Beavers hit the road for first full NSIC weekend at Wolves, Dragons

Bemidji State University men’s basketball takes to the road for its first full weekend of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games Dec. 6-7 at Northern State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead. The Beavers open the weekend Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the Wolves in Aberdeen, S.D., and close it Saturday at 5:30 p.m. against the Dragons in Moorhead, Minn.

Northern State leads the all-time series against Bemidji State, 65-27.

NSU won both meetings against BSU last season, Friday, Dec. 7 84-73 in Bemidji, Minn., and Saturday, Jan. 12 73-53 in Aberdeen, S.D. Junior forward Derek Thompson led BSU with 21.0 points per game against NSU last season on 17-of-29 shooting from the field and 6-of-9 from 3-point range. Senior guard Ja Morgan recorded his first 20-point game with 25 in the first meeting against the Wolves while adding five assists, three rebounds and one steal. The duo were the only Beavers to average double-figures in the season series.

The last win by BSU over NSU in the series opener was Jan. 22, 2016 in Bemidji. The series began Dec. 18, 1959, a 78-48 win by Bemidji State.

MSU Moorhead leads the all-time series against Bemidji State, 99-85. The Dragons swept the 2018-19 series by a combined five points, 100-97 on Saturday, Dec. 8 in Bemidji, Minn., and 80-78 on Friday, Jan. 11 in Moorhead, Minn. Senior forward Logan Bader paced BSU against MSUM with 21.0 points per game on 16-of-28 shooting from the floor and 8-of-13 from beyond the arc. Thompson put up 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while Morgan averaged 7.5 assists per game.

Although the Dragons have won eight of the last 10 meetings dating back to the 2015-16 season, the Beavers earned a series sweep in 2017-18 for the first time since 2003-04.

The series began Feb. 17, 1928, a 33-22 win by MSU Moorhead. Bemidji State has faced MSU Moorhead more than any opponent in program history at 184 games.