For Immediate Release
Monday, November 22, 2021
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC North Division Player of the Week
#5 Sam Masten (G, 6-3, 185, Jr., Highlands Ranch, Colo. / Rock Canyon HS) - Northern State
- Scored an East/West Challenge high 48 combined points
- Dropped a game high 34 points in a 92-90 win over Black Hills State
- Scored the go-ahead layup to secure the victory for the Wolves
- Shot an impressive 85% from three-point land and 76% from the field overall
- Went 13-17 from the field and 4-4 from behind the arch in the win over Black Hills State

NSIC South Division Player of the Week
#42 Jake Phipps (C, 6-9, 255, So., Anoka, Minn. /Anoka HS) - SMSU
- Averaged 18 points, 11.5 rebounds. 2.0 blocks and steals in a pair of wins
- Scored 15 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for first career double-double at UWP
- Scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a win over Davenport
- Added three steals, two blocked shots and three assist against DU 
- Shot 64 percent (16-of-25) from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range 

Other Top Performances - North  
#10 Kai Huntsberry (UMary) led the Marauders with 22 points in the team’s home opener against Mayville State. He added nine rebounds, four assists and two steals while hitting 10-of-20 shots. He averages 17.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this season.
#22 Blair Drew (UMD) led the Bulldogs to another 2-0 week. Blair averaged 22.5 points over the weekend. Blair scored 18 points against Northland College on 6-10 shooting on Tuesday. Blair would follow that up with 27 points on the road against Concordia-St. Paul. In the matchup against Concordia, Blair would shoot 11-20, including 2-5 from three-point range. He also added 5 rebounds and 3 assists on the night. Blair did not turn the ball over in either game. Overall, Blair averaged 22.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 0 turnovers. Blair also shot 17-30 overall (56.7%) from the field and 5-11 (45.5%) from three point range.
#12 Gavin Baumgartner (MSUM) averaged 23 points per game in wins over Crown and Mayville State. He scored a career-high 32 points, 22 of which came in the second half, in 84-70 win over Mayville State. He shot 12-of-19 from the field for the game and added 14 points in rout of Crown.
#23 Melvin Newbern (MINOT) turned in a season-high 20 points in a win over Dickinson State, and a season-best 14 rebounds in a win over his former school, Montana State-Billings, as he continues to average a double-double for the season.

Other Top Performances - South
#21 Isaac Fink (AUGIE) led Augustana to a 2-0 mark on the weekend and a 4-0 start on the season as he averaged a team-best 19 points over the two games. He recorded an average of eight rebounds and three assists to go along with 2.5 steals. In the Vikings’ win over Black Hills State, Fink secured his second-career double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds as Augustana opens its season 4-0 for the first time since 2014-15.
#33 Kelby Kramer (MSU) recorded his 10th career double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds against St. Cloud State. He tallied a career-high four steals, to go along with two blocks as he shot 9-of-10 (.900) from the field.
#23 Matt Cartwright (USF) averaged 28.0 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 56.8 percent from the field and .500 from three point range in a 71-61 win over Dakota State and 96-78 decision against Chadron State. Cartwright hit 21-of-37 field and 5-of-10 from three while also knocking down 9-of-11 free throws. He added three assists and a steal in averaging 35.9 minutes. Against DSU, he was 12-of-24 from the field and 2-of-6 from three point range with 2-of-3 on free throws for 28 points and added five rebounds, an assist and a steal. In 33 minutes against Chadron State, he also had 28 points while making 9-of-13 from the field for 69.2 percent and was 3-of-4 from three-point range for 75 percent and 7-of-9 from the charity stripe. Cartwright added four rebounds with two assists and no turnovers in the USF win, which was its third straight. Cartwright ranks 22nd nationally and leads the NSIC with 24.5 ppg.
#5 Jareese Williams (UIU) averaged 20.5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists while shooting 50% from the floor (14-28) including 50% from three (9-18).
#23 Justin Eagins (WSC) averaged team-high 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game in two non-conference home wins. He had 19 points and five rebounds in 95-72 Friday win over Simpson and added 12 points and five steals in Tuesday’s 74-40 win over Bellevue. For the week he shot 75 percent (12-16) from the field, 4-of-7 from the 3-point line (.571) and 75 percent (3-4) at the foul line.
#24 Drew Adams (WSU) led the Warriors in a 84-56 win over Viterbo University on Wednesday, moving to 3-0 on the season. He was a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point land and scored 17 points overall, on a 5-of-7 shooting performance. He hauled in nine rebounds in the game and blocked a shot.

NSIC Men's Basketball Players of the Week
11/15/21
N: #22 Drew Blair - Minnesota Duluth
S: #25 Tyler Riemersma - Augustana
11/22/21
N: #5 Sam Masten - Northern State
S: #42 Jake Phipps  - SMSU

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a 16-team union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 24 team national championships and crowned 81 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.