Beavers, Lumberjacks tip-off 2019-20 season Saturday at BSU Gymnasium

The Bemidji State University men’s basketball program and Northland College tip-off the 2019-20 season Saturday, Nov. 9 at BSU Gymnasium. The Beavers open their season with the 53rd meeting in the all-time series against the Lumberjacks.

The Beavers own a large lead in the series record against the Lumberjacks, 45-7, including wins in the last six meetings dating back to 1991. BSU Head Coach Mike Boschee and NC Head Coach Scott Sorenson have faced off three times, in 2015, 2016 and 2018. The Beavers won the most recent matchup, 95-69, last season at BSU Gymnasium. BSU shot over 60 percent against NC last season on its way to a 58-34 lead at halftime. That game was the highest field-goal percentage shot by the Beavers last season while also dishing out its most assists as a team.

Junior forward Derek Thompson scored 27 points against Northland College last season, his second-most points scored in a game through his career. He set a career-high with 12 field goals made while also falling one rebound shy of a double-double.

Junior guard Jacob Hoffman knocked down three 3-pointers to finish with 18 points against the Lumberjacks, while senior guard Ja Morgan recorded eight assists and seven points.

The series first began Dec. 5, 1941 in Bemidji, Minn., a 62-31 win by Bemidji State. The Beavers didn’t take their first loss to the Lumberjacks until 1967.

Bemidji State comes off a 10-18 overall record during the 2018-19 season and return nine letter winners, including five starters. BSU welcomes in three newcomers to the program with two transfers and one true freshman. The Beavers finished the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule 6-16, including a 3-11 record in the NSIC North Division. BSU earned its first win in the NSIC postseason since 2012-13 after taking down No. 1 seed in the NSIC South Minnesota State University, Mankato. The Beavers came away with a 66-56 win over the Mavericks on the road to advance to the quarterfinal round at The Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Head Coach Mike Boschee enters his eighth season with the program after totaling a 86-109 record with the Beavers and a 201-224 career record in 16 seasons as a head coach. Assistant coaches Mike Iseman and Tim Wagner begin their second seasons in their respective positions in 2019-20 with the Beavers.

Morgan was named BSU’s Player to Watch in the 2019-20 NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. He led all student-athletes in the NSIC with 6.4 assists per game, finishing with 180 total last season. He was three assists shy of tying the BSU single-season record and finished last season as the team’s second-leading scorer with 12.9 points per game.

BSU was selected to finish ninth in the 2019-20 NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll released earlier this season. The Beavers finished with 100 total points in the overall poll while coming in fifth in the NSIC North Division Poll with 21 total points.

Bemidji State ranked 14th in scoring offense last season in the NSIC with 73.2 points per game shooting 46.3 percent from the field, which ranked ninth in the league. BSU’s defense allowed 77.0 points per game to rank 11th in the conference with a field goal percent defense of 45.4 to rank seventh.