AUGUSTANA COLLEGE - Augustana fought off second-half flurry by Minnesota Morris and came away with a 70-63 exhibition victory on Monday night in Sioux Falls. Cameron McCaffrey led the Vikings with 18 points on 5 of 18 shooting. Augustana shot 54 percent as a team in the game, but was just 4 of 14 from 3-point range. A lot of young faces saw their first action for the blue and gold on Monday with six true freshmen hitting the floor for the first time at Augustana. Daniel Jansen finished the game with seven points and five rebounds while Casey Schilling and Zach Huisken each added six points. Evan Pierce was 4 of 4 from the floor and 1 of 1 from the free throw line to finish with nine points. Augustana will begin the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 10, hosting Jamestown College at 8 p.m. at the Elmen Center.   

BEMIDJI STATE - The Bemidji State men’s basketball team finished with a program-best 22-9 record a season ago, won the NSIC Regular Season Championship and made their second all-time appearance in the NCAA tournament, but lost DII Daktronics National Player of the Year James Ellisor and Daktronics All-Region performer Bryce Tesdahl to graduation and saw the departure of head coach Matt Bowen. Despite big losses BSU welcomed nine returning players to fold and introduced new head coach Mike Boschee in July to continue the momentum built a season ago. Included in the returners is the 2011-12 NSIC Newcomer of the Year Dermaine Crockrell, who was named BSU’s Player to Watch. The Beavers were tabbed to finish tied for 12th overall and fifth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Bemidji State begins the 2012-13 campaign Nov. 16-17 at the NSIC/Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Challenge in Winona, Minn. BSU will play University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Nov. 16 and No. 5 Metro State University Nov. 17. Both contests are set for a 5 p.m. start at McCown Gymnasium on the campus of Winona State University. Last season the Beavers traveled out to Colorado to play both UCCS and then-No. 10 Metro State. BSU lost 71-60 to Metro State before defeating UC-Colorado Springs 77-69.

CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL - The Golden Bears are off to a 2-0 start in exhibition/scrimmage play this preseason, with a 107-81 win over the alumni all-star team and an 85-61 win at St. John’s over the weekend. They are shooting 54.7% from the floor and 52.3% from three in the two games. Thru the two exhibitions, Cole Olstad leads the team with 19.5 points per game while Isaiah Thomas is averaging a double-double at 15.0 points and 11.5 rebounds. Terez VanPelt has managed the offense with 14 assists in two games, adding 14.0 points while DJ Lewis has a 9-to-1 assist-turnover ratio off the bench. Concordia closes out the preseason this Friday night with a home exhibition game against WIAC Tournament Champion, Wisconsin-River Falls at 7 p.m. at Gangelhoff Center. They’ll open the regular season on Saturday, November 17 with a home game against Clarke College at 2 p.m.

UNIVERSITY OF MARY - Playing an exhibition game in front of 15,436 fans against the 16th ranked team in NCAA Division I, Creighton University, the University of Mary won the second half but lost the game 89-51. FR G/F Brandon Tyler led the Marauders with 13 points and Alex Dorr added 11 as U-Mary outscored the Bluejays 30-28 in the second half. Nine of the 11 Marauders that played in the game scored. All-American Doug McDermott tied for game-high scoring honors with 18 points for Creighton. The Marauders open the regular season on Friday, November 9, at NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

MINNESOTA, CROOKSTON  The University of Minnesota, Crookston men’s basketball team will open up non-conference play Friday, November 9 as they host Presentation College at 6 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium. The Golden Eagles will play one more exhibition Tuesday on the road against Valley City State before opening the regular-season. They fell 70-61 to Gustavus Adolphus College Friday in their first exhibition of the 2012-13 campaign.

MINNESOTA DULUTH  - UMD will begin its 82nd seasons of intercollegiate basketball this Sunday at Romano Gymnasium, when the Bulldogs play host to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Last weekend, UMD got its feet wet with a 91-65 drubbing of the University of Wisconsin-Superior in a “border battle” exhibition contest. Against an overmatched Yellowjacket squad, the Bulldogs shot well from all areas of the floor and brought a good tempo in their first on-court action under first-year head coach Matt Bowen. Prior to this season, Bowen had spent the last six years at Bemidji State. In 2011-12, the Beavers posted a 22-win season en route to winning a league title as Bowen won NSIC Coach of the Year Honors. UMD went 14-13 last year under Gary Holquist, who stepped down to take over as the director of development for Bulldog athletics.

MINNESOTA STATE - Minnesota State suffered two exhibition losses to Minnesota and Iowa State…MSU opens the 2012-13 season against Bethany Lutheran at home…Reigning NSIC Freshman of the Year, Zach Romashko, led the Mavericks in scoring in the exhibition season averaging 11.5 points per game while junior forward Connor O’Brien averaged ten points and a team-high ten rebounds…The Mavericks outrebounded their NCAA D1 foes by a 32-24 margin on the offensive glass..MSU is 4-0 all-time against BLC with the last game coming Dec. 1, 2009 in a 110-65 Maverick victory.

MSU MOORHEAD - The Minnesota State University Moorhead basketball team took North Dakota State University into overtime Saturday for the second straight year, this time yielding in a tough 72-67 loss in exhibition action at the Bison Sports Arena in Fargo, N.D. Dragons fans were in full force as the west stands were half covered in red and black.  The young Dragon team in its second exhibition game took the battle with the Division I opponent into overtime.  MSUM opens the regular season at the Southwest Baptist Classic on Thursday in Bolivar, Mo., against Lincoln (Mo.).
MINOT STATE - Minot State University is set to begin the Matt Murken Era as the Beavers travel to Metropolitan State University of Denver and Colorado School of Mines, Nov. 9 and 10. Minot State hired Murken in July after former head coach Peter Stewart resigned. Minot State went 4-25 during its NCAA Division II independent season in 2011-12, playing 25 of its 29 games on the road. The Beavers did earn one of its four wins over NSIC foe University of Mary. Due to its independent status, MISU used extensive redshirting over the past two seasons and returns eight former starters to this season’s team. The Beavers were led in 2011-12 by #24 Josh Johnson (F, 6-5, 208, Sr., Lufkin, Texas / Lufkin High School / Cedar Valley College) who averaged 15.8 points and pulled down 6.6 rebounds per game.

NORTHERN STATE - The Northern Iowa Panthers used a 26-6 run over the final seven and a half minutes of the first half to turn a slim 16-15 lead into a 42-21 advantage at the break, then matched Northern State bucket-for-bucket in the second half to take a 69-48 win over the Wolves Sunday afternoon in exhibition men’s basketball action.  The exhibition contest marks NSU’s lone pre-season match-up before the Wolves tip off the 2012-13 season next weekend at the Disney Tip-off Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

SIOUX FALLS - The University of Sioux Falls men’s basketball team opens the 2012 season Saturday night when they host Mayville State University at the recently renovated Stewart Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.  Having recorded four straight 20-win seasons under fifth-year head coach Chris Johnson, the Cougars return nine players, including four starters from the 2011-12 squad that went 20-9. USF is 1-3 all-time in season-openers during Johnson’s tenure, with one of those defeats coming at Mayville State in October of the 2009-10 season. Two weeks later, Johnson and the Cougars took care of business versus the Comets at home on November 9, 2009. That was the last time USF and MSU, knotting up the series at 1-1. The Cougars ended the 2011-12 season winning 19 of their final 22 games.

SMSU - The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball team opens 46th season of play this weekend with three games at the Disney Tip-Off Classic in Anaheim, Calif.  SMSU begins plays on Friday at 3:30 p.m. CST versus Cal. State Dominguez Hills.  SMSU will then play North Carolina-Pembroke on Saturday night at 8:15 CST, before completing the weekend with a 1:15 p.m. CST match-up versus Grand Canyon (Ariz.).  This will be the third time SMSU, which is ranked No. 14 in the preseason Basketball Times poll, has played in a Disney Tip-Off Classic.  In 2000, SMSU finished 1-2 at the Disney Classic in Orlando, Fla., while in 2008, SMSU finished 3-0 to win the Disney Classic in Anaheim. SMSU fourth-year head coach Brad Bigler has 15 players on this year’s roster with eight returning letterwinners and five starters.  SMSU returns its top six scorers and top four rebounders from a season ago. The Mustangs finished the 2011-12 season with a 19-11 overall record and finished tied for second in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference standings with a record of 15-7.  SMSU won the program’s first-ever NSIC Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in history and the first since 2009.

ST. CLOUD STATE - St. Cloud State (20-9 overall and 15-7 NSIC in 2011-12) has received mentions in two NCAA Division II preseason basketball polls. The Huskies are ranked #19 in the Basketball Times preseason poll and received votes in the NABC preseason poll. St. Cloud State played an exhibition game at Michigan State on Nov. 2, falling to the Spartans, 62-49. Connor Niehuas (So., F, Fremont, Neb.) led SCSU with 10 points. Theo Rothstein (Sr., F, St. Michael, Minn.) had 11 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals.  The Huskies open the regular season on Nov. 16 at St. John’s University. St. Cloud State has three seniors on the 2012-13 roster. Shaun Jensen (Sr., G, Spring Lake Park, Minn.) is a returning All-NSIC player and led the Huskies in scoring last season with 13.8 points a game. Rothstein led the team in blocked shots with 22 and averaged 11.7 points a game. Scott Hawkins (Sr., F, New Ulm, Minn.) was instant offense for the Huskies off the bench, and shot 50 percent from the field.

UPPER IOWA - With just 4:31 left in their final exhibition game against the Southern Illinois Salukis, Peacock guard Joey Woods found redshirt-senior Michael Lafrenz inside the paint and the power forward’s layup gave the Upper Iowa men’s basketball team a one-point lead, 56-55. Unfortunately, that was the last time UIU would have the lead. SIU’s defense clamped down and finished the game on an 18-6 run, taking the victory, 73-62 in the Peacock’s final exhibition game. UIU will open regular-season play this Sunday at home against the Cardinals of William Jewell College at 1 p.m. in a non-conference game.

WAYNE STATE - The Wayne State College men’s basketball team will face Morningside College in an exhibition game on Tuesday evening (November 6) at 7 p.m. before opening the regular season November 9 and 10 at the Southwest Baptist Tournament in Bolivar, Missouri.  Amry Shelby poured in 29 points last Tuesday in a 64-46 exhibition win over Midland University.  The ‘Cats face host Southwest Baptist in the season opener on Friday, November 9th at 8 p.m. and then meet Lincoln (Mo.) on Saturday, November 10th at 6 p.m.

WINONA STATE -  Winona State men’s basketball team used a 15-2 run midway through the second half to pull away for an 83-58 win over Saint Mary’s in the team’s final exhibition contest Saturday in Winona. Clayton Vette added a game-high 19 points and ten rebounds to record a double-double. The senior also had two of WSU’s seven total blocked shots on the game.  Winona State will begin its regular season on Nov. 9 when it plays Grand Canyon at 1:15 pm in Anaheim, Calif. as a part of the Disney Classic.