Game Notes PDF
MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball team (4-7, 2-3 NSIC) return home to host No. 13-ranked Northern State University.
HOW TO FOLLOW...
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/msum/index.htm
Tuesday's game will also be broadcast live on Midco Sports Network, check local listings for availability in your area.
THIS WEEKEND...
The Dragons will host No. 13 Northern State at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse in Moorhead, Minn., Tuesday at 8 p.m.
LOOKING BACK...
MSUM fell to Northern State last Friday, 95-74. The Dragons were led by junior
Addison Park who tied his career high of 21 points and also added five rebounds and one block. Sophomore guard
Johnny Beeninga scored 20 points, while senior guard
Tanner Kretchman had 19 points. All-time assist leader, Kretchman also added two assists to push his career total to 500 becoming the first in MSUM history to do so.
The Dragons shot 51.0 percent from the field (26-of-51) compared to Northern State at 56.5 percent (35-of-62). The Wolves had a 34-20 edge on rebounds.
So far this season, senior guard Kretchman leads the team with 17.7 ppg and 33 assists. Sophomore guard
Johnny Beeninga is averaging 15.5 points per game, while
Travaun Coad is averaging 11.6. Sophomore
Evan Hines holds a team-best of 7.5 rebounds per game, ranking sixth in the NSIC.
The Dragons are shooting 48.3 percent from the field compared to its opponents at 48.6 percent.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION...
No. 13 Northern State University
The Wolves are 11-1 over all, and 5-0 in NSIC play this season after defeating the Dragons last weekend, 95-74. NSU's top scorer is Ian Smith who is averaging 12.4 points per game. DJ Pollard is averaging 12.4 ppg, while Carter Evans is averaging 12.0. Evans holds an NSIC-best field goal percentage of 68.8 percent (66-of-96). Smith is leading the team in assists with 50, while Pollard has 31 assists. Logan Doyle leads the rebounding, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game. Doyle also holds a team-high in blocks with 16, while Darin Peterka leads with 16 steals.
As a team NSU is averaging 76.0 ppg while holding its opponents to 61.6 ppg. The Wolves are second in the NSIC in blocked shots, averaging 4.25 per game. Northern holds and 38.2-29.8 edge in rebounds over its opponents.
Northern State is led by Paul Sather who is in his eighth season as head coach with a record of 126-78.
MORE ABOUT MSUM...
Kretchman Breaks Records
Senior
Tanner Kretchman became the all-time career assist leader earlier this season in MSUM's victory over Northern Michigan. Kretchman now has 500 assists over assistant coach
Jordan Riewer with 471. For the first time in the school's history Kretchman has posted back-to-back seasons with at least 200 assists. In MSUM's loss to Northern State he became the first MSUM player to reach 500 assists. Kretchman is also 12th all-time in scoring with 1,351 points and is now fourth in career three-point field goals made with 214. The senior is also leading the NSIC this season in three-point field goals made, averaging 2.8 per game.
Sophomores Shine
With only one senior on the team this year some younger players stepped up to take a bigger role on the team. The Dragons starting lineup includes sophomores
Johnny Beeninga and
Matt Anderson. Beeninga scored a career-high 26 points in the Dragons win at U-Mary. He is second on the team, averaging 15.5 point per game and adds 29 assists. Anderson is averaging 8.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He also adds four blocks and two steals. Sophomore guard
Evan Hines is averaging 11.1 points per game and leads with 7.5 rebounds per game.
Offensive Distribution
The Dragons have gotten some great offensive distribution early in the season with four players averaging at least 11.0 points per game.
Tanner Kretchman (17.7),
Johnny Beeninga (15.05) ,
Travaun Coad (11.6) and
Evan Hines (11.1).
Who's Back?
The Dragons return eight players from a season ago, including four of the top-seven scorers, including starter
Tanner Kretchman. Kretchman averaged 16.7/ppg, sophomore forward
Matt Anderson averaged 8/ppg, junior forward
Addison Park averaged 7.7/ppg and sophomore guard Jonny Beeninga averaged 4.5/ppg.
Newcomers
The Dragons welcome seven newcomers to the squad this season. Junior guard
Travaun Coad, junior forward
Cody Cox, junior forward
Jake Johnson, freshman guard
Bryce Irsfeld, freshman guard
Siman Sem, freshman guard
Gavin Baumgartner and freshman center
Jesse Bergh.
Riewer Returns
Former Dragon standout
Jordan Riewer has returned this season, except instead of taking the court he will be on the sidelines. The Staples, Minn. native is in his first season as a Dragon assistant coach after playing overseas for the Oettinger Rockets in Germany. While a player, he was named the 2014-15 MSUM Male Athlete of the Year, and helped the Dragons reach the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the first time in school history. He left MSUM with 1,382 points scored, and is second in school history with 471 assists and holds the record with 226 three-pointers made.
Walthall Back for 8th Season
Head Coach
Chad Walthall is entering his eighth season at the helm for MSUM. Walthall has amassed an impressive 165-57 record (.743) during his time as the head coach of the Dragons. Walthall is joined on the coaching staff by
Justin Wieck (fourth season) and
Jordan Riewer (first season).
All-Time vs. Northern State
MSUM will meet Northern State for the 103nd time with the Wolves leading the series, 38-64.
Up Next
The Dragons will travel after the Christmas break to face Minnesota State Mankato, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. and Concordia-St. Paul, Dec.
