For Immediate Release
Monday, Feb. 10, 2014

NSIC Media Relations
Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#1 Brock Lutes
G, 6-4, 215, Jr.,
Portland, Ore.
Newberg HS
Bemidji State

Lutes averaged 36.5 points per game and shot 64.3 percent from the field in a BSU men’s basketball home sweep of Minot State and U-Mary. He also shot 61.1 percent from 3-point range and went 8-for-10 (80%) from the free throw line. He also added three rebounds and three assists. The junior fell one point shy of tying the BSU school record for points in a game Saturday when he scored 43. He went 17-for-24 (70.8%) from the field to tie the program record for field goals made and went 8-for-11 (72.7%) from 3-point land to fall one 3-pointer shy of tying the BSU record. The 17 field goals made is an NSIC-best this season, while the eight 3-pointers ranks tied for first. He also added three assists in the game. The 43 points stands as the best individual performance in the NSIC this season and ranks tied for fifth in the nation (stats as of Feb. 6). Friday, Lutes recorded his league-leading fourth game with 30 or more points when he posted 30 points on 10-for-18 (55.6%) shooting from the field, a 3-for-7 (42.9%) performance from long range and a 7-for-8 (87.5%) effort from the charity stripe. He leads the NSIC in scoring with 20.5 points per game. This marks the second time this season Lutes has been named NSIC Player of the Week (1/13/14).

AUGUSTANA COLLEGE - #32 Casey Schilling (F, 6-6, 190, So., Ellsworth, Minn./Ellsworth HS) averaged 20 points and seven rebounds last weekend while picking up four blocks and shooting 56 percent from the field. The sophomore finished with 17 points and three rebounds against Winona State on Friday night before recording his seventh double-double of the season on Saturday night. Against Upper Iowa, Schilling recoded a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds going 9 of 13 from the field, hitting 3 of 5 from behind the arc.

BEMIDJI STATE - #1 Brock Lutes (G, 6-4, 215, Jr., Portland, Ore. / Clackamas CC (Ore.)) averaged 36.5 points per game and shot 64.3 percent from the field in a BSU men’s basketball home sweep of Minot State and U-Mary Feb. 7-8. He also shot 61.1 percent from 3-point range and went 8-for-10 (80%) from the free throw line. He also added three rebounds and three assists. The junior fell one point shy of tying the BSU school record for points in a game Saturday when we scored 43. He went 17-for-24 (70.8%) from the field to tie the program record for field goals made and went 8-for-11 (72.7%) from 3-point land to fall one 3-pointer shy of tying the BSU record. The 17 field goals made is an NSIC-best this season, while the eight 3-pointers ranks tied for first. He also added three assists in the game. The 43 points stands as the best individual performance in the NSIC this season and ranks tied for fifth in the nation (stats as of Feb. 6). Friday, Lutes recorded his league-leading fourth game with 30 or more points when he posted 30 points on 10-for-18 (55.6%) shooting from the field, a 3-for-7 (42.9%) performance from long range and a 7-for-8 (87.5%) effort from the charity stripe. He leads the NSIC in scoring with 20.5 points per game.
The Beavers recorded a home sweep of Minot State (83-60) and U-Mary (90-77) Feb. 7-8 to improve to 17-5 overall and 14-4 in NSIC play. The Beavers have reached 17 wins for the third consecutive season and it marks the 16th occurrence all-time. The 14-4 league mark is good for a two-game lead in the NSIC North and trails the 15-3 conference leaders, Minnesota State and Winona State. On the weekend, Bemidji State shot 55.7 percent from the field and went 23-for-51 (45.1%) from long range. The Beavers lead the NSIC in field goal percentage (52.1%), 3-point percentage (42.3%) and free throw percentage (76.8%). BSU concludes a four-game homestand and the home portion of the 2013-14 regular season Feb. 14-15 when it entertains Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul. BSU is 34-64 all-time against MSU, but are 3-2 in the last five meetings. Last season the Beavers downed then-No. 5 Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn. 82-74, but the then-No. 7 Mavericks ended the Beavers’ season in the NSIC Tournament Championship Game, winning 73-68. In the last home game versus MSU (Jan. 20, 2012), the Beavers won 75-67. Bemidji State is 13-12 all-time against CU, but have lost five of the last six meetings. Last season, CU converted on a shot with four seconds left to sink BSU in St. Paul, Minn., 85-84. The Beavers’ last victory against the Golden Bears came at home, Jan. 14, 2012, by the score of 100-77.

CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL -The Golden Bears dropped their final two home games last weekend with Travon Mitchell leading the team with 20.5 points per game off the bench. Cordell Smith added 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game and Terez VanPelt’s perfect 16-16 free throw shooting helped him average 14.0 points. VanPelt set the program record for career free throws made (346) and broke his own single season free throws record with 151, topping last year’s mark by one. In Friday’s game, Concordia set a new program record with 37 made free throws and missed the free throw attempts record by just one, attempting 45 in the loss to Sioux Falls.
Concordia will close out the regular season with four straight road games starting this weekend at Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State on Friday and Saturday … Concordia is 19-4 all-time against Minnesota Crookston and 9-2 on the road at UMC … Concordia has won six straight in the series overall and six straight road games at UMC as well … Concordia’s last loss on the road to UMC was on Feb. 6, 2004, before Kelly Boe’s tenure as head coach … Boe holds a 8-1 mark against the Golden Eagles in his eight seasons … Concordia and Bemidji State enter the 26th meeting in the series with BSU holding a 13-12 advantage … Concordia has struggled at BSU, however, with a 3-9 all-time record at BSU Gymnasium … Concordia has controlled the recent series, winning five of the last six and nine of the last 11 meetings … all three of Concordia’s all-time wins at BSU have come under head coach Kelly Boe as Concordia scored its first road win against the Beavers on Dec. 8, 2006 (72-55) and are now 3-2 under Boe at BSU … Boe’s teams hold a 9-2 record against the Beavers since he became head coach in 2006-07 … Concordia lost its most recent trip to BSU on Jan. 14, 2012 (77-100) but defeated the Beavers in the last meeting between the schools last year in St. Paul on Feb. 9, 2013 (85-84).

UNIVERSITY OF MARY -  Marc Musungayi (F, 6-6, 220, Sr., Hamilton, Ontario / Iowa Central) led the Marauders to a weekend split while averaging 17.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 50 per cent from the floor and making 11-of-12 free throw attempts. In a 67-62 win at UMC, the senior forward posted 22 points and eight rebounds. He also had two steals. Musungayi closed the weekend with 13 points and eight rebounds in a 90-77 loss at NSIC North-Division leading Bemidji State. He made all seven free throw attempts in the game... Other Marauders also had big games over the weekend. Senior guard Jalen Jaspers made 9-of-12 shots and scored 20 points in the win over the Golden Eagles. Junior forward Germain Decoste had eight points and 14 rebounds in the same game... Junior G/F Chris Mason scored a career-high 23 points against the Beavers. He hit two treys in the game and had five rebounds. Decoste added 12 points and six rebounds in the same game.

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON  - Giorgi Koguashvili (Jr., Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia) - Koguashvili continued his impressive play as of late for the Golden Eagles, averaging 12.5 points per game in a pair of losses to University of Mary and Minot State University. Koguashvili has seen his minutes increase and his production increase after averaging just 3.1 points per game in the first 10 games he appeared in. In the last seven, he is averaging 9.9 points per game. Koguashvili was 4-of-7 from the field with 15 points and three assists against U-Mary Friday. Against Minot State, he added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting with two assists and one steal.

MINNESOTA DULUTH  - Junior guard Reece Zoelle led the way for UMD all weekend as the Bulldogs got a pair of payback victories in the NSIC North. Zoelle shot 66.7 percent (14-of-21) in Friday’s 88-80 win at Northern State, including a nearly perfect 8-of-9 night from three-point range to finish with 42 points. It was the first time a UMD player had reached the 40-point threshold since 2010 and neared the Bulldog single-game record of 47 set in 1994. He followed that up by sparking UMD’s offense in a 70-67 road win against MSU-Moorhead, scoring the team’s first eight points en route to his second double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds. On the weekend, Zoelle averaged 28.5 points and 8.5 boards while shooting 52.5 percent, and 69.2 from beyond the arc.
Senior guard Peter Crawford also had a big weekend, getting much of his production from the charity stripe. Crawford was 24-of-25 on free throws including a 15-for-16 night on Friday against Northern, marking the third time this season that a Bulldog had at least 15 free throws in a single game (Jordan Reetz, 15-of-18 vs. Northern State on Jan. 25 and Crawford, 15-of-17 vs. Sioux Falls on Jan. 10). The UMD single-game record is 17, set, coincidentally, the last time a Bulldog had 40 points by Ryan Rasmussen against St. Cloud State on Feb. 5, 2010. Crawford averaged 23.5 points for the weekend and 7.5 rebounds, adding six assists while shooting an even 50.0 percent for the weekend. Altogether, the Bulldogs shot a very efficient 45.9 percent for the weekend, including 16-of-29 on threes, while holding their opponents to 39.5 percent.

MINNESOTA STATE - #22 Zach Monaghan (G, 6-3, 180, Jr., Palatine, Ill./Fremd/South Dakota State) led the Maverick offense this past weekend as MSU picked up a pair of wins against Southwest Minnesota State (77-68) and Sioux Falls (109-64) to improve to 21-4, including a 15-3 mark in NSIC action. Monaghan averaged a team-high 23 points and 9.5 assists in MSU’s two wins. He also shot 77.8% (14-of-18) from the field, including an 8-of-9 (.889) showing from behind the arc. He also finished with a perfect 10-of-10 performance from the free throw line, and averaged 3.5 assists per game. He began the week posting his seventh career double-double as he tallied a game-high 23 points and 11 assists against Southwest Minnesota State. He followed up with another game-high 23 points and eight assists against Sioux Falls.
With its two wins this past weekend, MSU improved to 21-4, including a 15-3 record in NSIC play. The Mavericks are currently tied with Winona State atop the NSIC standings. Against Sioux Falls, the Mavericks recorded their third 100 point game of the season as they dropped in 109 points. Junior Zach Monaghan averaged a team-high 23 points and 9.5 assists per game this past weekend.
Sophomore TJ Okafor averaged seven points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds this past weekend against Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls. A total of seven Mavericks recorded at least 10 points in MSU’s win over Sioux Falls.

MSU MOORHEAD - Tarell Clark (G, 6-3, Sr., Minneapolis, Minn. / Burnsville HS) had a solid week in helping MSUM to a 1-1 mark at home in NSIC games. During Friday’s 91-88 win over Minnesota Duluth, Clark had 27 points and 10 rebounds on 12-of-14 shooting. Clark had 23 points in the first half alone. The senior added two assists and three steals. A night later, Clark had eight points but tied a career-high with 18 rebounds during a 70-67 home loss to Minnesota Duluth. He added four assists and two steals. For the week, Clark averaged 17.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the field.

MINOT STATE - Minot State University snapped a four-game losing streak with an 87-64 win over Minnesota Crookston Saturday, earning a split of two road Northern Sun games after falling 83-60 at Bemidji State Friday. In Saturday’s win, the Beavers shot a season-high 57.1 percent from the field and hit 13 of 21 3-pointers. On the weekend, MISU hit 21 3-pointers overall. #3 E.J. Williams (G, 6-0, 185, Sr., Raleigh, N.C. / Capitol Hill / Cape Fear Community College) scored in double figures in both games, averaging 17.5 points per game. He also had five assists and three rebounds. #0 Samuel Johnson (), who was named one of 16 finalists for the State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition, was steady with 25 points, 13 rebounds and two steals combined. The Beavers finish their home schedule this season with the University of Sioux Falls Friday and Southwest Minnesota State Saturday.

NORTHERN STATE - Northern looks to snap its four-game losing streak this weekend as the Wolves hit the road for the final time in 2014 to face two South Division opponents in Wayne State and Augustana. Northern is 34-32 all-time against Augustana and is looking for its first win against the Vikings since 2008-09 and are 29-23 against WSC.

SIOUX FALLS - The USF men split a weekend in the North Star state to enter this week at 12-10 overall (9-9, NSIC). Behind a career-high 29 points from Mack Johnson, Sioux Falls defeated Concordia-St. Paul, 97-84, on Friday night in the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, Minn. Johnson, who grew up in the Twin Cities suburb of Roseville, made all seven of his three-pointers to tie a program single game record held by Jack Ridgway. The Cougar guard trio of Johnson, Mahlon Jones (20) and Charles Ward (17) carried the majority of the scoring load for the Cougars, combining for 66 of USF’s 97 points. Junior center Bryan Kielpinski recorded his first double-double of the season (and third overall for USF), finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Jordan Stotts added 13 points.  On Saturday, USF suffered its worst defeat of the season tonight, falling 109-64 to No. 21 Minnesota State in the Taylor Center in Mankato, Minn. Derek Brown led USF with 18 points in the game and Mack Johnson added 10. The Cougars recorded just ten assists and eight turnovers on the night, compared to 26 dimes and seven miscues for MSU. USF hit 30.1 percent (22-73) from the field, compared to the blistering 60.0 percent (39-65) from the Mavericks, who also connected on 15-of-27 three pointers. USF wraps up its four-game road trip next weekend at the University of Mary and Minot State.

SMSU - Senior guard Matt Zager (6-2, 195, Shakopee, Minn.) averaged 18 points, 2.5 rebounds and shot 61.5 percent from the field in SMSU’s road split last weekend. Zager scored a season-high 23 points with a career-high 10 field goals in SMSU’s 77-68 loss to No. 22 Minnesota State on Friday night. Zager was 10 of 14 from the field, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range with just one turnover. In SMSU’s win over Concordia-St. Paul, Zager scored 13 points on 6 of 12 shooting with three rebounds and one turnover. Zager is averaging 11.1 points per game on the season and shooting 52.8 percent from the field.

ST. CLOUD STATE - St. Cloud State earned a weekend road split, losing at MSU Moorhead 91-88, rebounding with a 76-58 win at Northern State,  remaining  in a tie for second place in the NSIC North. Jordan Poydras (So., G, De Pere, Wis.) averaged 23.0 points and 4.5 assists in the weekend split. He shot 48.5 percent from the field and made six three-point baskets and went eight-of-nine at the free throw line.  Matt Craggs (Sr., F, Kimberly, Wis.) collected his fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds at Northern State. He was one of three Huskies to score 20 or more points at MSU Moorhead, finishing with 20 points. He was 12-of-19 from the field over the two games for a 63.2 percent field goal percentage. Damarius Cruz (Sr., G, Plymouth, Minn.) rained three’s on his opponents knocking down five in each of the games. He finished the weekend with 37 points, ten-of-18 from three-point range for 55.6 percent and two assists per game. Cruz played a significant role in the Huskies comeback bid against the Dragons scoring three straight three’s and four of SCSU’s five three’s in a 34-16 run that pulled SCSU within one point of the home team late in the second half. The Huskies finish out a four-game road stretch at Winona State on Friday and Upper Iowa on Saturday. St. Cloud State is 90-42 all-time against Winona State since the 1922-23 season. The Huskies are 2-8 over the last ten games with the Warriors and won the only meeting last year, 79-78. St.  Cloud is 13-3 all-time against Upper Iowa since 1951-52 and have lost two straight to the Peacocks.
 
UPPER IOWA - Josh Weeber (C, 6-5, 215, Fr., Dubuque, Ia./Senior HS) led the Peacocks in scoring this past weekend averaging 18 points as the team earned their fourth and fifth consecutive wins on the road in NSIC Play. UIU has now won four games in a row including this past weekend sweep at Wayne State and Augustana. Furthermore, with Saturday’s victory over Augie, the Peacocks return to .500 this year (12-12) and are now tied for fourth in the NSIC-South Division with a 10-8 conference record. On Friday night, Upper Iowa was led by Weeber who scored 14 points on 3-of-6 shooting, while adding two assists to his stat line as the Peacocks faced their former coach Brian Dolan and the Wayne State Wildcats. The visitors dominated their hosts, holding the home team to 53 total points, while forcing a season-high 22 turnovers.  Four Peacocks finished in double-figures as UIU earned the 73-53 victory inside Rice Auditorium. A night later, Upper Iowa forced 20 Augustana turnovers while only giving the ball up 6 times in another big road victory, 84-79. UIU rallied from a pair of double-digit deficits, the second of which came with 8:33 left in regulation. UIU used a 13-3 run to tie the game, 73-73, with just over three minutes on the clock. The teams were still tied a minute later, 75-75, but the Peacocks outscored the Vikings 9-4 to earn the win. After scoring a combined 64 points last weekend, Joey Woods (G, 6-2, 210, R-Sr., Naples, Fla./Golden Gate HS) averaged 17 points, 5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals over the past two games. Woods netted 14 of his 21 points in the final eight minutes of Saturday’s contest including 9 of the team’s final 11 points. The Peacocks will try to extend their current win streak on Friday as they host Minnesota Duluth inside Dorman Gym at 8 p.m. On Saturday, UIU will battle St. Cloud State with the action beginning at 6 p.m.

WAYNE STATE - Ryan Rolfzen, a 6-7 senior forward from Papillion, Nebraska (Papillion-LaVista South HS), averaged 16 points and 4.5 rebonds per game over the weekend in home losses to Upper Iowa and Winona State.  Rolfzen had 14 points, going 5 of 9 from the field and 4 for 7 from 3-point range, in Friday’s 73-53 setback to Upper Iowa and followed that with 18 points on 7 of 14 shooting (4 for 7 from the 3-point line) in a 79-67 loss to Winona State.  For the weekend, Rolfzen shot 52.2 percent from the field (12 of 23) and was 8 for 14 from beyond the arc.  Rolfzen has now recorded double digits in five straight and eight of his last 11 games for the Wildcats.
 
WINONA STATE -  Kellen Taylor, G, Sr., 6-7, 215, Plymouth, Minn. (Wayzata) continued his strong senior season, averaging 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in Winona State victories over Augustana and Wayne State this weekend. Taylor shot the ball extremely well in the two games, shooting 68.8 percent (11-of-16) from the floor while also knocking down two of his four attempts from behind the 3-point line. The senior also averaged 3.0 assists per game while recording a pair of steals and a blocked shot. After scoring just five points but grabbing nine rebounds and handing out for assists in the win over Augustana, Taylor exploded offensively against Wayne State, scoring 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He also grabbed five rebounds in the victory.

Past NSIC Players of the Week
11/11/13    - Casey Schilling - Augie
11/18/13    - Sam Johnson - MISU
11/25/13    - Jordan Poydras - SCSU
12/2/13 -  E.J. Williams - MISU
12/9/13 - Maxie Rosenbloom - BSU
12/16/13    - Casey Schilling - Augie (2)
12/23/13 - Jake Schalow - BSU
1/6/14 -     Kellen Taylor - WSU
1/13/14 - Brock Lutes - BSU
1/20/14 - Marc Musungayi - U-Mary
1/27/14 - Matt Craggs - SCSU
2/3/14 - Joey Woods - UIU
2/10/14 - Brock Lutes - BSU (2)