The University of Minnesota Duluth will finally hit the court at Romano Gym this weekend after nearly a month on the road.
The Bulldogs (2-5, 0-3 NSIC) will close out the 2013 portion of the regular season with three Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference match-ups at home, beginning this weekend with Minot State University and the University of Mary.
The Bulldogs suffered a pair of setbacks over the weekend as the team continues to search for an identity with several top players currently sidelined. Still, UMD averaged 82.0 points per game up from an average of 70.1 PPG on the season. Junior
Reece Zoelle continued to have strong play, averaging 24.5 points per game as well as 7.0 rebounds on the weekend. Senior guard
Jordan Reetz led the Bulldogs offensively, posting a pair of big games, averaging 30.1 points per game including 35 on Friday night as UMD nearly made a comeback in the closing minutes vs. Minnesota-Crookston. Reetz shot 58.1 percent, including 47.1 percent from beyond the three-point line. Reetz added a pair of steals and a pair of assists.
UMD head coach
Matt Bowen hopes that a return to their home court will help the young Bulldogs settle in: "It'll be good to play a home game, not to have to travel. I hope that we create some confidence for us. We're a young group and learning to win on the road is hard. Hopefully, a home game will provide that spark."
About the Marauders
U-Mary (2-6, 0-3 NSIC) stumbles into the weekend mired in a six-game losing streak, allowing 83 points or more in three conference losses. Coach Jevin Budde heads the Marauders in his third season. On the court, the Marauders are led by senior forward Marc Musungayi, who averages 11.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Junior guard Devan Douglas ranks eighth in the Northern Sun, shooting 58.2 percent (32 of 55) from the field. Musungayi's 1.25 blocks per game ranks tenth in the NSIC. Mary ranks 13th in the league in points per game and 14th in scoring defense.
UMD is 6-3 all-time against U-Mary, defeating the Marauders 71-69 on Jan. 25, 2013.
About the Beavers
Minot State (5-2. 1-2 NSIC) has dropped two in a row after beginning the season undefeated in non-conference play and will face St. Cloud State on Friday night before traveling to Duluth. Head coach Matt Murken is in his second season at the helm of the Beavers. Senior guard E.J. Williams averages a league-high 18.7 points per game along with 4.00 assists. Senior forward Samuel Johnson ranked 11th at 14.3 PPG. and fourth with 8.1 rebounds per game. Senior forward Chris East is second in the league, averaging 8.9 boards per game. Minot State is sixth in the NSIC in points allowed and ninth in the league in scoring average.
The Bulldogs are 0-3 all-time against the Beavers including a 58-62 defeat on Jan. 26, 2013.
UMD will try to start some positive momentum as they close out 2013 at Romano Gym. Friday's game with U-Mary is tentatively set for 8:00 p.m., following the women's game. Saturday's showdown with Minot State tips at 6:00 p.m.
