SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls men's basketball team (4-6, 2-3 NSIC) will look to build on a dramatic 75-73 win over U-Mary when the Cougars host Mt. Marty (NAIA) and Southwest Minnesota State (NSIC) this week at the Stewart Center.
The Cougars, which stand 1-2 at home, will face Mount Marty (1-12, 0-8 GPAC) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in their final regular season nonconference matchup this season. At 4 p.m., on Saturday, USF will host SMSU (8-3, 4-1 NSIC) in the first of three straight home league contests. After SMSU, the Cougars will have 12 days to prepare for #18 Augustana on Jan. 2 and Wayne State on Jan. 3.
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Cougars split in North Dakota
USF is coming off a 1-1 weekend when drama was thick during a road trip to North Dakota. A game-winning drive and score by sophomore point guard Freddie Young with 3.3 seconds to play lifted the Cougars to a dramatic 75-73 win over U-Mary at the McDowell Activity Center before 1,079 in attendance in Bismarck, N.D., on Saturday night. Young had nine points and three rebounds. Junior forward Jordan Stotts stepped up big in the win with a season and game-high 19 points, as he made 7-of-10 shots from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range. Stotts, who also had four rebounds, three steals and two blocks, connected on a three with 1:23 left that gave the Cougars a 71-70 lead. While Mary tied the game in the final minute, USF never trailed again. Senior guard Charles Ward, who tied a career-high with five assists, had 18 points, including 10-of-12 free throws. Ward, who hit 9-of-10 from the charity stripe in the second half, reached double digits for the 15th straight time dating to last year. Sophomore guard Mack Johnson added 14 points while senior center Bryan Kielpinski had eight points, including converting six crucial free throws down the stretch.
On Friday, the Cougars didn't fare as well as they lost a nine-point lead with 12 minutes to play in second half in falling to Minot State, 60-58. After Ward, who scored 18 points, made a basket with 26 seconds left in the game, MSU's Dominque McDonald, who had just five points, scored on a floater with four seconds left to give the Beavers the lead and the game. USF's Young tried a long three-pointer at the buzzer but the shot was short. MSU closed the game on a 27-to-16 run to grab the win.
Johnson added 11 points while Young and senior center Brian Kielpinski had 10 points each. Freshman forward Tom Aase had a career-high four blocks along with four rebounds and four points. The Cougars had a better overall field goal percentage than Minot State but the Beavers had a 10-to-2 edge in three-point baskets.
From the field, USF was 21-of-47 for 45 percent while MSU was 21-of-49 for 42.9 percent. MSU hit 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) from three-point range, including 5-of-7 in the second half, while USF was 2-of-15 for 13.3 percent. USF offset the difference in three-pointers with a 14-to-8 edge at the foul line. For the eighth time in nine games, the Cougars outrebounded its opponent with a 33-30 margin over MSU.
Shooting for the win
In all the four Cougars' wins this season, USF has shot better than their opponents. In three of the wins, USF recorded shooting marks over 50 percent. In the 88-83 OT win over Missouri Southern State, USF hit 30-of-59 from the field for 50.8 percent. The Cougars were 30-of-51 for 58.8 percent in an 82-76 win over Young Harris and last Saturday, connected on 57.1 percent from the floor on 24-of-42 shooting in rolling past Winona State, 76-54, for USF's first home win of the season. In addition, the Cougars outshot Mary, 42.6 percent (23-of-54) to 40.3 percent (25-of-62).
Series Notes - Mt. Marty, SMSU
Mount Marty
-- This will be the 65th meeting between the long-time rivals. USF owns a 38-31 lead in the series which began in 1971-72 with a 74-68 Mount Marty win. USF and Mount Marty haven't met since splitting a pair of games in the 2010-11 season. On Jan. 22, 2011, the Lancers hit 75 percent of their shots in the second half (18-of-24) and 58.7 percent overall in a 78-66 win in Yankton. In the win, Jared Well had 24 points and nine rebounds while Cody Ball hit four 3's. Matt Malloy had 21 for USF. On Jan. 5, 2011, the Cougars defeated Mount Marty, 88-75, at the Stewart Center. Eric Tisby had 28 points and six rebounds for the Cougars while Wall had 17 points. USF Head Coach Chris Johnson is 3-3 against the Lancers.
SMSU
-- Earlier this year, SMSU took a 72-68 win over the Cougars as Mitch Weg had 15 points and 15 rebounds. USF was led by Ward with 21 and Johnson with 18. SMSU sits third in the NSIC South Division standings at 8-3 overall and 4-1 in league play. USF will meet SMSU for the 24th time with the Mustangs owning a 15-8 lead in a series that gates to 1968-69. Since USF moved into the NSIC, SMSU has a 3-2 edge. The Mustangs are 12-0 in games played in Marshall with Cougars 8-3 at home.
Scouting Mount Marty
In a final regular season nonconference matchup, USF will welcome Mount Marty to the Stewart Center. The Lancers, directed by head coach Andrew Baker, is a young team that has struggled to a 1-12 record, including 0-8 in the GPAC. Mount Marty, which has just two seniors on its roster, is being outscored, 85.5-to-67.4, and losing the rebound battle, 37.2-to-32.8. The Lancers are led in scoring by senior guard Bud Smith, who is averaging 16.4 points with 3.9 rebounds. He has hit 50.3 percent from the floor on 75-of-149 shooting, including 15-of-39 three-points shots for 38.5 percent. He is also 48-of-69 from the free throw line for 69.6 percent. Freshman Jake Anderson, who averages 8.2 ppg and 3.6 rebounds per game, has made an impact as a freshman. Anderson has tied Smith for a team high in made 3's with 15 (39.5 percent). Two other freshman start, including guard Blake Bartscher and forward Cody Willett.
The Lancers have 10 South Dakotans on their roster, including Smith (Yankton, S.D.), Anderson (Parker, S.D.), Bartscher (Ethan, S.D.) and Willett (Canton, S.D.). Mt. Marty opened the season with six straight losses, including a 78-67 decision to Dakota State. After a win over Oglala Lakota Lodge, 103-78, the Lancers have dropped six straight including a setback to Concordia (Neb.), 78-60 on Dec. 13. In the loss, Alex Irvine had 11 points and Jackson Seitzinger, 10.
Scouting SMSU
The Mustangs are off to an 8-3 start and 4-1 in the NSIC South due to their ability to put the ball in the basket. Last weekend, they shook off a 78-74 loss to Upper Iowa on Dec. 6 while defeated U-Mary, 84-72; and Minot State, 91-81. Joey Bartlett, who leads the team with 13.3 points per game, scored 24 points in the win over U-Mary. Mitch Weg had 24 points and six rebounds as the Mustangs deposed of Minot State. Weg has improved his average to 12.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Also scoring in double figures is Cole Martin at 12.3 points with 4.6 rebounds per game.
SMSU, which is fifth in the league in scoring at 79.3 points per game, ranks second in the NSIC in field goal shooting at 49.9 percent and they also rank second in 3-point field goal percentage .442. In addition, they are doing solid work at the charity stripe, hitting 72.6 percent for fifth in the NSIC. Bartlett is tied with Travis Meinders with made 3's at 23. Bartlett is hitting 41.1 percent from distance while Meinders is at 59 percent, which leads the league. In addition, M.J. Delmore has hit 20-of-38 from deep for 52.6 percent, which ranks sixth in the league. SMSU has five players with at least 15 3's on the season.
Three double doubles in one game a rarity
When senior guard Charles Ward (23 points, 11 rebounds), redshirt freshman Tom Aase (11 points, 11 rebounds) and sophomore guard Freddie Young (12 points, 10 assists) all recorded double doubles in the 82-76 win over Young Harris, the trio combined for a statistical rarity. The three double doubles in a single game has not been met at USF at least dating back to prior to 2001. It is a first in USF's DII era (since 2011).
Cougars continue solid work on boards
In league stats, USF sits 13th in scoring at 68.6 ppg and 11th in scoring defense at 72.5 ppg. They rank fifth in both field goal percentage defense (41.7 percent) and rank 11th in free throw shooting at 67.9 percent. In rebounding offense, the Cougars are fourth in the league at 38.0 per game while they rank fifth in rebounding margin at 6.4 per game (38.0-to-31.6). USF is third in offensive boards at 12.8 per game and sit second in blocks with 3.6 (36) per outing.
USF Block Party
The Cougars rank second in the league in blocked shots at 3.6 per game. USF is led by redshirt freshman Tom Aase, fourth in the league with 13 blocks or 1.3 per game, with senior center Bryan Kielpinski tied for seventh in the league with 1.1 blocks per game or 11. In his career, Kielpinski has 106 blocks, including 41 a year ago. In the past four games, USF has had at least six blocks each game and a 26-to-8 overall advantage over opponents.
