Huskies take on Bemidji State for NSIC North supremacy

ST. CLOUD, MINN. - Things might be getting back to normal for the St. Cloud State University women's basketball team. After a week of craziness, where the Huskies saw four total games cancelled, they will finally be returning to their original schedule against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) North opponents. It certainly won't be an easy weekend, though, as St. Cloud State takes on the No. 1 team in the Division, Bemidji State University, Friday and Saturday.

Last week proved to be a whirlwind for the Huskies, as they saw their original series against MSU-Moorhead cancelled early Monday afternoon. Chaos then ensued, as St. Cloud State tried to schedule a series with Minnesota State, as the Mavericks too seemed to have an open weekend due to COVID-19 protocols at the University of Sioux Falls. Three days later, the Cougars were out of quarantine, meaning the originally scheduled series between Sioux Falls and Minnesota State could occur. Unfortunately, it left the Huskies without an opponent, resulting in their first unintentional bye week of 2020-21.

Fortunately, St. Cloud State should experience some normalcy this weekend, as the team travels to Bemidji State for its originally scheduled series with the Beavers. Friday's tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., while Saturday's game is slated to start at 3:30 p.m.

At this time, spectators are not allowed at Bemidji State games, but fans can follow the Huskies online via live stat and video. Additionally, score updates will be made on the team's official twitter account (@SCSUHUSKIES_WBB) when available.

Here are the five things to know before Friday's tip off in Bemidji:

12.1 - The Huskies scoring margin this odd season is an impressive 12.1 points per game, which ranks second behind their conference rival Minnesota-Duluth. While St. Cloud State only scores an average of 68.3 points per game, the defense is the top of the class, as the Huskies surrender just 56.1 points to opponents this season. The result? An extremely impressive scoring margin of just over 12 points a game.

21 / 9 / 9 - Since St. Cloud State has the top defense in the NSIC, it should come as no surprise that three student-athletes rank toward the top of the rankings in steals and blocks. Though eight games this season, Brehna Evans (De Pere, Wis. / West De Pere) finds herself No. 2 in the NSIC in steals, having racked up 21 total this season for an impressive average of 2.6 a game. Tori Wortz (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson) additionally ranks tenth in the conference in steals (15) and steals per game (1.1), a spot she has held consistently throughout her entire Huskies career. On the block side of things, Nikki Kilboten (Eau Claire, Wis. / Eau Claire North) and Katrina Theis (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) rank third in total blocks (9) and blocks per game (1.1).

7 - Bemidji State is the surprise team of the 2020-21 season. Typically a middle of the pack team, the Beavers are riding a seven game win streak and currently lead the NSIC North Division with a pristine 6-0 record. In fact, Bemidji State dropped its first game of the season, falling to Minnesota State 63-62 in the season opener. Since then, the Beavers have won seven straight games with impressive sweeps of MSU-Moorhead, Mary and Minot State.

15.1 / 14.5 - This weekend's series should be a high scoring affair, at least for two players involved. Wortz currently leads St. Cloud State and ranks ninth in the NSIC in scoring, averaging an impressive 15.1 points per game this season. Right behind her is Bemidji State's Rachael Heittola, who ranks 12th in the NSIC by averaging 14.5

23 - Heittola proved to be the Huskies weakness in the last meeting between the two teams on February 21, 2020. St. Cloud State suffered a near devastating loss at the hands of the Beavers, as Heittola led her team to a 65-62 victory on their own court. The then freshman tallied a double-double, leading the game with 23 points and 11 rebounds.