Bemidji State University men’s basketball makes its 2020-21 debut at BSU Gymnasium with Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games against Northern State University on Jan. 8-9. Friday’s game will mark 321 days since the Beavers have played at BSU Gymnasium and the 93rd game all-time against the Wolves.

Northern State leads the all-time series against Bemidji State, 65-27. NSU won both games against BSU during the 2019-20 campaign, an 81-73 victory in Aberdeen, S.D., on Dec. 6, 2019 and a 98-92 overtime win in Bemidji on Jan. 11, 2020.

Senior forward Derek Thompson set a previous career-high in the overtime game last season with 28 points. Senior guard Griffin Chase scored at least 10 points in both games last season while senior guard Nick Wagner averaged 14.5 points per game against NSU, including 21 points in the overtime game.

The last win by BSU over NSU came on Feb. 11, 2017, a 63-59 victory in Aberdeen.

BSU has played NSU seven times when the Wolves have been ranked and are 2-5 in those games. The last BSU win over a ranked NSU team was Jan. 16, 2009, a 100-93 double-overtime victory at the 11th ranked Wolves.

The series began Dec. 18, 1959, a 78-48 win by Bemidji State in Bemidji, which stands as the largest margin of victory in a BSU win over NSU.

Bemidji State and Northern State will open conference play this weekend as only games played against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference division opponents will count towards conference records. BSU began the 2020-21 season with a 74-59 win over Minnesota State University, Mankato on Jan. 2 followed by a 91-67 loss on Jan. 3 in Mankato, Minn. The Beavers and Mavericks closed out the opening weekend of games with their only non-conference games of the season.

The Beavers’ opening day win gave head coach Mike Boschee his 101st career win in his ninth season at BSU.

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