The 2013-14 season has been a tale of two teams for the University of Minnesota Duluth: a sparkling undefeated record at home but, as of yet, without a win on the road. UMD (5-7, 3-5 NSIC) will look to defend its home record this weekend against the University of Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State University.
The Bulldogs stumbled out of the gate in the season's second half, dropping a heartbreaker to Concordia-St. Paul on Friday night before being out-classed by No. 14 Minnesota State on Saturday evening.. Senior guard
Peter Crawford led the way both nights, scoring 19 on Friday and 16 on Saturday. He, along with fellow upperclassmen
Jordan Reetz (Sr.) and
Reece Zoelle (Jr.) continue to lead the Bulldogs' scoring output. Reetz averages 15.8 per night, Zoelle an even 15.0, and Crawford 14.6 PPG.
Reetz, Zoelle, and Crawford all rank in the top twelve in the NSIC for scoring average. Reetz has put up 15.8 points per game, good for eighth while Zoelle's 15.0 and Crawford's 14.6 are 10th and 12th, respectively. Zoelle's 5.9 boards per outing ranks him 19th in the league. Crawford, who has yet to msis a game in his career, has played the most minutes in the league, almost 34 per contest.
About the Cougars
Sioux Falls (6-6, 3-5 NSIC) won five of its first six but has just two wins since the calendar turned to December. USF holds a slight edge in scoring margin but opponents have shot 48.4 percent against the Cougars this year, compared to 45.5 for Sioux Falls. Junior Charles Ward leads the way with 12.1 points per game for the Cougars. Four players average at least ten points and seven at least eight points per outing for USF. Sophomore forward Jordan Stotts just enters the top 20 for rebounds in the league with 5.8 boards per contest. Senior Robert Goffney ranks fifth in the conference with 43 on the year, an average of 3.58 per game.
UMD fell in its first outing against Sioux Falls last season, 55-75, almost a year to the date on Jan. 11, 2013.
About the Mustangs
Southwest Minnesota State (9-5, 6-2 NSIC) has only once had a repeat high-scorer from one game to the next this season with just one player in the top 30 for scoring in the NSIC: senior center Nick Smith at 11.7 points per game. Smith and freshman Mitch Weg lead the Mustangs with 6.2 rebounds per outing. Five Mustangs, including Smith, average at least ten points per game and a sixth sits just below that mark. SMSU has won four in a row overall and six of seven in league play. The Mustangs have made their mark at home, 7-1 in Marshall, but 2-4 on the road this season.
The Bulldogs tripped up against Southwest Minnesota last season, falling 64-76 on Jan. 12, 2013.
UMD and Sioux Falls are scheduled to tip off at 8:00 p.m. Friday night, following the women's contest. The Bulldogs and Mustangs will meet at 6:00 p.m. Saturday.
