THIS WEEK: Minot State returns to the Dome to play its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference home games, taking on Augustana University Friday (6 p.m.) and Wayne State College Saturday (4 p.m.).

RECORDS: MSU is 2-7 overall and is 0-3 in Northern Sun play. Augie is 8-2 overall and 3-0 in league play, while WSC comes into the weekend at 5-3 and 0-3 in NSIC games.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State is coached by Sheila Green Gerding. In her 22nd season at the helm of the Beaver women's basketball program, Green Gerding has amassed an impressive 359-264 overall record. Green Gerding is the Beavers all-time wins leader and has all 359 wins at MSU. Augustana's Dave Krauth brings 27 seasons with him to the Dome as he is 562-248 overall. Chris Kielsmeier is Wayne State's head coach and is 194-61 in nine season with the Wildcats. Overall, he is a stellar 373-105 as a head coach.

FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: The game is broadcast locally on KCJB 910-AM with Scott Kittell calling the play-by-play. Live audio can be accessed online at kcjb.com. MSU provides live video – with Leif Bakken serving as the play-by-play announcer – and live stats as well as links to the live audio at msubeavers.com. Minot State Athletics also is active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube with all feeds accessible at msubeavers.com/stayconnected.

RANKINGS: None of the three teams playing this week at the Dome were ranked in the latest WBCA Division II Top 25 poll, but Augustana University is the No. 8 team D2SIDA Media Poll Central Region Poll.

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State struggled shooting the ball in two losses at Northern State (74-53) and Minnesota State University Moorhead (57-46). The Beavers played well enough to win on defense, but shot below 30 percent in both games. Against the Wolves, MSU got a game-high 15 points from Haley Hildenbrand and a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds from Kristal Flowers. On Saturday, Hildenbrand again paced the Beavers offense with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists and Kori Eurich added 11 in the loss. Augustana University earned a pair of solid wins over NSIC South rivals, talking down Concordia-St. Paul 64-50 and Minnesota State 89-80. Naomi Rust led the Vikings with 12 points against CSP, while Lynsey Prosser scored 16 in the win over Minnesota State. WSC fell twice as MSU topped the Wildcats 85-72, while CSP thumped WSC at home 86-66. Paige Ballinger led the team in scoring both nights scoring 15 and 18 points, while Anna Martensen finished with 11 rebounds and nine rebounds.

ALL-TIME AT A GLANCE: The Beavers have just one win over the pair of NSIC South teams in their relatively short history. MSU is 1-6 against Augustana University, winning 88-71 over then the No. 13 ranked Vikings at home in the Beavers first win over a ranked NCAA Division II opponent. WSC holds a 4-0 lead over the Beavers all since Minot joined the NSIC.

LAST TIME OUT: MSU dropped two road games at WSC and Augie last season at the end of January. The Beavers fell 80-60 at WSC as Savana Kingsbury finished with 17 points and six rebounds for the Beavers. WSC's Maggie Schulte led all scorers with 23 in the win. MSU played will in the second half, but ultimately fell 87-70 at Augustana. Kingsbury had a great night with 21 points and five assists, while Sarah Lester just missed a triple double, scoring 17 points, adding 12 rebounds and seven assists for MSU. Sydney Rome faced AU with 12 points.

NOTING THE VIKINGS: Augustana University's has had six different players lead them in scoring with four different in the past four games… Logan O'Ferrell leads the team in both points (14.1 ppg.), rebounding (7.4 rpg) and steals (22) and is second in blocked shots (11) and assists (36)… The Vikings average 20.1 assists per game, leading the NSIC… Despite pulling down an average of 41.9 rebounds per game, AU is a minus-2.2 in rebounding, giving up 44.1 per outing… Thanks to the Vikings 206 assists, the team boasts a solid 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio.

NOTING THE WILDCATS: Wayne State College has a perfect 5-0 record outside Northern Sun games, but is 0-3 inside conference play… WSC has shot 65 more free throws than its opponents, holding a 141-98 made free throw advantage… Three Wildcats average double figures, paced by Paige Ballinger's 14.3 average. Ballinger hits 53.1 percent from the field… Anna Martensen is second on the team in scoring at 12.8 per game and leads the team in rebounds with a 7.6 average, including 13 on the offensive end… WSC has been outscored 174-134 in the fourth quarter.

CASHING IN AT THE LINE: Minot State struggled with free throws for the first time all season in the loss at MSU Moorhead hitting just 7 of 15. Still, the Beavers have six players making 75 percent or better and have just two players who have shot at least one free throw hitting below 69 percent.

HILDENBRAND HEATS UP: MSU freshman Haley Hildenbrand led the Beavers in both games offensively last week and has moved her season average up to 9.0 per game, good for fifth on the team. She paced the team with 13 points in the season opener, but has only reached double figures in scoring twice before scoring 15 and 12 respectively at NSU and MSUM.

2-FOR-1 ON FLOWERS: Junior Kristal Flowers notched her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds at Northern State. Flowers is second on the team in rebounding overall, pulling down an average of 4.8 per game including a team-leading 21 on the offensive end.

COUNTING BY 3S: Minot State has been much improved from beyond the arc in 2016-17. The Beavers have hit 66 3-pointers so far this season after making just 140 all of 2015-16. Kori Eurich and Mariah Payne have knocked down 17 apiece, while Kari Clements has 12 3s so far. Clements was the team leader last year with 32 over the course of the season.

BY THE NUMBERS

3: Offensive rebounds by Diondra Denton to lead the Beavers. Denton, who also leads the team in overall rebounding at 5.2 per contest, has 47 total rebounds.

30: Assists though nine games for Mariah Payne. Payne is third on the team in scoring at 9.9 per game and has dished out 30 assists to pace the team.

88.2: Haley Hildenbrand's free throw percentage as the freshman has missed just two free throws in 17 attempts. She has made her last nine attempts.