MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Sixth-ranked MSU Moorhead men's basketball looks to the road for two matchups with Northern Sun foes St. Cloud State and Bemidji State. The Dragons take on the Huskies at 7:30 p.m. on Friday before battling the Beavers on Saturday beginning at 5:30 p.m. 

Live stats and video will be available at msumdragons.com. Fans can listen to the game against the Beavers on AM 1100/FM 92.3 with 'Big Game' James McCarty on the call. 

Matchup History...Entering Friday, MSUM bolsters an eight-game winning streak over the Huskies, dating back to January 2020. Since the 2014 season, MSUM has won 16 of the last 20 meetings against St. Cloud State. The Dragons narrowly edged the Huskies at home last season, 65-64. Against the Beavers, MSUM has claimed the last three straight, most recently on February 3, 2024. The Dragons have won 17 of the last 21 meetings with Bemidji State, dating back to January 2015. 

Last Time Out...The Dragons shook off a tough first half against the University of Mary on Saturday, surging towards a 74-58 win. Jacob Jennissen was crucial for MSUM, scoring 18 points and converting on all eight of his foul shots. On Thursday, the Dragons dominated a home matchup with Northern State. MSUM had four players in double figures, led by Jennissen with 14 points. 

What The Pollsters Say... The Dragons moved up one spot in the NABC rankings to number six in the nation behind 303 points. Nova Southeastern remained in the top spot of the poll with 399 points and 15 first-place votes. The Dragons have not been outside the NABC Top-25 since the week of December 26, 2022.

Tall Man Shines...For the second straight week, MSUM had a student-athlete named to the NSIC's 'Shining Five' with junior center Jacob Jennissen listed. Jennissen was solid across two games for MSUM, scoring 16 points points per game with 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots a contest. Jennissen logged a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds against Northern State on Thursday. The Sauk Centre, Minn., product would score 18 points with six rebounds and a pair of blocks against UMary on Saturday. For the weekend, Jennissen shot an effective 61.1 percent from the floor. Jacob Beeninga was named to the NSIC 'Shining Five' a week ago. 

Settling In...Transfer guard Levi Birkholz looked comfortable in two games for MSUM last week. Birkholz scored nine points against Northern State on Thursday before netting six points against Mary. The Lake Mills, Wis., native drained all three of his long range attempts during the week. Junior Eddie Beeninga also seemed to find a shooting rhythm for MSUM, scoring a combined 11 points in the two games. Beeninga drilled two threes against the Marauders, but also helped facilitate, dishing out four assists with five rebounds. 

Outgunning The Wolves...Against Northern State on Thursday, MSUM would build a sizable lead behind a 60.8 percent connection rate from the floor. It is only the third time in the last four seasons where the Dragons finished a game with a field goal mark of 60 percent or higher. Oddly enough, the last time MSUM made 60 percent or more of its field goal attempts was on November 23, 2021 against Northern State.

Quick Scout...St. Cloud State offers up a balanced and talented roster where any player could hurt you. The Huskies are led by sophomore guard Jamiir Allen, who averages over 16 points per game. However, Allen has missed the previous five games for SCSU. The Beavers bolster three players averaging 10 or more points a game led by Malang Athian's 14.3 points per game. Junior guard Tate Olson averages 12.3 points per game with a 52.3 percent field goal mark.

Tim Bergstraser is in his third season as MSUM's head men's basketball coach.