THE OPENING TIP: Playing the role of spoiler, the University of Minnesota Duluth will hope to extend its season further in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference/Sanford Health Tournament. No. 11 Northern State University is next on the docket for the Bulldogs. That contest is the first of four quarterfinal games at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The action begins on Saturday, Feb. 25 with the tip-off at 12:00 p.m. 

SCOUTING REPORT ON NORTHERN STATE: The Wolves are led by head coach Paul Sather, who is in his eighth season, and has his team at 28-3 and 11th in the nation. They have won the last seven games including a win over the Bulldogs. Northern State upended Concordia-St. Paul 80-52 in the first round.
It ranks first in the NSIC in scoring defense (64.9), scoring margin (+15.2), field goal percentage (50.7), offensive rebounds (11.1), rebounding margin (8.4), three-point defense (33.9) and field goal defense (42.1).
Five players average above double figures with DJ Pollard leading the way dropping 12.7 points per game. Ian Smith is the primary shooter who averages 12 points but is also the leading assist man (4.1 assists) and pickpocket artist (1.3 steals). The Wolves are not afraid to spread the floor as three players have at least 40 baskets from long distance with Darin Peterka hitting 41.3 percent of his shots including a team high 50 makes. Logan Doyle has the highest shooting clip at 67.3 percent and is averaging 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds.

THE SERIES: UMD leads the series 40-37 over Northern State and is trying to extract its revenge in the postseason after being swept during the season for a second straight year. The Bulldogs were swept last season but did come away with a key road win during the 2015-16 season. UMD has much to prove as they were beat by 21 points at home and 20 points just last week in Aberdeen, S.D.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and NSU stack up in the NCAA Central Region rankings and in the National Basketball Coaches Association (NABC) and the D2SIDA media polls.
TEAM        NCAA Central        NABC        D2SIDA
UMD                 NR                     NR              NR
NSU                 2nd                    11th             10th

THE BROADCAST: The game this weekend will be carried live through a video stream provided by Midco Sports Network and is available at: portal.stretchinternet.com/nsic/

THE LIVE STATS: To follow along with the action via live stats: sidearmstats.com/nsic/bball/

NSIC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: UMD is 13-10 all-time in the conference tournament. The Bulldogs have won two NSIC Tournament championships in 2002 and 2003. Last Wednesday was the first victory for the maroon-and-gold in the last three first round matchups. The last time UMD advanced at least to the semifinals was in 2004 when it almost took home the NSIC title for a third consecutive time but fell to Northern State in the championship game.

LAST TIME OUT: UMD defeated Winona State University 89-77 in overtime Wednesday night inside McCown Gymnasium. The Bulldogs erupted to outscore the Warriors 17-5 in overtime. 
It was two different offensive approaches. The Warriors went to the paint for its early scoring as it racked up 20 points in the paint. The Bulldogs hit on 10-of-18 three pointers in the first half alone to take a two-point lead into the half. 
Winona State was behind for much of the first half and the first eight minutes of the second before finally pulling out to a 60-57 lead. UMD didn't back down and went stride for stride. Brandon Myer scored the last four points of the game and tied the game at 72.
The Bulldogs had an opportunity to win the game in regulation but turned the ball over with five seconds and the Warriors missed a pull-up three at the buzzer.
Logan Rohrscheib and Mamadou Ngom started the overtime session with back-to-back three pointers. Junior forward Sean Burns laid in another basket as UMD stormed out to an 80-72 lead. Junior forward Ryan Kaczynski pushed it nine on a lay-up then Ngom all but ended it on a steal. 
The Warriors went cold in overtime as they missed all 11 shots until a final three with one second.
Ngom had a career high 18 points and tied his career high in rebounds with eight. Myer recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Burns was an interior threat as he compiled four blocks -- a new career high. Xavier Cummings also posted a career high in points, knocking down four of his six attempts and a pair of free throws for 11 points. 

PLAYING SPOILER: The last time UMD upset a ranked opponent was Jan. 3, 2016 against Minnesota State. The Mavericks were ranked No. 25 when they loss to the Bulldogs 91-84 at Romano. UMD is 0-2 this season when squaring off against Top-25 action.

THE VICIOUS NORTHERN SUN: With the youth, UMD is getting valuable experience in one of the most difficult conferences in the nation. The NSIC might only have one team ranked in the NABC poll (another receiving votes) but the overall strength of schedule is taunting.  According to the Massey Ratings' SOS, all 16 NSIC teams rank in the top 41 of 311 D2 basketball teams. The Bulldogs 26th in terms of strength of schedule. 

POSTSEASON HONORS: After a one year absence with no one from UMD on either all-NSIC team, Brandon Myer was recognized as a second team all-conference member by the NSIC on Thursday. 
The NSIC Player of the Year went to Tyler Rudolph from Minot State. Gable Smith from Minnesota Crookston received the Defensive Player of the Year. Upper Iowa's Joe Smoldt grabbed NSIC Freshman of the Year while the Sioux Falls' Trevon Evans captured the NSIC Newcomer of the Year. Northern State's coach Paul Sather was the NSIC Coach of the Year.

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH: Coach Bowen for the second straight season is directing a very youthful squad from the sidelines. Only two seniors (Kyle Schalow and Jake Wilson) are on the roster with a combined nine freshmen and sophomores. The five sophomores tallied an average of 19 minutes during their freshmen seasons. Two sophomores pace the Bulldogs in points this season. That class has accounted for 1,211 points on the season or 61.9 percent of the team's total points. That percentage was up around 72 percent before the loss of Luke Harris, who averaged 9.4 points, and Trevor Entwisle (7.3) due to a season-ending injury.

CLOSING TIME: UMD has made quite the turn around when it comes to dealing with close games. The Bulldogs are 8-4 this year with games decided by two possessions or less and 8-1 when tied or ahead with five minutes remaining. In 2016-17, UMD was 1-6 in close games and 3-5 in crunch time (five minutes left).

FIVE MORE MINUTES?: The four overtime games UMD has been in this season is the most for the program since the 2002-03 season. That season, they played in four games and went 2-2. Before the double OT win over Minot State, the last time the Bulldogs had a game go beyond the first overtime was on Jan. 8, 2011 when it lost to Wayne State College in second overtime.

LOCKED IN AT THE CHARITY STRIPE: The Bulldogs have been doing an excellence job at drawing contact and getting to the line. UMD is hitting 75.3 percent of its free throws, which is the 41st best percentage in the Division II landscape. Colorado Christian University holds the mark with 80.3 percent. They have made the 49th most free throws in Division II (428).
The Bulldogs have relied on three players to take the majority of its free throws, and they all have 80-percent marks from the line. Trevor Entwisle has the highest percentage hitting 85.2 from the line. Logan Rohrscheib, who made a Bulldog record 43-straight free throws, is knocking down 81.5 percent. Brandon Myer has knocked down the most free throws made (140) while also connecting on 82.8 percent. Myer is leading the NSIC in free throw makes and attempts and is 17th in the NCAA in free throws made.
UMD used its strength to the line 45 times against Northern Michigan, almost reaching the program record of 48 set back on Nov. 30, 1998. As a team, it made 35 of those attempts, which was one short of tying the school record also set on that same date against the University of Minnesota Crookston.

THEREFORE, GET TO THE LINE: As one of the better free throw shooting teams, getting to the line more has equaled a better chance of pulling out the victory. UMD is 12-8 when it attempts more free throws. However, they have yet to pull one out when they don't get to the line more than the opposition. 

DON'T GET BEAT BY THE THREE: Opponents this season are 9-2 when they make more three's then the Bulldogs. When the script is flipped or equal, UMD is 10-8. In the 17 losses, the opponents average 41.2 percent from behind the arc compared to 35.7 in the Bulldogs' 12 wins. 

MYER THE GO-TO MAN: The dominant sophomore breakout performance continues for Brandon Myer. He has led the team in scoring 18 of the last 22 games and has achieved double figures in all but three games this season. The Superior, Wis. native has posted UMD's only six double-doubles this season.
Myer set a personal collegiate best with 32 points against Northern Michigan. He is the lone Bulldog since the turn of the century to hit at least 20-plus points in seven consecutive games. During that seven-game stretch, Myer has posted 25.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 assists as he's shot a blazing 55.0 percent from the field and 46.4 from three.
For the season he is near the top of the charts in scoring and rebounding in the NSIC. On a per game basis, Myer is fourth in the conference in scoring (20.0) and fourth in rebounding (7.8). His 579 points are the 22nd most points in the NCAA.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK NODS: The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference bestowed Brandon Myer with NSIC North Division Player of the Week honors for his outstanding contributions in two of the three weeks spanning from Dec. 20, 2017 to Jan. 8, 2018.
In his Dec. 20, 2016 award, the Superior, Wis. native averaged 31.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and a block per game while shooting a robust 75.0 percent on the floor, hitting 21 of his 28 shots. He created new career highs in consecutive outings as his back-to-back 30-point efforts for the Bulldogs since Ryan Rasmussen posted 30 and 32 back on Jan. 20-21, 2012. His 32 points was the most since Newton put up 42 points when he won weekly award back on Feb. 1, 2016. 
He took home his second honor on Jan. 8 after averaging 24.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 47.6 percent on the floor including 40.0 percent from behind the arc. He came through in crunch time as he hit the go-ahead shot with 48 seconds remaining to knock off Minnesota Crookston.
Pierre Newton was the last Bulldog to earn at least two players of the week awards for UMD in the same season. He accomplished that feat back in 2015-16.

WHEN HE'S ON, LOOK OUT: When Jake Wilson finds his groove, he can be a hassle to stop. On five occasions, the senior from Zimmerman, Minn., has caught fire and buried at least three threes. During those five games Wilson has a minimum of 18 points. Wilson tied his career high of 24 points in the win over U-Mary on Feb. 10.

THE DISTRIBUTOR: No one last year for UMD averaged at least three assists per game but Trevor Entwisle is did just that this season. The Neenah, Wis., native recorded 10 assists twice this season, which is a collegiate best and a Bulldog season-high. Entwisle dished out 4.4 assists per contest and had a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio before going down the rest of the season with an injury.
His 4.4 assists per game are the most by a Bulldog in a single season since Sean Seaman averaged 5.3 assists in the 2005-06 season. Among the conference, Entwisle checks out as the seventh best player.

NO EXTRA POSSESSIONS: Limiting turnovers has been a specialty in the past under the direction of Matt Bowen. His teams have ranked among the best at not turning the ball over and this year is no exception. UMD is the third best in the NSIC in fewest turnovers per game (9.5), which is fifth in the Division II landscape. Northwest Missouri State University is first with 8.8 per contest. It has recorded the 16th fewest turnovers on the year, only coughing up the ball 267 times. UMD turned the ball over a season-low four times in the victory of MSU-Moorhead on Jan. 19. 

FINDING THE OPEN MAN: UMD has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.27 which is 47th in the country.

GET IN THERE, ROOK: Two freshmen have cracked minutes thus far in the 2017-18 campaign. Xavier Cummings has played in 11 games and made his first appearance versus Michigan Tech on Nov. 22. Jake Paper made his collegiate debut against SCSU on Dec. 16 and played in 17 games including the last 15 games.

CONFERENCE COACHES CORNER: The NSIC 2017-18 Preseason Coaches' Poll slated UMD to a 13th-place finish. The Bulldogs, which finished eighth in the North Division and a 15th overall a season ago, received 46 points in the poll. The Bulldogs were picked to finish sixth in the North Division ahead of Minnesota Crookston and U-Mary.
Northern State University, who claimed preseason favorites in the North Division, topped out in the overall poll with 213 points slightly edging Southwest Minnesota State University, who was picked to finish first in the south.
St. Cloud State University junior guard Gage Davis was the North Division Preseason Player of the Year. SMSU junior guard Ryan Bruggeman was named the South Division Preseason Player of the Year.

BOWEN'S BITS: Entering his sixth season in 2017, head coach Matt Bowen looks to take the next step to bringing the University of Minnesota Duluth to the top of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Armed with a lineup of experienced underclassman and vital leaders, the Bulldogs are set to improve upon the 2016-17 season.
Bowen is no stranger to turning a program around, having taken a perennial Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference underdog in Bemidji State University to a championship level that has not been repeated since he left the program to take over as UMD head coach in the summer of 2012. Bowen, just the third head coach for the Bulldogs since the mid-1980's, succeeded Gary Holquist, who stepped down in April 2012 to take the role of UMD's Athletic Development Director.
Under Bowen, UMD produced its first NABC All-Region selection since 2008-09 in Brett Ervin ('15) during the 2014-15 season as well as NABC Honors Court selection Jake Harder ('16) that season and All-NSIC guard Jordan Reetz ('14) the previous year. Along with an influx of young talent, the future seems bright for the Bulldogs under Bowen's guidance.
Bowen completed his turnaround of Bemidji State in his sixth and most productive year with the program, guiding the Beavers to a school record 22-9 overall mark which included an NSIC regular season championship and the program's second NCAA II playoff berth in the team's 91-year history. In addition to receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll for the first-time ever, Bowen also produced the 2011-12 NSIC and NCAA II Player of the Year in James Ellisor. 
Prior to his appointment in Bemidji, Bowen spent 15 years on the staffs of three NCAA I institutions, working under the likes of Homer Drew (Valparaiso University), Gene Bartow (University of Alabama-Birmingham) and Bob Knight (Indiana University). 
A native of River Falls, Wisconsin, Bowen graduated from Indiana University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in health, physical education and recreation and earned a Master's degree in health education from Alabama-Birmingham four years later. His father, Rick, was the head men's basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls from 1986-2006 and retired as that school's athletic director in 2010.

ON TAP: With a win over Northern State, UMD will advance to the semifinal round of the NSIC Tournament against the winner of Minot State University and Minnesota State University, Mankato at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Monday, Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m.