Aberdeen, S.D. – The No. 25 Northern State University men's basketball team will head to the Sanford Pentagon Classic this Saturday and Sunday for two games against Missouri Southern and New York Institute of Technology. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday versus the Lions and 5:30 p.m. on Sunday against the Bears. Fans are reminded that one ticket will get them into all four contests each day and can be pre-purchase online through the Pentagon Ticketmaster Page or the day of the game at the Pentagon Box Office.
 
The Wolves enter the weekend with a 4-1 record overall, notching wins over Washburn, Southwest Minnesota State, Jamestown, and Black Hills State. Northern is shooting 46.3 percent from the floor, 34.5 percent from the arc, and 70.7 percent from the foul line this season, averaging 69.0 points, 35.6 rebounds, 12.6 assists, 12.6 turnovers, 7.2 steals, and 4.8 blocks per game. NSU is out-scoring their opponents by 8.6 points per game, and out-rebounding their opponents 4.2 boards per game. Carter Evans is leading the team off the bench averaging 12.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Ian Smith and Logan Doyle are second on the team averaging 11.2 and 10.8 points per game, while Doyle is grabbing a team leading 7.0 rebounds and shooting a team leading 69.7 percent from the floor. Smith is leading the team with 20 assists, averaging 4.0 per game, while notching a team second best five steals. Gabe King has stepped into a starting role for the Wolves, averaging 6.2 points per game, with a team second best seven blocks. Senior Darin Peterka is on the hunt to become the 53rd member of the 1,000 point club, with 995 total points currently in his career.
 
About the Lions
     • Missouri Southern enters the weekend with a 1-2 record overall, coming off a 74-58 win over Missouri-St. Louis.
     • The Lions are shooting 49.4 percent from the floor, 37.7 percent from the arc, and 68.7 percent from the foul line, while averaging 77.7 points, 37.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 14.7 turnovers, 4.7 steals, and 2.7 blocks per game.
     • Missouri Southern is out-scoring their opponents by 2.7 points and out-rebounding their opponents by 2.0 rebounds per game.
     • CJ Carr is leading the team averaging 19.0 points per game with 57 total points.
     • Enis Memic is second on the team averaging 14.0 points per game, however leads the team shooting 60.7 percent from the floor and averaging 6.7 rebounds per game.
     • MSSU is led by head coach Jeff Boschee in his fourth season at the helm.
 
Last Match-Up
     • Northern is 1-0 all-time against MSSU, with a 74-69 win in 2014-15.
     • Carter Evans led the team in the win with 16 points and seven rebounds. 
     • The Wolves shot 46.2 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from the arc.
 
About the Bears
     • NYIT is 2-1 overall this season, and coming off a home victory over Caldwell, 61-60.
     • The Bears are shooting 46.3 percent from the floor, 18.8 percent from the 3-point line, and 59.1 percent from the foul line.
     • They are averaging 69.7 points, 40.3 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 20.3 turnovers, 8.7 steals, and 3.3 blocks per game this season.
     • Jeffrey Hayden is leading the team averaging 24.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, while shooting a team leading 69.4 percent from field goal range. 
     • Kieran Hamilton is second on the team averaging 10.7 points per game, while Domonic Josephs is second on the team averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.
     • Tyler Ancrum has a team leading 16 assists and eight steals this season.
     • NYIT is led by head coach Kevin Hamilton in his second season at the helm. 
 
Last Match-Up
     • The Wolves and Bears have not faced each other in the history of either program.