For Immediate Release
Monday, January 23, 2023
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC North Division Player of the Week
#5 Sam Masten (G, 6-3, 185, Sr., Highlands Ranch, Colo. / Rock Canyon HS) - Northern State
- Averaged 21.5 points per game in wins over MSU and CSP
- Shot 68.2% (15-22) from the floor and 60.0% from the 3-point line (6-10)
- Added 14 assists, nine rebounds, and three steals in the two wins
- Had 20 points, nine assists and four boards in a 104-87 win over MSU
- Shot a season high 72.7% from the floor in a 75-67 win over CSP
- Named NSIC Player of Week for the fourth time this season

NSIC South Division Player of the Week
#10 Dunwa Omot (G, 6-3, 181, So., Mankato, Minn. / Minnesota Valley Lutheran HS) - SMSU
 - Averaged 27.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in wins over UMD & SCSU
- Shot 54.8 percent (17-of-31) from the field, including 7-of-14 from 3-point range
- Connected on 14-of-15 free throws
- Tied a career-high with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting in a 69-63 win over UMD
- Connected on four 3-pointers and added seven rebounds against UMD
- Scored 27 points on 7-of-14 shooting with seven boards in a 69-58 win over SCSU
- Leads SMSU this season in scoring (16.2) and 3-point field goals made (30)

Other Top Performances - North  
#23 John Sutherland (BSU) averaged a double-double and helped the Beavers to 1-1 weekend at Wayne State and Augustana. He averaged 18.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists to lead the Beavers in both scoring and rebounding. Began the weekend by scoring 14 points and collecting 12 rebounds at Wayne State before totaling 22 points and 10 rebounds at Augustana. Shot a team-high 58.3 percent from the field on 14-of-24 shooting. 
#24 Kam Warrens (UMary) averaged 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists to help the Marauders earn a weekend split. He scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting with five rebounds and three assists in a loss to Upper Iowa... finished the weekend with 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists in a 67-59 win over Winona State. He shot 60% (12-of-20) from the floor and made 5-of-6 free throws in the two games.
#4 Jacob Beeninga (MSUM) dropped 31 points for the Dragons in their 90-64 win over Concordia-St. Paul on Friday night, marking the first time an MSUM player has scored 30 or more points in consecutive games since 1996. He followed up that performance with 25 points in the 86-76 win over Minnesota State on Saturday. He made seven three-pointers in the win over the Mavericks, bringing his total to 12 made three-pointers for the weekend. He averaged 28 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals over a two-game stretch. This included a 51.2 field goal percentage and a 48 percent clip from three-point range.
#24 Jaxon Gunville (MINOT) led the way with a team-high 13 points off the bench Friday night, and was one of the team-leaders with 11 points off the bench Saturday night.
#22 Matthew Willert (SCSU) put up 24 total points going 8-17 (.470) from the field, nabbed 12 total rebounds, one assist, and one block. Against USF Willert put up 17 points shooting 5-7 from the field, 2-3 from the three-point line, and a perfect 5-5 from the line.

Other Top Performances - South
#21 Isaac Fink (AUGIE) led Augustana with a 25-point per game weekend. He scored 25 points in each of the two games while shooting 58.1 percent from the field. He secured an average of 10.5 rebounds over the two games and made 10 3-point field goals while shooting 66.7 percent from long range. His 25 points per game rank him third in the NSIC over the weekend while his 10.5 rebounds per game also rank him third in the NSIC.
#11 Antwan Kimmons (CSP) led the team with 21.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists on the weekend. He set the DII-era program record with 16 rebounds to go along with 25 points at NSU on Saturday. He connected on 50.0% (17-34) from the floor and 90.0% (9-10) from the line. He ranks second in the NSIC in scoring (21.1), seventh in assists (4.2), seventh in field goal percentage (54.0%) and 20th in rebounds (5.5).
#2 Malik Willingham (MSU) averaged 16.5 points per game last weekend, while shooting 41.4% from the field and 50% from three point range. He led the Mavericks in rebounds and assists per game with 6.0 in each. He scored 25 points at MSU Moorhead.
#3 Nick Reid (UIU) led the Peacocks in scoring and rebounding over the weekend as Upper Iowa posted wins at UMary and Minot State. The junior forward averaged 17.5 points and 8 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from three (8-16). Reid scored a career-high 27 points at Minot State to spark a second-half rally and victory. He also added 4 blocks and 3 steals in his 36 minutes per game. 
#32 Jordan Janssen (WSC) averaged 24 points and six rebounds per game in a home sweep over Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. He had a career-high 32 points and became Wayne State’s all-time leading scorer in Saturday’s 91-62 win over UMC. He added 16 points and five rebounds in a 68-53 victory over BSU. For the weekend he shot 61.3 percent (19-31) from the field and 76.9 percent (10-13) at the charity stripe.
#30 Connor Drew (WSU) was the top scorer for Winona State in a 1-1 NSIC road weekend. He was 15-of-23 (65.2) overall from the floor and averaged 4.0 rebounds per game to go with four steals. He led WSU outright in scoring on Friday (20 pts) and tied for team lead on Saturday (12 pts). 

2022-23 NSIC Players of the Week
11/14/22
N: #32 Austin Andrews - Minnesota Duluth
S  #2 Malik Willingham - Minnesota State
11/21/22
N: #23 John Sutherland - Bemidji State
S:  #32 Jordan Janssen - Wayne State
11/28/22
N: #5 Sam Masten - Northern State
S:  #15 Jake Hilmer - Upper Iowa
12/5/22
N: #24 Charlie Katona- Minnesota Duluth
S: #23 Matt Cartwright - Sioux Falls
12/12/22
N: #32 Austin Andrews - Minnesota Duluth (2)
S: #2 Lucas Duax - Upper Iowa 
12/20/22
N: #22 Drew Blair - Minnesota Duluth
S:  #32 Jordan Janssen - Wayne State (2)
1/3/23
N: #5 Sam Masten - Northern State (2)
S:  #32 Jordan Janssen - Wayne State (3)
1/9/23
N: #5 Sam Masten - Northern State (3)
S:  #15 Jake Hilmer - Upper Iowa (2)
1/16/23
N: #23 John Sutherland - Bemidji State
S: #23 Matt Cartwright - Sioux Falls
1/23/23
N: #5 Sam Masten - Northern State (4) 
S: #10 Dunwa Omot - 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 25 team national championships and crowned 96 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.