COLLINS CONTINUES STRONG START: Much like Cunningham, sophomore point guard Hannah Collins has risen into her role as a starter this season. She leads the squad with 18.3 points per game, and has been a highly efficient shooter at 45.9 percent from the floor, 46.7 percent from 3-point range, and 87.5 percent from the foul line. Collins is also nearing a 2.0 assist-turnover ratio, as she has 15 assists against just eight giveaways through the first three games. She ranks second on the team with 31.0 minutes per game, and has a team-best nine steals as well.
 
LEMELIN GETS THE NOD: Jeanann Lemelin earned her second career start last week, getting the nod against South Dakota Mines. A day after scoring a career-high 10 points against Chadron State, she was effective again as she hauled in a personal best seven rebounds to go along with three assists against the Hardrockers. Lemelin holds a strong 46.2 field-goal percentage and has made 4 of 9 threes on the year (44.4 percent).
 
WILLIAMS HAS BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE: Entering the season with a career high of just four points, junior forward Janessa Williams broke out of her shell with a 15-point performance against Chadron State. Williams got to the foul line and converted in the win, making 7 of 8 free throws to account for nearly half of her points. MSUB will look for Williams to continue providing an offensive spark off the bench, where she is averaging 14.7 minutes.
 
STAVISH SCORES SEASON HIGH: Senior Vanessa Stavish came within three points of her personal best, as she scored a season-high 15 points in the loss against SDSMT. Three of her six made field goals came from 3-point range, and she also grabbed four rebounds while playing 24 minutes. Overall on the season Stavish ranks third on the team with 9.7 points per game and is second with 10 assists.
 
LOOKING FOR A BOOST ON THE BOARDS: While MSUB protects the ball very well, with 53 assists against just 36 turnovers, the team has struggled in the rebounding department in its first three games. Entering the week, MSUB is being out-rebounded 43.7-29.3, a margin of minus-14.4.

Valley City State University Vikings
Friday, November 23 – 2 PM – Alterowitz Gym
2018-19 Record: 3-4
Head Coach: Vanessa Keeler-Johnson, 2nd season
2017-18 Record: 25-5, 13-3 North Star Athletic Association (NAIA)
 
In her first season in charge of the program, Vanessa Keeler-Johnson led the Vikings to a 25-5 record and an appearance in the first round of the NAIA national tournament in 2017-18.
 
VCSU is off to a 3-4 start on the season, and enters the Yellowjacket Classic with two straight wins including a 74-69 triumph at Concordia-Moorhead last Thursday and a 67-61 win against Bemidji State on Tuesday evening.
 
Three Vikings average in double figures in scoring, with Mackenzie Huber pacing the squad at 14.1 points per game. Kate Williams is averaging 12.7 and Alli Vandal is chipping in 12.1. Huber is also the team's leading rebounder with 6.9 boards per game, while Williams leads the team with 3.0 assists. Hannah Schlecht joins the offensive trio as the fourth Vikings player to have started all seven games, while Emily Schafer and Dierra Diegel have also been in the starting five this season.
 
As a squad VCSU is out-scoring its opposition 68.9-64.4 through its first seven games, and holds a 39.3-32.3 advantage in rebounding. While the Vikings may have a size advantage over the 'Jackets, they are susceptible to turning the ball over. The team's 0.8 assist-turnover ratio (90 assists against 110 turnovers) should play favorably into MSUB's defensive strategy.
 
VCSU will play Carroll College on Saturday at 2 p.m. after facing the 'Jackets on Friday night.
 
The Series: Friday's game will be the first-ever meeting between the teams.

Carroll College Saints
Sunday, November 25 – 2 PM – Alterowitz Gym (Exhibition)
2018-19 Record: 3-1
Head Coach: Rachelle Sayers, 8th season
2017-18 Record: 25-8, 14-4 Frontier
 
Entering the week ranked No. 7 in the NAIA top-25, Carroll has won three of its first four games to start the season. The Saints knocked off Westmont College 59-50 in their most recent game Monday, and will face VCSU on Saturday before Sunday's non-counting exhibition game against MSUB.
 
Hannah Dean is the lone Saint averaging in double figures, as she scores 13.8 points per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the floor and 90.9 percent from the foul line. She is also the team's second-leading rebounder, with 6.5 boards per game, and leader in steals with 13 total.
 
Danielle Wagner, Christine Denny, and Jaidyn Lyman have each also started all four games, and are averaging 7.3, 7.0, and 6.5 points per game, respectively. Denny leads the squad with 4.0 assists per game, while Wagner is Carroll's top rebounder with 6.8. Emma Madsen has been a key player with 8.3 points off the bench, and is coming off a season-best 13 points in the team's most recent game against Westmont.
 
The Saints hold a solid 63.3-48.3 scoring margin, and are out-rebounding the opposition 37.0-29.5 on the season. Carroll shoots 39.8 percent from the floor, 31.5 percent from 3-point range, and 82.1 percent from the free-throw line.
 
The Series: MSUB is 38-7 all-time against Carroll and is 23-4 in games played in Alterowitz Gym. The 'Jackets have won 15 straight games between the teams dating back to 1990.
 
Last Time Out: The last time the sides played a counting game was on December 13, 2013, when MSUB won 62-47 in Billings.