Men's Basketball | 12/18/2018 1:15:00 PM

Game Notes PDF
MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball team (8-5, 2-3 NSIC) will host Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foe Northern State University at Memorial Auditorium on campus of Concordia College this week.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW…
Stats: http://web.mnstate.edu/livestats/basketball/xlive.htm
Video/Audio: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/msum/index.htm
 
Wednesday's game will be televised live on WDAY'Z Xtra.
 
THIS WEEK…
MSUM looks to close out 2018 with a win as they face Northern State on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium on campus of Concordia College.
 
LOOKING BACK…
The Dragons were back home in Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse last week as the team hosted U-Mary and Minot State. MSUM fell to U-Mary 78-73 but earned a come-from-behind win over Minot State on Saturday night by a score of 91-86.
 
In the loss to U-Mary, senior forward Addison Park recorded a career-high 26 points while freshman guard Gavin Baumgartner followed with 15 points and a team-best 12 rebounds. Junior guard Johnny Beeninga chipped in 15 points and led the team with five assists. Beeninga had two steals on the night. The Dragons shot 45.5 percent (25-of-55) from the field compared to 48.1 percent (26-of-54) from the Marauders. Each team had 33 rebounds.
 
In the win over Minot State, freshman guard Gavin Baumgartner matched a career-high 28 points and had five assists. Park followed with 15 points. Beeninga and senior guard Travaun Coad followed with 14 points and 13 points, respectively. Coad led the Dragons with seven rebounds. MSUM shot 44.6 percent (29-of-65) from the field while Minot State shot 60.3 percent (35-of-58). Minot State out-rebounded the Dragons 35-to-29. The difference maker for MSUM came from the free throw line where they shot 85.7 percent (24-of-28) compared to 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from Minot.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION…
Northern State
The Wolves are 9-2 overall and 5-0 in the NSIC. Last week the Wolves defeated Minot State (85-72) and U-Mary (76-59). MSUM faced Northern State on Dec. 1 and fell by a score of 70-54. Addison Park recorded 21 points and nine rebounds in the loss. Northern State averages 76.5 points per game and holds their opponents to 65.4 points per game. The Wolves outrebound the opposition 38.2-to-31.5. Senior guard Ian Smith leads the Wolves by averaging 13.0 points per game. Smith also leads his team in assists per game (6.5) and rebounds per game (6.6). Senior forward Justin Decker and freshman forward Parker Fox follow in scoring with 10.7 and 10.4 points per game, respectively.  Fox averages 1.4 blocked shots per game and 5.1 rebounds per game. Senior guard Bo Fries averages 6.5 rebounds per game—second on the team.
 
MORE ABOUT MSUM…
Consistency from Seniors
This year's senior class has been a steady presence on the court throughout the season. With seven freshmen on the roster, the seniors are relied on for their leadership and experience. Addison Park has scored in double-digits in ten games this season and ranks second on the team with 14.4 points per game. Park also contributes 4.5 rebounds per game. Travaun Coad averages 14.2 points per game and has scored in double-digits in ten games. Jake Johnson and Briton Bussman have each played in 12 games and average 4.8 and 3.9 points per game, respectively.
 
Freshmen Shine
Freshman guard Gavin Baumgartner has been a scoring threat this season and leads the team with 16.2 points per game. Baumgartner has been a clutch performer with a career-high 28 points in wins over Bemidji State and Minot State. Baumgartner leads the NSIC in three-point percentage (.607) and is third in the NSIC in field-goal percentage (.595). Freshman guard Bryce Irsfeld averages 10.3 points per game, 3.7 assists per game, and is 22-of-22 from the free-throw line. Freshman center Jesse Bergh averages 5.3 points per game, 1.5 blocks per game, and leads the team with 5.6 rebounds per game.
 
Offensive Distribution
There has been no shortage of offense this season, and the points are coming from a variety of players on the court. The Dragons have five players who average 10.3 points per game or more: Gavin Baumgartner (16.2), Addison Park (14.4), Travaun Coad (14.2), Johnny Beeninga (10.9), and Bryce Irsfeld (10.3).
 
Dragons in the NSIC Team Rankings
MSUM ranks in the top three in the NSIC in several team categories.
            1^st: Scoring Offense (89.3 ppg)                                   2^nd: 3-Point FG Attempts (286)
                   Field Goal Percentage (.515)                                        Free Throws Made (159)
                   Assists Per Game (15.8)                                               Scoring Margin (+11.8)
                   Total 3-Point FG Made (120)                                        3-Point FG % (.420)
                   Total Assists (205)                                                         Turnovers Forced (15.0) 
                   Total Steals (96)                                                   3^rd:   Free Throw Attempts (214)
                                                                                                         Steals Per Game (7.4)
                                                                                                         Total Rebounds (460)
                                                                                                         Turnover Margin (+3.5)
 
Walthall Back for Ninth Season
Head coach Chad Walthall is in his ninth season at the helm for MSUM. Walthall has amassed an impressive 172-79 record during his first eight seasons as head coach for the Dragons. Walthall is joined on the coaching staff by Tim Bergstraser (first season) and Spenser Bland (first season).
 
All-Time vs. Opponents
MSUM will meet Northern State for the 104^th time, and the Wolves lead the series 66-37. In this year's NSIC opener, MSUM fell by a score of 70-54.
 
Up Next
MSUM is back on the road as they open up the new year against Winona State University on Jan. 4 at 7:30 p.m. and Upper Iowa University on Jan. 5 at 5:30 p.m.