SIOUX FALLS (Jan. 27, 2021) -- In one of the biggest games of the season in the NSIC South, No. 19   University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team, (4-0, 2-0), will face a road test at Minnesota State (6-2, 5-1 NSIC) on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 2 pm at the Stewart Center. Due to CoVID-19 testing protocols, the USF-MSU games, originally set for Jan. 29-30, has been adjust to one game on Sunday. The game will count toward eligibility for the NSIC Postseason Tourney in late February.

USF, which moved up to No. 19 in the NABC Top-25 DII poll on Tuesday, opened the season with a pair of nonconference and two conference home wins. USF turned back U-Mary, 64-60, and 71-68 in overtime. Then, they recorded 68-55 and 87-76 decisions over Upper Iowa at the SC. 

All-NSIC forward Teathloach Pal is lead USF in points and rebounds with 14.3 points, and 8.0 rebounds per game (6th, NSIC). USF. has won 14 of its last 16 regular season NSIC games dating to a year ago when they were the NSIC South champs and No. 2 seed in the NSIC Tourney. Four of USF five starters average in double-digits with junior Troy Houghton at 13.3 ppg, All-NSIC guard Chase Grinde at 10.0 and Jack Thompson at 10.8 ppg.

Follow USF Men's Basketball - Broadcast - Stat links
Follow USF Men's Basketball on twitter at @USFCooBBall. All USF's home games and NSIC contests are streamed for free through Blue Frame at NSIC Network on USFCougars.com schedule page. Veteran announcer Tom Frederick will provide play-by-play for USF home games while John Gaskins will handle road games, which will be streamed on Blue Frame. USF Men's Games will be available on KWSN.com. Live stats for home games are available at www.sidearmstats.com/mbball.  Live stats for USF at MSU is at this link.

Breaking Down USF vs. MSU

As USF and Minnesota State prepare to meet this weekend, they will play each other for the 25th time in school history. In the last matchup, MSU edged USF, 60-59, in the NSIC Postseason Tourney. USF rallied late, only to miss a point blank shot at the end of regulation which ended the season.

While USF has not played in three weeks due to CoVID-19 protocols, Minnesota State is 6-2 overall with a 5-1 South Division mark. MSU, which is directed by veteran head coach Matt Margenthaler (416 career wins), has opened 6-2 with a 5-1 South mark for second in the South Division. MSU  has four players averaging double-figures in scoring as Quincy Anderson supplies 16.3 per game and Malik Willingham  adds 13.3 per game.  MSU is scoring at 75.5 per game (9th, NSIC) while allowing 68.4 per outing (3rd, NSIC).   MSU, which ranks in the NSIC top-five in eight team stats categories, is coming off a road sweep at Southwest Minnesota State,  60-40, annd 95-67. The Mavs  have three straight wins since a 85-68 road loss to Wayne State. At home, they are 3-1 with their last two wins  a sweep over Augustana,  79-70, and 72-67 on Jan. 8-9 in Mankato.
 

The Cougars, directed by Head Coach Chris Johnson, has developed a tough, defensive mindset, which helped them win the NSIC South (22-8 overall, 17-5 NSIC) a year ago. The Cougars led the NSIC by allowing just 66.2 points per game and ranked fifth in steals in the NSIC at 6.37 per game while ranking fourth in rebounds at 35.7 and a 7.3 rebound margin. 

This year, the Cougars are ranked in the NSIC's top five in nine team stats categories, are second in the NSIC (16th in NCAA DII) in defensive scoring through four games at 64.8 points per game. USF is second in the nation and first in the NSIC in defensive field goal percentage at 36.9 percent.  In the NSIC rankings, they also stand second in rebounds at 40.3 rpg (18th in DII) and first in the league and DII in rebound margin at 12.3. USF is also first in the NSIC and 18th in DII in offensive rebound at 13.8 per game.

USF is first in the league and 38th in DII in steals per game at  7.8.  Offensively, USF is averaging 72.5 points per game, which ranks 10th in the NSIC. 

The Cougars earned three first place votes and was picked second in the South in the 2020-21 NSIC Coaches Preseason Poll released in late December. In the South poll, USF totaled 41 points and the three first place votes to finish just behind Augustana, which amassed 46 points and four first place votes.  Winona State was third with 36 points and the other first place vote. In the North Division preseason voting, Northern State picked up seven first place votes for 49 points. MSU Moorhead was second with 43 points and the other first place vote. The NSIC / Sanford Health Men's & Women's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championships are set to take place Thursday-Sunday, February 25-28 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  The top for teams from each division will make up the eight-team field for the 2021 tournament.  

USF trails MSU, 18-6, in all-time series - but has won 3-of-4

The Cougars trail MSU, 18-6, in the all-time series after a tough 60-59 loss in the quarterfinals of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Postseason Tournament on Feb. 29, 2020 at the Sanford Pentagon. Prior to that setback, USF had defeated MSU twice during the 2019-20 regular season. USF recorded an 86-81 win at the Taylor Center on Dec. 7, 2019 and a 71-64 home win over MSU on  Jan. 10 at the Stewart Center. Overall, USF has won three of four games and four of the past six. USF's other loss in that span was an overtime 87-84 loss at the Stewart Center. 

When, USF won on Dec. 7 atthe Taylor Center, USF had 21 points from Chase Grinde and 14 by Troy Houghton. The Cougars hit 29-of-55 shots from the field for 52.7 percent as they surpassed 50 percent shooting for a third straight game. USF, which was 24-of-35 from the foul line and his 4-of-9 from three-point range, held a 36-to-28 margin on the boards. In the win on Jan. 10, the Cougars were led by 21 points from freshman guard Jack Thompson.  He was 6-of-10 from the floor and made a career-high eight free throws in eight attempts. Thompson, who scored USF final 10 points of the game, also had four rebounds, four assists and a steal in 38:39 minutes on the floor.  USF, which has won three straight and four of five against the Mavericks, rallied from a 46-38 deficit with 15:38 to play to earn the seven-point win. Crucial to USF's success was controlling the boards as they have now done in 13-of-15 games. They outrebounded MSU, 30-26. In addition, USF had fewer turnovers (12) than the Mavericks (15) while outshooting their opponents for a third straight game. USF was 25-of-51 for 49 percent while MSU hit on 23-of-49 field goals for 46.9 percent. The Mavericks made 7-of-22 from three-point range but USF had the advantage at the foul stripe. The Cougars made 17-of-20 for 85 percent while MSU was 11-of-18 for 61.1 percent. After trailing 36-32 at halftime, USF outscored the Mavericks, 39-28, in the second half to take a seven-point win. 

In 2018-19, Trevon Evans and Drew Guebert led USF to a dominating 74-46 win over NSIC South Division Leader Minnesota State on Jan. 11, 2019. Evans scored a game-high 27 points with five rebounds, four assists, a block, steal and just one turnover in 35 minutes of action. Evans had seven field goals, two three-pointers and made 11-of-12 from the foul line with his second straight game of 27 points or more. Guebert had 18 points and seven rebounds with two assists. Against the Mavericks, Guebert made 7-of-14 shots from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. USF opened the second half on a 9-0 run and proceeded to outscore MSU, 44-26, in the second half. As a result, USF defeated MSU for the first time in seven games at the Taylor Center. The Cougars had a 54-40 margin over the Mavericks, including a 13-to-10 edge on the offensive glass. The Cougars, which didn't trail after MSU led 13-12 in the first half, held a 30-to-12 edge of points in the paint and a 14-to-9 margin in points over turnovers. MSU, which shot just 22.6 percent from the field on 14-of-62 shooting, was led by Quincy Anderson with nine points and five rebounds while Cameron Kirksey had eight points and six rebounds. MSU made just 6-of-33 shots from three-point range for 18.2 percent was 12-of-18 from the foul line.

On Dec. 7, 2018 at the SC, USF dropped an 87-84 overtime decision to MSU. USF was led by Drew Guebert with 27 points and 10 rebounds and Trevon Evans with 21 points. Carlos Anderson had 30 points to lead MSU. On Feb. 17, 2018, Trevon Evans and Drew Guebert led USF to a 88-81 victory for their first win over MSU since moving to NCAA DII in 2012. Evans scored 33 points, including 18-of-21 from the free throw line, and Guebert supplied 28 points with nine rebounds. Guebert hit 4-of-8 from distance as USF was 7-of-20 from three-point land. MSU was led by Charlie Brown with 28 points and Chris Kendrix with 22. USF took a 99-82 loss to the Mavericks in Mankato on Jan. 19, 2018.  In that loss, USF had 28 points from Guebert and 24 by Evans. The key to the win for MSU was shooting 56.1 percent while USF was at 54.2 percent However, MSU, which was 20-of-32 for 62.5 percent in the second half, made 13-of-20 from three-point range. Interestingly, USF was 17-of-31 from the field in the second half and had a 33-30 rebound margin but made just four treys in 13 attempts. 

USF ranked No. 19 in NABC National Poll

Record, Points, Last Ranking

1. Colorado School of Mines (12), 8-0, 393, 1

2. Northern State (2) (S.D.), 8-0, 384, 2

3. Northwest Missouri State (2), 10-1, 371, 3

4. Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.), 11-1, 329, 5

5. West Texas A&M, 5-1, 328, 7

6. Colorado Mesa, 10-0, 312, 8

7. Findlay (Ohio), 9-1, 300, 9

8. Truman State (Mo.), 10-1, 285, 10

9. West Liberty (W. Va), 4-1, 255, 4

10. Mercyhurst (Pa.), 4-0, 213, 12

11. Dallas Baptist (Texas), 9-1, 221, 15

12. Alabama Huntsville, 6-1, 213, 14

13. Washburn (Kan.), 10-2, 203, 7

14. Lubbock Christian (Texas), 8-0, 200, 16

15. Hillsdale (Mich.), 9-1, 175, 18

16. Valdosta State (Ga.), 8-2, 126, 19

17. St. Edwards (Texas), 8-2, 123, 11

18. Point Loma (Calif.), 3-0, 120, 21

19. Sioux Falls (S.D.), 4-0, 111, 20

20. Queens (N.C.), 9-3, 95, 13

21. St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.), 0-0, 76, 17

22. Texas A&M Kingsville, 9-1, 66, 25

23. Missouri Western, 8-2, 61, 23

24. Lee (Tenn.), 7-1, 50, NR

25. Fairmont (W. Va.), 3-1, 44, 24

Others receiving votes: Missouri-St. Louis 20, Flagler (Fla.) 18, Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 18, Augusta (Ga.) 15, Daemen (N.Y.) 11, Southwest Baptist (Mo.) 9, Glenville State (W.Va.) 7, Dominican (N.Y.) 4, Emporia State (Kan.) 3, Hawai'i Hilo 3, Augustana (S.D.) 1, Northwest Nazarene (Idaho) 1.