Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State University men's basketball team heads south this weekend for NSIC contests versus Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. The Wolves will face the Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and the Mustangs at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
 
QUICK HITS ON THE NORTHERN STATE WOLVES
                • Northern State hits the road with a 17-5 record overall and 13-3 mark in the league, sitting first in the North Division and NSIC overall standings
                • The Wolves are shooting 49.5% from the floor, 37.3% from the 3-point line, and 68.4% from the foul line this season; averaging 82.0 points, 35.8 rebounds, 16.4 assists, 9.5 turnovers, 6.0 steals, and 4.5 blocks per game
                • NSU is out-scoring and out-rebounding their opponents by 10.8 points and 2.0 boards per contest
                • In addition, Northern ranks third in the nation with a 1.7 assist to turnover ratio
                • Parker Fox leads three Wolves in double figures, averaging 20.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game
                • After a career weekend, Mason Stark moved to second on the team averaging 15.8 points per game
                • The sophomore hit 8-of-9 from 3-point land versus Minnesota State, with a career high 37 points; he leads the team with 49 made 3-pointers this season and a 59.8 field goal percentage from beyond the arc
                • Fox and Stark sit atop the team shooting 60.5% and 60.2% from field goal range
                • Gabe King is averaging 10.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest, while Andrew Kallman leads the team with 89 assists, averaging 4.0 per game
                • Tommy Chatman and Kallman round out the starting five for the Wolves, averaging 9.0 and 8.7 points per game apiece
                • Cole Dahl leads the team off the bench averaging 7.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game
 
MATCHING UP WITH THE COUGARS
                • Sioux Falls enters the weekend with a 17-5 record overall and 13-3 mark in the NSIC, sitting first in the NSIC South and second in the league overall standings
                • The Cougars are shooting 44.8% from the floor, 33.1% from the 3-point line, and 69.5% from the free throw line this season; averaging 71.0 points, 36.5 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 12.7 turnovers, 6.2 steals, and 3.2 blocks per game
                • They are out-scoring and out-rebounding their opponents by 3.6 points and 6.9 boards per game
                • Chase Grinde and Pal Teathloach lead four in double figures averaging 11.6 and 11.0 points per game respectively
                • Teathloach is shooting a team best 57.1% from the field and pulling down a team high 9.1 rebounds per game
                • Grinde leads the starting five with a 47.5 field goal percentage from beyond the arc and has dished out a team high 59 assists
                • Sioux Falls is led by head coach Chris Johnson in his 12th season at the helm
 
LAST MATCH-UP
                • The Wolves defeated the Cougars 90-84 in the regular season and 79-76 in the NSIC Tournament
                • Northern shot 56.4% from the floor and 52.9% from the 3-point line, notching 40 points in the paint and 22 points of the bench from Wachs Arena
                • Parker Fox led NSU in the tournament win with 17 points and eight rebounds
                • Northern is 73-23 all-time versus the University of Sioux Falls
 
MATCHING UP WITH THE MUSTANGS
                • Southwest Minnesota State enters the weekend with a 7-15 record overall and 4-12 mark in the NSIC
                • SMSU is shooting 44.7% from the field, 36.9% from beyond the arc, and 66.0% from the foul line in 2019-20; averaging 66.2 points, 33.8 rebounds, 11.1 assists, 12.7 turnovers, 5.4 steals, and 4.2 blocks per game
                • The Mustangs are being out-scored by their opponents by 3.5 points per game
                • Kenny Byers and Nick Dufault lead the team offensively, averaging 18.2 and 12.7 points per game respectively
                • Weston Baker Magrath is shooting a team high 58.1% from the floor, while Dufault is shooting 40.7% from beyond the arc with 50 made 3-pointers
                • The Mustangs are led by head coach Brad Bigler in his 11th season at the helm and 23rd overall with the program
 
LAST MATCH-UP
                • Northern defeated Southwest 91-81 from Wachs Arena and 72-68 in the NSIC Tournament Championship
                • Gabe King led the team in the home victory with 23 points; while Fox grabbed a team high seven rebounds
                • The Wolves tallied 46 points in the paint and shot 52.7% from the Pentagon in the win
                • NSU is 68-26 all-time versus SMSU