For Immediate Release
Monday, February 6, 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 26.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals in a pair of home wins
- Shot 69.0% from the floor, 62.5% from the 3-point line and 80.0% from the foul line 
- Recorded a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds in a 79-61 win over SCSU
- Added 26 points with seven assists and six boards in a 89-75 win over UMD
- Named NSIC Player of Week for the fifth time this season

NSIC South Division Player of the Week
#2 Connor Dillon (G, 6-2, 185, So., Peoria, Ill. / Peoria Notre Dame) - Winona State
- Averaged 24.5 points, 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds in a home weekend sweep
- Was 20-of-31 (64.5%) from the floor and 7-of-11 (63.6%) from 3-point territory
- Scored 26 points with six boards and three steals in a 74-69 win over Augustana
- Added 23 points with eight assists in a 67-63 win over Wayne State

Other Top Performances - North  
#23 John Sutherland (BSU) powered the Beavers to another 2-0 weekend sweep leading the team in points, field goals, rebounds, assists and steals. For the week he tallied 43 points on 19-34 from the field and hit a trio of three-pointers. He grabbed 15 rebounds, 10 assists and five steals in 74 minutes. Sutherland was approaching a triple-double against Mary with 26 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 36 minutes. He was near a double-double with 17 points and eight rebounds against Minot State in 38 minutes.
#33 Lucas Mayer (UMary) played a key role in all aspects of the Marauders 84-77 overtime win over visiting Minnesota Crookston. He scored 18 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds. He blocked three shots - including one at the buzzer at the end of regulation to force overtime - and assisted on the game-winning 3-pointer in overtime. He hit three free throws in the final 68 seconds of the game as UMary finished on an 11-0 run.
#1 Joshua Brown (UMD) averaged a double-double of 18.5 points and 10 rebounds across two games last weekend. He shot 57.9% from the field and 70% from deep. The 70% three-point field goal percentage was the best in the NSIC across the weekend. The 57.9% overall field goal percentage was tied for eighth in the conference in this span. The 10 rebounds a game was the second-best average in the NSIC on the weekend. He scored 22 points on 4-7 shooting from deep to go with 13 rebounds against Northern State on Saturday. 
#1 Lorenzo McGhee (MSUM) scored 15 points on five of eight shooting in Friday night’s game against Minnesota Duluth, shooting a perfect five for five from the free throw line. He netted 18 points in MSUM’s Saturday afternoon win over St. Cloud State, shooting 50 percent from the field. He collected six rebounds and a block in the win as well. He averaged 16.5 points for the weekend at a 55 percent field goal percentage. He now sits at 951 points for his Dragon career.
#23 Connor Hollenbeck (MINOT) had a career-high 18 points on Friday to lead the Beavers against Bemidji State.
#32 Luke Taylor (SCSU) had a big weekend for the Huskies putting up 42 total points, went 16-32 from the field, 9-12 from the line, pulled in 13 rebounds, and four assists. Against Northern State, Taylor put up a career high 22 points going 10-19 with ten rebounds for a double-double. Against MSU Moorhead, Taylor put up 20 points, went 8-10 from the line with three rebounds and four assists.

Other Top Performances - South
#2 Jadan Graves (AUGIE) led Augustana with 20.0 points per game while connecting on 7-of-14 3-point baskets. He shot a very efficient 53.6 percent from the field and recorded 4.0 assists per game. He scored a game-high 23 points in the Vikings’ win at Upper Iowa.
#11 Antwan Kimmons (CSP) led the Golden Bears with 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals in CSP’s weekend sweep. He hit 41.9% (13-31) from the floor and 92.9% (13-14) from the free throw line. He registered his 15th 20+ point performance of the season with a game-high 22 in Friday’s win over USF. He collected at least five rebounds and three steals in both contests. He ranks third in the NSIC in scoring (20.7), sixth in field goal percentage (52.7%), eighth in assists (4.0) and 16th in rebounds (4.5).
#2 Malik Willingham (MSU) led the Mavericks in scoring (24.0 ppg) and assists (4.5 apg) last weekend. He shot 51.4% from the field, including a 9-of-20 (.450) showing from three point range. He scored 33 points in MSU’s win over Sioux Falls.
#3 Nick Ferrarini (WSC) averaged 15.5 points per game off the bench in WSC weekend road split at Upper Iowa and Winona State. She scored 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting in Friday’s 69-61 win at UIU. He added 14 points in Saturday’s 67-63 setback at Winona State. For the weekend, he shot 56.5 percent from the field.

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 (2)
S: #23 Matt Cartwright - Sioux Falls
1/23/23
N: #5 Sam Masten - Northern State (4) 
S: #10 Dunwa Omot - SMSU
1/30/23
N: #23 John Sutherland - Bemidji State (3)
S:  #15 Jake Hilmer - Upper Iowa (3)
2/6/23
N: #5 Sam Masten - Northern State (5) 
S: #2 Connor Dillon - Winona State 

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.