Bemidji State University men’s basketball returns to BSU Gymnasium Jan. 22-23 with a weekend doubleheader versus the University of Mary. The Beavers and Marauders face-off in the 30th and 31st games of the series with tip-off set for 6 p.m. Friday at BSU Gymnasium.

UMary leads the all-time series against Bemidji State, 17-12. BSU and UMary have traded wins over the last six games of the series. The Beavers have won those games by an average margin of 20.0 points per game while the Marauders have won by an average margin of 8.3 points per game. The Beavers fell to the Marauders during their first meeting of 2019-20, 78-77 on Jan. 25, 2020, before taking its largest win in the series, 82-53 on Feb. 14, 2020.

The series began Dec. 18, 1971, a 92-87 win by UMary in Bismarck, N.D.

BSU was swept for the second straight weekend after losses of 70-50 on Jan. 15 and 83-61 on Jan. 16 to Minnesota State University Moorhead in Moorhead, Minn. The Beavers shot 36.7 percent from the field (36-98), 21.1 percent from beyond the arc (8-38) and 73.8 percent from the free-throw line (31-42) over the weekend. The Dragons finished the weekend shooting 47.4 percent from the floor (54-114), 47.6 percent from 3-point range (20-42) and 73.5 percent from the charity stripe (25-34), including a 13-of-21 performance from beyond the arc in Saturday’s game. MSUM also won the rebound margin, 77-57.

The Beavers are facing their first losing streak since a seven-game slid last season from Jan. 10-31.

Senior forward Derek Thompson and junior forward Cody Landwehr combined to score 71.2 percent of BSU’s points over the weekend. Thompson averaged 20.0 points per game, scoring 21 on Friday and 19 on Saturday, while Landwehr averaged 19.5 points, including a career-high 25 points on Saturday. The duo combined to shoot 55.1 percent from the field (27-49).

Thompson leads BSU and ranks eighth in the NSIC with 17.7 points per game and leads BSU and ranks eighth in the conference with 7.5 rebounds per game. Thompson moved into sole possession of 17th in scoring all-time at BSU with 1,110 career points and also moved into 10th all-time at BSU with 501 career rebounds.

Junior guard Mohamed Kone recorded his second double-digit rebound performance of the season with 13 boards on Friday at MSUM. He has led BSU in rebounding in three games and has led the team in assists through all six games. Kone has totaled three assists in four straight games, ranks eighth in the league with 3.2 assists per game, and ranks 10th with 7.0 rebounds per game.

Junior forward Steele Senske led BSU on the bench with 4.0 points per game and set career-highs with two rebounds and 16 minutes played Jan. 16 at MSUM.

Bemidji State remains one of the better teams in the nation in defensive rebounding, ranking 60th nationally with 26.7 boards per game on the defensive end.

Listen to both games this weekend on Talk Radio 106.3 and online at beaverradionetwork.com.