SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team (3-0), which is off to its best start since 2012-13, will travel to face high-scoring Minnesota Crookston in a nonconference contest at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 in Crookston.  Game-time is set for 3:30 p.m.

For the first time  since 2012-13, the Cougars have opened the season with three straight wins. In 2012-13, USF opened the campaign with four straight victories USF will face Minnesota-Crookston, which is a league opponent but this game will be counted as a nonconference game. The Golden Eagles are 1-2 but have scored more than 100 points in two of their three games.

Against UW-Superior in the home opener Tuesday, the Cougars opened up a 41-20 advantage at halftime and cruised to the 90-49 win. For the third straight game, USF shot over 50 percent from the floor. For the 19th time in his career, Drew Guebert scored 20 points, totaling 22, including connecting on four three point shots. Junior guard Trevon Evans had 13 points while reserves Aaron Rothermund had a career-high 11 and freshman Chase Grinde added a career-high 10.

In the opening weekend, the Cougars recorded back-to-back overtime wins with the 94-89 decision over host Emporia State and a 96-92 victory over Fort Hays State at the MIAA-NSIC Challenge in Emporia on Nov. 10-11.  Junior Trevon Evans, who was named the NSIC Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Monday, averaged 29 points and 10.5 rebounds and Drew Guebert supplied 22.5 points per game in the wins at the MIAA-NSIC Classic. It was the first time in the D2 era that USF had recorded back-to-back overtime wins. In fact, no USF team had won back-to-back overtime wins since before 2000.

The Cougars scored 90 points or more in three games for the first time in the D2 era and dating back to the NAIA days. In addition, USF won its home opener for the seventh time in 1 1 outing.
   
Series Notes
USF leads the all-time series with UMC, 4-2, including 4-1 in the NSIC era. The last time the two teams played, the Cougars recorded a 69-60 victory at Lysaker Gymnasium.

USF picked ninth in NSIC preseason poll
Northern State received eight first-place votes and was tabbed the favorite to win the NSIC with 213 points. They were also the North Division favorite with six first-place votes and 48 points. MSU Moorhead, which was picked fourth overall (four first place votes and 187 points) was picked second in the North Division with 42 points followed by St. Cloud State with 38 points. In the South Division, SMSU received four first-place votes and 45 points to head into the season as the favorite. The Mustangs were picked second overall as they earned seven first-place votes and 211 ballot points, just two behind NSU. Augustana was selected third overall with 190 points and second (44 points) in the South Division followed by Minnesota State, Upper Iowa and Sioux Falls. The Cougars received 97 ballot points for ninth place overall and were also projected to finish fifth (23 points) in the NSIC South.  Junior forward Drew Guebert was named USF's Player to Watch.

USF signs recruits Troy Houghton and Wesley McCullough
USF Men's Basketball Head Coach Chris Johnson announced Wednesday the signings of Troy Houghton and Wesley McCullough, who will continue their academic and athletic careers with the Cougars in the fall of 2018. Today, Nov. 8 was the first day of the fall signing period for NCAA basketball programs. The USF signees include Wesley McCullough, a 6-8 forward from Raymore, Mo.; and Troy Houghton, a 6-3 guard from Council Bluffs, Iowa.   McCullough, who is the son of Bill and Cristie McCullough, is a standout wing forward at Raymore-Peculiar High School where he averaged 17 points, seven rebounds and two assists per game for the Panthers in 2016-17. He was named both first team all-conference and all-district a year ago.  Wesley played his summer hoops with the KC Magic AAU program. A member of the National Honor Society, he served as a Student Leadership Team Captain and has been involved in the Lamp of Learning for three years. A nominee for Boys State as a junior, McCullough has been named to the Principal's Honor Roll three years and served as a Panther Young League member. At USF, McCullough plans to major in pre-medicine. Houghton, the son of Troy Houghton and Sharnell Jones, is a standout guard at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. As a junior, he averaged 13.1 points (289) and 5.8 rebounds in helping lead the Lynx to an 18-4 record. He connected on 49.8 percent from the field and 60 percent at the foul line with 58 assists, 33 steals and 38 blocks in 22 games. Named the Team MVP, he was selected Missouri River All-Conference in 2016-17. Houghton played summer basketball with the SW Iowa Select AAU program. He has participated in service events such as helping feed the homeless and in a walk for autism. He plans to major in sports management at USF.

Opponent Breakdown - Crookston stands 1-2
UMC (1-2) faces USF after a 1-2 start, including a pair of losses to GAC teams Arkansas Tech (114-105) and Arkansas-Monticello. (71-64) UMC also recorded a 104-68 decision over Oak Hills Christian College in which Alan Hodge scored 23 points and Harrison Clear added 17.

The Golden Eagles have been a high-scoring team this season as they have topped the century mark twice in three games. Minnesota Crookston comes in averaging 91.0 points per game. They are shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The key for the Golden Eagles through three games is improving a defense that is giving up 84.3 points per game and allowing opponents to shoot 51.3 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from behind the three-point line.

Minnesota Crookston has four players averaging double-figure scoring this season. They have been led by their guard court with Alan Hodge leading th way with 21.7 points per game. Hodge is shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. In addition, his backcourt mate Harrison Cleary has continued his strong play from last season in which he was named NSIC Freshman of the Year. Cleary is notching 20.0 points per game, while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from behind the three-point line.  

USF fall to South Dakota, 73-64, in exhibition play
USF placed three players in double digits but dropped a 73-64 decision to DI South Dakota in exhibition play on Saturday at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. USD, the defending Summit League regular season champions, trailed USF early but led 33-24 at halftime. Both teams scored 40 points in the second half. Leading the way for USF was junior forward Drew Guebert, who had 14 points, including 4-of-9 shots from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line before fouling out with seven minutes to play.  Redshirt freshman forward Teathloach Pal added 12 points with seven rebounds. He was 3-of-7 from the field and knocked down a three-pointer. Junior guard Trevon Evans added 11 points with seven rebounds and was 2-of-5 from three-point range. Also for USF, senior forward Jerrod Walton provided eight points, four assists and four rebounds while senior guard Zach Wessels provided six points and three rebounds. Off the bench Austin Slater had six rebounds and four points.

Evans off to fast start; earns NSIC Player of the Week honors
Junior guard Trevon Evans has opened his career at USF in a big way, leading the Cougars to a trio of victories. Through three games, he is  averaging 24.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. In the most recent victory, he had 13 points as USF defeated UW-Superior. He ranks third in the NSIC in scoring at 24.0 points and 8.7 rebounds. At the MIAA-NSIC Classic on Nov. , he had games of 28 points and nine rebounds in the 94-89 OT win against Emporia State on Nov. 10. He bettered his performance on the second day, lighting it up for a career-best 31 points and grabbing 12 rebounds as USF defeated Fort Hays State, 96-92 in overtime. In the two games, he hit 19-of-35 field goals for 54.3 percent, including 6-of-12 from three point range and 15-of-18 from the foul line for 83.3 percent. He also had three assists and 21 rebounds while averaging 41 minutes per game.  A transfer from Dodge City Community College, Evans had his best collegiate total against FHSU.

Guebert sets career-high; now has 875 career points
Junior forward Drew Guebert  ranks second to Evans in scoring for the Cougars at 22.3 points per game, which is fourth in the NSIC. Guebert has scored 13, 32 and 22 points this season in the three games. He had a career high 32 points as USF rallied to defeat Fort Hays State, 96-92 OT on Saturday, Nov. 11. In the two games, Guebert averaged 22.5 points (45 points) and 5.5 rebounds (11 rebounds) against the pair of MIAA squads. He made 17-of-32 field goals for 53.1 percent and 7-of-8 free throws for 87.5 percent. Guebert 's 45 points over the weekend, pushed him closer to the 1,000 point mark. He now has 853, which puts him 147 away from the milestone. With two more double figure scoring games, he now has 42 in his career. Additionally, the junior forward has 13 career games of 20 points or more and two games over 30 (Emporia State, 30,  11/12/16; and Fort Hays State, 32, 11/11/17). In both of his games of 30 points or more, which happened one day and one year apart, he had four made three pointers.

Breaking it down through three games
USF has scored 280 points (94, 96, 90) scoring or  93.3 points per game, which leads the NSIC. In scoring defense, USF is ninth in the league at 76.7 ppg and sit second in point differential at 16.7 points per game. USF is seventh in free throw shooting at 73.7 percent (56-of-76), second in field goal percentage at 51.8 percent (99-of-191), first in three-point shooting percentage at 42.6 percent (26-of-61) and first in rebounding at 40.7 per game..  The Cougars also rank first in rebounding defense at 24.3 per game ,  second in offensive rebounds at 12.7 per game, third in defensive rebounds with 28.0 per game, and lead the NSIC in rebounding margin at 14.0 per game.