MOORHEAD, Minn. - The No. 21 Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball team (22-4, 17-3 NSIC) concludes its 2016-17 regular season schedule this week on the road with a set of NSIC games against St. Cloud State (18-11, 14-6 NSIC) on Friday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. and Minnesota Duluth (4-22, 3-17 NSIC) on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.
 
Last weekend the Dragons took on NSIC foes Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. The Dragons scored 100+ in back-to-back games for the first time this season, beating Bemidji State 102-78, and Minnesota Crookston 103-68. MSUM clinched at least a share of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season title, and look to win it outright this weekend.
 
Senior guard Aaron Lien leads the team, and is fourth in the NSIC, in scoring at 18.5 points per game while shooting 58.8 percent from the field. Senior forward Ayob Ayob adds 15.5 points per game for the Dragons to go along with a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game and 19 steals. Junior guard Tanner Kretchman leads with 173 assists while averaging 15.9 points per game. Kretchman is first in the NCAA with his 4.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
The Dragons average 90.4 points per game, which is best in the NSIC and 10th best in the NCAA, and are outrebounding their opponents 36.2-33.0. MSUM's opponents are averaging 78.8 points per game with a .456 field goal percentage.
 
Head coach Chad Walthall is in his 7th season with an overall record of 163-55.
 
How to Follow...
Game 27: (Watch) https://portal.stretchinternet.com/msum/index.htm
(Listen) https://portal.stretchinternet.com/msum/index.htm
 
Game 28: (Watch) https://portal.stretchinternet.com/msum/index.htm
(Listen) https://portal.stretchinternet.com/msum/index.htm
 
Scouting the Opposition...
St. Cloud State
St. Cloud State enters the matchup with MSUM 18-11 overall and 14-6 in the NSIC. The Huskies beat Minot State in their most recent outing, 96-91, and are 1-2 in their last three games.
 
Gage Davis leads the Huskies, and the NSIC, in scoring at 23.1 points. Scottie Stone ranks in the top-five in the NSIC in scoring 18.4 points per game. Davis leads with 8.9 rebounds per game and 3.9 assists per game. Andy Foley leads with 26 steals.
 
St. Cloud State is shooting 47.2 percent from the field, while averaging 83.2 points per game. The Huskies are allowing 78.1 points per game to its opponents who average 46.0 percent from the field.
 
Matt Reimer is in his third year as St. Cloud State's head coach with a record of 49-39.
 
Minnesota Duluth
Minnesota Duluth currently sits at 4-22 overall and 3-17 in NSIC play. The Bulldogs are currently on a 12-game skid, after losing both contests last weekend. UMD lost to U-Mary on Saturday, 81-66.
 
Luke Harris leads Minnesota Duluth in scoring at 10.4 points per game. Brandon Myer collects a team-high 4.1 rebounds per game, while adding 8.8 points. Kyle Schalow leads with 69 assists, while Myer leads with 14 steals.
 
Minnesota Duluth averages 69.9 points per game and shoots 42.6 percent from the field, while giving up 76.4 points per game.
 
Matt Bowen is 55-84 in his fifth season at the helm for Minnesota Duluth.
 
Doss Dishing it Out
In the last six games, senior guard Jon Doss has 10 assists and no turnovers. Doss is averaging 13.0 points per game, shooting 48.2 percent from the field, 46.5 percent from beyond the arc, while collecting 3.2 rebounds per game.
 
NABC Top 25 Poll
MSUM is ranked in the Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll for the second week in a row. The Dragons rank 21st in the most recent poll released on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Northwest Missouri State is the unanimous first place team at 23-0, the lone undefeated Division II men's basketball team.
 
Lien Continues to Climb
Senior guard Aaron Lien moved himself into the top-10 all-time scorers at MSUM this year, and continues to climb. Lien is in sixth place with 1,617 points, 62 points behind Greg Duke in fifth place (1,679). The all-time points leader is Ralph Western with 2,015 points. Lien has also moved up to third all time in three-point field goals made (221) and second in attempts (517). Lien has played in every game since arriving at MSUM with a 108-22 record.
 
Taking Care of the Ball
MSUM has taken care of the ball well this season. The Dragons are first in the nation in turnovers per game, turning the ball over just 8.5 times a game. The Dragons are second in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.81. Junior guard Tanner Kretchman is first in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.6.
 
Offensive Efficiency
MSUM has found itself as one of the nation's prominent offenses. The Dragons rank tenth nationally in scoring offense averaging 90.4 points per game, first in turnovers per game with 8.5, sixth in field goal percentage shooting 52.2 percent, eighth in three-point field goals per game with 11.2, and fourth in three-point field goal percentage shooting 42.8 percent and fourth in three-point field goals made with 291.
 
Kretchman Nearing the Top
Junior guard Tanner Kretchman continues his climb to the top of the all-time assist leaders. Currently in second with 440 assists, the junior is just 31 assists behind the all-time leader Jordan Riewer (471). Kretchman is averaging 6.7 assists per game. With his fourth point of the game at Sioux Falls, Kretchman joined the ranks of those to achieve 1,000 points for their career at MSUM. He was the 31st player to break the 1,000-point mark.
 
Top Dog
MSUM clinched at least a share of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season title, and look to win it outright this weekend. MSUM is ranked first in the NSIC in nine categories:
Scoring Offense - 90.4
Scoring Margin - +11.6
Field Goal Percentage - .522
3-pt Field Goal Percentage - .426
3-pt Field Goals Made Per Game - 11.2
Free Throw Percentage - .766
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio - 1.81
Defensive Rebounds - 27.9
Turnovers Per Game - 8.5
 
Nelson Near Perfect
Senior forward Matt Nelson has been nothing but consistent over the last eight games. The Rosemount, Minn. native has shot 84.6 percent during that stretch, shooting 22-of-26 from the field, all while collecting 5.0 rebounds per game.
 
Up Next
MSUM will host Concordia-St. Paul in the first round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m.