It’s December, the snow is flying and we already have one game down in the NSIC Basketball season. Like last year, the 16 team league will have two divisions, a north and a south. The regular season champion will be based on the 22-game NSIC schedule. Each team will play teams in their division twice and teams in the other division once. An NSIC North and South Division Champion will also be awarded based on all 22 NSIC contests played.
After the non-conference season, each team played their travel partners last week, splitting up the standing with eights teams at 1-0. One of the teams off to a hot start is Wayne State. The 8-0 Wildcats defeated No. 10 Augustana 70-65 last week, thanks in part to Jordan Spencer’s 30 points. Spencer looks to be a top player in the league this year as she has already garnered NSIC Player of the Week honors twice in four weeks of play.
This weekend has 8 games slated for both Friday and Saturday. All of Friday’s games will be 6 p.m. starts. We jump start the evening with battle of undefeateds when 8-0 Wayne State heads north to take on a 5-0 Sioux Falls squad. The Wildcats jumped into the top 25 after their 4-0 record last week. They sit at No. 22 in this week’s poll.
Next up we have another showdown of unblemished teams when Northern State travels to Minot State. NSU is 5-0 to start the season thanks in part to a 96-88 win at MSU Moorhead while Minot State took down U-Mary 79-72. The Beavers will start this season with seven straight home contests.
St. Cloud State is 5-0 and will travel to 4-1 Bemidji State. The Huskies are coming off an eight point home win over UMD last week, while BSU was handed their first loss of the season at UMC.
Next, 2-3 Upper Iowa travels to No. 13 Minnesota State. After dropping their first game of the season, the Mavs have rolled off four straight wins. The Peacocks are coming off a home win over Winona State last Saturday.
Speaking of the Warriors; Winona State dropped their first game of the season at UIU 66-58. Their next task is to travel to No. 21 Concordia-St. Paul. The Golden Bears are 5-3 on the season after falling at home 87-63 to MSU last Saturday.
No. 10 Augustana was handed their first loss last week at Wayne State. They will travel to take on a 2-3 Southwest Minnesota State team. The Mustangs lost to Sioux Falls 70-60 in their NSIC opener.
Minnesota Duluth is 3-2 on the season after falling 81-73 at St. Cloud State last week. They will head west to take on a 4-1 Minnesota Crookston team that dropped 104 points on Bemidji State in a home win last week.
And our final game of the night has 4-1 MSU Moorhead traveling to U-Mary. The Marauders are 2-2 to start the year, including a loss at Minot State. The Dragons suffered their first setback last week at home to Northern State.
That will wrap up Friday night’s games. Make sure to check out
www.NorthernSun.org for tonight’s results, along with stats, standing, recaps and more…or Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Also - a reminder to fans - The
2013-14 NSIC/Sanford Health Women’s Basketball Tournament will feature all 16 teams, with first round games played on campus on Feb. 26. The quarterfinals, semifinals and championship games will take place on March 1-4 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.