MIDWESTERN STATE (2-2)
vs NORTHERN STATE (4-3)

Friday, Nov. 26 -- 8 p.m.
Wachs Arena (Aberdeen, S.D.)
All-Time Series: First meeting

MIDWESTERN STATE
vs MINNESOTA-CROOKSTON (2-3)

Saturday, Nov. 27 -- 3 p.m.
Wachs Arena (Aberdeen, S.D.)
All-Time Series: First meeting

ABERDEEN, South Dakota -- Midwestern State faces a pair of new opponents in the Dacotah Bank Classic at Wachs Arena.

The Mustangs take on tournament host Northern State (S.D.) Friday night at 8 p.m. before facing Minnesota-Crookston Saturday afternoon at 3.

Both games are available via streaming video on the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Network. You can also catch the call of the Voice of the Mustangs -- Pete Stein -- on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network at MSUMustangs.com/streaming.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1 |  Midwestern State returns to South Dakota for the second time in program history. The Mustangs rolled to an 83-57 win over South Dakota Mines on Dec. 18, 2014 at Goodell Gymnasium in Rapid City. It was the backend of a wild road trip which netted wins over Nova Southeastern (75-55) and Lynn (90-83/2OT) in Florida before MSU flew back across the country to Denver for a van trip across Wyoming and into Rapid City. The victories were part of an 11-game winning streak for the Mustangs from Dec. 4-Jan. 14.

2 |  Midwestern State plays its fourth and fifth games against current members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Friday and Saturday in the Dacotah Bank Classic. It will be the first time an MSU team has competed at an NSIC home site. The Mustangs won two of the last three meetings against league members, but fell in the 2010 NCAA Division II Elite Eight to St. Cloud State, 92-88. In that game, SCSU's Taylor Witt scored 38 of his game-high 43 points in the second half to end MSU's first of three consecutive runs to the Elite Eight in the quarterfinal round. Midwestern claimed victories in two games against NSIC current membership at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. MSU's Robert Harris scored a team-high 18 points in a 71-68 win over Wayne State (Neb.) on Nov. 22, 1986, while Gary Blount (21 points, 15 rebounds) and Mike Buckmaster (18 points, 10 rebounds) delivered double-doubles in an 81-67 win over Minnesota State on Jan. 5, 1976.
 

Date	Matchup	Location
1/5/1976	Midwestern State 81, Minnesota State 67	Wichita Falls, Texas
11/22/1986	Midwestern State 71, Wayne State (Neb.) 68	Wichita Falls, Texas
3/24/2010	#16 St. Cloud State (Minn.) 92, Midwestern State 88	Springfield, Mass.

3 |  Northern State has led all of NCAA Division II in attendance each year beginning with the 2007-08 season averaging more than 3,000 fans per game in each of the last 14 years. The Wolves are once again at the top this season averaging a crowd of 2,223 through the first two home games. Midwestern State is currently sixth in NCAA Division II averaging a crowd of 1,350 through three home dates.

4 |  Senior forward Jermane Carter matched the highest scoring output of the season in the Lone Star Conference going for a career-high 28 points Monday night at West Texas A&M. The Lenape, N.J. native finished off his second career double-double with 10 rebounds. Carter continues to dominate the offensive glass where he leads the LSC and ranks seventh nationally pulling in 4.8 caroms per game. Carter leads the Mustangs in scoring and rebounding with averages of 15.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

5 |  Midwestern State's guard combo of Terrell Wilson and Pierre Sanders provide two more double-figure scoring options for the Mustangs. Wilson scores 12.3 points and dishes out four assists in 27 minutes per game, while Sanders averages 10.3 points, six rebounds and 3.8 assists in 27 minutes per game.

HEAD COACH JUSTIN LESLIE is in his third season at the helm of the Midwestern State men's basketball program. The Mustangs battled to an 8-21 mark in 2019-20 but closed the regular season by winning four out of five games to qualify for the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament. MSU also closed the 2020-21 regular season with four straight wins advancing the LSC Postseason Tournament for the second straight year with an 11-8 overall record. Prior to MSU, Leslie posted a 266-121 overall record (.687) at Azusa Pacific leading the Cougars to nine 20-win campaigns, two Pacific West Conference titles, seven postseason tournament appearance and an NCAA Division II Elite Eight showing in 2015. Overall, Leslie owns a 287-152 mark (.654) in 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach including a 21-31 record (.404) at MSU.

SCOUTING THE WOLVES

Northern State (4-3) had a three-game winning streak snapped in a 75-65 loss at Minnesota State-Moorhead in its NSIC opener Tuesday night on the road. The Wolves heavily lean on their starting unit with only eight players appearing and all seven games with six of those averaging more than 15 minutes per game. Senior forward Jordan Belka leads a group of four players in double figure for Northern State. Belka averages 14.9 points and 8.3 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per game, while junior guard Sam Masten averages 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 59 percent from the arc (10-of-17) in 32.7 minutes per game. Freshman Jackson Moni adds 12.9 points and five rebounds for the Wolves, while junior Kailleb Walton-Blanden comes off of the bench to score 10.1 points per game. Saul Phillips boasts a 49-11 record (.817) in third season at the helm for Northern State. Phillips posted winning ledgers in previous stops at North Dakota State (134-84/2007-14) and Ohio (81-77/2014-19).

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES

Minnesota-Crookston (2-3) snapped a three-game slide with a 67-57 win over Bemidji State (Minn.) in its NSIC opener Tuesday night in Crookston. Ethan Channel leads a trio of Golden Eagles scoring double figures. The junior guard from Beaverton, Oregon averages 12.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game including a season-high 21 against Michigan Tech. Sophomore guard Uzo Dibiamaka has delivered 10-or-more points in four of five outing this season. The native of Adelaide, Australia averages 11.6 points and four rebounds per game, while junior forward Leonard Dixon adds 10.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Dan Weisse sports a 60-136 record (.306) in his eighth season at the helm for Minnesota-Crookston.

UP NEXT

Midwestern State renews the Red River Rivalry Tuesday night against Cameron in Lawton. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.