MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The MSU Moorhead Dragon men's basketball team will travel to Rapid City, S.D. to take on a pair of opponents this weekend. Friday the Dragons will step onto the court against South Dakota Mines on Friday in a late night 8:30 p.m. tip. The Dragons will have battles back-to-back days as they will turn around and face Black Hills State University on Saturday in a game that will get underway at 6 p.m.

Live stats and video are available at msumdragons.com
 
Undefeated out of KC

The Dragons (2-0), got off to a hot start in their first action of the season last weekend in Kansas City where they took victories in both games. 

In the first game of the year, the Dragons almost eclipsed the century mark, falling one point short of that mark in a contest they won 99-81 against Missouri Southern State. Junior guard Jacob Beeninga led the team in points, popping off for 29 points in the first game of the season. Beeninga was nine of 15 from the field, draining four jumpers from beyond the three-point arc. He also added a team-best six assists and tallied a block as well. Dragon newcomer, junior guard Ja'Kair Sanchez, played a key role, scoring 20 points off the bench for the Dragons,including four of five from three. Sophomore forward Logan Kinsey had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while also playing the most minutes for the Dragons as he was on the court for 31 minutes. Redshirt freshman forward Will Kinsey got his first action as a Dragon in this game as well as sophomore forward Jacob Jennissen.

As a team the Dragons shot 52.2 percent from the field, showed out shooting 50 percent from three, while also scoring 28 points off of turnovers to Missouri Southern State's 12 points off of turnovers.
 
The second game of the weekend was a much closer fight. The Dragons escaped with a 79-77 win over Washburn University. The game was tied at 36 going into halftime, and the Dragons managed to score 43 points in the second half which turned out to be just enough to get the win. Beeninga led the squad in points again going for 20 points, four steals and four assists. Senior forward Dane Zimmer showed out, putting up a double-double of his own. He scored 17 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Zimmer went two of three from three on the day, and he led the Dragons in minutes played with 36. Zimmer, as well as Logan Kinsey, knocked down some key free throws late in the game to help the Dragons hang on for the victory. Junior guard Jamir Price had a solid day, totaling 13 points and three rebounds. He went two of six from three and knocked down three of four from the free throw line. 

The Dragons forced 21 turnovers from Washburn, converting them into 19 points on the other end of the court. The Dragons also weathered the storm, as Washburn shot 64 percent from three on the day compared to the Dragons' 23 percent, but they were still able to grab the win despite that fact. This just points to the fact that the Dragons are a well-rounded squad, and they don't just need to rely on hitting threes to win.

The Dragons are coached by second year man Tim Bergstraser.
 
Scouting South Dakota Mines

The Hardrockers, (1-1), split their first two games of the season, dropping the first game 54-49 against Texas A&M-Kingsville, then bouncing back and taking their next game 84-66 against Texas A&M-International. Over their first two games they are shooting 39.6 percent from the field and 28.3 percent from three. They have been out rebounded 34 to 41 by their opponents, and they average a very good 18 points off of turnovers. Fifth-year senior guard Alejandro Rama leads the team in points with 39 over the first two games, and he also leads them in rebounds, assists and steals. He is definitely someone the Dragons will look to slow down if they want to win.

The Hardrockers are coached by Eric Glenn.
 
Scouting Black Hills State University

The 17th-ranked Yellow Jackets (1-1), also split their first two games of the season. They lost their first contest to Oklahoma Christian 72-53, then they took the win in an overtime thriller against Arkansas-Fort Smith 77-72. They are shooting 46 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from three so far this season. They have averaged 32.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Turnovers have been an issue for the Yellow Jackets, as they have turned it over 38 times already this season. Grad student guard Matthew Ragsdale leads them in scoring with 33 points. Senior center John Shanklin leads the squad in rebounds with nine through the first two games. 

The Yellow Jackets are coached by Ryan Thompson.