SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – After recording one of the biggest wins in school history, the University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team (1-1) will host a pair of nonconference matchups this week, beginning with Dakota State at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at the Stewart Center. The Cougars will host Chadron State on Friday, Nov. 19 at 7 pm at the Stewart Center in the other nonconference game this week. In one week, the Cougars will open the NSIC schedule against travel partner Southwest Minnesota State at 7:30 pm at the Stewart Center. 

Follow USF Men's Basketball - Broadcast - Social Media
Follow USF Men's Basketball on Twitter at @USFCooBBall or USF_Athletics. All USF's home games and NSIC contests are streamed for free through Blue Frame on the NSIC Network.. Veteran announcer Tom Frederick will provide play-by-play for all USF games with conference games on KWSN.com and home nonconference games streamed on Blue Frame. Live stats for home games are available at www.sidearmstats.com/mbball.  .  

How Things Stand – USF Men's Basketball, directed by all-time wins leader Chris Johnson (239 wins), stand 1-1 after competing at the Central Region Challenge in Kansas City last weekend. The Cougars recorded an 83-77 win over defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Northwest Missouri State in an instant classic last Saturday. On Friday, the Cougars dropped a 73-52 decision to Southern Nazarene, another team that regularly advances to the regionals.

Game-By-Game Review - 

G1 Southern Nazarene 73 Sioux Falls 52: Jack Thompson scored 13 points and Matt Cartwright added 12 but USF dropped a 73-52 decision to Southern Nazarene in the season opener at the Central Region Challenge in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday (Nov. 12). USF hit just 19-of-56 field goals for 33.9 percent and was just 3-of-19 from three-point range for 15.8 percent. However, USF controlled the boards, finishing with a 37-33 margin. In a game with four lead changes and a tie, USF trailed just 31-29 at halftime after leading for a good share of the first half. However, SNU outscored USF, 42-23, in the second half. SNU hit 16-of-27 shots for 59.26 percent after the break, including 6-of-10 from three-point range to create separation from the Cougars. As for USF, they made just 8-of-26 field goals for 30.77 percent including 3-of-11 from three-point range. Two other categories in stats favored SNU, including its 20-11 edge in points off turnovers and 20-8 margin with points in the paint. Thompson, who now has 20 career double-digit scoring games, led USF with 13 points as he hit 6-of-13 shots form the field while adding an assist, two rebounds and a steal. Cartwright had 12 points in 32 minutes. USF also had nine points from both Chase Grinde, who added three rebounds and two assists, and Austin Slater, who had a team-high nine rebounds.

G2 – Sioux Falls 83 No. 1 Northwest Missouri State 77: In one of the biggest wins in University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball history, the Cougars (1-1) knocked off defending NCAA DII national champion and No. 1 ranked Northwest Missouri State (2-1), 83-77 at the Central Region Challenge in Kansas City, Mo. In the victory, the Cougars upended the No. 1 Bearcats 45-straight game-winning streak on a neutral floor.  It was the longest active win streak among all NCAA Div. I, II and III schools. The Bearcat's last loss on a neutral floor came Nov. 13, 2015, vs. Upper Iowa (L, 76-72). It is USF's first win over a top-10 opponent in the DII era. In adding a little historical twist, the Cougars won for the first time in 81 years and in three meetings with NWMSU. The Bearcats had held a 2-0 lead with USF but had not met since 1939-40 or 81 years ago. In 1939-40 the Bearcats won 52-32 and they had a 39-27 win in the 1937-38 season. USF led from start to finish as they jumped ahead 26-9 by the 7:32 mark of the opening half. They led by 21, 60-39 in the second half before NWMSU closed to within two and the Cougars held on for an 83-77 win with crucial plays in the final minutes Senior Matt Cartwright led USF with 29 points as he made 9-of-18 field goals and was a sizzling 6-of-9 from three-point range.  He also had seven rebounds, two steals and an assist in 37 minutes on the floor. Junior guard Jack Thompson added 20 points as he was 7-of-18 from the floor and had a pair of triples to go with five assists and a steal. Senior forward Austin Slater had a solid post game and finished with seven points and five rebounds along with a block and two assists. Also, USF had nine points and seven rebounds from junior guard Chase Grinde while both sophomore guards Jake Kettner and Noah Puetz had eight points each. Overall, USF shot 44.4 percent from the floor on 28-of-63 shooting. In that total, USF was 11-of-25 from the three-point range as they made 5-of-12 in the opening half and followed up with 6-of-13 for 46.1 percent in the second 20 minutes. At the foul line, USF was 16-of-22 for 72.7 percent.  

Breaking Down USF – Inside the Numbers
Through two games, USF is averaging 67.5 points and allowing 75.0 points per game but hold a 38.0-to-34.5 rebounds margin USF is hitting 39.5 percent from the floor on 47-of-119 shooting for 23.5 field goals per game. In addition, USF is 14-of-44 from three-point range for 31.8 percent or 7.0 threes per game. They are allowing 43.1 percent shooting on 47-of-109 shooting. Opponents are hitting 17-of-54 triples for 31.5 percent and 8.5 per game. USF and its opponents averaged 8.5 assists each and the Cougars are forcing 16.5 turnovers with 4.0 steals per outing. Senior forward Matt Cartwright is averaging 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds with a pair of double digit (12, 29) scoring games. He is hitting 7-of-15 from three for 46.7 percent and 88.9 percent at the foul line on 8-of-9 shooting. Guard Jack Thompson is scoring 16.5 points and 2.5 rebounds with 3.5 assists per game. Chase Grinde is averaging 9.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while Austin Slater has made 8.0 points and a team-high seven rebounds per game. Slater has seven offensive and seven defensive boards.
 
USF - Dakota State Series
In the DII era, the Cougars have played Dakota State twice, including a 72-51 win on Nov. 16, 2019. In the win, Teathloach Pal had 26 points and 16 rebounds to lead USF which led, 25-24, at halftime. In the 2014-15 season, USF dropped an 81-76 decision at the Stewart Center. USF had a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds from Bryan Kielpinski but dropped a close decision. USF led by as many as 12 points in the first half but was outscored, 58-41 over the final 25:32 of the game. Mack Johnson had 18 points and Charles Ward had 18 points and 10 rebounds.  

Chadron State – USF Series
The Cougars hold a 2-0 lead over Chadron State. USF won a pair of nonconference games with Chadron State in 2018 and 2019 in Aberdeen. On Nov. 23, 2018, the Cougars took a 78-70 decision as current assistant coach Drew Guebert had 24 points and Trevon Evans had 22 points while Milan Surlic added 11 points. On Nov. 22, 2019, the Cougars took a 62-59 win over Chadron State as Austin Slater had 16 points while Chase Grinde added 11. USF led 29-17 at halftime and held of Chadron State in the second half.
 
Dakota State stands 2-6
Led by 13^th year Head Coach Gary Garner, the Trojans have opened the season with a 2-6 record. On Nov. 12, they recorded a 102-64 win over Trinity Bible College to end a three-game slide. They also defeated Mount Marty, 98-86, on Oct. 31. DSU is averaging 71.0 points, htting 42.8 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from three with 32.6 rebounds per game. Jordan Lynn leads the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game while Maxwell Nielson is suppling 10.8 points per game. Ronnie Latting leds the team with 5.9 rebounds per outing.

Chadron State opens 0-2 but loses close games
In the early going, Chadron State, directed by second-year Head Coach Shane Paben, has dropped two games, falling to Texas A&M Kingsville, 84-74 on Nov. 13 and Texas A&M International on Nov. 12, 82-73.  As a team, they are scoring 73.5 points and allowing 83.0 per game. They have been outrebounded 30.0-to-27.0. However, they are 20-of-38 from three-point range for 52.6 percent and 51-of-105 for 48.6 percent from the field. CJ Jennings leads the team with 17.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest while Teddy Parham is scoring 14.5 points and grabbing 5.0 rebounds.
 
Chris Johnson is USF's all-time wins leader
USF Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Johnson, who was named the NSIC Coach of the Year in the history-making 2019-20 season, is in his 14th season (15th overall) at the helm of the men's basketball program. Since taking over as the program's 22nd coach in 2008, Johnson has guided the Cougars to six 20-win seasons, three post-season appearances, two conference tournament championships and one regular season conference crown. In the COvid- In 2019-20, USF had a program-best 22-8 overall record and captured its first-ever Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division title. With a 17-5 mark, USF, which finished second overall and earned the No. 1 seed in the South in the NSIC Postseason Tourney, registered the program's top record in NSIC play. As a result, Johnson was named the NSIC Coach of the Year for the first time.

During Johnson's tenure, USF is 241-172 (.583), with a 73-69 win (Feb. 18, 2017) at Concordia St. Paul making him the program's career wins leader. He is 225-157 at USF. On that special night, Johnson passed Shane Murphy (154, 2001-08). He registered his 200th overall career win on Dec. 14, 2018 against Minnesota-Duluth on the road. Johnson registered his 200th win at USF against SMSU, 74-56, on Nov. 30 , 2019 at the Stewart Center.  The milestone came in his 376th career game. He has compiled a 128-50 mark at home and a 75-90 road record with an 18-13 mark on a neutral floor. In NSIC play, he has an 97-91 record, including a 56-38 mark in home league games and 41-53 mark in away games. Johnson is 5-8 in postseason. He is also 51-5 in nonconference games.

Johnson has led the team to 15 wins 10 times and recorded six 20-win seasons with the 25-10 campaign in 2009-10 the best finish. Just twice in his 14-year coaching career has one of his teams finished below .500. At the NCAA DII level, USF's mark of 22-8 in 2019-20 is a program-best. With the 17-5 mark in the NSIC in 2019-20, USF had its best league mark. This past season of success followed a 20-10 in 2017-18 for the second 20-win season in three years. USF, which was 10-4 at home and 9-2 on the road with a 3-2 neutral court mark, had a 79-68 win over Minot State in the first round of the NSIC Tourney before falling to Minnesota State, 60-59, in the quarterfinals. Johnson is the only coach in the league to lead his team to five straight appearances in the NSIC Postseason Tournament.