Men's Basketball | 2/12/2025 11:16:00 AM

#TIDBITS

Golden Eagle men's basketball hits the road this Friday and Saturday for a pair of NSIC matchups, facing the University of Sioux Falls in Sioux Falls, S.D., and Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn. After this road trip, the Golden Eagles return home for their final regular-season weekend, hosting the University of Minnesota Duluth and Concordia-St. Paul next Friday and Saturday.

·   LOCK DOWN. The Golden Eagles have shown significant defensive improvement recently, holding opponents to just 70.2 points per game over the last five contests—well below their season average of 79.5. Expect Head Coach Bryan Beamish to continue emphasizing defense this weekend.

• CONTROL THE ROCK. One key area of improvement for the Golden Eagles is ball control. They committed 18 turnovers last Thursday, leading to 15 Northern State points. Facing two strong defensive teams this weekend, the Golden Eagles will need to take better care of the basketball.

·  BC23 FIGURING OUT THE NSIC. Brayden Carlson was outstanding last week for the Golden Eagles. The freshman from Woodbury, Minn., set career highs in points, rebounds, and minutes played on Tuesday night in Bemidji. He then surpassed all three marks on Thursday night against Northern State while leading the NSIC in field goal percentage, shooting an impressive 86% over the two games.

·   ALL-NSIC PERFORMER?  Reid Grant has been outstanding for the Golden Eagles this season. The senior from Johnstown, Iowa, ranks in the NSIC's top five in both scoring and assists per game while leading the conference in minutes per game, showcasing his senior leadership on the court. Expect Grant to continue his stellar play this weekend.

·    DO IT ALL, BIG FELLA. Jordan Mitchell recorded his second double-double of the season Thursday night against Northern State. The redshirt senior tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. The big man from Columbus, Ohio, will look to maintain his strong presence on the boards this weekend.

·   FINAL TIME ON THE ROAD. Any sports season seems to go in the blink of the eye. This season for the Golden Eagle men has proven to be no different. The Golden Eagles will play their 11th and 12th and final road games of the season this weekend at Sioux Falls and previously ranked Southwest Minnesota State. Minnesota Crookston will look for some road magic this weekend for the final time in 2024-25.

• IT COMES DOWN TO ONE POSSESSION. That's been the case as of late for the maroon and gold. Putting aside their 14-point loss to Bemidji State last Tuesday, the Golden Eagles have been in tight games, win or lose. In five of their last six ball games, the Golden Eagles have either won or lost a game by a combined 11 points. They have a pair of three-point wins over Augustana and Minot State, a three-point loss to Northern State, a two point loss to Wayne State and a loss to UMary by the slimmest of margins in that stretch. The Golden Eagles know all about playing in close games as of late.


Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Bryan Beamish
Record at UMC: 14-67 Season at UMC: 11th Season (Third as Head Coach)

University of Sioux Falls Cougars
Head Coach: Chris Johnson
Record at USF: 296-225  Season at USF: 17th Season


Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs
Head Coach: Brad Bigler
Record at SMSU: 258-197  Season at SMSU: 16th Season 

Minnesota Crookston @ Sioux Falls
Date: Friday, Feb. 14
Time: 5:30 P.M.
Place: Sioux Falls, S.D. / Stewart Center
Watch: https://www.nsicnetwork.com/usfcougars/
Stats: https://usfcougars.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Series Record: USF leads 11-3
Last Meeting: It was a 19 point triumph for the Cougars earlier this year

Minnesota Crookston @ Southwest Minnesota State
Date: Saturday, Feb. 15
Time: 5 P.M.
Place: Marshall, Minn. / R/A Facility
Watch: https://nsicnetwork.com/smsumustangs/
Stats: https://smsumustangs.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Series Record: SMSU leads 32-3
Last Meeting: 70-44 win for the Mustangs earlier this year in Crookston

Weekly Snapshot

Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles (5-19)
Projected Starters
Sr. G 3 Reid Grant (6-3, Johnston, Iowa) 16.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.5 APG
Fr. G 12 Landon Dimler (6-5, Mankato, Minn.) 3.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG
Jr. F 25 Andrew Stokes (6-5, Westchester, Ill.) 10.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG
Jr. G 13 Micah Garrett (6-3, Portland, Ore.) 9.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG
R-Jr. F 10 Jordan Mitchell (6-8, Columbus, Ohio) 8.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.6 BPG
Top Bench Players
Sr. F 33 Ben Hoverson (6-6, Grand Forks, N.D.) 2.0 PPG, .9 RPG
Jr. G 1 Christian Bowen-Webb (6-2, Atchison, Kan.) 6.2 PPG
Fr. F 23 Brayden Carlson (6-9, Woodbury, Minn.) 3.0 PPG, 1.6 RPG
Fr. G 11 Caiden Swenby (6-3, Fertile, Minn.) 1.7 PPG
R-Sr. F 2 Aguek Deng (6-9, Des Moines, Iowa) 3.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG
Jr. G 24 GD Deng (6-4, Des Moines, Iowa) 1.4 PPG, 1.9 RPG
Sioux Falls Cougars (13-12)
Projected Starters
R-Fr. G 00 Taylen Ashley (6-0, Sioux Falls, S.D.) 13.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG
Sr. G 3 Shawn Warrior (6-4, Wichita, Kan.) 10.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG
Jr. G 5 Kenji Scales (6-2, Richfield, Minn.) 7.0 PPG, 1.4 RPG
Sr. G 6 Josh Baker (6-4, Marshall, Minn.) 1.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG
Sr. C 23 Creighton Morisch (6-10, Spirit Lake, Iowa) 14.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG
Top Bench Players
R-So. G/F 22 Kyle Ingwerson (6-6, Omaha, Neb.) 10.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG
R-Sr. G/F 4 Noah Puetz (6-6, Marshall, Minn.) 13.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG
Fr. G 24 Jacoby Mehrman (6-4, Harrisburg, S.D.) 1.5 PPG, 1.6 RPG
Gr. G 1 Jack Cartwright (6-3, Sioux Falls, S.D.) 3.5 PPG, .9 RPG
Fr. F/G 20 Brandon Hrncir (6-8, Farmington, Minn.) 5.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG
Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs (18-7)
Projected Starters
So. F 00 Aeron Stevens (6-7, Plainfield, Ill.) 14.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG
Jr. G 1 Jakob Braaten (6-0, Byron, Minn.) 14.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG
So. G 5 Steven Kramer (6-5, Johnston, Iowa) 10.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG
Sr. G 10 Dunwa Omot (6-3, Mankato, Minn.) 11.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG
Jr. G 13 Mason Lund (6-7, Rice, Minn.) 9.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG
Top Bench Players
So. G 2 Mekhi Shaw (6-0, Eau Claire, Wis.) 7.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG
R-Fr. F 4 Calvin Buss (6-6, West Bend, Wis.) 3.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG
Jr. F 22 Caleb Schlaak (6-8, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) 3.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG

KNOW THE OPPONENTS

Sioux Falls. The Golden Eagles are gearing up for a tough road matchup against the University of Sioux Falls this Friday. The Cougars enter the game with a 12-12 record and have historically had the upper hand against the Golden Eagles, leading 14-3 all-time. In their last meeting earlier this season, the Cougars won 85-66.

NOTHING NEW IN THE NORTHERN SUN. The Cougars are looking to bounce back after a competitive weekend against two of the NSIC's top teams, Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State Mankato. The Cougars pushed the Golden Bears to double overtime in a high-scoring thriller but fell just short, 108-106. They followed up with another tight game against the Mavericks, losing by only two points, 75-73.

SHINING FIVE. One of the biggest standouts for the Cougars last weekend was Creighton Morisch, who earned NSIC Shining 5 honors for his exceptional play. The award recognizes the top five performers across the conference each week, and Morisch earned his spot. He recorded the NSIC's first triple-double of the season against Concordia-St. Paul. Morisch finished with 18 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and three blocks. He continued his impressive play against Minnesota State, adding 16 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocks.

DEJA VU? When USF last faced the Golden Eagles, Morisch and Noah Puetz led the way, each scoring 20 points. Puetz was efficient from the field, shooting 5-of-9 (55%) overall and 4-of-7 (57%) from three-point range. Morisch padded the stat sheet once again, contributing 15 rebounds, 5  assists, and 4 blocks to go along with his 20 points. Both players have been key leaders for the Cougars all season.

Southwest Minnesota State. The Golden Eagles are gearing up for their second game of the weekend, against Southwest Minnesota State (SMSU), one of the top teams in the NSIC. The Mustangs are currently sitting in second place and have been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the conference, shooting 48% from the field, which ranks third in the NSIC. Historically, SMSU has had the upper hand in this matchup, leading the all-time series 36-5. Their most recent win came earlier this season with a 70-40 victory over the Golden Eagles.

STOPS LEAD TO WINS.  In their last matchup, the Mustangs' defense was on full display, holding the Golden Eagles to just 44 points. This was the Golden Eagles' lowest-scoring game of the season. That defensive effort also marked the fewest points SMSU has allowed in a game since 2014. On offense, Mason Lund led the way for the Mustangs with 14 points, shooting an efficient 63% from the field and 67% from three-point range. Steven Kramer also stepped up, dishing out a career-high 5 assists, while Mehki Shaw made his presence felt on the defensive end with a career-high 6 steals.

THE DUO LEAD THE WAY.  A big part of SMSU's success comes from their duo of Aeron Stevens and Jakob Braaten, who are both averaging 14.5 points per game. These two are among the top offensive threats in the NSIC. Braaten was particularly sharp in the last matchup, finishing with 11 points while shooting 100% from the field and from beyond the arc. He's also coming off a huge weekend, earning NSIC Player of the Week honors after leading SMSU to wins over MSU Moorhead and Minot State. In those two games, he averaged 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE. Winning at SMSU is never easy. The Mustangs have been dominant at home this season, boasting an 11-3 record at the R/A Facility. Known as one of the toughest places to play in the NSIC, the gym is widely regarded as one of the best basketball atmospheres in the conference and region.