Men's Basketball | 2/3/2025 3:05:00 PM

#TIDBITS

Golden Eagle men's basketball is set for what might be two of the bigger games of the year this season. Despite a heartbreaking loss to the University of Mary on Saturday afternoon, the Golden Eagles are still right in the thick of things in the Northern Sun. Minnesota Crookston was able to upset Minot State last Wednesday and that win still has them in position to make the NSIC Tournament for the first time in Bryan Beamish' tenure as head coach. The Golden Eagles will look to take care of business this week against Bemidji State and Northern State.

·   12 YEARS IN THE MAKING. Throughout the game last Wednesday night against Minot State, it had all the makings of an upset. Minnesota Crookston was sound defensively, holding the Beavers to just 1/21 shooting from long range and held the Beavers to shoot just 41 percent from the floor. Reid Grant gave the Golden Eagles a late lead with a floater in the paint and much like they did throughout the game, they were able to get a stop when it counted. That win over Minot State was the first win over a ranked opponent since 2013 and the win also was the highest ranked opponent that the Golden Eagles have beaten in program history. At one time this year, Minot State was undefeated at 17-0 and ranked as high as fourth in the nation.

• SOLID DEFENSE. The Golden Eagles have seemingly started to figure things out this season and have been able to make a run as the postseason nears. It has all started on the defensive end for the maroon and gold. The Golden Eagles have held their opponents to shoot less than 45 percent in four straight games and below 27 percent from long range in three of those four games. The last four games have also been about as close as possible. The last four games have been decided by a staggering nine points, with the Golden Eagles 2-2 in that stretch and they maybe feel like they could be 4-0 during that stretch. If the Golden Eagles want to play postseason basketball, it seems like their recipe for success has been what they have done for two weeks, which is a pretty decent sample size.

·  MITCHELL ON THE MARK. Redshirt senior Jordan Mitchell was every bit of fantastic last weekend against the North Dakota schools. Mitchell finished with nine points, six rebounds and four assists in the upset win over the Beavers and was a catalyst in Caleb Van de Griend going 10-18 in the game; The eight missed shots in one game were the most by Van de Griend in his career. To follow that up on Saturday, Mitchell finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and three more assists. Mitchell has two or more assists in four straight games and has played his best stretch of basketball as of late.

·   WHAT AN ADDITION.  Andrew Stokes has been an outstanding addition to the Golden Eagle rotation. Stokes has played his way into the starting rotation and quite frankly, I don't think he is leaving the rotation anytime soon. The junior is averaging 14.6 points per game in his last five games and collected his first career double-double with a 17 point, 15 rebound performance against Augustana. It has been a fantastic run for Stokes and it might not be a coincidence that the Golden Eagles are playing their best ball of the year.

·    REID'S WORLD. Reid Grant is making his case to be on an All-NSIC team this year, especially the last two weeks. In his last four games, Grant has scored 20 or more points in every game, including a career-high 35 against Wayne State College. The senior also has 15 makes from long range, which is one of the highest in the NSIC. Grant leads the NSIC in minutes per game and has played in all but six minutes in the last six games. Grant's play has been one of the best in the NSIC as of late and it's a mystery that he hasn't made the NSIC's Shining Five list the last two weeks.

·   FREE POINTS AT THE FREE THROW LINE. How good have the Golden Eagles been at the charity stripe as of late? The answer is pretty simple. They've been fantastic. In their last five games, the Golden Eagles are 75/90 from the charity stripe and have 16 or more makes from the line in four of those five games. Games with the Beavers and Wolves always seem to be tight, especially as of late, so whoever converts at the free throw line the most might determine the winner.

• IT'S A BLOCK PARTY. Part of being solid on defense is having the ability to protect the rim. Whether that is actually blocking shots or making it difficult on their opponents, the Golden Eagles seemingly do both really well. The Golden Eagles got back to their shot-blocking ways on Saturday in the loss to UMary, sending back 10 shots, their most since the 2017-18 year when they had three games with more than 11 blocks. The Golden Eagles have been one of the best shot-blocking teams in the nation, as they rank in the top-70 in blocks per game with almost four per game.

Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Bryan Beamish
Record at UMC: 13-65 Season at UMC: 11th Season (Third as Head Coach)

Bemidji State University Beavers
Head Coach: Mike Boschee
Record at BSU: 143-173  Season at BSU: 12th Season 

Northern State Wolves
Head Coach: Saul Phillips
Record at NSU: 100-57  Season at NSU: 6th Season

Minnesota Crookston @ Bemidji State
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 4
Time: 5:30 P.M.
Place: Bemidji, Minn. / BSU Gymnasium
Watch: https://nsicnetwork.com/bsubeavers/
Stats: https://bsubeavers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Series Record: BSU leads 38-12
Last Meeting: Minnesota Crookston defeated BSU by one, earlier this year


Northern State @ Minnesota Crookston
Date: Thursday, Feb. 6
Time: 5:30 P.M.
Place: Crookston, Minn. / Lysaker Gymnasium
Watch: https://nsicnetwork.com/goldeneaglesports/
Stats: https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Series Record: NSU leads 45-4
Last Meeting: It was a two point win for the Golden Eagles earlier this year in Aberdeen

Weekly Snapshot

Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles (3-13)
Projected Starters
Sr. G 3 Reid Grant (6-3, Johnston, Iowa) 16.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 5.1 APG
Fr. G 12 Landon Dimler (6-5, Mankato, Minn.) 4.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG
Jr. F 25 Andrew Stokes (6-5, Westchester, Ill.) 10.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG
Jr. G 13 Micah Garrett (6-3, Portland, Ore.) 9.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG
R-Jr. F 10 Jordan Mitchell (6-8, Columbus, Ohio) 8.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.6 BPG
Top Bench Players
Sr. F 33 Ben Hoverson (6-6, Grand Forks, N.D.) 2.1 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.) 2.0 PPG, 1.2 RPG
Fr. G 11 Caiden Swenby (6-3, Fertile, Minn.) 1.9 PPG
R-Sr. F 2 Aguek Deng (6-9, Des Moines, Iowa) 3.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG
Jr. G 24 GD Deng (6-4, Des Moines, Iowa) 1.2 PPG, 1.9 RPG
Bemidji State Beavers (8-14)
Projected Starters
Sr. G 14 Jalen Patterson (6-1, Galt, Calif.) 5.8 PPG, 1.5 RPG
Jr. G 2 Tate Olson (6-6, New York Mills, Minn.) 11.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG
Sr. F 23 John Sutherland (6-7, Grand Rapids, Minn.) 17.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG
Sr. F 22 Malang Athian (6-7, Melbourne, Australia) 10.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG
Sr. G 24 Daxton Dayley (6-5, St. George, Utah) 7.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG
Top Bench Players
Jr. G 21 Jareon Mayo (6-4, Lima, Ohio) 7.0 PPG, 2.4 RPG
So. G 11 John Pecarich (6-3, Baxter, Minn.) 9.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG
So. F 30 Austin Josephson (6-9, Meadowlands, Minn.) 3.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG
Northern State Wolves (1-21)
Projected Starters
So. F 1 Tobi Obiora (6-7, Bilthoven, Netherlands) 7.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG
R-Fr. G 2 Ethan Russell (6-6, Aberdeen, S.D.) 5.3 PPG, 1.9 RPG
Fr. G 3 Marcus Burks (6-4, Lakeville, Minn.) 11.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG
Jr. G 4 James Glenn (6-4, Altoona, Iowa) 12.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG
So. G 11 Kwat Abdelkarim (6-3, Lincoln, Neb.) 9.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG
Top Bench Players
Fr. G 15 Braeden Vanbockern (6-3, Harrisburg, S.D.) 4.2 PPG, 1.0 RPG
Jr. G/F 21 Kaleb Mitchell (6-10, Fountain, Colo.) 8.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG
So. G/F 23 Devon Brooke (6-4, Queen Creek, Ariz.) 6.2 PPG, 1.3 RPG


KNOW THE OPPONENTS

Bemidji State. The Golden Eagles are set to travel down Highway 2 for a matchup against the Bemidji State Beavers. The Beavers are coming into this week with an 8-14 overall record, finding most of their success on their home court. Historically, the Beavers have had the upper hand in this matchup, leading the all-time series 48-13. However, the last time these two teams met earlier this season, the Golden Eagles won the thrilling game 84-83, in Crookston.

SOLID OFFENSIVELY. The Beavers rank in the middle of the pack in NSIC offensive stats. They sit at 9th in field goal percentage, shooting 45.4% from the field. From beyond the arc, they knock down 35.6% of their three-point attempts, placing them 7th in the conference. At the free-throw line, they've been solid as well, ranking 6th in the NSIC at 71.7%.

HE'S BAAACCCCKKKK. A major force for BSU is senior forward John Sutherland, a two-time All-NSIC First-Team selection. Sutherland was absent in the previous matchup against the Golden Eagles, but he's back to playing and making an impact. He leads the Beavers with 17.1 points per game, shooting an efficient 59.7% from the field. His return will be a key factor in Bemidji State's game plan.

LOOKING FOR A REPEAT. Tate Olson stepped up in the last meeting between these teams, delivering a well-rounded performance. He finished with 18 points, a season-high 8 assists, and 14 rebounds, proving to be a versatile weapon for the Beavers. He can be the difference-maker in this matchup.

Northern State. Following the BSU matchup, the Golden Eagles will gear up for another mid-week game against Northern State University. The Wolves have struggled this season, sitting at 1-21 overall and 0-16 in the NSIC. Earlier this season, The Golden Eagles secured a 73-71 win over the Wolves, and they'll look to replicate that success.

MITCHELL IN THE MIDDLE. The Wolves rank 9th in the NSIC in blocked shots, averaging 2.95 per game. Their defensive efforts are anchored by Kaleb Mitchell, who leads the team with 1.2 blocks per game, ranking 4th in the conference. Additionally, Northern State averages 6.55 steals per game, placing them 7th in the NSIC.

THE WALKING GLENN. Junior guard James Glenn leads the Wolves offensively, averaging 12.9 points per game while shooting 41.1% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range. In the last meeting against UMC, Glenn put on an impressive performance, scoring 23 points while adding 2 assists and 6 rebounds. He also leads the team in steals per game (1.8), making him a key player for Northern State.

BRIGHT LIKE BURKS. Freshman Marcus Burks has been a bright spot for the Wolves this season. He contributes 11.5 points and 3.8 assists per game, playing a crucial role in the offense. In his previous outing against the Golden Eagles, Burks stuffed the stat sheet with 8 rebounds and 7 assists, showing his ability to impact the game in multiple ways.