2015-16 NSIC Men's Basketball All-Conference Release (Feb. 25, 2016)

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced Thursday its 2015-16 All-NSIC Men's Basketball Teams, and University of Minnesota Duluth senior guards Pierre Newton and Taylor Lavery earned First and Second Team honors, respectively.

Newton finished the season averaging 20.5 points, the second-best in the NSIC. He also averaged a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game, good for eighth-best in the league. He shot shot 47.4 percent on the season including 37.0 percent from three-point range. Newton's 198 free throws made (on 233 attempts) were a Bulldog single season high with his 85.0 percent from the charity stripe were also a high for someone with as many attempts. He scored a career-high and the third-best scoring effort ever at UMD with 42 points on Jan. 30 against Southwest Minnesota State University while also adding a career-best seven assists in that game. He had fewer than 10 points just once on the season, and had at least 14 points in all but two games  on the year. He collected five double-doubles on the year with a season-best 12 rebounds on Jan. 23 against the University of Mary. Newton also wrapped up his career by scoring 16.9 points per game, the fifth-best average among Bulldogs all-time.

Lavery finished second on the Bulldogs and eighth in the conference averaging 17.8 points per outing. His 2.4 three-pointers made per game are tied for third-best in the league. He led UMD with 69 threes made, shooting 39.0 percent from beyond the arc. He also grabbed 3.4 rebounds per game, third-best among Bulldogs. He wrote his name into the UMD record book finishing 14-of-14 from the free throw line on Jan. 9, 2016 against Bemidji State University, tying the mark of most FT made without a miss in a single game. He scored a career-high 33 points in the Bulldogs' regular season finale against Minot State University. He failed to reach double digits scoring in just four games and scored at least 20 points in 13 of 29 games.

Augustana (S.D.) University took home honors for Overall Player of the Year in senior center Daniel Jansen, Defensive Player of the Year for senior forward Casey Schilling, and Coach of the Year for Tom Billeter. The conference's Newcomer of the Year fell to Minnesota State University Mankato senior guard Jalen Pendleton, while Freshman of the Year honors went to St. Cloud State University guard Gage Davis.

UMD (15-14) wrapped up its 2015-16 season on Wednesday night in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament, falling 80-74 against the University of Sioux Falls at Romano Gym.