Aberdeen, S.D. - The No. 12 Northern State University men's basketball team is set to open the Sanford Health/NSIC Basketball Tournament this Wednesday from Wachs Arena. The Wolves will face off at 8 p.m. against the Golden Bears of Concordia-St. Paul. Fan and ticket information can be found HERE.
 
The Wolves enter the first round as the league overall and North Division Champions holding a season record of 27-3. The league championship is the first for the Wolves since the 2002-03 season, as well as the first North Division Title in school history. Four Wolves are averaging 12 points or more, led by DJ Pollard notching 12.8 per game. Logan Doyle comes in at 12.2, while Ian Smith and Darin Peterka are notching 12.1 and 12.0 points per game. Carter Evans in the final Wolf in double figures, notching 10.2 per contest. Doyle is shooting a team leading 67.3 percent from the floor, and pulling down 7.1 rebounds per game. Peterka is shooting a team high 41.4 percent from the arc with 48 made 3-pointers this season. Smith has dished out 123 total assists this season, averaging 4.1 per game.
 
NSU is shooting 50.6 percent from the floor, 39.7 percent from the arc, and 75.1 percent from the foul line, while averaging 80.1 points, 37.0 rebounds, 15.9 assists, 11.4 turnovers, 5.4 steals, and 4.0 blocks per game. The Wolves finished the regular season leading the NSIC in scoring defense (66.8), scoring margin (+14.6), field goal percentage defense (43.5), and rebounding margin (+9.3). 
 
Senior Carter Evans is just 36 points away from becoming the 54th member of the Northern State 1,000 point club, and second Wolf to reach the feet this season. Evans surpassed the 300-point mark for the season in the Wolves win over St. Cloud State, marking his third straight year with 300-plus points.
 
About the Golden Bears
                • Concordia-St. Paul enters the match-up as the No. 8 seed in the South Division with a 5-23 record overall.
                • Bryndan Matthews and Avan Ward are notching a team leading 17.1 and 15.5 points per game this season, with Matthews pulling down a team high 6.8 rebounds as well.
                • Ted Brown is shooting a team leading 60.2 percent from the floor, while Ward has led the team with 70 made 3-pointers and a 38.7 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
                • The Golden Bears are shooting 45.0 percent from the floor, 33.4 percent from the arc, and 68.8 percent from the foul line this season.
                • They are averaging 68.1 points, 35.2 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 14.5 turnovers, 4.6 steals, and 2.7 blocks per game.
                • CSP is led by head coach Joey James in his fourth season at the helm.
 
Last Match-Up
                • The Wolves defeated the Golden Bears 84-71 at the end of December.
                • Darin Peterka led the team with 25 points, shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and the arc.
                • As a team, NSU shot 49.1 percent from the floor, 43.5 percent from the 3-point line, and 81.8 percent from the foul line.
                • Northern is 28-7 all-time against Concordia-St. Paul, winning the last two regular season contests.