The Bemidji State University men’s basketball is set to hit the road for the first time in 2015 as it travels to University of Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State University, Jan. 9-10. Game times are set for 8 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.
A series dating back to Feb. 21, 1931, the Beavers trail the Bulldogs 43-87 all-time. BSU is now 3-2 in the last five meetings, including a 79-66 loss earlier this season to UMD at home Dec. 6.
St. Cloud State holds a 95-44 record in the all-time series dating back to Jan. 6, 1922. The Beavers fell at home Dec. 5 to the Huskies in their second conference game of the season by a final score of 88-65.
Scouting Minnesota Duluth
The Bulldogs come into their first home series of 2015 with a 6-8 overall record and a 3-5 mark in the NSIC play. UMD is on a three-game slide after falling to Concordia University-St. Paul (Jan. 2) 65-56 and to then-No. 16 University of Minnesota State University, Mankato (Jan. 3) 86-71.
Brett Ervin currently paces the Bulldogs’ offense with 18.6 points per game (261) shooting 45.8 from the field and a team-best 38.8 from beyond the arc. Ervin’s 18.6 PPG ranks him third among the league-best in scoring.
Pierre Newton follows up Ervin with 12.4 points per game and leads UMD’s rebounding with 6.5 boards a game, including 64 defensive boards. Newton is tied for sixth in defensive boards among the NSIC-best.
UMD is shooting 44.6 percent from the field with a 31.7 rating from three-point range. The Bulldogs are out performing their opponents from the charity stripe recording a 74.5 percent rating and are ranked second in the NSIC.
Scouting St. Cloud State
The Huskies enter the weekend holding a 7-7 overall record and a 3-5 mark in the NSIC. SCSU comes off a last weekend getting swept by then-No. 16 Minnesota State 85-81 and Concordia-St. Paul 59-57.
SCSU’s offense is led by Jordan Poydras with 16.1 points per game (225). He is shooting 38.2 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Poydras ranks seventh among the league-best in scoring with his 16.1 points per game. He not only leads the Huskies in steals but also leads the NSIC, averaging 2.0 a game.
SCSU’s James Fort ranks fourth in blocks among the NSIC averaging 1.5 a game.
The Huskies are currently outshooting their opponents from the field with a 47.3 rating and from beyond the arc with a 37.8 percentage.
Under first year head coach Matt Reimer, the Huskies are ranked in the top five among the league in scoring (79.6 PPG), scoring margin (+7.1), blocked shots (3.1 BPG), steals (7.6 SPG), turnover margin (+3.43), and in assist/turnover ratio (1.3).