The Minot State women’s basketball team will be tested this season against several of the nation’s best teams and the Beavers look to make an impact against those foes on the hardwood. 

Third-year head coach Mike Brandt is pleased to announce his team’s 2023-24 schedule which features 14 home contests as well as eight games against NCAA Division II National Tournament qualifiers. 

“This is arguably the toughest schedule for the women’s basketball program in our NCAA Division II era,” Coach Brandt said. “We will play a total of eight games against teams that played in the NCAA Tournament this past spring. Four of our first six are against such teams – so we will be tested right out of the gate! Fortunately, three of the four will be played at neutral sites, with the MSU Billings game played in the friendly confines of the Dome.  

“Will we be ready for that type of schedule? Time will tell. It will be extremely challenging – and that is the way I like it. We will either show that we are a team to be reckoned with – or we will know where we stand and how much we need to improve throughout the year.” 

The Beavers will prep for the season with a pair of scrimmages against in-state junior college foes in October – versus Lake Region State College on Oct. 24 and North Dakota State College of Science on Oct. 28 – then hit the road for two neutral-site tournaments to open the season. 

Action tips off in earnest on Nov. 3 in Billings, Montana with Minot State taking on the University of Tampa (Fla.) – which advanced to the Elite Eight – in the D-II Tip-off Classic. The Beavers will play Florida Tech on Saturday, then wrap up Sunday, Nov. 5, against Angelo State (Texas) – which advanced to the South Central Regional semifinal. 

The early-season road trip continues for Minot State with a pair of games in St. Joseph, Missouri as the Beavers play Fort Hays State (Kan.) on Nov. 10 at the Central Region Showcase, then Southern Nazarene (Okla.) on Nov. 11. SNU fell to Minnesota Duluth in the Central Region quarterfinals. 

After opening with five neutral-site games, the Beavers make a quick appearance at the MSU Dome hosting West Region semifinalist Montana State Billings at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, before hitting the road for four more games. 

The next road trip tips off NSIC play as Minot State visits Minnesota Crookston on Tuesday, Nov. 21. 

The Beavers are back in-state for a huge battle one week later, playing at the University of North Dakota on Tuesday, Nov. 28, then it is back to Minnesota for more league action as Minot State plays at Bemidji State on Dec. 1, then at St. Cloud State on Dec. 2. 

“In addition to those contests and the always tough NSIC schedule, we are playing a regular season game against the University of North Dakota – who also made a postseason appearance last year,” Brandt said. “Hopefully, our players will accept the challenge and work hard this fall and early pre-season!” 

After starting the season with 9-of-10 away from home, Minot State is back in the MSU Dome for five straight, hosting the “Education Game” on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 11:30 a.m. against in-state non-conference foe Valley City State, then hosting another in-state rival in the University of Mary on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 3:30 p.m., as Minot State returns to NSIC play. 

The Beavers then host Northern State on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m., and Minnesota State Moorhead on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 3:30 p.m. 

Minot State then wraps up the 2023 calendar year on New Year’s Eve hosting South Dakota Mines at 1 p.m. 

The Beavers are back on the road to start the new year playing at Concordia, St. Paul on January 5, then they play at NCAA runner-up national champion Minnesota Duluth on January 6. 

Back home for two straight weekends, the Beavers host Sioux Falls at the MSU Dome on Friday, Jan. 12, at 7:30 p.m., host Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 5:30 p.m., host NCAA Tournament qualifier Minnesota State, Mankato on Friday, Jan. 19, at 5:30 p.m., and Winona State on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 3:30 p.m. 

Back on the road, the Beavers play their final NCAA Tournament opponent, playing at Augustana on January 25, then at Wayne State on January 27. 

Then it’s a Battle of the Beavers at the MSU Dome on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 5:30 p.m. as Minot State hosts Bemidji State before Minot State heads to the University of Mary on February 3, then to MSU Moorhead on February 8. 

Minot State wraps up its home slate hosting St. Cloud State on Sunday, Feb. 11, at 1:30 p.m., then Minnesota Duluth on Friday, Feb. 16, at 5:30 p.m., and Concordia, St. Paul, on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 3:30 p.m. 

The regular season then concludes with games at Southwest Minnesota State on February 23 and at Sioux Falls on February 24 before the NSIC Tournament opens with first-round games hosted at campus sites on Wednesday, February 28. 

The final eight teams then head to Sioux Falls for the NSIC Tournament at the Sanford Pentagon, March 2-5.