SIOUX FALLS – Starting a four-game home stand, University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball brings in a five-game winning streak to the Stewart Center, looking to build on the best start in their Division II history. The Cougars (14-2, 10-2 NSIC), who are receiving votes in the latest WBCA Top 25 poll, host Minnesota State (9-7, 5-7 NSIC) on Friday, Jan. 20 with tip set for 6 p.m. The following evening, Sioux Falls welcomes Concordia-St. Paul (11-7, 7-5 NSIC) for a 4 p.m. contest on Saturday, Jan. 21.
 
How to watch/listen
All of USF's home games and NSIC contests will be streamed live via Stretch Internet and are available at USFCougars.com/watch. Veteran broadcaster Tom Frederick will broadcast both games this weekend on KWSN AM 1230 or FM 98.1 with pregame starting 15 minutes prior to tip-off each night. Links for all USF home games are available at USFCougars.com/livestats and links to road contest live stats are available on the USF Women's Basketball schedule.
 
Knecht earns third NSIC south division player of the week honor this season
As a key component of USF's two road victories, senior center Sam Knecht was named the NSIC south division player of the week for the third time this season. Knecht nearly averaged a double-double with 19.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. The Platte, S.D. native posted her seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 boards in USF's 55-47 win over Bemidji State. Needing every bit of her scoring output, Knecht carried the Cougars to a 69-63 win over Minnesota Crookston with a season best 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting. In the fourth quarter, Knecht scored eight straight to start the final period and finished with 11 as USF held off UMC's comeback attempt. Knecht joins 2016 NSIC Player of the Year Taylor Varsho as the only three-time winner of the NSIC south division player of the week honor.
 
Gaining national recognition: USF garners votes in WBCA poll, D2SIDA region poll
Catching the eyes of coaches around the country, USF Women's Basketball collected nine points and is 34th in the latest WBCA Coaches poll released on Tuesday afternoon. The Cougars earned their first top-25 ranking as a Division II program last season when they were tabbed No. 25 on Feb. 9, 2016. The Cougars also appeared in the D2SIDA (Sports Information Directors of America) Media Poll top 25 at No. 25 on Jan. 12, 2016 and hold the No. 9 spot in the this week's D2SIDA Central Region Media Poll.
 
Cougars improve on historic season's start, piece together third win streak of five or more this year
With two hard-fought road victories, USF Women's Basketball has started the season at 14-2 and improved on last season's record through 16 games, which was the previous best since USF's first full-membership NCAA Division II season in 2012-13. The Cougars have strung together win streaks of four or more wins on three occasions and the current five-game win streak is the second time USF has done so this season.
 
Series history: Sioux Falls & Minnesota State tied 4-4
Since beginning regular competition with Minnesota State as members of the NSIC in 2012-13, Sioux Falls has played their NSIC south division foe to an even 4-4 record. The Cougars are 3-1 against Minnesota State in the Stewart Center and all eight contests have come in NSIC regular season competition. The Cougars topped MSU, 77-64, to start the series in 2012, and after dropping the next four matchups, USF has won three straight. Sioux Falls thumped Minnesota State 99-76 behind Sam Knecht's career-high and USF D2-record 31 points in the first matchup last season, but the Cougars needed a 25 points and seven 3-pointers from Taylor Varsho to win 66-64 at MSU in the second leg of the season series.
 
Series history: Concordia-St. Paul leads 6-3
One of the perennial powers when USF joined the NSIC beginning with the 2012-13 season, Concordia-St. Paul holds a 6-3 edge in the series of USF. After dropping the first six contests, Sioux Falls has won the last three, including two at home where the Cougars are 2-2 against the Golden Bears. In NSIC regular season games, CSP leads the series 5-3. The Cougars dropped a 25-point decision in their first meeting with Concordia-St. Paul in 2012, a year that CSP advanced to the NCAA Central Region Tournament. Last year, the Cougars eked out a 69-64 victory over the Golden Bears at home before Sioux Falls used 23 points by Sam Knecht for a 64-49 road win to close out the regular season.
 
Cougar defensive quick hits
• In league games only, USF has the top defense in the NSIC in three different categories
• USF boasts the top scoring defense with opponents averaging a 53.2 points per game, nearly three points fewer than second
• In addition to limiting opponents to the lowest scoring average, USF has held their 12 NSIC opponents to a 33.2 percent shooting mark, tops in the league
• After holding their opponents to 8-33 shooting on threes this past weekend, USF's three-point field goal defense is first in the league with opponents shooting 25.6 percent
• In all games this season, USF owns the top defensive rating among the NSIC programs, boasting a 75.02 rating, which translates to allowing 75.02 points per 100 possessions, more than eight points better than the next best defensive rating in the league
• The Cougars have 121 steals in 12 league games, second in the league, and the third-best turnover margin with a +4.83 average through eight games
• Sioux Falls has three Cougars in the top 12 of the league in steals per game, led by Alyson Johnsen in seixth at 2.0 per game (24 total), Brooke Smith in second with 23 total steals for a 1.9 average, and Madi Robson in 12th with 21 steals for a 1.8 average
• Sam Knecht has 22 blocked shots in league play, including five this past weekend, a 1.8 average per game that has her ranked fifth in the league