Friday, Nov. 18
Northwest Missouri State vs. Colorado Mesa
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Saturday, Nov. 19
Northwest Missouri State vs. Minnesota State
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Fort Hays State Tournament
The Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team prepares to travel to Hays, Kan. to compete against Colorado Mesa and Minnesota State. The team will face Colorado Mesa Friday, Nov. 18, and Minnesota State Saturday, Nov. 19.

Northwest has not faced CMU or MSU in the school's history of women's basketball.
 
About CMU
The Colorado Mesa women's basketball team was tabbed fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll. The Mavericks received one first place vote following a 23-7 season where they made it to the NCAA South Central Region Tournament.
 
During the 2021-22 season, CMU averaged just over 70 points per game. The Mavericks lost all three of their leading scorers from last year.
 
CMU is off to an 0-2 start this season after losses to No. 6 West Texas A&M and Texas Permian Basin.
 
About MSU
The Minnesota State women's basketball team was picked to finish in first place in the coaches' poll for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. MSU is coming off a 21-7 season where they qualified for the NCAA Central Region Tournament. The Mavericks played Fort Hays State in the first round and recorded a 66-61 loss.
 
Over the course of the 2021-22 season, MSU averaged 78.4 points per game. The Mavericks return their top two leading scorers from last year. Joey Batt led the team with 15.5 ppg, followed by Destinee Bursch who averaged 11.6 ppg.
 
Their fourth leading scorer, Taylor Theusch, added 8.6 ppg while shooting 39.3% from beyond the arc. The only Maverick shooting a higher percentage from 3-point land was Molly Ihle who connected on 18-of-44 attempts for 40.9% on the year. Both Theusch and Ihle return for MSU this season.
 
Minnesota State has played just one game so far this year as they beat North Central, a Division III program, 110-42.
 
Northwest off to 2-0 start
After wins against Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota Crookston this past weekend, Northwest is off to its first 2-0 start since the 2016-17 season.
 
Two games into the season, Northwest is averaging 82.5 points per game and allowing opponents 72.0 points per game.
 
The team is averaging 38.2% from 3-point range, with three Bearcats shooting at least 40% or higher. Lauren Gillig is 3-of-5 from downtown (60%), Jayna Green is 2-of-4 (50%), and Peyton Kelderman is 6-of-15 (40%).
 
Jayna Green and Kelsey Fields have been dominant on the glass so far this year. Fields is averaging eight rebounds per game while Green is averaging almost seven rebounds per game.
 
Molly Hartnett leads the team in both scoring and assists. Hartnett is averaging 17.5 points per game to go along with 10 assists. Jayna Green is averaging 13 ppg while shooting 52.2% from the field. Peyton Kelderman and Ella Moody are tied for third in scoring with 10 ppg. Kelderman has added nine assists and Moody has tallied eight.
 
Northwest is also receiving votes in the Central Region Poll – Week 1. Missouri Southern was tabbed at first in the poll, Central Missouri and Nebraska-Kearney are tied at second with Minnesota State, Fort Hays State is seventh, Missouri Western is eighth, and Emporia State is ninth.