GAME INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH GOLDEN SUNS 1-0 (1-0 GAC)	#22 MINNESOTA DULUTH BULLDOGS 0-0 (0-0 NSIC)	DELTA STATE LADY STATESMEN 0-1 (0-1 GSC)
	Friday, November 13 | 7:30 p.m. Walter Sillers Coliseum | Cleveland, Miss. LIVE STATS | WATCH LIVE	Saturday, November 14 | 6 p.m. Walter Sillers Coliseum | Cleveland, Miss. LIVE STATS | WATCH LIVE

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TIPPING OFF
Less than a week since picking up his first win as a college head coach, Darly Fimple is set to lead his Arkansas Tech women's basketball team to Cleveland, Mississippi this weekend for a pair of tough tests as part of the Delta State Invitational.
 
First up, the Golden Suns will take on preseason No. 22-ranked Minnesota Duluth at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 13. They will follow that up by playing host Delta State at 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 14.
 
This will be the fourth meeting all-time between the Golden Suns and Minnesota Duluth, but the first since 1994. Tech won all three of the previous meetings. Against Delta State, the former bitter conference rivals will be playing for a third-consecutive year after rekindling the series that halted in 2015. Overall, this will be the 52^nd meeting all-time with Delta State holding a 28-23 lead in the series.
 

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TECH(NICALLY) SPEAKING
The Golden Suns are off to a 1-0 start to their season as they beat Arkansas-Fort Smith, 78-64 in their season-opener at home this past Monday.
 
In that game, the Golden Suns shot 43.4% overall from the field (33-of-76), were 5-of-17 (29.4%) from three-point range and 7-of-16 (43.8%) from the free throw line.
 
Individually, the Golden Suns had four players score in double figures against UAFS. Jessie Lyle led the way with 19 points. AbbiGrace Cunningham was next with 14 followed by Dessie Gehler with 13. Ari Gordon rounded out double-figure scoring in the opener with 10 points.
 
Gehler led the team in rebounds in the opener with eight. In terms of assists, Katie Fimple paced the team with six.
 
Defensively, the Golden Suns were led in steals by Gordon with three. She also had the team's lone block.
 

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SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Minnesota Duluth will be playing their first official game of the year when they play Arkansas Tech but have a closely played exhibition against Drake (NCAA DI) under their belts. The Bulldogs played at Drake back on October 28 and lost 66-56.  
 
Last season, the Minnesota Duluth went 23-9 record overall and had a 17-5 mark in the NSIC North, claiming the regular season title. The Bulldogs would stumble in the semifinals of the NSIC Tournament, but advanced to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team and made it to the Elite Eight before losing. This year, the Bulldogs are picked to finish second in the NSIC North and fifth overall according to the preseason coaches poll.
 
A key returner for the Bulldogs is Claire Bjorge. She was recently selected as UMD's player to watch for the 2026-27 season. The junior guard from averaged 12.5 points last season for the Bulldogs and earned NSIC Second-Team honors.
 
Last year, the Bulldogs averaged 72.4 ppg and ranked fifth in the NSIC. On the defensive end of the court, the Bulldogs ranked 1st in the league in scoring defense, giving up an average of 63.4 ppg. In terms of field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense, the Bulldogs were second in the conference as they shot at an overall clip of .447 (888-of-1,987) and allowed their opponents a .399 mark (721-of-1,809) to rank third.
 
From beyond-the-arc, the Bulldogs shot at a clip of .328 (241-of-735) to rank eighth in the NSIC while their opponents made three-pointers at a mark of .303 (149-of-491) to rank sixth. From the free throw line, the Bulldogs shot .769 as a team (299-of-389) to rank sixth.
 
The Bulldogs are coached by former Minnesota Duluth All-America great Brooke Olson, who is in her first season at her alma mater. After leaving UMD as a player in 2023, Olson went into coaching as a graduate assistant at the University of Minnesota and then as an assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
 

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SCOUTING THE LADY STATESMEN
Delta State is out to a 0-1 start to their season as the dropped their opener on the road at McKendree, 79-66, this past Monday
 
In that game, the Lady Statesmen shot 39.0% overall from the field (23-of-59), were 6-of-22 (27.3%) from three-point range and 14-of-19 (73.7%) from the free throw line.
 
Individually, Delta State had three players score in double figures against McKendree. Jariyah Williams led the way with 27 points. Adyson Roberts was next with 20 while D'Naylah Williams rounded out double-figure scoring in the opener with 12 points.
 
D. Williams and J'Nyria Kelly led the team in rebounds in the opener with seven. In terms of assists, Roberts paced the team with two.
 
Defensively, the Lady Statesmen were led in steals by J. Williams with three and in blocks by Evelyn Eubanks with three.
 
The Lady Statesmen are coached by Tracy Stewart-Lange, who is in her fifth season at Delta State and her 26th overall. In her time at DSU, Stewart-Lange is 57-60. Overall, she is 447-314.