Sioux Falls, S.D. – The No. 21 Northern State University men's basketball team will vie for their third straight NSIC/Sanford Health Basketball Tournament Championship tomorrow evening versus Minnesota State. Tip-off at set for 5 p.m. from the Sanford Pentagon.
 
QUICK HITS ON THE #21 NORTHERN STATE WOLVES
                • Northern State enters the first round of the conference tournament after winning their third straight NSIC Overall and North Division titles
                • Parker Fox was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year, while also earning first team honors
                • Both Mason Stark and Gabe King were named to the NSIC All-Conference second team
                • NSU went 22-6 overall and 18-4 in the league in regular season action
                • The men were ranked fourth in the latest NCAA Central Region rankings of the season, leading the way for the NSIC
                • Northern advanced to the championships game with tournament victories over Southwest Minnesota State, Augustana, and MSU Moorhead
                • The Wolves are shooting 50.2% from the floor, 38.2% from beyond the arc, and 69.8% from the foul line this season
                • They are averaging 80.1 points, 34.6 rebounds, 16.3 assists, 9.7 turnovers, 5.7 steals, and 4.6 blocks per game; out-scoring and out-rebounding their opponents by 10.6 points and 1.1 boards per game
                • Northern ranks in the top-5 nationally in assist turnover ratio at 1.69 and in the top-15 in blocked shots per game averaging 4.5
                • Parker Fox leads the team averaging 19.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game; shooting a team high 60.3% from the floor
                • Mason Stark is second on the team averaging 15.5 points per game with a 59.7 field goal percentage
                • Gabe King is the final Wolf in double figures averaging 12.1 points per game with a team high 65 made 3-pointers
                • Andrew Kallman has dished out a team high 122 assists, followed by Tommy Chatman and Stark with 89 apiece
                • Cole Dahl and Jordan Belka lead the team off the bench averaging 6.7 and 5.3 points per game respectively
                • Northern is 16-5 when playing in the Sanford Pentagon since the opening in 2013
 
MATCHING UP WITH THE MAVERICKS
                • Minnesota State enters the match-up with a 17-14 record overall and three NSIC Tournament victories over Bemidji State (71-61), Sioux Falls (60-59), and Minnesota Duluth (79-73)
                • The Mavericks are shooting 46.1% from the floor, 35.3% from the 3-point line, and 70.6% from the foul line
                • MSU is averaging 76.0 points, 38.7 rebounds, 12.9 assists, 13.1 turnovers, 4.5 steals, and 4.9 blocks per game; out-scoring and out-rebounding their opponents by 2.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest
                • Turnovers have been the achilles heel for the Mavericks who hold a 1.0 assist turnover ration and commit 3.1 more assists per game than their opponents
                • Cameron Kriksey leads four in double figures, averaging 17.6 points per game, followed by Ryland Holt averaging 14.2 points per game
                • Kevin Krieger and Corvon Seales round out the double digit scorers averaging 11.9 and 10.2 points per game respectively, with Krieger notching a team high 62 made 3-pointers
                • Kelby Kramer is shooting a team high 61.8% from the floor and leads the Mavericks averaging 9.2 rebounds per game
                • Minnesota State is led by head coach Matt Margenthaler in his 19th season at the helm
 
LAST MATCH-UP
                • Northern defeated Minnesota State 96-62 from Wachs Arena in the regular season
                • Mason Stark led the Wolves with a career high 37 points, going 8-of-9 from the 3-point line
                • NSU shot 54.2% from the floor in the win and tallied 21 points off turnovers
                • The Wolves are 13-15 all-time versus the Mavericks