Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

Scouting the Northwestern-St. Paul Eagles

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Northwestern-St. Paul (20-7) clinched the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) automatic berth, dropping the University of Minnesota-Morris 71-33 to clinch its first NCAA berth.  EAGLES PROBABLE STARTERS: #40 Mollie Sir (Sr., G: 14.8 ppg, 75 3FG, 104 assists) | Individual Stats #22 Chanel Madson (Jr., G: 14.2 ppg, 68 3FG) | Individual Stats #44 Jessica Fife (Sr., F: 12.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg) | Individual Stats #41 Hannah Holm (Sr., F: 6.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg) | Individual Stats #34 Courtney Cunard (So., F: 7.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg) | Individual Stats EAGLES TOURNAMENT NOTES: The Eagles are making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, after winning the UMAC Tournament title in convincing fashion — routing UM-Morris 71-33. … The Eagles’ 20 wins this season are the most in the last 12 seasons. … UNW enters NCAA Tournament play having won two straight, five of its last six and eight of its last 10. … Mollie Sir was one of three Northwestern players honored by the UMAC, as the senior guard was not only named First-Team All-UMAC, but was also selected as the conference’s Player of the Year. … Jessica Fife and and Chanel Madson were Second-Team All-UMAC selections. … Sir, who has started every one of Northwestern's 27 games this season — and 78 consecutive contests dating back to the 2011-2012 campaign — enters tournament play boasting a team-leading 14.8 ppg scoring average, while Madson and Fife are also averaging in double figures at 14.2 ppg and 12.1 ppg, respectively. … Sir and Fife have each posted a game of 30 or more points this season — with Fife netting a season-best 32 points against Martin Luther on Jan. 17, while Sir tallied 31 points against Hamline on Nov. 26. … Fife has hauled in a team-best 255 rebounds (9.4 rpg), while Courtney Cunard is second with 190 (7.0 rpg). … Fife — a three-time All-UMAC Second Team selection — has recorded at least 15 rebounds in five games this year and has eight double-doubles this season. … As a team, the Eagles have poured in 252 3-pointers, led by Sir with 75 and Madson with 68. … Sir also owns a team-leading 104 assists, while Fife has collected a team-leading 45 steals. … Northwestern heads into Friday’s showdown with Washington University averaging 71.7 ppg, while holding its opponents under 64.0 ppg. … The Eagles have scored 90 or more points twice this season, netting a season-high 110 in a 110-100 victory over Buena Vista on Dec. 7, while netting 97 in a 97-68 win over Crown on Jan. 25. … Northwestern's 110 points vs. Buena Vista were the most since Nov. 13, 1998, when the Eagles last hit triple digits in a victory over North Central University (Minn.). On the flip side, Buena Vista’s 100 points marked the first time in the last decade UNW has allowed 100 or more points.