Southwest Minnesota State finished 12th in the preseason NSIC coaches' poll with a total of 29 points… Abby Kenealy, one of the conference's preseason players to watch, scored 20 points and pulled down five rebounds in her first outing against Sioux Falls… The Mustangs were just 1-10 last season on the road and have lost eight straight dating back to 2010-11… Of the 14 players on the SMSU roster, nine are either freshmen or sophomores.

NOTING THE VIKINGS: Augustana College returns two starters from last season's team in senior Molly Hayes and Alex Feeney… Hayes enters the regular season trailing AC all-time assists leader Sandra Zwach by just 114 assists. She finished with 155 assists last season… Head coach Dave Krauth has 21 winning seasons at Augustana in 23 years coaching the Vikings. AC has only been playing women's basketball for 39 seasons total.

CHASING 300: Minot State University women's coach Sheila Green Gerding is just eight wins shy of 300 for her career. She is all ready the Beavers all-time wins leader. Green Gerding picked up win No. 1 in her first game as a head coach, topping Valley City State 79-66 in 1995. When she started at MSU, the program was 64 games below .500, but now the program is 42 games above .500.

CHASING 500: Minot State University women's basketball is just six games shy of the program's 500th win all time. The Beavers are 494-452 overall since becoming a varsity sport in 1976-77.

TWIN POWERS ACTIVATE: Minot State sophomore posts Carly Boag (Tamworth, Australia) and Christina Boag (Tamworth, Australia) have picked up where the dynamic duo left off last season. The two are second and third on the team in scoring average as Christina is scoring 14.5 points per game and Carly 11 ppg. The two have scored 51 of the Beavers 135 points so far this season and have combined 23 of the team's 67 rebounds. Also between them are just five missed free throws as they have combined to hit 13 of 18.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Minot State University plays Augustana College and Southwest Minnesota State for the first time in women's basketball this week. The Beavers begin play next season in the Northern Sun and will play both teams at least once each season. MSU will be in the North Division for basketball and will play South Division teams – which both AC and SMSU will be in – on a home/road rotating basis.

FIRST TIME OF EVERYTHING PART II: Minot State picked up its first win as a NCAA Division II Provisional member with the win over Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday. MSU had its first ever win over a NCAA Division II team (not counting exhibition) against Fairbanks last season. Of the Beavers 26 games this season, all but seven are against NCAA Division II teams or team in the process of moving to NCAA Division II status.
 
APRIL RAINS DOWN FREE THROWS: Minot State senior guard April Nakatani (Sacramento, Calif.) has made an impact in her first two games as a Beaver – most of it coming from the free-throw line. Nakatani, who sat out last season after transferring from Cosumnes River Junior College, is the team's fourth leading scorer at 8.0 points per game and has scored 12 of her 16 points on free throws. She has hit 12 of 18 on the young season.

TROUBLE IN THE CAPITAL CITY: MSU hasn't defeated the University of Mary in Bismarck since a playoff win over U-Mary in 1998. The Beavers have struggled with their neighbor to the south overall, losing 10 straight games. MSU has lost 18 of its last 19 games in Bismarck.