Aberdeen, S.D.  – The Northern State University men's basketball team is set to face off against MSU Moorhead this Saturday on the road. The Wolves and Dragons will tip-off at 6 p.m. from Moorhead in the final regular season meeting of the season between the two teams.
 
The Wolves enter their final match-up before the holiday break on a two game win streak after a sweep of Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston on the road. Northern is now 7-4 overall and 3-2 in the North Division in 2016-17, sitting third in the North behind MSU Moorhead and St. Cloud State. In the two wins the Wolves scored 197 points and shot 55.8% from the floor, 47.7% from the arc, and 90.9% from the foul line. Northern also saw career highs from multiple Wolves in scoring, Bo Fries (18) and Cole Dahl (8), and assists, Ian Smith (6). The Wolves are shooting 51.5% from the floor, 44.4% from the arc, and 76.2% from the foul line, while averaging 86.7 points, 36.5 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 13.3 turnovers, 3.7 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game this season. Mack Arvidson currently sits fifth in the country averaging 4.09 made 3-pointers per game, and first in league games averaging 4.6 against NSIC competition. Arvidson is leading the team in points (199), points per game (18.1), field goal attempts (123), field goals made (62), 3-point field goal attempts (86), and 3-point field goals made (45). Logan Doyle leads the team on the boards with 91 rebounds, averaging 8.3 per game including 2.5 offensive and 5.8 defensive boards. He also has a team leading 59 made free throws and nine blocked shots.
 
About the Dragons
     • MSU Moorhead enters the weekend 9-1 overall and 5-0 in league action on an 8-game win streak.
     • The Dragons are shooting 53.1% from the floor, 46.9% from the arc, and 77.7% from the foul line, while averaging 91.5 points, 34.2 rebounds, 14.9 assists, 7.8 turnovers, 4.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game.
     • Ayob Ayob­ is leading the team averaging 18.8 points per game and shooting 59.3% from the arc with 35 made 3-pointers. He is also averaging a team leading 4.9 rebounds per game.
     • Tanner Kretchman is dishing out a team leading 6.4 assists, while Aaron Lien is averaging a team leading 0.9 steals per game.
     • The Dragons are led by head coach Chad Walthall in his sixth season with the program.
 
Last Match-Up
     • The Wolves and Dragons faced off in the NSIC opener in November, with MSU Moorhead coming away with the 93-92 last second victory from Wachs Arena.
     • NSU battled back with 62 points in the second half to gain the lead with just two seconds remaining on the clock, off a Mack Arvidson 3-pointer, however Tanner Kretchman answered with a long range three of his own to seal the victory for MSUM.
     • Arvidson led the team matching his career high of 37 points, while knocking down nine 3-pointers in the process.
     • Northern is 62-37 all-time versus the Dragons, and 4-9 under the director of head coach Paul Sather.