Aberdeen, S.D. – The No. 18 Northern State University basketball team is set to host the inaugural Dacotah Bank Thanksgiving Classic this Friday and Saturday. NSU will face off against Truman at 7 p.m. on Friday and Chadron State at 6 p.m. on Saturday from Wachs Arena. The Classic will also feature Sioux Falls playing Chadron State and Truman prior to the Wolves at 5 and 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information on the Dacotah Bank Thanksgiving Classic visit the webpage linked above. 
 
Quick Hits on the Wolves
                • Northern State enters the weekend on a 3-game win streak after sweeping the East-West Challenge a weekend ago. They were the only team to go undefeated from the Pentagon.
                • Northern is shooting 49.4 percent from the floor, 47.7 percent from the 3-point line, and 67.2 percent from the foul line this season.
                • They are averaging 78.5 points, 37.5 rebounds, 15.3 assists, 11.3 turnovers, 3.5 steals, and 5.5 blocks per game; out-scoring their opponents by 12.8 points and out-rebounding their opponents by 2.8 boards per game.
                • Ian Smith leads three Wolves averaging double figures at 13.0 points per game. The senior also leads the team with 27 assists, averaging 6.75 per game, and six steals.
                • Parker Fox is leading the team off the bench averaging 12.0 points per game. The redshirt freshman is also grabbing a team high 7.0 rebounds per game, with 12 blocks this season.
                • Gabe King is the final Wolf in double figures, notching 10.5 points per game.
                • Andrew Kallman leads the team from the arc, with nine made 3-pointers and a 69.2 shooting percentage. He also leads the team shooting 64.7 percent from the floor.
                • Bo Fries has gotten the job down for the Wolves this season on both ends of the floor, leading the team in defensive rebounds and averaging 8.2 points and 6.5 boards per game.
 
About Truman
                • The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a 3-game slide to open the 2018-19 season falling to No. 23 Findlay, Cedarville, and No. 5 Northwest Missouri State.
                • Truman was picked sixth overall in the GLVC Preseason Coaches' Poll after a 20-11 record overall and 13-5 mark in the conference a season ago.
                • TSU is shooting 44.9 percent from the floor, 47.0 percent from the 3-point line, and 84.4 percent from the foul line, while averaging 67.0 points, 24.3 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 18.3 turnovers, 4.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game.
                • The Bulldogs are being out-scored by 19.3 points and out-rebounded by 6.3 boards per game this season.
                • Taurin Hughes and Turner Scott lead the team averaging 16.3 and 13.7 points per game respectively.
                • Cade McKnight is third on the team notching 9.3 points per game, and leads the Bulldogs recording 4.7 rebounds per game.
                • Jacob Socha is shooting a team leading 63.6 percent from the floor, while Hughes leads the team from the arc shooting 60.0 percent with 12 made 3-pointers.
                • TSU is led by head coach Jeff Horner in his 13th season with the program.
 
Last Match-Up
                • Northern defeated Truman State 76-74 back in 2014-15, as the only other meeting between the two programs.
                • Justin Decker was the lone member of the current team to appear in the game.
                • The Wolves won in overtime on a layup by Darin Peterka with just three seconds remaining.
 
About Chadron State
                • Chadron State enters the weekend 2-2 on the year with wins over Texas A&M International (61-54) and Nebraska Kearney (70-55).
                • CSC was picked 15th out of 16 teams in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll after a 3-25 record overall and 1-21 mark in the conference  a season ago. 
                • The Eagles are shooting 43.2 percent from the floor, 39.2 percent from the arc, and 67.8 percent from the foul line, averaging 64.8 points, 34.0 rebounds, 15.8 assists, 14.5 turnovers, 6.0 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game this season.
                • They have out-shot their opponents from the floor and 3-point line this season, but have been out-rebounded and out-scored by 2.0 boards and 1.0 points per game.
                • Michael Sparks leads two players averaging double figures with 14.3 points per game, followed by Charles Gavin notching 11.5.
                • Jeremy Ruffin and Charles Gavin lead the team at the rim notching 6.8 rebounds per game.
                • Jaisean Jackson is shooting a team leading 64.3 percent from the floor with 16 total assists, while Brady Delimont leads the team from the arc shooting 52.6 percent with ten made 3-pointers.
                • CSC is led by Northern State alum Houston Reed in his third season at the helm. He holds a career record of 182-190. Reed played for the Wolves from 2000-02. 
 
Last Match-Up
                • The Wolves and Eagles last faced off in 2016-17 with Northern taking the 94-74 victory
                • Ian Smith and Gabe King tallied 13 and 11 points respectively, as the team shot 61.8 percent from the floor.
                • The pair shot a combined 66.7 percent from the floor in the win. 
                • NSU is 6-0 all-time against Chadron State.