For Immediate Release
Monday, January 23, 2017
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet (PDF)



NSIC Men's Basketball Players of the Week

NSIC North Division Player of the Week
#24 Tyler Rudolph (F, 6-6, 230, Jr., Bismarck, N.D. / Century HS)
Minot State
- Averaged 26.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists to power Minot State to a pair of wins
- Went 19-for-30 (63.3%) from the field including 3-of-7 from three and 12-of-13 from the line
- Earned a double-double both nights
- Scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in a 79-71 win over BSU Friday
- Erupted for 33 points and 17 rebounds in a 84-72 win over UMC on Saturday
- Passed former Minot State and NCAA Hall of Fame coach Dale Brown for 12th all-time on MISU’s career scoring list with 1,162 points

NSIC South Division Player of the Week
#23 Jordan Spencer (G, 6-2, 165, Jr., Milton Keynes, England / Shenley Brook End School)
Augustana
- Averaged 28.0 points, 7.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 58.8 percent
- Was 20-of-34 from the field and hit 9-of-19 three-pointers
- Had an asssit to turnover ratio of 7.5 as he averaged 36.5 minutes per game
- Finished with a career-high 34 points to go along with eight assists, six rebounds and two steals at UIU
- Went 13-of-19 from the field and hit a career-high seven three-pointers at UIU
- Knocked down a 3-pointer for his first bucket of the night at WSU giving him exactly 1,000 points for his career
- Finished with 22 points, seven assists and three rebounds against the Warriors
- Is the second current Viking with 1,000-plus career points joining Adam Beyer
- Becomes the 34th player in Augustana men’s basketball to score 1,000-plus career points
- Has scored 1,019 points in 88 career games in a Viking uniform
- Named NSIC Player of the Week for the second time this season (11/28/17)
 

Augustana University Vikings

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
L 95-91 at UIU W 73-71 at WSU	14-6, 9-5 NSIC	W1	2nd Overall, 2nd South
Team Notes
- Augustana split a pair of NSIC South Division road games this past weekend - The Vikings lost a high-scoring affair at Upper Iowa on Friday night 95-91 after the Peacocks hit a 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left - Jordan Spencer, who scored a career-high 34 points for the Vikings, tied the game at 91 with 5 seconds remaining before UIU hit the game-winning shot before the buzzer - The Vikings shot 49.3 percent from the field at Upper Iowa, hitting 33 of 67 shots, including 15 of 30 3-pointers - Augustana struggled from the free throw line hitting 10 of 15 (66.7 percent) from the stripe - Augustana rebounded with a comeback win at Winona State on Saturday - The Vikings trailed by as much as 13 in the second half before picking up a 73-71 win over the Warriors - Steven Schaefer hit a 3-pointer with 5:12 to play giving Augustana its first lead since three minutes into the contest and the Vikings held on to defeat the Warriors - Jordan Spencer hit a pair of free throws with four seconds left to give Augustana a 73-70 lead before Adam Beyer was called for a foul with 0.5 seconds left on a Riley Bambenek 3-point attempt - Bambenek hit the first but missed the second, before intentionally missing the third - Augustana had four players in double-figures, including Marcus Asmus and Steven Schaefer who pitched in with 10 each off the bench
Top Performer(s)
- Jordan Spencer entered the weekend needing 37 points to reach 1,000 for his career and he almost completed the task on Friday night - Spencer finished with a career-high 34 points to go along with eight assists, six rebounds and two steals at Upper Iowa on Friday night - Spencer was 13 of 19 from the field and hit a career-high seven 3-pointers - Spencer knocked down a 3-pointer for his first bucket of the night at Winona State giving him exactly 1,000 points for his career - He finished with 22 points, seven assists and three rebounds against the Warriors - Steven Schaefer finished the weekend averaging 12.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while hitting 5 of 8 3-point field goal attempts
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 at Minnesota Duluth – 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at St. Cloud State – 6 p.m.

 

Bemidji State University Beavers

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
L 79-71 at MISU W 78-67 at Mary	7-12, 5-9 NSIC	W1	14th Overall, 7th North
Team Notes
- Bemidji State split its previous weekend on the road, opening with a 79-71 loss at Minot State and closing with a 78-67 win at U-Mary - BSU erased an 11-point deficit to tie the game against MISU late in the second half - Minot State converted on its next three field goals, including two 3-pointers, before going 10-for-10 from the free throw line to seal the game - The Beavers 3-point shooting difference created the winning margin against the Marauders, hitting 9-of-23 from beyond the arc compared to 5-of-16 - BSU outscored U-Mary in bench points, 32-19, led by senior forward Shane White with 11 - Bemidji State has won four of its last six games and is currently sixth in the NSIC North, trailing fourth and fifth place by a one-game margin
Top Performer(s)
- Junior guard Sharif Black led BSU with 15.5 points per game, including an 18-point performance in Saturday’s win against U-Mary - Black converted 8-of-9 from the free throw line and recorded six rebounds and four assists - Senior forward Ben Best averaged 13.5 points per game and led BSU with 20 points and eight rebounds against Minot State
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 vs. Concordia-St. Paul – 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 vs. Minnesota State – 6 p.m.

 

Concordia University, St. Paul Golden Bears

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
L 56-81 at SMSU L 70-93 at USF	4-17, 1-13 NSIC	L11	11th Overall, 7th South
Team Notes
- Led for much of the opening half on Friday night before being outscored by 25 over the final 23 minutes in an 81-56 loss at SMSU - CSP fell behind 23-4 in the opening six minutes as USF hit their first 10 shots in a 93-70 loss for the Golden Bears - Concordia held a 21-14 edge on the offensive glass over the two games despite trailing 69-62 in total rebounds
Top Performer(s)
- Bryndan Matthews led the team with 14.5 points per game while knocking down 16-21 (76.2%) in the two games over the weekend - Ahmad Newsome came off the bench to average 6.5 rebounds per game to go along with 4.5 points and 2.5 assists off the bench for CSP
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 at Bemidji State – 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at Minnesota Crookston – 6 p.m.

University of Mary Marauders

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
W 94-89 vs. UMC L 78-67 vs. BSU	8-12, 6-8 NSIC	L1	10th Overall,4th North
Team Notes
- Extended winning streak to three with 94-89 win over Minnesota Crookston behind a season-high 29 free throws - Four Marauders reached double figures in points against UMC with three reaching that level in loss to BSU - Marauders are tied with Minot State for 4th in the NSIC North with eight games remaining - Mary is 7th in the nation for fewest turnovers per game (10.0) and 24th/1st in NSIC in turnover margin (+3.8)
Top Performer(s)
- Sr. G Damonta Henry became the 18th Mary men’s basketball player to reach 1,000 career points when he hit a 3-pointer early in the Bemidji State game - Henry finished the BSU game with 19 points and three steals. He opened the weekend with 16 points against UMC - For the weekend he averaged 17.5 PPG and made 13 of 25 shots overall and was 5-of-10- behind the arc as he was 4-of-6 at the free throw line - Sr. F Bryan Jefferson posted back to back 20 point games for the second time this season. He scored a season-high 28 points in the win over UMC, making 9-of-13 field goal attempts and 10-of-13 free throws. He also had nine rebounds and three assists. Jefferson followed with a 20-poing night against BSU, hitting 7-of-11 shots and adding nine rebounds - Sr. G Rickey Suggs tied his career-high with 19 points while making 7-of-10 free throws against UMC. He followed with nine points and nine rebounds against BSU
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 at Upper Iowa - 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at  Winona State - 6 p.m.

University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
L 94-89 at U-Mary L 84-72 at MISU	6-14, 2-12 NSIC	L5	16th Overall, 8th North
Team Notes
- Minnesota Crookston lost one game by just five points this weekend. They continue to show improvement and have been in a lot of games this year that they have ultimately lost. UMC has lost seven games by 10 or less points - The Golden Eagles had a strong offensive night against U-Mary as they shot 57.4 percent from the field and 58.8 percent from beyond the arc - Minnesota Crookston had a successful weekend from the charity stripe. They were 40-of-48 for  83.3 percent from the foul line against U-Mary and Minot State - The Golden Eagles shot 23-of-55 for 41.8 percent from the field against Minot State on Saturday
Top Performer(s)
- Harrison Cleary averaged 24.5 points on the weekend and shot 16-of-31 (51.6 percent) from the field, 4-of-7 (57.1 percent) from beyond the arc and 13-of-14 (92.8 percent) from the charity stripe on the weekend - Chase Johnson averaged 11 points and 8.5 rebounds on the weekend for the Golden Eagles - Jim Warmack had 10 points against U-Mary - Connor Gamble tallied 16 points versus U-Mary - Chase Knickerbocker notched 14 points versus U-Mary - Gable Smith had 10 points versus Minot State
Up Next
Fri., Jan. 27 - Minnesota State - 8 p.m. Sat., Jan. 28 - Concordia-St. Paul - 6 p.m.

 

University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
L 79-65 at SCSU L 87-68 at MSUM L 73-64 at NSU	4-16, 3-11 North	L6	12th Overall, 6th North
Team Notes
- UMD took to the road for its longest road stretch of the season, falling short in each game - The Bulldogs shot 55 percent on 11-of-20 from the three-point line in the loss to Northern State - UMD turned the ball over just five times against SCSU, and averaged only 8.7 turnovers per game on the week - The Bulldogs held a 1.5 assist/turnover ratio on the week and rank fourth in the NSIC on the season with a 1.34 ratio
Top Performer(s)
- Logan Rohrscheib scored a team-leading 16 points against MSU Moorhead and averaged 11.3 per game - Charles Benson is averaging 11 points per game over his previous five games and picked up a career-high 14 points against SCSU - Jake Wilson netted a team-leading 17 points against Northern State while adding six boards, Wilson has scored 10+ points in five straight games and nine of the last 11 - Kyle Schalow averaged six points, 6.3 assists, and three rebounds over three games
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 vs. Augustana  – 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 vs. Wayne State  – 6 p.m.

Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
W 68-67 at USF L 58-56 at SMSU	13-7, 8-6 NSIC	L1	1st Overall, 1st South
Team Notes
- Minnesota State went 1-1 on the road this past weekend as it defeated Sioux Falls 68-67, before falling to SMSU 58-56 - Sophomore Cole Harper made the game winning layup with 0.1 left on the clock against Sioux Falls - Senior Jon Fuqua led all scorers with 20 points in MSU’s win vs. USF - His 20 points also represented the fourth straight game he passed the 20-point plateau - The Mavericks held their opponents to a 40.2 FG% this past weekend - MSU held a 35-31 advantage in rebounds per game last weekend
Top Performers
Senior Aarias Austin – 13.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 42.9 FG% Sophomore Joey Witthus – 12.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 53.3 FG%
Next Week
Friday, Jan. 27 at Minnesota Crookston – 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at Bemidji State – 6 p.m.

 

Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
W 87-68 vs. UMD W 87-82 vs. SCSU	17-3, 12-2 NSIC	W7	3rd Overall, 1st North
Team Notes
- Dragons went 2-0 at home last weekend to maintain hold on first place in NSIC - MSUM holds one-game lead over SMSU and Upper Iowa in conference race and leads St. Cloud State and Northern State by two games in NSIC North - Dragons have won seven in a row and was just outside the top 25 in latest NABC D2 coaches poll - Dragons shot 50.8 percent from the field for the week
Top Performer(s)
- Senior F Ayob Ayob averaged 25.5 points and 8.0 rebounds to lead MSUM in both categories; Ayob scored a career-high 31 points in win over St. Cloud State - Senior G Aaron Lien averaged 12.5 points a game in the two wins - Sophomore F Addison Park averaged 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game for the week - Junior G Tanner Kretchman averaged 9.0 points, 8.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds for the week
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 at SMSU - 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at Sioux Falls - 6 p.m.

 Minot State University B

Minot State University Beavers

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Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
W 79-71 vs BSU W 84-72 vs UMC	10-10, 6-8 North	W3	T12th Overall, 5th North
Team Notes
- Minot State earned its first NSIC sweep of the season, topping Bemidji State 79-71 and Minnesota Crookston 84-72 at the MSU Dome - Hit 10 straight free throws and outscored BSU 18-10 over the final 3:06 of the game to secure the win Friday - Shot 51.7 percent from the field and knocked  down 9 of 16 3-pointers to defeat UMC Saturday - Held BSU and UMC to a combined 7 for 31 on 3-pointers on the weekend
Top Performer(s)
- Tyler Rudolph averaged 26.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists on the weekend, passing form MSU great and NCAA Hall of Fame coach Dale Brown for 12th all-time in career scoring with 1,162 points - Nathan Mertens scored 22 total points and added five assists and two steals on the weekend while playing solid defense on both team’s top offensive player - Trevor Rothstein hit all five of his 3-pointers to give Minot State 17 points in just 30 minutes off the bench. He has hit six straight 3s over his last three games - Luis Ricci Maia tied a career high with nine assists Saturday, finishing with 16 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds on the weekend
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 at Winona State – 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 at Upper Iowa – 6 p.m.

Northern State University Wolves

Last Week – 2-0	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
W 82-73 vs. SCSU W 73-64 vs. UMD	14-6, 8-2 North	W2	7th Overall, 3rd North
Team Notes
- The Wolves bounced back with a weekend sweep of St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth from Wachs Arena - The NSU men out-rebounded their opponents in each of the two wins and shot over 40 percent from the floor - Northern also tallied 80 total points in the paint and forced more turnovers which resulted in 40 points - In the two wins, the Wolves shot 42.9 percent from the floor and 75.0 percent from the foul line
Top Performer(s)
- Logan Doyle led the team versus the Huskies with 23 points and nine rebounds, while shooting 71.4 percent from the floor - Ian Smith led the team against the Bulldogs with 19 points. He added five rebounds and two assists in the win - Jonny Dahl recorded a career high ten points versus the Huskies, while Doyle notched a career high five blocks against the Bulldogs
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 at Sioux Falls – 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan 28 at Southwest Minnesota State – 7 p.m.

University of Sioux Falls Cougars

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
W 93-70 vs. CSP L 68-67 vs. MSU	13-9, 9-5 NSIC	W1	6th Overall, 3rd South
Team Notes
- With a split at home, the USF Men’s Basketball Team remains tied for third in the NSIC South at 9-5 with Augustana. USF, which is 13-9 overall, has won 9-of-11 games - Head Coach Chris Johnson tied the USF school mark for career wins with 154 (Shane Murphy) with the victory on Saturday over CSP - USF shot a season-best 65.5 percent (38-58) in defeating CSP on Saturday night.  In fact, USF made 20-of-28 field goals against CSP in the first half for 71.4 percent, also a season-best -  In the win over Concordia St. Paul, USF starters made 31-of-41 field goals for 75.6 percent -  With the a one-point loss to MSU, the Cougars lost a sixth-game this season by two points or less, including twice by one point, both at the Stewart Center -  The Cougars continue to shine as the league’s top defensive unit, allowing just 67.4 points per game, which is the top mark in defensive scoring in the NSIC - Also in league stats, USF is first in three point field percentage defense (32.9 percent) and first in field goal percentage defense (41.4 percent) - The Cougars sit third in the league in scoring margin (7.9 ppg) and rank fifth in the NSIC in three point shooting (38.3 percent)
Top Performer(s)
- Drew Guebert scored 23 points against CSP, which was his eighth 20 point game of the season and 11th of his career - On the weekend, he had 41 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and hit 14-of-27 field goals, including 7-of-16 from three-point range. He tied a career high with five three-pointers in the win over CSP - Clint Thomas ranks fourth in the NSIC in three point percentage at 50.5 with 58 3’s on 115 attempts. He has moved into 11th place on USF’s all-time 3-point list, just one from 10th (Corey Smith, 118, 1999-01) - Thomas scored 35 points this weekend with seven rebounds and three assists. He made 13-of-19 shots (68.4 percent) from the floor, including 5-of-10 from three point range
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 vs. Northern State - 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 vs. MSU Moorhead - 6 p.m.

 

Southwest Minnesota State University

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
W 81-56 vs. CSP W 58-56 vs. MSU	16-3, 11-3 NSIC	W2	8th Overall, 4th South
Team Notes
- SMSU’s 16-3 record is the best in team history - SMSU has played just seven of its 19 games at home this season - SMSU’s 81-56 win over CSP on Friday night was its largest margin of victory this season - SMSU trailed 19-2 with 11:30 left in the first half in its win over MSU - SMSU’s 58 points in the win over MSU on Saturday was its lowest point total of the season - It was the first time SMSU scored less than 73 points all season - SMSU recorded a season-high 15 steals in the win over MSU - SMSU has eight “true” road wins this season. SMSU last recorded double digit road wins in 2008-09, finishing 11-2
Top Performer(s)
-Sophomore guard Ryan Bruggeman hit the game-winning field goal with 12.3 seconds remaining to defeat MSU, 58-56 on Saturday -Junior center Carter Kirk recorded his team-leading sixth double-double of the season on Friday with 14 points and 13 rebounds versus CSP -Senior Joey Bartlett and sophomore Michael Lee both averaged 10 ppg during the weekend
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 vs. MSU Moorhead - 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 vs. Northern State - 7 p.m.

 

St. Cloud State University Huskies

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
W 79-65 vs UMD L 82-73 at NSU L 87-82 at MSUM	14-9, 10-4 North	W2	3rd Overall, t-1st North
Team Notes
- The Huskies started the week with a 79-65 win over Minnesota Duluth to run the winning streak to three games before dropping both road games to Northern State (82-73) and MSU Moorhead (87-82) - The program was led in the win by Scottie Stone’s 29 points - Stone also set the school record with his 251 career three in the victory over the Bulldogs - Jon Averkamp put up career-highs of 21 points and 14 rebounds against UMD - Gage Davis led the program in the loss to Northern State (1/20) with 28 points - The program lost the battle of the boards against the Wolves for only the fourth time this season - Davis led the team in the loss to MSU Moorhead with 29 points and 12 rebounds - It was Davis’ eighth double-double of the season - Davis has now lead the team in scoring in 18 of the 23 games and has scored 25 or more points in 10 contests - Averkamp scored in double figures in all three games on the week and in 13 games on the season. - Stone has scored 20 or more points in 11 contests this season - The program’s 14 wins are more than the program had all of last season
Top Performer(s)
- Scottie Stone scored 29 points with six made three against UMD (1/17) - Jon Averkamp had career-highs of 21 points and 14 rebounds against UMD for his first career double-double - Gage Davis 28 points against Northern State (1/20) / 29 points and 12 rebounds against MSU Moorhead (1/21) - Stone had 21 points against the Dragons (1/21)
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 vs. Wayne State - 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, vs. Augustana - 6 p.m.

Upper Iowa University Peacocks

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
W 95-91 vs. Augie W 77-72 vs. WSC	14-6, 11-3 NSIC	W3	9th Overall, 6th NSIC South
Team Notes
- Upper Iowa picked up its first weekend sweep of the calendar year after defeating Augustana and Wayne State at home - The Peacocks led late against the Vikings on Friday, but after a late basket tied the game with 5 seconds remaining, UIU’s Carson Parker connected on a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left to top the Vikings 95-91 - Upper Iowa used a late 6-0 run to close out the game against the Wildcats on Saturday, 77-72 - The Peacocks were outstanding in the paint, outscoring their opponents 94-42 for the weekend inside - UIU shot 48.4% for the weekend, but only 32% from behind the arc - Free throws were outstanding on Friday night against Augustana (21-26), including knocking down their first 14 attempts - The Peacocks have won 11 of their first 14 conference games for the first time as a member of the Northern Sun
Top Performer(s)
- Carson Parker was the hero of the night on Friday, knocking down his second buzzer-beater of the season - Parker’s three-pointer from the right wing with 0.5 seconds remaining gave UIU its first win over the Vikings since the 2013-14 season; the Peacock point guard hit a three in overtime for the win at Southwest Minnesota State on Jan. 7 - Jordan Hay averaged 18 points and 5.5 rebounds in two games while knocking down 15-21 shots from the field; the redshirt senior also tallied 4 assists, 4 blocks and 1 steal against WSC on Saturday - Jimmy Roth and Kam Rowan each averaged 13.5 points, while Parker averaged 12.5 for the weekend - Six different Peacocks totaled in double figures on Friday night, marking the 12th time this season at least 5 players scored at least 10 points
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 vs. U-Mary – 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 vs. Minot State – 6 p.m.

 

Wayne State College Wildcats

Last Week 1-1	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
W 66-63 WSU (OT) L 77-72 UIU	6-14, 4-10 South	L1	15th Overall, 8th South
Team Notes
- Exceeded last year’s win total with Friday’s overtime win at Winona State - Four road wins this year are more than previous two years combined
Top Performer(s)
- Sophomore forward Kendall Jacks averaged team-high 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game - Jacks has scored double digits in 12 straight games and 18 of 20 overall this season - Redshirt freshman guard Luke TerHark scored career-high 20 points at Upper Iowa
Up Next
Friday, January 27 at St. Cloud State - 8 p.m. Saturday, January 28 at Minnesota Duluth - 6 p.m.

 

Winona State University Warriors

Last Week	Season Record	Streak	Preseason Poll
L 66-63 vs WSC (OT) L 73-71 vs AUGIE	8-10, 5-9 NSIC	L3	5th Overall, 4th South
Team Notes
- Warriors dropped their first games of the season when leading at half, doing so twice this weekend - Outshot both Wayne State and Augustana - Lost a game for the first time all year when making more than ten free throws. Made 14 in the game against Augustana - The Warriors averaged over 16 assists per game - Outscored Wayne State 26-15 in the paint
Top Performer(s)
- Tommy Gathje led the Warriors in scoring both nights. Scored 19 against Augustana and had 15 against Wayne State - Connor Flack scored in double figures both games this weekend with 12 vs Wayne State and 14 vs Augustana - Both Isaiah Gray and Riley Bambenek had double digit nights against Augustana, scoring 13 and 10 points - Josh Mongan had seven assists on the weekend
Up Next
Friday, Jan. 27 vs Minot State – 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 vs UMary – 6 p.m.