For Immediate Release
Monday, January 9, 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 19.0 points, 7.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds in wins over AUGIE & WSC
- Shot 61.9% (13-of-21) from the floor in just over 63 minutes of action
- Tallied a team high four steals
- Had 25 points  and 10 assists in a 96-69 win over WSC
- Has now scored in double figures in every game this season
- Named NSIC Player of Week for the third time this season (11/28/22 & 1/3/23)

NSIC South Division Player of the Week
#15 Jake Hilmer  (G, 5-11, 175, Sr., Walker, Iowa / North Linn HS) - Upper Iowa
- Averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals in wins over BSU & UMC
- Hit 60% of his shots including three trifectas and converted 10-of-12 free throws
- Scored 29 against Bemidji State with six assists, four boards and two steals
- Had 20 points with four assists four steals and four rebounds against UMC
- Named NSIC Player of the Week for the second time this season (11/28/22)

Other Top Performances - North  
#3 Mohamed Kone (BSU) led the Beavers to a 2-1 week with victories over Northland College and Winona State by averaging 20.7 points per game on 52.5 percent shooting from the field and 50.0 percent shooting from three. He averaged 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and totaled seven steals.
#1 Zyon Smith (UMary) averaged 15.5 ppg as the Marauders earned a weekend split. He scored 11 points in the Marauders win over SMSU. He followed with 20 points against Sioux Falls, hitting 4-of-6 treys in the game. He made 5-of-11 treys, 11-of-22 shots overall and all four free throws.
#1 Joshua Brown (UMD) averaged 21.5 points on 15-23 (65.2%) shooting from the field and 8-14 (57.1%) shooting from three across two road wins. His 21.5 points per game was tied for third best in the NSIC this weekend. Brown’s shooting splits of 65.2% overall and 57.1% from deep ranked fifth and fourth in the conference, respectively. He tallied a season-high 21 points (7-11 FG, 5-8 3PT) in a win against Concordia-St. Paul Friday. Came away with a new season-best of 22 points (8-12 FG, 3-6 3PT) en route to a win in at MSU on Saturday.
#4 Jacob Beeninga (MSUM) scored 19 points in MSUM’s win over Wayne State on Friday, and followed that up with a 23-point performance against Augustana on Saturday. He tallied four steals on Friday and seven rebounds on Saturday. For the weekend, he averaged 21 points on a 45.5 percent shooting clip, including six made three-pointers.
#2 Khari Broadway (MINOT) turned in Minot State career-highs of 21 points and 9 rebounds in a battle with Sioux Falls on Friday, then helped lead the way with 9 points and 8 boards on Saturday versus SMSU.
#22 Matthew Willert (SCSU) put up big numbers for the Huskies over the weekend and play a critical role in SCSU’s overtime win against Concordia-St. Paul. Willert scored 43 total points including 18 against Minnesota State and 25 against CSP. Additionally, he had 14 total rebounds, six total assists, three steals, and one block over the weekend. Willert went 12-14 from the foul line over the weekend going 10-12 over CSP. Against CSP, Willert hit three critical free throws at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime where the Huskies would come away victorious.

Other Top Performances - South
#11 Antwan Kimmons (CSP) led the NSIC with 27.0 points on 65.5% (19-29) shooting on the weekend. He added 8.0 assists, 6.0 boards and 2.0 steals in the two games He reached the 30-point plateau for the fourth time on the season with 30 points against SCSU. He ranks third in the NSIC in scoring (20.8) and fifth in assists per game (4.4). He leads the conference in free throws attempted (122) and free throws made (89).
#00 Trevor Moore (MSU) led the Mavericks in scoring last weekend with 21.0 ppg. He also averaged 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game as he scored a career-high 27 points against Minnesota Duluth, including a 9-of-9 showing from the line.
#23 Matt Cartwright (USF) helped lead USF to a 2-0 weekend over Minot State and UMary. He scored 42 points on the weekend. He recorded 19 points in the second half against UMary. 
#42 Jake Phipps (SMSU) averaged 15 points and five rebounds, while shooting 67 percent (14 of 21) from the field in two road games last weekend. He also made 2 of 3 from 3-point range. He scored a season-high 22 points on 10 of 13 shooting with two 3-pointers in Friday’s loss at UMary. He made 4 of 8 shots for eight points and five rebounds in Saturday’s win at Minot State.
#3 Declan Dillon  (WSU) led WSU in scoring in a win over Minnesota Crookston. He averaged 14.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg and was a perfect 4-of-4 on free throws. He shot 12-of-19 (63.2%) from the floor. 

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)

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 96individual 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.