The Lady Beavers will start the first round of the 2024-25 NSIC Basketball Tournament by heading to St. Cloud, Minnesota to take on the St. Cloud State University Huskies. The contest will take place at 5:30pm on Wednesday night. Winner of the game will move onto Quarterfinals at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to take on the 1st place seed, Concordia-St. Paul.

The Beavers are riding a wave of momentum as they head into the first round of the NSIC Tournament, thanks to back-to-back victories over Winona State University and Augustana University to close out conference play. With a 9-13 record in the books, the Beavers are set to make a run in the postseason as the 9th seed and will begin by taking on the Huskies.

Throughout conference play, the Beavers showed their resilience, averaging 61.9 points per game and holding steady with a .394 field goal percentage. They’ve been aggressive on both ends of the floor, pulling down 32.9 rebounds per game and notching 10.7 assists and 6.2 steals per contest.

Emma Mogen has been a dominant force, leading the Beavers in field goals (127), rebounds (157), steals (36), and blocks (18). Meanwhile, Maya Aguilar has been lighting it up from deep, leading the team with 54 three-pointers.

In the Beavers earlier matchup against the Huskies, the Beavers came up just short in a 62-72 battle. Despite the loss, there were plenty of standout moments to build on. Emma Mogen delivered a stellar double-double performance, tallying 14 points and 15 rebounds, showcasing her dominance on both ends of the floor. Defensively, the Beavers made their mark by holding the Huskies to 35.3 percent shooting from the field while forcing 14 turnovers.

Offensively, Jessica Mogen led the charge with 18 points, keeping the Beavers competitive throughout the contest. The trio of Jessica Mogen, Maya Aguilar, and Emma Mogen were the driving force behind the offense, combining to score 79 percent of the team’s points.

The Huskies wrapped up conference play with an even 11-11 record and head into the NSIC Tournament as the 8th seed. A key contributor to their success has been Jada Eggebrecht, who leads the team in both field goals made (131) and points scored (356). On the perimeter, Alana Zarneke has been leading the Huskies with 48 three-pointers and also has 38 steals. Kylan Gerads leads the Huskies in rebounds with 143 and Alyssa Stamer has a team-leading 68 assists.

The winner between Minot State and St. Cloud State will proceed to the Quarterfinals on March 1 at 11:00 am to face the Concordia- St. Paul Golden Bears. Semifinals will proceed to be played on March 3rd, and the NSIC Championship will be held on March 4.