THE OPENING TIP: After a 12-day absence from home, the University of Minnesota Duluth returns to Romano Gymnasium to face the University of Mary and Minot State University this weekend in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action. The Bulldogs and the Marauders will conclude their season series on Friday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. and the Bulldogs and the Beavers wrap up their series Saturday, Jan. 12 at 5:30 p.m.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MARY: The Marauders are 6-8 overall and 3-5 in the Northern Sun. They have lost four straight games, two on the road and two at home. For the season, Mary is scoring 68.7 points per game and giving up 67.1 points. During the four-game skid, the Marauders are giving up 77.8 points per outing and teams are shooting 50.9 percent from the field. 

Mary is third in scoring defense in the NSIC but have the last-ranked scoring offense. It is 15th in rebounding (33.9) and 14th in assists (12.4). The Marauders rank fourth in steals per game (6.7) and second in the conference in forced turnovers (14.4). They are knocking down 43.1 percent of their shots this season which is next-to-last in the NSIC. 

Jaylan White leads the Marauders with 14.3 points per game.  White has led Mary in the scoring department seven times this season. He fired off a season high 29 points in the win over the Bulldogs. White also leads his club with 3.4 assists per game as the main ball distributor. Tom Kubank is averaging 12.4 points and is the main outside scoring option (30-for-81 from three). Matthew Kreklow is averaging 10.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and a team-leading 2.0 blocks per contest. Dennis Austin III leads the team with 5.8 boards per game.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MINOT STATE: The Beavers enter the weekend 7-10 overall and 2-6 in NSIC play. They have came away victorious in two of the last three matches. Minot State suffered a hard-fought overtime loss to Minnesota State University, Mankato in-between its two wins. This weekend is the first time away from home since Dec. 14-15.

The Beavers are scoring 70.5 points per game and their defense is allowing 69.5 points per game. They are 15th in scoring offense in the NSIC despite having the fourth best shooting percentage (48.0) in the NSIC. The defense is fifth in the conference in field goal percentage (42.4). Minot State struggles from outside as it shoots 34.5 percent from long range and only knocks down on average 5.9 triples this season, last in the NSIC.

David Akibo is the main scorer for the Beavers averaging 18.3 points per game. He is ninth in the conference in points.He also leads the team in rebounding with 8.2 rebounds per game. That mark is sixth in the NSIC. Max Cody is averaging 5.8 assists per night, which is second among conference leaders. Cody is second on the club in scoring. He is compiling 13.2 points while Kyle Beisch is right behind him at 13.1 points per game.

THE SERIES: The Bulldogs and Marauders have played 20 times overall with UMD leading the all-time series 12-8. The Bulldogs have won three of the last five contests but they fell in the first meeting of the season five weeks ago (Dec. 8, 2018) in Bismarch, N.D. Mary won on an overtime buzzer beater 73-70 on a three by Dennis Austin III. 

The Bulldogs and Beavers have played 14 times overall with Minot State leading the all-time series 8-6. UMD put to rest a five-game losing skid to the Beavers last season with a split and ended up taking the first matchup earlier this season. The Bulldogs won 70-65 in Minot, N.D. on Dec. 7, 2018. UMD shot 42 percent that game but nailed seven more three-pointers.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and its opponents stack up with its records, in the NSIC and in the NABC Coaches Poll.

THE BROADCAST: The games this weekend will be carried live through a video stream with live stat capabilities. Bulldog Productions will be producing the broadcast with Josh Wallace and Matt Johnson providing the call of the action. The stream is available for free at: portal.stretchinternet.com/umd

LAST TIME OUT: UMD split last weekend at Bemidji State University and the University of Minnesota Crookston. The Bulldogs won 72-57 against the Beavers on Friday. UMD shot a season-high 60 percent from three-point range in the 15-point win. Junior forward Brandon Myer and junior guard Trevor Entwisle sparked a giant second-half run. Myer scored 20 of his game-high 29 points in the second half and Entwisle buried three triples in the run. Minnesota Crookston got the better of UMD to pull out a 96-88 victory Saturday evening. Harrison Cleary scored 29 points for the Golden Eagles. Senior forward Sean Burns netted a team-high 19 points and Myer grabbed 14 points and 13 rebounds. Junior guard Trevor Entwisle scored a season high 17 points. 

NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK NODS: Junior forward Brandon Myer was been named the NSIC North Division Player of the Week twice already this season. He has took home the award four times in his career, winning the honor twice last season as well.

NEW PROGRAM RECORDS: In addition to junior forward Brandon Myer setting the individual free throw marks in a single game, UMD also raised the bar breaking the team records as well. The 39-for-49 effort at the line vs. SCSU set the program marks for most free throw made (36 vs. Minnesota Crookston on Nov. 30, 1998) and most free throw attempts (48 vs. Minnesota Crookston on Nov. 30, 1998) in a single game. 

GET ONE BACK: The Bulldogs let the game against the Marauders slip away. They let an eight-point lead in the second half slip away as Mary ended up winning in heroic fashion. That game is only game where UMD lost after holding the lead with under five minutes in regulation.

LOOKING FOR SEASON SWEEP NO. 2: With a win against Minot State on Saturday, the Bulldogs can clinch their second North Division season sweep of the season. UMD already swept St. Cloud State University this season. The Bulldogs only swept Mary last season.

BREAK DOWN THE DAM: Minot State has swept the season series twice in the last three seasons. UMD can lock up its first sweep over the Beavers since the 2014-15 season.

FINDING THE RHYTHM ON OFFENSE: The Bulldogs started to stall on offense in their road series against Minot State and Mary earlier this season. They shot a woeful 38.8 percent (47-for-121) that weekend but managed a split. Over the last three games, UMD has found its groove and has shot 49.4 percent (86-for-174) from the floor.

NOT SO REWARDING AT THE LINE: Free throw shooting has been a weakness over the course of the season. UMD is shooting 69.4 percent from the line, a mark that is last in the NSIC. The Bulldogs are draining 59.7 percent over the last three games. The pervious five games, UMD shot at least 71.4 percent from the charity stripe.

GET OUT IN FRONT: UMD is 6-1 this season when it carries a lead into the half. Michigan Tech was the lone team to come back after trailing going into the second half.

AND FINISH STRONG: UMD is 7-1 when leading with five minutes remaining. That lone loss came in the 73-70 overtime defeat at Mary.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL: The Bulldogs, for the third consecutive season, are  getting the most out of their possessions. They are giving the ball away 10.1 times per game. That is the ninth best clip in the nation. Southwest Minnesota State forced 13 turnovers, the most UMD has allowed all season.

NO MARGIN OF ERROR: UMD is 35th in the country in turnover margin. It is No. 4 in the NSIC as well with a positive 3.2 turnover margin. The Bulldogs have only lost the turnover battle twice this season.

BALL CONTROL AT ITS FINEST: The Bulldogs have a team assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.36. Good execution and decision-making have UMD ranked 35th in the country.

DE-FENSE: The Bulldog defense is allowing 67.8 points per game. That equals the 38th best defense in the nation in terms of scoring defense and fourth in the NSIC.

GET A HAND ON IT: The Bulldogs are ranked third in the NSIC with 6.8 steals per game. They have a season high 12 steals on three occasions this season. In the last six games, UMD has at least five steals. 

ALPHA DOG: Junior forward Brandon Myer is leading the team is scoring with 20.5 points per game. He has the fifth best scoring average in the NSIC and is 44th in the nation.

REBOUNDING KING: It just not scoring. Junior forward Brandon Myer leads the NSIC with 10.2 rebounds per game. He has the 12th most rebounds in the nation and is seventh in the country in defensive rebounding (7.8).

IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN: Junior forward Brandon Myer is the only NSIC player to be averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds this season. He is one of only four players in the entire nation to average 20 and 10.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE: Combine those successes together, junior forward Brandon Myer has compiled five double-doubles this season. That gives him a total of 12 career double-doubles. He is one off the NSIC pace (Bryndan Matthews, Concordia-St. Paul andGage Davis, St. Cloud State) this season. 

PICKPOCKET ARTIST: Junior forward Brandon Myer close to leading the NSIC in steals per game. He has 1.8 steals per contest, third in the conference. Myer amassed a collegiate high six steals in the contest against Wisconsin-Superior and repeated that same feat against Southwest Minnesota State.

CLOSING IN ON 1,000: Junior forward Brandon Myer has 995 collegiate points. He is five points away from being the next Bulldog to join the 1,000-point club. He would be the 38th Bulldog to join the exclusive group. Guard Reece Zoelle was the last to hit the grand achievement back on Jan. 23, 2015.

RELENTLESS POST FINISHER: Senior forward Sean Burns is averaging 13.2 points and 7.4 rebounds this season. Burns is second in the conference in field-goal percentage at a robust 59.3 percent. Only 33 other qualifying players sport a better shooting percentage. His rebounding average is eighth in the NSIC but it's the work he does on the offensive glass. He notches 2.9 offensive boards, which is second in the NSIC and 68th in the nation.

SAVING HIS BEST FOR LAST: Senior forward Sean Burns is throwing up career marks this season. His 13.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game are career bests for a season. Burns established new single-game marks in points (21 at Mary 12/8) and rebounds (14 vs. Michigan Tech 11/18) this year. He has also tied his single-game collegiate high in assists.

FOR THREE!: Junior guard Logan Rohrscheib can spot up and get a clean look from outside. The three-point specialist has a team-high 25 baskets from long-range. Rohrscheib has 15 other buckets from inside the arc.

THE MARKSMAN: Junior guard Logan Rohrscheib has led the team in three point baskets each of the last two seasons and is on pace to do so again. His 25 three-point baskets are 10 more than the next Bulldog. At his current pace, Rohrscheib could ascend into the top five of the Bulldog three-point field goals all-time list.

PRODUCTION OFF THE BENCH: THE UMD bench was responsible for 58 points this past weekend. Junior guard Trevor Entwisle produced a fairly healthy amount of that production. Entwisle averaged 14.5 points last weekend coming off the bench including piling up a season high 17 points, two shy off his career high. 

ON TAP: UMD hops back on the road to play Minnesota State University Mankato and Concordia University, St. Paul on Jan. 18-19.