MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Minnesota State Moorhead men's basketball will look to begin the calendar year in winning fashion this weekend. The Dragons travel for a road conference matchup with Minnesota Crookston scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.

Live video and stats will be available at msumdragons.com.  Saturday's game can also be listened to on AM 1100/FM 92.3 with 'Big Game' James McCarty and Jace Denman on the call. 

Matchup History...MSUM earned the victory in the first meeting with the Golden Eagles on November 25. The Dragons won 95-69 with six players scoring in double figures. Dominic Gooden led Moorhead with 14 points, but Sam Hastreiter, Isa El-Amin, Kabine Kaba, Rodrick Payne and Adam Jenkins all scored 10 or more points. Jenkins turned in his first career double-double, adding 11 rebounds. MSUM held the Golden Eagles to 69 points on 37.9 percent shooting in the first meeting. The Dragons also dominated the glass on November 25, holding a plus-18 advantage on the boards. Moorhead will put a 10-game winning streak against UMC on the line on Saturday. The last time the Golden Eagles defeated the Dragons was on January 11, 2020 by a 94-61 scoreline. Since 2008-09, MSUM is 28-6 against Minnesota Crookston with four of those losses coming inside Lysaker Gymnasium.

Last Time Out...The Dragons suffered a pair of tough home losses prior to the end of 2025. Adam Jenkins scored 12 points to lead MSUM in a loss to Northern State on December 18. Isa El-Amin netted 19 points to pace Moorhead in a 93-83 loss to Jamestown on December 20.

Adam Jenkins Is Stronger Than You...Sophomore big man Adam Jenkins has come on for Moorhead in recent weeks, providing needed bench scoring. The Moorhead product averaged 11 points across MSUM's prior two games, all while shooting an effective 69 percent from the floor (9-13). The sophomore's 65.2 percent clip for the season leads the Dragon roster. 

Birkholz Sparks Again...Junior guard Levi Birkholz has also been pivotal off the bench for MSUM. Birkholz scored 12 points in the first half against Jamestown on December 18. The Lake Mills, Wis., product connected on 83.3 percent of his looks against the Jimmies. Over the last five games, Birkholz is averaging just under nine points per game while averaging 15.4 minutes a contest. Birkholz is shooting 65.3 percent from the field over the last five games. 

Isa On The Ball...Freshman point guard Isa El-Amin played a strong game against Jamestown on December 20. The Minnetonka, Minn., native scored 19 points to lead the Dragons while also dishing out five assists. El-Amin also had a steal in the contest, moving his season total to 23, which is the fourth-best tally in the NSIC. 

Consistently Dom...Redshirt junior guard Dominic Gooden continues to capitalize on offense by creating chances at the charity stripe. Gooden had made 58 of 67 free throw attempts so far this season, good for an 86.6 percent success rate. That mark is the fifth-highest percentage in the Northern Sun. 

Still At The Top...Despite a pair of losses before the New Year, Moorhead still owns the top scoring offense in the NSIC so far this season. The Dragons average a league-high 84.7 points per game with Sioux Falls right behind them at 84.3. MSUM also holds the third-highest field goal percentage in the NSIC, shooting it at a 47.5 percent clip. Moorhead is also third in the conference in three-point shooting, marking a 36.4 percent connection rate.

Jason Kemp is in his first season as MSUM's head men's basketball coach. 

Scouting The Opposition

Minnesota Crookston
2025 Record: 1-11 (0-7 NSIC)
2024 Record: 5-23 (4-18 NSIC)
Head Coach: Bryan Beamish (4th Season)
Nickname: Golden Eagles
Top Eagle: Donez Lindsey (14.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3 APG)