SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- For the first time this season, the No. 23 Augustana women's basketball team returns to the Sioux Falls Arena as the Vikings play host to two NSIC opponents. Augustana faces Minot State Friday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. and U-Mary on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 4 p.m.

The Vikings are 7-0 on the season, including a 3-0 record in conference play, and are off to their best start to a season since 2012-13 when Augustana started that season 9-0. Augie entered the WBCA Coaches poll at No. 23 and the D2SIDA poll at No. 20. for the first time this season on Tuesday, Dec. 5 and are ranked for the first time since March 12, 2013.  

Over the weekend, the Vikings, who average over 85 points a game and have been outscoring their opponents by 22 points a contest, picked up a win at Concordia-St. Paul, 72-50, on Friday night and capped off their road-trip with a 80-55 win at Minnesota State on Saturday. Senior Naomi Rust led the way with 15 points while junior Shelby Selland corralled a team-high eight rebounds in the win on Friday night. Selland tallied a double-double on Saturday night, pouring in a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Minot State (4-3, 1-2 NSIC) is currently on a two game skid, dropping last Friday's game to Northern State 77-58 and last Saturday's game to Minnesota State Moorhead 85-64. This is the first road trip of the regular season for the Beavers.

U-Mary (4-5, 0-3 NSIC) has lost three of-their-last four contests including two last weekend. The Marauders lost to Minot State 64-54 last Friday and Northern State 72-61 last Saturday. Both games were in Bismarck, N.D.

Minot State averages 71 points-per-game on 39 percent shooting. Their opponents are scoring just over 60 points a contest and connecting on just 34 percent of their shots. The Beavers have three players who average in double-figures on the season. Holly Johnson, a senior forward out of Minot, N.D., leads the team with 13.7 points-per-game. Kristal Flowers averages a double-double a night on 12 points and 11 rebounds while Madison Wald averages 11 points a game.

U-Mary averages 66 points-per-game on 40 percent shooting. Their opponents average 58 points over nine games to start the season. Four Marauders average 10 or more points a game, led by Gabbie Bohl. Bohl, a sophomore forward from Minot, N.D., averages 17 points and 7 rebounds over the eight games she's played in. Cassi Askvig is their leading rebounder, corralling 8.9 rebounds while scoring 14 points per game.

The Vikings hold an 8-1 series lead over Minot State, winning their last meeting 70-61 in the first round of the NSIC tournament at the Sanford Pentagon last season. Augustana leads the U-Mary series 13-3 and won the last matchup 88-54 back on Dec. 10, 2016.

You can hear both games live on KXRB 100.1 FM with Jeff Fylling and Austin Bramley on the call.