The University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team will play their final two regular season home games this weekend at Romano Gymnasium, hosting the Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons on Friday, Feb. 14, at 5:30 PM and the Northern State University Wolves on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 3:30 PM for Senior Day.
Last Time Out
The Bulldogs kicked off their final three home games of the 2024-25 regular season with an all important matchup against the reigning NCAA Division II national champions, taking down the Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks 75-74 with a slam dunk buzzer beater finish.
UMD kicked off the night jumping out to an early 19-8 lead in the first five minutes of the game. MSU went on to respond to the Bulldogs' scoring momentum, coming back to tie things up at 34-34 heading into the halftime break. Both teams came out to fight in the second half, exchanging leads back and forth before a Maverick scoring run would allow them to take a 74-70 lead with less than a minute left to go. UMD would get back within one point before sending MSU to the free throw line. The Mavericks missed on the first shot of their one and one opportunity, giving Joshua Brown the chance to collect the rebound and find Mattie Thompson under the basket for the game winning dunk.
With their win over the Mavericks, UMD now finds themselves in fourth place in the NSIC standings. If the Bulldogs are able hold on to that spot, it would secure them a free pass through the opening round of the NSIC tournament.
Last Week's Spotlight Players
#24 Charlie Katona - 2 GP, 30 PTS, 14 REB, 10 A, 3 STL, 1 BLK
#32 Austin Andrews - 2 GP, 21 PTS, 22 REB, 6 A, 2 STL, 75.0 FT%
#13 Nick Katona - 2 GP, 19 PTS, 17 REB, 1 A, 1 BLK, 1 STL
Scouting Report - Minnesota State Moorhead
The Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons are 16-8 overall and 11-7 against NSIC opponents throughout the 2024-25 season, most recently coming off a 76-58 win over the University of Mary Marauders.
The Bulldogs are 10-14 against the Dragons since 2014, most recently defeating them 71-56 earlier this season on the road. UMD holds a 4-7 home record, 6-5 away record, and a 0-2 neutral site record over the Dragons, with their largest margin of victory standing at 21 points (92-71, Dec. 2021).
The Dragons are currently led in scoring by junior forward #5 Logan Kinsey who is averaging 16.0 points per game with 384 total points over 24 games this season.
Scouting Report - Northern State
The Northern State University Wolves are 2-22 overall and 1-17 against NSIC opponents throughout the 2024-25 season, most recently coming off a 70-84 loss to the Bemidji State University Beavers.
The Bulldogs are 10-14 against the Wolves since 2014, most recently defeating them 83-72 earlier this season on the road. UMD holds a 2-7 home record, 7-6 away record, and a 1-1 neutral site record over the Wolves, with their largest margin of victory standing at 24 points (96-72, Jan. 2024).
The Wolves are currently led in scoring by junior guard #4 James Glenn who is averaging 12.7 points per game with 304 total points over 24 games this season.
Bulldogs Against the Rest
The Bulldogs rank within the top five in the NSIC in 14 different statistical categories, including eight different categories where they rank within the top three. These categories include:
Blocks Per Game - 3.4 (3rd in NSIC, 93rd in NCAA)
Effective Field Goal Percentage - 0.546 (3rd in NSIC, 53rd in NCAA)
Field Goal Percentage - 48.2 (3rd in NSIC, 39th in NCAA)
Field Goal Percentage Defense - 41.3 (2nd in NSIC, 30th in NCAA)
Free Throw Attempts per Game - 21.1 (5th in NSIC, 89th in NCAA)
Free Throws Made Per Game - 13.8 (5th in NSIC, 153rd in NCAA)
Rebounds Margin - 5.0 (3rd in NSIC, 42nd in NCAA)
Rebounds Per Game - 36.54 (5th in NSIC, 114th in NCAA)
Scoring Defense - 66.8 (2nd in NSIC, 26th in NCAA)
Scoring Margin - 9.6 (2nd in NSIC, 30th in NCAA)
Three Point Percentage Defense - 31.7 (1st in NSIC, 51st in NCAA)
Turnover Margin - 1.2 (5th in NSIC, 99th in NCAA)
Turnovers Per Game - 10.8 (5th in NSIC, 31st in NCAA)
Winning Percentage - 70.8 (4th in NSIC, 49th in NCAA)
Rising Through The Record Books
Fifth year seniors Austin Andrews, Joshua Brown, and Charlie Katona continue to rise through the Bulldog men's basketball record books through their final year in the maroon and gold, seeing their names rise in categories such as:
Scoring
- Charlie Katona (5th - 1791 career points)
- Austin Andrews (9th - 1660 career points)
- Joshua Brown (11th - 1605 career points)
Rebounds
- Austin Andrews (5th - 857 career rebounds)
Katona Named to Small College Basketball Award Watchlists
Fifth year senior Charlie Katona was named to Small College Basketball's Top 100 watchlist for the 2024-25 Bevo Francis Award on January 15.
The Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award is presented annually to the player with the strongest season throughout Small College Basketball, accounting for season statistics, individual achievements, personal character, and team achievements. This reward considers some of the top players from Division II, Division III, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA basketball.
Katona was also named to the 2024-25 Trevor Hudgins Award Top 25 watch list on February 1.
Considerations for the Trevor Hudgins Award are overall career statistics and achievements, team achievements, awards, and personal character. The player must have played his entire career at the small college level. The overall intent of the Trevor Hudgins Award is two-fold: 1) To keep the collegiate legacy of Trevor Hudgins alive and continue to tell his story to the next generation, and 2) To provide a national platform to honor outstanding players – and ultimately one player – within small college basketball on an annual basis.
UMD Slated Third in NSIC Preseason
The University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team was slated to finish third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) in the preseason coaches poll. The Bulldogs received 172 points in the conference poll, including one first place vote, after finishing off the 2023-24 season in the second round of the NCAA Central Region tournament.
Katona Named NSIC Player to Watch
Fifth year senior Charlie Katona was named UMD's NSIC Player to Watch for the 2024-25 season. Katona was a mainstay in the Bulldog starting five last season, starting in all 33 games for the Bulldogs and averaging 28 minutes a game. Katona recorded 424 total points while averaging 12.8 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 1.9 assists per game and will enter the season as the reigning NSIC Defensive Player of the Year.
Offseason Departures
The Bulldogs will see some changes in the rotation from last season, suffering huge losses with the graduation of Drew Blair and Jack Middleton, and with the transfer of Lincoln Meister.
Drew Blair was the premiere player in the Bulldog's offensive scheme last season, breaking the program's all time scoring record at the beginning of the season against Oklahoma Baptist and going on to lead the team in four different statistical categories (total points, points per game, rebounds, and steals).
Jack Middleton was the cornerstone of the Bulldog's leadership, and proved himself as one of the most accurate shooters on the team. Middleton ended his career with the Bulldogs as a 40.8% 3-pt shooter and an 89.8% free throw shooter.
Lincoln Meister was the Bulldog's primary sixth man option, serving as a dominant presence under the rim and an elite blocker. Ending the season with 32 blocks, UMD loses one of their strongest defensive big men with his transfer to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Last Season
The Bulldogs closed out their 2023-24 season with their third straight NCAA tournament appearance, falling in the second round against the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats.
UMD closed out the regular season at second place in the NSIC standings, and would go on to fall in the championship game of the NSIC tournament to the eventual NCAA National Champs, Minnesota State Mankato.
The Bulldogs secured the third seed going into the NCAA Central Region tournament, and closed out the opening round with a buzzer beater layup from Mattie Thompson to defeat Fort Hays State.
UMD ended their season in the semifinal round after a defense driven, 71-62 loss to the Bearcats.
Looking Ahead
Bulldog men's basketball will close out their 2024-25 regular season schedule on the road against the University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles and the Bemidji State University Beavers. Tip-off against the Golden Eagles is currently set for Friday, Feb. 21, at 5:30 PM.
