Bemidji State University men’s basketball plays host to the University of Minnesota Duluth Thursday, Dec. 2 followed by a road trip to St. Cloud State University Saturday, Dec. 4 to continue Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. The Beavers and Bulldogs tip-off at 5:30 p.m. from the BSU Gymnasium followed by a 2 p.m. start against the Huskies from Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, Minn.
THE SERIES
Minnesota Duluth leads the all-time series against Bemidji State, 95-48.
The Beavers and Bulldogs last met Feb. 13, 2021, a 90-77 win by UMD in Bemidji. The Beavers took a 96-77 win the day prior as part of a season series split.
Bemidji State has won two of the last three meetings.
Bemidji State and Minnesota Duluth first met Feb. 21, 1931, a 28-26 win by BSU.
SCOUTING BEMIDJI STATE
(3-2, 0-1 NSIC)
BSU went 1-2 over its last week of action, taking a 67-57 loss to the University of Minnesota Crookston before a 67-63 win over Eckerd College and a 67-64 loss to the University of Tampa at the Eckerd Thanksgiving Classic. The Beavers enter the weekend with a 3-2 record overall and 0-1 mark in conference play.
Against Minnesota Crookston, BSU shot a season-low 33.8 percent from the field and was outrebounded, 50-34. The Golden Eagles led by as many as 14 points early in the second half as the Beavers were able to cut the deficit to five points with 5:15 to play. BSU converted just one of its final six shots to finish the game.
Senior guard Gare Ewefada and sophomore forward John Sutherland were the only Beavers to score in double-figures, led by Sutherland with 16 points on 7-of-13. Sutherland was one rebounds shy of his first double-double while senior guard Travis Bianco scored nine points with five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
BSU went 35.3 percent from beyond the arc and 63.6 percent from the charity stripe against UMC.
The Beavers opened the Eckerd Thanksgiving Classic against the host school with a career-high 18 points from senior guard Tyler Behrendt. Bemidji State outscored Eckerd in both halves and combined for 11 3-pointers, including six from Behrendt.
Behrendt went 6-of-12 from the floor, all coming behind the 3-point line, and added four assists. Bianco recorded his second double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, including three 3-point field goals. Senior forward Cody Landwehr scored a season-high 12 points followed by senior guard Mohamed Kone with 11.
BSU shot 41.2 percent from the floor, 47.8 percent from 3-point range and 70.0 percent from the free throw line, and won the rebound battle, 37-31.
Bemidji State led by as many as 15 points in the weekend-finale against Tampa before its second loss of the week. An 11-point Beavers with 8:38 to play disappeared as BSU went 1-of-10 from the field to finish the game. A 15-1 run propelled Tampa to the win.
Kone scored a season-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting and recorded his first double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. Sutherland was the only other Beaver with double-digit scoring at 10 points.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA DULUTH
(7-0, 1-0 NSIC)
The Bulldogs are led by fourth-year head coach Justin Wieck who is 52-26 with the program.
Minnesota Duluth (7-0, 1-0 NSIC) recorded three wins over its last week of action, taking victories of 86-69 at home against St. Cloud State before road wins of 76-42 over Michigan Technical University and 76-63 at Northern Michigan University.
UMD averages 89.9 points per game and allow 63.7 points for the NSIC’s best scoring margin of +26.1. UMD leads the NSIC in both field goal offense (.548) and defense (.390).
Junior guard Drew Blair leads the Bulldogs with 20.4 points per game, which ranks third in the conference, while sophomore forward Austin Andrews leads the team with 9.7 rebounds per game.
BEMIDJI STATE ROSTER
No. / Name / Position / Height / Year / Hometown / Previous School
0 / Dalton Albrecht / F / 6-7 / 190 / So. / Grafton, N.D. / Grafton HS
1 / Gare Ewefada / G / 6-2 / 175 / TR-Sr. / Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Dakota State
3 / Mohamed Kone / G / 6-2 / 170 / Sr. / Apple Valley, Minn. / NDSCS
4 / Steele Senske Jr. / F / 6-4 / 175 / Jr. / Glyndon, Minn. / Park Christian HS
5 / Derek Thompson / F / 6-8 / 205 / Sr. / Cold Spring, Minn. / Rocori HS
11 / Travis Bianco / G / 6-6 / 200 / TR-Sr. / St. Petersburg, Fla. / Valdosta State
12 / Tyler Behrendt / G / 5-11 / 175 / Sr. / Germantown, Wis. / UW-Milwaukee
14 / Colton Roderick / G / 6-5 / 185 / Fr. / Alexandria, Minn. / Alexandria Area HS
15 / Cody Landwehr / F / 6-6 / 220 / Sr. / St. Cloud, Minn. / Sauk Rapids-Rice HS
20 / Jayce Lowman / G / 6-3 / 180 / Fr. / Mandan, N.D. / Mandan HS
23 / John Sutherland / F / 6-7 / 225 / TR-So. / Grand Rapids, Minn. / Minn. Duluth /
24 / Wyatt Olson / F / 6-5 / 215 / So. / St. Peter, Minn. / St. Peter HS
25 / Carter Weierke / G / 6-4 / 215 / Fr. / New Brighton, Minn. / Totino-Grace HS
34 / Parker Maki / F / 6-8 / 220 / Fr. / Hibbing, Minn. / Hibbing HS
COACHING STAFF
Mike Boschee / Head Coach / 10th Season/North Dakota ‘91
Mike Iseman / Assistant Coach / Fourth Season/Central College ‘15
Maverick Harris / Assistant Coach / First Season/Northland College ‘17
BEAVERS SCHEDULE
November
16 / Concordia-St. Paul / Bemidji, Minn. / W, 82-67
19 / Minnesota Morris (Exh.) / Bemidji, Minn. / W, 91-57
20 / Northland / Bemidji, Minn. / W, 110-61
23 / at Minnesota Crookston * / Crookston, Minn. / L, 67-57
26 / Eckerd College / St. Petersburg, Fla. / W, 67-63
27 / Tampa / St. Petersburg, Fla. / L, 67-64
December
2 / Minnesota Duluth * / Bemidji, Minn. / 5:30 p.m.
4 / at St. Cloud State * / St. Cloud, Minn. / 2:00 p.m.
10 / MSU Moorhead * / Bemidji, Minn. / 5:30 p.m.
11 / Northern State * / Bemidji, Minn. / 3:30 p.m.
17 / at UMary * / Bismarck, N.D. / 5:30 p.m.
18 / at Minot State * / Minot, N.D. / 3:30 p.m.
January
2 / Minnesota Crookston * / Bemidji, Minn. / 4:00 p.m.
7 / Winona State * / Bemidji, Minn. / 5:30 p.m.
8 / Upper Iowa * / Bemidji, Minn. / 3:30 p.m.
14 / at Minnesota State * / Mankato, Minn. / 5:30 p.m.
15 / at Concordia-St. Paul * / St. Paul, Minn. / 3:30 p.m.
21 / at Sioux Falls * / Sioux Falls, S.D. / 7:30 p.m.
22 / at Southwest Minn. State * / Marshall, Minn. / 5:30 p.m.
28 / Augustana * / Bemidji, Minn. / 7:30 p.m.
29 / Wayne State * / Bemidji, Minn. / 5:30 p.m.
February
4 / Minot State * / Bemidji, Minn. / 7:30 p.m.
5 / UMary * / Bemidji, Minn. / 5:30 p.m.
11 / at Northern State * / Aberdeen, S.D. / 7:30 p.m.
12 / at MSU Moorhead * / Moorhead, Minn. / 5:30 p.m.
17 / at Minnesota Duluth * / Duluth, Minn. / 7:30 p.m.
19 / St. Cloud State * / Bemidji, Minn. / 4:00 p.m.
* NSIC Contest
MINN. DULUTH ROSTER
No. / Name / Position / Height / Year / Hometown / Prev. School
0 Joshua Strong G 6’0 Fr. Brooklyn Park, Minn. Champlin Park H.S.
1 Joshua Brown G 6’4 So. Minneapolis, Minn. Park Center H.S.
2 Zach Lea G 6’4 So. Chaska, Minn. Chaska H.S.
3 Jack Middleton G 6’5 Jr. Edina, Minn. Edina H.S.
4 Jacob Shields F 6’6 GS. Houston, Tex. Concordia St. Paul
10 Henry Shannon F 6’6 Fr. Apple Valley, Minn. East View H.S.
11 Charles Gorres G 6’6 Jr. Cottage Grove, Minn. Park H.S.
12 Mattie Thompson F 6’7 Fr. Duluth, Minn. Duluth East H.S.
14 Isaiah Watts G 6’3 Jr. Bloomington, Minn. Bloomington H.S.
22 Drew Blair G 6’5 R-Jr. Stevens Point, Wis. Stevens Point Area Senior H.S.
23 Mason Steffen G 6’3 Sr. Waunakee, Wis. Waunakee Community H.S.
24 Charlie Katona F 6’6 So. Shakopee, Minn. Shakopee H.S.
32 Austin Andrews F 6’6 So. Eden Prairie, Minn. Eden Prairie H.S.
34 Noah Paulson F 6’8 Fr. Duluth, Minn. Duluth East H.S.
40 Lincoln Meister F 6’9 So. Rochester, Minn. John Marshall H.S.
COACHING STAFF
Head Coach / Justin Wieck
Assistant Coach / Casey Bruggeman
Assistant Coach / Jordan Ashton
Student Assistant Coach / Ben Kallman
Manager / Jonah Plys
Student Manager / Leon Oganda
