Men’s Basketball to face Peacocks, Warriors in interdivisional games

A Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference interdivisional series awaits the Bemidji State University men’s basketball program Jan. 17-18. BSU opens the weekend at Upper Iowa University on Friday before closing the weekend at Winona State University on Saturday.

Bemidji State leads the all-time series against Upper Iowa, 13-8. BSU snapped a two-game winning streak by UIU in the series with a 93-90 win in the lone matchup last season. The Beavers are looking to win back-to-back games against the Peacocks for the first time since a four-game winning streak from March 8, 2013 through Jan. 30, 2016.

Junior forward Derek Thompson scored a team-high 26 points with 11 rebounds on 9-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, for his fourth career double-double last season against UIU. Sophomore guard Max Bjorklund added 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting with two steals.

The series began Dec. 16, 1949, a 97-69 win by Bemidji State. The two programs took a 55-year hiatus in the series before restarting in 2004.

Winona State leads the all-time series against Bemidji State, 86-73. Each team has won a game over the past two seasons while WSU took the 2018-19 meeting, 87-59, in Bemidji, Minn. The Warriors have won five of the last six meetings dating back to Jan. 3, 2014.

Injured guard Jacob Hoffman led BSU with 19 points off the bench against the Warriors last season while senior forward Logan Bader scored eight points with five rebounds and two assists in the starting lineup.

The series began Jan. 7, 1933, a 43-34 overtime win by Bemidji State.