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The Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball team (7-5, 3-3 NSIC) return home for the first time since Dec 7. The Dragons take on Winona State on Jan. 3 at 7:30 p.m., followed by a matchup with Upper Iowa the next day at 5:30 p.m. 

LOOKING BACK...
The Dragons are coming off a Dec. 21 road loss to Northern State. MSUM lost to the Wolves 95-64. The Dragons won their previous matchup against Northern this season, beating the Wolves 81-74 at home on Nov. 30.
 
In the loss to Northern, the Dragons shot 33.9 percent (21-of-62) from the field and 21.4 percent (3-of-14) from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Siman Sem led with 15 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Sophomore forward Wyatt Hanson scored 10 for MSUM. Freshman forward Dane Zimmer and sophomore guard Gavin Baumgartner each added seven points.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION…
Winona State
Winona State is 6-6 overall this season and 3-3 in the NSIC. The Warriors are currently riding a three-game winning streak. In their last game, Winona State took down Upper Iowa 85-80 in overtime. The Warriors shot 48.3 percent from the field and 51.9 percent from three in the win. Junior forward Kevion Taylor led the way with 25 points. Taylor leads the Warriors in scoring this season with 18.3 points per game. Taylor also leads the Warriors on the glass with 6.3 rebounds per game. Senior guard Caleb Wagner is averaging 17.8 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Alec Rosner is averaging 10.6 points per game.

Upper Iowa
Upper Iowa is currently 6-6 overall and 3-3 in conference play. The Peacocks are 0-4 on the road this season, with their last loss coming against Winona State 85-80 in overtime. In that loss, Upper Iowa shot 49.2 percent from the field and 48.1 percent from beyond the arc. Freshman guard Jake Hilmer led the Peacocks with 20 points. The Peacocks have three players averaging double figures in scoring this season. Junior forward Jareese Williams leads with 14.4 points per game, and also leads in rebounding with 5.2 per game. Junior guard Joe Smoldt is averaging 11.5 points per game, and Hilmer is averaging 11 points per game. Hilmer leads the team in assists with 4.7 assists per game.

Statistical Leaders
Sophomore guards Gavin Baumgartner and Bryce Irsfeld lead the Dragons in scoring. Baumgartner is averaging 16.1 points per game on 53.8 percent shooting while Irsfeld is averaging 14.1 points per game on 51.3 percent shooting. Freshman forward Dane Zimmer leads the way in field goal percentage, shooting 67.6 percent from the field this season. From the free throw line, Baumgartner is 92.5 percent (37-of-40). On the glass, Zimmer leads with 5.9 rebounds per game, followed by sophomore Baumgartner who are averaging 5.3 rebounds per game. Irsfeld has 2.5 assists per games and senior guard Johnny Beeninga is averaging 2.4 assists per game. Defensively, Sem leads the team in steals with 1.3 steals per game.
 
Milestone Watch
Senior guard Johnny Beeninga is currently just two points away from hitting the 1,000-career point mark. Head coach Chad Walthall is just two games away from his 200th career win as head coach of the Dragons.

Run it Back
The Dragons return three of their top five scorers for the 2019-20 season. Last year's freshman class contributed 1,172 points which accounted for 44 percent of the team's total offense. MSUM finished 19-12 in the 2018-19 campaign, which included a seven-game winning streak against NSIC opponents. The 19th win for the Dragons marked the second largest improvement from one season to the next with a 12-game improvement. The Dragons are led by team captains Johnny Beeninga, Bryce Irsfeld, and Gavin Baumgartner. MSUM's basketball program is under the guidance of head coach Chad Walthall, who is in his 10th season as head coach of the Dragons. Currently, the Dragons are 7-5 overall and look to bounce back at home after a road loss against Northern State.
 
Road Warriors
Following the game against Northern, the Dragons return home for two-games before going back on the road for a four-game road-trip. Since the 2008-09 season, the Dragons are 78-63 when playing on the road, which is a win percentage of 55.7 percent. At home, the Dragons stand strong at 117-48 overall since the 2008-09 season. Against NSIC opponents, the Dragons are 81-45 since 2008-09. In all-time matchups with Winona State, the Dragons are 76-80. In their previous meeting last season on Jan. 4, the Dragons won on the road in a close one 68-65. In all-time matchups with Upper Iowa, the Dragons are 14-8. In their previous meeting last season on Jan. 5, the Dragons took home the win on the road 99-95 in overtime.
 
On the Horizon
Following the home games against Winona State and Upper Iowa, the Dragons hit the road for their next four-games. The Dragons won't return home until a Jan. 24 matchup with Minnesota Duluth. MSUM squares off against Bemidji State on Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m.  The Dragons then travel to Crookston, Minn., to face Minnesota-Crookston on Jan. 11 at 5:30 p.m.