MSUM men's basketball will open their NSIC slate on Tuesday as they head to Aberdeen to take on Northern State at 7:30 p.m. The Dragons will then travel west to Pueblo, Colo., to take part in the two-day NSIC-RMAC Challenge. MSUM is scheduled to play Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday and New Mexico Highlands on Saturday.

Need To Know

November 22 - 7:30 p.m. at Northern State (Aberdeen, S.D.) - Live Video - Live Stats
November 25 - 7 p.m. MT (8 p.m. CT) at Colorado State-Pueblo (Pueblo, Colo.) - Live Video - Live Stats
November 26 - 3 p.m. MT (4 p.m. CT) vs New Mexico Highlands (Pueblo, Colo.) - Live Video - Live Stats

Hot Start

With their 3-1 record, the Dragons are off to their best four-game start since 2018-19. That year saw MSUM begin 3-1 with wins over three non-Division II schools (Dickinson State, Concordia College and Minnesota Morris). Against Division II opponents only, the last time the Dragons started 3-1 was 2015-16 where they defeated Western Washington, UC-Colorado Springs and Harding to open the year. MSUM would go on to 30-6 that season. 

Beeninga!

In MSUM's Saturday afternoon drubbing of South Dakota Mines, sophomore guard Jacob Beeninga scored a career-high 28 points. This included seven three-point field goals, also a career-high for Beeninga and two shy of the school record held by Jordan Riewer. The sophomore shot a scintillating 52.6 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from long range. The guard also doled out five assists and grabbed five rebounds in the 74-57 Dragon win,.

Glass Eaters

The Dragons have been dominant on the glass so far in 2022-23. MSUM is currently fourth in the NSIC in rebounds per game (40). They have also managed to grab almost 12 offensive rebounds per game, which is third best in the conference. The Dragons, on average, secure 7.8 more rebounds than their opponents per game. In MSUM's loss to Black Hills State last Friday, the Dragons won the rebound battle 47-28, their second game this season where they have outrebounded an opponent by 19 or more. The Dragons grabbed 24 more rebounds in their win over Oklahoma Baptist on November 11.

Climbing The Ranks

Senior Gavin Baumgartner poured in 24 total points at last weekend's East-West Challenge. Heading into this week's competition, Baumgartner sits at 1582 career points, seventh all-time in school history. Baumgartner is now 49 points shy of surpassing Dragon great Tanner Kretchman on the school's all-time scoring list. 

Know Your Enemy

Northern State sits at 2-2 on the season with losses coming at the heels of reigning national champion Northwest Missouri State and Ferris State. The Wolves hold wins over Missouri Western and most recently against Point Loma. Senior Sam Masten leads Northern State with 20.8 points per game, which is currently the fifth best mark in the NSIC. Jordan Belka, Augustin Reede, Jacksen Moni and Josh Dilling are all averaging double figures for a Wolves team that is scoring 73.8 points per game. The Wolves have been efficient with their shots so far in 2022-23, shooting 46.3 percent from the field as a team. However, Northern State's minus-four rebound advantage is in the bottom-tier in the NSIC. Saul Phillips is in his fourth season as head coach of Northern State.

Colorado State-Pueblo currently holds a 4-0 record so far in 2022-23. With wins over MSU Texas, Cameron University, Spurgeon College and Bacone College, the Thunderwolves have only had one game decided by less than 20 points. Their 76-75 win over Cameron University on November 12 was the closest anyone has come to beating the Thunderwolves. This past weekend, Colorado State-Pueblo picked up a 45-point victory over Spurgeon College and a 68-point win over Bacone as part of the Al Kaly Shrine Classic. The Thunderwolves are led by Makiah Morris, who is scoring 16.8 points per game, the eighth best mark in the RMAC. CSU Pueblo is second in the conference in points per game with 92.8, but are leading the RMAC in scoring margin. On average, the Thunderwolves are defeating teams by 33 points heading into this weekend. Matt Hammer is in his third season as head coach of CSU Pueblo.

New Mexico Highlands has opened the 2022-23 season at 2-2 with wins over Northern New Mexico and Navajo Tech University. The Cowboys began the year 0-2, dropping games to Angelo State and Eastern New Mexico. Offensively, the Cowboys are paced by Dante Moses, who is averaging a team-high 11.7 points per game on 57 percent shooting. New Mexico Highlands is second to last in the RMAC in team field goal percentage at 41.1 which includes a 29.7 percent clip from long range. However, the Cowboys have held opponents to shooting just 38.5 percent, which is second-best in the conference. Mike Dominguez is in his second season as head coach of New Mexico Highlands.