MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead men's basketball embarks on 2025 with two home NSIC games this weekend. The Dragons battle Concordia, St. Paul on Friday beginning at 7:30 p.m. before taking on Minnesota Duluth on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Live video and stats will be available at msumdragons.com.

Matchup History...MSUM holds a five-game winning streak over the Golden Bears dating back to February 2019. The last time CSP defeated the Dragons was on December 31, 2017 as the Golden Bears topped the Dragons, 72-62. Since the 2010-11 season, MSUM has won 11 of 15 meetings against CSP. The Dragons have won the last two meetings with Minnesota Duluth and four of the  last five contests overall. Since the 2020-21 season, MSUM has defeated the Bulldogs in six of nine meetings. 

Okay, Rook!...Freshman point guard Carson Johnson seized an opportunity against Minnesota Crookston on December 21. Johnson was thrust into the starting lineup and poured in 22 points on 50 percent shooting in his MSUM debut. The performance for Johnson is the highest scoring output in a Dragon debut (freshman or transfer) since November 9, 2012. On that day, senior transfer Anthony Tucker scored 23 points against Lincoln University.

What The Pollsters Say...The Dragons slid in the NABC rankings, sitting at number 12 in the nation behind 207 points. Nova Southeastern remained in the top spot of the poll with 398 points and 15 first-place votes. The Dragons have not been outside the NABC Top-25 since the week of December 26, 2022.

Something About Ed...Junior guard Eddie Beeninga turned in a career performance for MSUM against Minnesota Crookston on December 21. Beeninga netted a career-best 16 points on four of six shooting. All of Beeninga's field goals came behind the three-point line while also sinking four freebies. 

Why Not Wysocki?...Freshman forward Shaun Wysocki continued to see success against both Minot State and Minnesota Crookston. Wysocki scored a career-high 14 points against the Beavers on December 20, shooting four of six from the field. Against the Golden Eagles, Wysocki netted nine points, including five made free throws. Since entering the starting lineup on December 5, Wysocki is averaging nearly 10 points per game while shooting 56.6 percent from the field (17-30).

50 Tysen...Redshirt freshman guard Tysen Gerads showcased his explosiveness in MSUM's previous two games. Gerads had back-to-back games with seven points, including a driving baseline slam against Minnesota Crookston. Seeing more minutes, Gerads connected on 50 percent of his shot attempts in the two games. 

Ranked Near The Top...Through 12 games this season, MSUM owns the NSIC's best defense, only allowing 63.8 points per game to opponents. That mark ranks 15th nationally and is not far behind the nation's leader (Miles College - 56). The Dragons are also atop the NSIC in opponent three-point percentage, holding teams to just 30.6 percent shooting from long range. 

Quick Scout...Concordia, St. Paul offers up one of the NSIC's top talents in senior Antwan Kimmons. He leads the NSIC in points (24.2) and assists (6) per game while also sitting in the top ten in rebounds per contest (7.3). Kimmons has two games of 40 or more points so far this season. The Bulldogs are paced by Charlie Katona, who nets 15.8 points per game and is one of the conference's top defenders.

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