For Immediate Release
Monday, Jan. 27, 2014

NSIC Media Relations
Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#24 Matt Craggs
F, 6-6, 220, Sr.,
Kimberly, Wis.
Kimberly HS
St. Cloud State  

Craggs notched his third double-double of the season, 21 points and 13 rebounds in the Huskies 79-71 win over Northern State on Friday. He followed that on Saturday with a career best 31 points in the Huskies 95-88 overtime loss to MSU Moorhead. He made 12- of -18 field goal attempts, was four-of-five from three-point range, had a team-high nine rebounds and scored 17 first half points. Craggs traditional three-point play with 1:12 left in regulation tied the game at 76-76 sending it to overtime. Craggs averaged 40.5 minutes a game over the weekend, shot 66.7 percent from the field, made six of nine three-point baskets, averaged 11 rebounds, two assists and three steals for the Huskies. He was the leading scorer for the Huskies in both games and has scored in double figures in five of the Huskies last six games. He recorded season highs for points (31-MSUM), rebounds (13-NSU), assists (4-NSU), steals (4-NSU) and three-point field goals (4-MSUM)over the weekend.

AUGUSTANA COLLEGE - #32 Casey Schilling (F, 6-6, 190, So., Ellsworth, Minn./Ellsworth HS) averaged 18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals over the weekend for Augustana. Schilling finished with 20 points and eight rebounds to lead Augustana in a 94-53 win over Sioux Falls on Friday night. The sophomore matched his career-high with three 3-point field goals in the game and notched his eighth 20-point game this season. Schilling threatened a triple-double against Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday night, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds and a career-high seven assists on Saturday night.
#3 Ethan Guske (G, 6-1, 165, Fr., Sheboygan, Wis./North HS) had a big night on Saturday finishing with a career-high 18 points, knocking down a career-high five 3-pointers against Southwest Minnesota State. Guske finished the weekend averaging 13 points, hitting 7 of 15 shots from 3-point range.

BEMIDJI STATE - #3 Zach Noreen (F, 6-6, 250, Sr., Avon, Minn. / Albany HS) averaged 18.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game and shot 63.6 percent from the field in an NSIC road sweep at U-Mary and Minot State to help extend Bemidji State’s winning streak to seven. He totaled four assists, three blocks and two steals in 64 minutes of play. He knocked down two 3-pointers and was 7-for-10 (70%) from the free throw line. Noreen scored 16 points and added a career-high 13 rebounds, while shooting 80 percent (8-for-10) from the field at U-Mary Friday. He also added three assists, three blocks and a steal in 28 minutes. The double-double was his second of the season. The senior recorded his eighth game with 20 or more points Saturday at Minot State when he shot 6-of-12 (50%) from the field, went 2-for-5 (40%) from long range and knocked down 7-of-9 (77.8%) attempts from the charity stripe to post 21 points.
The Beavers improved to 14-4 overall and 11-3 in NSIC play Jan. 24-25 by going on the road and defeating U-Mary (68-59) and Minot State (84-68) to extend their winning streak to seven games. The winning streak is the longest by BSU since the 2004-05 team rattled off seven straight from Jan. 22-Feb. 18. During the winning streak, Bemidji State is shooting 56.9 percent, helping its season shooting percentage to a league-best 51.6 percent. BSU also leads the NSIC in free throw percentage (76.3%) and 3-point percentage (41.1%). The Beavers have also won four straight games on the road and look to extend that mark Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 when they complete a four-game stint away from the BSU Gymnasium. BSU will travel to play Southwest Minnesota State Friday and Sioux Falls Saturday. BSU has won four straight against SMSU and are 39-50 all-time against the Mustangs. Last season at home, the Beavers recorded a 72-57 victory, while the last time the teams met in Marshall, Minn., BSU snuck away on a nearly half court buzzer beater to win 79-78. The Beavers and Cougars have met just three times with BSU winning all three times (72-69 home win last season). Bemidji State has never played at USF.

CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL -The Golden Bears snapped a five game losing streak and six game road losing streak on Friday night, getting their first win on the road 81-69 at Upper Iowa … Concordia ended up splitting the weekend with an 80-61 loss at Winona State on Saturday … Terez VanPelt averaged 17.5 points on 17-19 free throw shooting in the two games, while Travon Mitchell averaged 16.5 points off the bench and Cordell Smith had 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds including 5-9 three-point shooting … VanPelt has now made 318 career free throws, just 15 shy of Kyle Timmer’s (1990-94) school record of 333 … last year, VanPelt set the single season school record with 150 free throws made and is just 27 shy of reaching that mark with eight regular season games to play.
This weekend Concordia returns home for a four-game home stand starting with Minot State on Friday and U-Mary on Saturday … Concordia will host the “It’s a Slam Dunk – Don’t Drive Drunk” initiative this weekend, displaying the winning video throughout the evening at the signature collection table where Concordia’s SAAC will gather pledges against drunk driving … Concordia and Minot State have only met once, with the Beavers defeating Concordia last year in Minot, N.D. by a 91-75 margin … this will be Minot State’s first trip to Gangelhoff Center … Concordia is 8-6 all-time against U-Mary as the two teams have split six contests in St. Paul … under eighth year head coach Kelly Boe, Concordia is 8-4 against the Marauders including two consecutive wins which were both played at McDowell Activity Center in Bismarck, N.D. … U-Mary’s last win over Concordia was also its last trip to Gangelhoff Center on Dec. 3, 2011, a 67-64 win for U-Mary …  the Marauders have won the last two games at Gangelhoff Center, in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons … Concordia’s last home win against U-Mary was on Jan. 24, 2009 (75-64).

UNIVERSITY OF MARY -  Marc Musungayi (F, 6-6. 220, Sr., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada / Iowa Central) continued his outstanding play on the court, averaging 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and shooting 69.2 per cent from the floor (18-of-26) as the Marauders split two home games. The defending NSIC Player of the Week opened the two-game set with a 27 point outburst in a 68-59 loss to North division-leading Bemidji State. Musungayi nailed 12-of-15 shots from the floor, had five rebounds and blocked two shots. He followed up with 14 points and eight rebounds in a 74-56 win over the University of Minnesota Crookston. For the season Musungayi is 17th in the NSIC in scoring (13.2 PPG), 16th in rebounding (5.9 RPG), 10th in field goal percentage (.549) and 13th in blocks (1.11 BPG)... Jalen Jaspers (G, 6-3, 200, Sr., Minneapolis, Minn. / DeLasalle) reached a couple milestones last weekend in the Bemidji State game, playing in his 100th game for the Marauders and scoring his 800th career point. Jaspers is just the fifth player to crack 800 points and the fourth to play 100 games during U-Mary’s NCAA era (starting with the 2006-07 season). The senior guard posted nearly identical lines in both games last weekend. He has 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and made 5-of-9 shots against BSU. Jaspers then had 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and made 6-of-9 shots in a win over UMC.

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON  - Brandon Burns (Sr., F, Baton Rouge, La.) averaged 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in a pair of losses to Minot State University and University of Mary. Burns had 17 points and five boards in a 74-56 loss to U-Mary Saturday. Burns was 8-of-17 from the field against the Marauders. Against Minot State Friday, Burns had 12 points and four rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting against the Beavers. Burns was 48.1 percent from the field on the game.
 
MINNESOTA DULUTH  - UMD suffered a pair of last-minute heartbreaking losses on its home court, holding the high-powered MSU-Moorhead squad down before falling 76-71 on Friday night with free throws being the difference in an 80-78 defeat at the hands of Northern State. Senior guard Jordan Reetz had an outstanding weekend for the Bulldogs, shooting 43.8 percent from the floor with 26.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Saturday night, he went 15-of-18 from the charity stripe, falling two short of tying the UMD career record for free throws in a game. Junior guard Reece Zoelle posted a 22-point night against the Wolves, while Peter Crawford was his steady self, posting 14- and 15-point nights for the Bulldogs. UMD continues its four-game home-stand this weekend and will look to reverse its fortunes against Wayne State and Augustana.

MINNESOTA STATE - #50 Assem Marei, F, 6-9, 250, Jr., Cairo, Egypt Assem Marei led the Mavericks in points and rebounds this past weekend. He averaged 22.5 points and nine rebounds per game, while shooting 51.6% (16-of-31). He also passed out four assists and tallied two blocks. Against Winona State, Marei posted his 13th career double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds. His 25 points set a new career-high as he shot 9-of-16 (.563) from the field. He followed up with a 20-point, eight-rebound showing at Upper Iowa. He also passed out four assists against the Peacocks, while shooting 46.7% from the field.
With its 1-1 record this past weekend, the Mavericks now own 17-4 record, including an 11-3 record in NSIC play. MSU now owns a 7-3 record in games played away from Taylor Center this season.
Junior Assem Marei averaged 22.5 points and nine rebounds per game this past weekend, while junior Zach Monaghan averaged 16.5 points and six assists per game.
Senior Gage Wooten matched his career-high of 25 points against Upper Iowa. He finished the week shooting 57.9% from the field.

MSU MOORHEAD - Jordan Riewer (G, 6-2, Jr., Staples, Minn. / Staples-Motley HS) had a big week in helping the Dragons to two key road wins. The junior from Staples, Minn., averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the week from his point guard position. Riewer was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line and shot 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from the field. Riewer had 14 points, five rebounds and three assists in a 76-71 win over Minnesota Duluth on Friday and followed with a 21-point, four-assist effort in a 95-88 overtime win over St. Cloud State on Saturday.  Riewer also had a 3.5 assist to turnover ratio for the week. For the season Riewer is averaging 11.4 points and 3.7 assists per game.
Senior Tarell Clark had another solid week for MSUM in helping them to road wins at Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State. Clark averaged 11.5 points and 10.0 rebounds for the week and shot 60 percent from the field.

MINOT STATE - Minot State University shot 50 percent from the floor to roll over Minnesota Crookston 78-59 Friday to end a season-high six game losing streak. The Beavers split a pair of NSIC North games, falling in a competitive 84-68 game Saturday that was just a one-possession game with just over five minutes to play before BSU pulled away. The Beavers used solid bench play Friday in the win, getting 44 total points from five players who came off the bench. Minot State’s #21 Lazar Boskovic (F, 6-10, 220, Jr., Belgrade, Serbia / Zemun Electric Engineering School) had his best weekend as a member of the team, scored a combined 23 points on 10 for 19 shooting and pulling down nine rebounds. He scored a career-high 15 points in Friday’s win. #3 E.J. Williams (G, 6-0, 185, Sr., Raleigh, N.C. / Capitol Hill / Cape Fear Community College) was steady throughout the pair of games, averaging 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists. MISU will play the next four on the road, starting with a pair of games at Concordia St. Paul Friday and Minnesota State Saturday.

NORTHERN STATE - Northern State returns home this weekend after a four-game road trip in which they finished 2-2. The Wolves host Winona State Friday night at 8:00 and Upper Iowa at 7 p.m. Saturday. By the time Friday rolls around, NSU will have had 20 days in between home games. Northern is 1-2 against Winona State under Head Coach Paul Sather and are 2-1 against the Peacocks.
The Wolves split this past weekend, losing at St. Cloud State 79-71 and winning a thrilling battle over Minnesota Duluth 80-78. Carter Evans scored a career-high 13 points off the bench to lead Northern. Seth Bachand also had 13 in the win. Tydan Storrusten dished-out a career-best nine assists in the loss to the Huskies.

SIOUX FALLS - The University of Sioux Falls men’s basketball team went 1-1 on the weekend to maintain its .500 record (9-9) and improve to 6-8 in conference play as they fell hard at rival Augustana College before bouncing back to top Wayne State on Saturday for their first NSIC road win of the season. Versus Augustana, the Cougars were quickly down 10-3 with less than 14 minutes to play and Augustana’s dominant first-half effort beget a second half thrashing as they ran USF out of the gym by a score of 94-53. USF never led in the First Dakota National Bank Mayor’s Cup contest. On Saturday, the Cougars got 23 points from Charles Ward and Robert Goffney had a near-perfect night as the Cougars topped Wayne State 95-83 in Wayne, Neb. Goffney set the pace with 12 points in the first half and finished with 22 total, as the senior guard wound up hitting 7 of 8 from the field (4-for-4 on threes) with his only miss coming on his last attempt. Jordan Stotts (15) Derek Brown (13) and Bryan Kielpinski (12) rounded out a quintet of Cougars in double-digits. The Cougars missed their first five shots and had one turnover in the opening two minutes and were down 7-6 at the 16:14 mark. Brown’s first of three three-pointers erased the deficit and USF never trailed again. The Cougars took a nine-point lead into the halftime at 42-33 and a pair of Ward free throws gave the Cougars their largest lead of the game at 76-46. Brown went 3-for-6 from deep to move into 4th all-time in USF history with 165 career triples. USF will host Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State next weekend.

SMSU - Senior point guard Vinard Birch (5-11, Eagan, Minn.) averaged 13.5 points, 6.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, shot 42.1 percent (8 of 19) from the field and made 11 free throws in two SMSU road victories over Wayne State and Augustana. The win for SMSU over Augustana was the program’s first at Augustana since Dec. 11, 2004. Birch committed just four turnovers in 59 minutes and made several clutch field goals in the final minutes in both games. Birch scored 10 points with five assists and five rebounds in SMSU’s last-second victory over Wayne State. He scored eight points and had one steal in the final four minutes, including the assists on the game-winning shot to lift the Mustangs to victory.In SMSU’s win over Augustana, Birch scored 17 points with seven assists and committed just one turnover, while connecting on 6 of 10 field goals and 5 of 6 free throws. Birch scored 10 points in the final eight minutes and 17 seconds to help SMSU rally from a 16-point second half deficit. Birch gave SMSU its first lead of the second half with 1:07 remaining with a field goal and then following an Augustana basket, he assisted on Nick Smith’s game-winning field goal with 20 seconds remaining. Birch leads SMSU in both scoring (11.7) and assists (90) this season, while shooting 54.8 percent from the field. He is also the program’s all-time leader in assits with 359.

ST. CLOUD STATE - Matt Craggs (Sr., F, Kimberly, Wis.) notched his third double-double of the season, 21 points and 13 rebounds in the Huskies 79-71 win over Northern State on Friday. He followed that on Saturday with a career best 31 points in the Huskies overtime loss to MSU Moorhead, 95-88. He made 12- of -18 field goal attempts, was four-of-five from three-point range ,had a team-high nine rebounds and scored 17 first half points. Craggs traditional three-point play with 1:12 left in regulation tied the game at 76-76 sending it to overtime. Craggs averaged 40.5 minutes a game over the weekend, shot 66.7 percent from the field, made six of nine three-point baskets, averaged 11 rebounds, two assists and three steals for the Huskies. He was the leading scorer for the Huskies in both games and has scored in double figures in five of the Huskies last six games. He recorded season highs for points (31-MSUM), rebounds (13-NSU), assists (4-NSU), steals (4-NSU) and three-point field goals (4-MSUM)over the weekend.
Damarius Cruz (Sr., G, Plymouth, Minn.) had solid weekend scoring 23 points against MSUM and 14 against Northern State. He had a career best seven rebounds, all on the defensive boards in the MSUM game. Cruz shot 50 percent from the field and was nine-of-nine from the free throw line over the two games. St. Cloud State suffered its first home loss of the season Saturday night and are 9-1 at Halenbeck this season. Three of the Huskies last four games have gone into overtime. The last time St. Cloud State played three overtime games in a season was 2005-06. The most overtimes in a season for the Huskies is seven during the 1998-99 season.
 
UPPER IOWA - Joey Woods (G, 6-2, 210, R-Sr., Naples, Fla./Golden Gate HS) led the Peacocks in scoring and passing for the second straight week as he averaged 17.5 points and 4.5 assists per game, but the Peacocks were haunted by two first half holes and dropped both games over the weekend. On Friday night, the Peacocks fell behind by double-digits less than eight minutes into their game against Concordia St. Paul. The Golden Bears used that momentum and a few timely baskets to shock UIU on its home court in a 81-69 upset in conference play. The Golden Bears’ Cordell Smith led all scorers with 21 points, while Grant Lang (G, 6-4, 195, Jr., Ankeny, Iowa./Ankeny HS) led the Peacocks with 16 points. Bo Pagel (G, 6-2, 210, Jr., Sumner, Iowa/Sumner-Fredericksburg HS) added 11 points, while Joey Woods chipped in 14 points, 4 boards, 4 assists and a pair of blocks. The 69 points from UIU was the third-lowest offensive output this season as the team hit just 29-percent of their shots in the first half and only 36-percent in the second. It didn’t get easier for UIU on Saturday night. Minnesota State entered the game having just lost to Winona State and they played as if they had a chip on their shoulder. The Mavericks hit 58-percent of their shots en route to a 95-78 victory. Woods once again led the Peacocks in scoring with 21 points adding five assists, while Pagel came off the bench and chipped in 16 points, hitting four of his six triples. Despite Pagel’s hot hand from beyond the arc, the Peacocks managed just one other three in the game going 5-of-18 from long range. UIU will look to bounce back on the road this weekend as they face two NSIC-North opponents in MSU Moorhead and Northern State on Friday and Saturday.

WAYNE STATE - Adol Aluong, a 6-1 senior guard from Sioux Falls, S.D. (Roosevelt HS), had back-to-back 20 plus scoring games for Wayne State over the weekend, averaging 20.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in home losses to Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls.  Aluong was 7 for 14 shooting and 7 of 11 from the free throw line to score a game-high 21 points with seven rebounds in Friday’s heartbreaking 58-56 loss to Southwest Minnesota State and added 20 points with five assists on 7 of 11 shooting from the field and 6 of 8 at the foul line in Saturday’s 95-83 loss to Sioux Falls.  For the weekend, Aluong shot 56 percent from the field (14 of 25) and 13 for 19 (68.4%) at the charity stripe for the Wildcats.
 
WINONA STATE -  Kellen Taylor, G, Sr., 6-7, 215, Plymouth, Minn. (Wayzata) posted a pair of double-doubles, averaging 14.5 points and 10.0 rebounds, as Winona State knocked of No. 14 Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul this weekend. Taylor had an outstanding all-around weekend, shooting 78.6 percent (11-of-14) from the floor while making four of his six attempts from behind the 3-point line. The senior began the weekend by going 7-of-10 from the floor against MSU, scoring 17 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. He followed that performance by scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against CU, going a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor, including hitting both of his 3-point attempts. He also blocked four shots on the weekend and passed out three steals. Taylor now has seven double-doubles this season and has recorded five in his last eight games.

Past NSIC Players of the Week
11/11/13    - Casey Schilling - Augie
11/18/13    - Sam Johnson - MISU
11/25/13    - Jordan Poydras - SCSU
12/2/13 -  E.J. Williams - MISU
12/9/13 - Maxie Rosenbloom - BSU
12/16/13    - Casey Schilling - Augie (2)
12/23/13 - Jake Schalow - BSU
1/6/14 -     Kellen Taylor - WSU
1/13/14 - Brock Lutes - BSU
1/20/14 - Marc Musungayi - U-Mary
1/27/14 - Matt Craggs - SCSU