SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team (11-12, 7-10 NSIC) wraps up the regular season with a Senior Night home match up against No. 9 Augustana (21-2, 15-2 NSIC) on Senior Night on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 pm and at Wayne State (13-10, 10-7 NSIC) on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 5:30 pm.
USF is 7-10 in the NSIC which places them seventh in the South Division with the top six teams qualifying for the NSIC Tournament beginning on Feb. 23. To qualify, USF will have to win twice and receive help.
Follow USF Men's Basketball - Broadcast - Social Media
Follow USF Men's Basketball on Twitter at @USFCooBBall or USF_Athletics. All USF's home and road games and NSIC contests are streamed for free through Blue Frame atÂ
NSICNetwork.com. Veteran announcer Tom Frederick will provide play-by-play for the conference radio broadcasts onÂ
KWSN.com. Live stats for home games are available atÂ
www.sidearmstats.com/mbball. Â
Senior Night - USF to honor Cartwright, Coudreau and SlaterBefore the start of the game, USF Head Coach
Chris Johnson and staff will recognize its three seniors including
Marko Coudreau,
Austin Slater and
Matt Cartwright.
Coudreau, a senior business administration major from Marseille, France, has 143 career points, 65 rebounds and made 18 three-pointers. He has a career-high of 13 points at Minnesota State on Dec. 17, 2021. He is the son of Cyril and Ivanka Coudreau.Â
Austin Slater of Andover, Minn., who is enrolled in the Master of Business Administration program, is a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree who has played in 123 games at USF - the 5th most in program history. He has accumulated 602 points with 663 rebounds for 11th all-time. The son of Curt and Kim Slater, he has a career-high of 22 points and 17 rebounds. He has five double-doubles, 14 double-digit scoring games and 12 double-digit rebound games while leading USF in rebounding 21 times.Â
Matt Cartwright, the son of Jen and Bill Cartwright of Sioux Falls, S.D, is the leading scorer in the NSIC, All-NSIC honoree, and a guard averages 19.4 ppg with 1,225 career points. He has 11 20-point games at USF with 22 in his career with 55 career-double-digit scoring games. Cartwright has four games of 30 points or more in his career and 15 times this season led the Cougars in scoring.
It's a Slam Dunk - Don't Drive DrunkÂ
In Honor of Drake Bigler the USF SAAC is asking for those attending the USF-Augustana game to make a pledge to not drive drunk. Drake Bigler, the son of Brad Bigler, the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Southwest Minnesota State University, was killed by a drunk driver when he was only five months old. The SAAC message: "We pledge to not drive drunk; will you pledge to not drive drunk with us?" Please sign the pledge sheet in honor of Drake Bigler and the continuing effort to reduce drinking and driving.
Inside Look at USFÂ
USF is directed by school career wins leader (251overall, 235 at USF)
Chris Johnson, who won his 100th career NSIC game against Concordia St. Paul, 80-69 on Dec. 18, 2021. He earned his 250th career win with a 73-47 decision over Minnesota Crookston.Â
Through 23 games, USF ranks 12th in the NSIC with 71.7Â ppg and allow 73.6 ppg, which is also 11th in the NSIC. USF is averaging 37.0 rebounds per game for fourth in the league with an NSIC-high 11.6 offensive boards (266 total). USF is shooting 31.9 percent from three-point range for 16th in the NSIC with 7.6 triples per outing ranking 10th in the league. The Cougars rank fifth in the league with a 1.87 turnover margin (9.5 to 11.4 for opponents) with a 1.32 assist-turnover ratio, its best mark in several years and third in the NSIC. With 12.7 assists, USF ranks 11th in the NSIC. USF 9.6 turnovers per game, USF ranks first in the NSIC and second in NCAA DII. The Cougars also rank 11th nationally with just 219 turnovers and 37th in assist turnover ratio at 1.32.
Opponent Breakdown -- Augustana, Wayne St.Â
Augustana (21-2, 15-2 NSIC) is directed by veteran Head Coach Tom Billiter (18th year at AU, 23rd overall, 451 wins). The Vikings come into the game with 11 straight wins and stand 9-2 in the NSIC South. Earlier they defeated USF, 72-67 in December at the Sanford Pentagon. With 78.4 points per game, the Vikings rank fifth in the NSIC but ranked first in defensive scoring as they allow 65.3 points per game. AU is fifth in field goal shooting at 47.4 percent while holding opponents to 42.7 percent. The Vikings also sit second in three-point shooting at 38.2 percent and knock in 7.8 per game. They also lead the NSIC in team rebounding at 37.6 and average 11.0 offensive boards per game which is fourth in the NSIC. Tyler Riemersma leads AU with 18.2 ppg (6th, NSIC) and leads the NSIC with 11.0 rebounds per game. Also for AU, Isaac Fink is scoring at 15.7 points per outing.Â
Wayne State (13-10, 10-7 NSIC South) is third in the NSIC South where they standing 6-5. Directed by Head Coach Jeff Kaminsky, who has 79 wins at WSC and 531 in his career. The Wildcats, which averaged 33.9 rebounds per game for 12th in the NSIC, averaged 72.0 points per game for 11th in the league while giving up 68.6 for second in the NSIC. WSC is 11th in the NSIC in shooting at 45.3 percent while holding opponents to 44.4 percent for ninth in the league. From three-point range, they sit ninth in the NSIC at 35.1 percent and make 6.6 per game. The Wildcats are led by Justin Eagins with 16.5 points per game for 13th in the league while Jordan Janssen is at 15.1 points per game.
Series Breakdown -Series Notes - Cougars trail Vikings, 41-37 in rivalry that began in 1922Â
The USF-Augustana series dates back to 1922 when the Cougars recorded a 30-12 win. To this point, Augustana has a 41-37 series lead. USF, which has gone 5-6 in the last 11 games in the series, won the first seven games in the rivalry series by a 215-to-97 points per game margin. In fact, USF won 12-of-13 meetings to open the series with the first Augustana win coming on February 4, 1926 by a 24-20 score. USF, which once led the season series, 30-10, won nine of 11 games from 1926 to 1931. A 42-40 win by USF in 1940-41 was the last match up for the schools for 46 years until Augustana took a 96-74 decision on Nov. 20, 1987. The Cougars ended a seven-game losing steak with a 69-62 come-from-behind victory on Dec. 31, 2016 at the Sioux Falls Arena. It was USF's first win at Augustana since a 93-87 victory at the Elmen Center on Nov. 22, 1994. Augustana defeated USF, 80-78 on Feb. 10, 2017 at the Stewart Center. USF's last win against AU at the Stewart Center was a 77-73 decision on Jan.. 5, 2019. Augustana has won three straight including 75-66 and 67-65 a year ago.
Series - Game-by-Game
1-23-1922 -- vs. Sioux Falls 30 Augustana 12, Sioux Falls (1-0)
3-9-1922 -- vs. Sioux Falls 55 Augustana 16, Sioux Falls, (2-0)
1-19-1923 – Sioux Falls 37 Augustana 11, @ Augustana (3-0)
2-14-1924 – Sioux Falls 28 Augustana 8 @ USF (4-0)
2-28-1924 – Sioux Falls 24 Augustana 20 @ Augustana (5-0)
12/18-1924 – Sioux Falls 17 Augustana 10 @ USF (6-0)
1/27/1925 – Sioux Falls 24 Augustana 20 @ Augustana (7-0)
2/4/1926 -- Augustana 24 Sioux Falls 20 @ Sioux Falls (7-1)
2/24/1926 -- Sioux Falls 24 Augustana 19 @ Augustana (8-1)
1/12/1927 – Sioux Falls 15 Augustana, 13, @ Augustana (9-1)
1/25/1927 – Sioux Falls 29 Augustana, 19, @ Sioux Falls (10-1)
1/14/1928 – Sioux Falls 40 Augustana 29, at Sioux Falls (11-1)
2/25/1928 – Sioux Falls 32 Augustana 9, @ Sioux Falls (12-1)
1/24/1929 – Augustana 31 Sioux Falls 28 @ Augustana (12-2)
1/28/1929 – Augustana 23 Sioux Falls 20 @ USF (12-3)
1/14/1930 – Sioux Falls 26 Augustana 14, @ Sioux Falls (13-3)
2/4/1930 -- Sioux Falls 31 Augustana 16, @ Sioux Falls (14-3)
1/9/1931 – Sioux Falls 27 Augustana 24, @ Augustana (15-3)
2/9/1931 – Sioux Falls 35 Augustana 26, , @ Sioux Falls (16-3)
1/11/1932 – Augustana 24 Sioux Falls 21, @ Augustana (16-4)
1/27/1932 – Sioux Falls 44 Augustana 28, @ Sioux Falls (17-4)
1/9/1933 – Sioux Falls 31 Augustana 30 @ Augustana (18-4)
2/7/1933 – vs. Sioux Falls 32 Augustana 23, Sioux Falls, att. 1500 (19-4)
2/13/1934 – Augustana 35 Sioux Falls 34 , @ Augustana, att. 2000 (19-5)
2/27/1934 – Sioux Falls 33 Augustana 26, @ Sioux Falls, att. 2500 (20-5)
1/16/1935 – Sioux Falls 31 Augustana 25, @ Augustana, att. 1,500 (21-5)
2/16/1935 -- Sioux Falls 31 Augustana 28, @ Sioux Falls (22-5)
1/18/1936 – Augustana 34 Sioux Falls 28 @ Sioux Falls (22-6)
2/10/1936 – Augustana 27 Sioux Falls 24 , @ Augustana (22-7)
1/18/1937 – Augustana 53 Sioux Falls 38, @ Augustana (22-8)
2/15/1937 – Augustana 42 Sioux Falls 32 @ Sioux Falls (22-9)
12/11/1937 -- vs. Sioux Falls 42 Augustana 37, Sioux Falls (23-9)
1/15/1938 – vs. Sioux Falls 51 Augustana 33, Sioux Falls, att. 1,800 (24-9)
2/17/1938 -- vs. Augustana 39 Sioux Falls 33 (24-10)
1/14/1939 -- vs. Sioux Falls 48 Augustana 22 , Sioux Falls, att. 2,500, (25-10)
2/16/1939 -- Sioux Falls 47 Augustana 31, @ Augustana, att. 1,500 (26-10)
1/19/1940 -- vs. Sioux Falls 46 Augustana 42, Sioux Falls, att. 2,500 (27-10)
2/1/1940 -- vs. Sioux Falls 43 Augustana 38, Sioux Falls (28-10)
2/1/1941 -- vs. Sioux Falls 56 Augustana 38, Sioux Falls, att. 2,000 (29-10)
2/11/1941 -- vs. Sioux Falls 42 Augustana 40, Sioux Falls, att. 1,600) (30-10)
11/20/1987 – Augustana 96 Sioux Falls 74 @ Augustana. att. 2,385 (30-11)
12/3/1988 – Augustana 93 Sioux Falls 79 @ Sioux Falls, att. 1,127 (30-12)
11/28/1989 – Augustana 85 Sioux Falls 72 @ Augustana, att. 1,682 (30-13)
11/27/1990 – Augustana 99 Sioux Falls 72 @ Augustana , att. 2,050) (30-14)
11/26/1991 – Augustana 128 Sioux Falls 104 @ Augustana, att. 2,300 (30-15)
11/13/1992 – Augustana 82 Sioux Falls 80 @ Augustana, att. 2,750 (30-16)
11/23/1993 – Augustana 99 Sioux Falls 92 @ Augustana, att. 3,038 (30-17)
11/22/1994 – Sioux Falls 93 Augustana 87 @ Augustana, att. 2,487 (31-17)
11/21/1995 – Augustana 65 Sioux Falls 62 @ Augustana, att. 3,004 (31-18)
11/30/1996 – Augustana 69 Sioux Falls 63 @ Augustana, att. 2,706 (31-19)
11/28/1997 – Augustana 71 Sioux Falls 62 @ Augustana, att. 2,305 (31-20)
11/28/1998 – Augustana 93 Sioux Falls 91 @ Augustana, att. 2,692 (31-21)
11/27/1999 – AU 85 USF 74, attendance, 2,884, @ Augustana (31-22)
12/10/2007 – Augustana 76 USF 50, attendance, 3,013, SF Arena (31-23)
11/19/2008 – Augustana 75 USF 70, attendance, 3,622, SF Arena, (31-24)
11/18/2009 – Augustana 84 USF 64, attendance, 3,513, SF Arena (31-25)
11/17/2010 – Augustana 69 USF 53, attendance, 2,832, SF Arena (31-26)
11/15/2011 – Augustana 64 USF 63, attendance, 2,813, SF Arena (31-27)
12/8/2012 – Augustana 70 USF 58, attendance, 3,805, Elmen Center (31-28)
2/15-2013 – USF 70 Augustana 58, attendance, 1772, Stewart Center (32-28)
12-7-2013 – Augustana 96 USF 77, attendance, 1,451, Stewart Center (32-29)
1-24-2014 – Augustana 94 USF 53, attendance, 3,713, Elmen Center, (32-30)
1-2-15 -- Augustana 82 USF, 47, attendance, 1,677, Stewart Center (32-31)
2-14-15 -- Augustana 78 USF 61, attendance, 3,672, Sioux Falls Arena (32-32)
1-2-16 -- Augustana 88 USF, 70, attendance, 3,426, Sioux Falls Arena (32-33)
2-13-16 -- Augustana 79 USF 71 attendance, 1,738, Stewart Center (32-34)
2-27-16 -- AU 105 USF 100, attendance, 3,182, Sanford Pentagon (32-35)
12/31/16 -- USF 69 Augustana 62, attendance, 2,765, Sioux Falls Arena (33-35)
2/10/17 -- Augustana 80 USF 78, attendance, 1,738, Stewart Center (33-36)
12/31/17 -- USF 70 AU 61 OT, attendance, 1,738, Stewart Center (34-36)
2/9/18 -- USF 88 Augustana 86, attendance, 3,491, Sioux Falls Arena (35-36)
1/5/19 -- USF 77 Augustana 73, attendance, 1,738, Stewart Center (36-36)
2/22/19 -- Augustana 81 USF 65, attendance, 3,027, Elmen Center (36-37)
1/4/20 -- USF 66 Augustana 59, attendance, 2371 Sanford Pentagon (37-37)
2-21-20 -- Augustana 61 USF, 58, attendance, 1,200, Stewart Center ((37-38)
2-13-21- Augustana 75 USF 66, attendance, 301, (37-39)
2-12-21 - Augustana 67 USF 65, attendance, 301, (37-40)
12-2/21 -- Augustana 72 USF 67, attendance, 2,503 (37-41)
Series Marks -- USF trails WSC, 16-15Â
With a 81-79 win on Dec. 4, 2021 at the Stewart Center, USF cut the series deficit to Wayne State to 16-15. The Cougars have won six of the past seven matchups with Wayne earning a 71-46 decision on Feb. 6, 2021 at Rice Auditorium in Wayne, Neb. Earlier last year, the Cougars won, 70-68 on Feb. 5, 2021.Â
WSC won the initial five games of the series before USF took a 41-23 win in 1940-41. USF ended a three-game losing skein to the Wildcats with an 85-75 win over WSC at the Stewart Center on Dec. 6, 2013. In 2014-15, the two teams split with USF defeating Wayne State, 80-77 at the Stewart Center on Jan. 3. On Feb. 13, 2014 at Rice Auditorium, WSC won, 73-50. USF has won four straight with a 75-64 decision at Sioux Falls on Feb. 22, 2020 the most recent contest. USF was led by
Jack Thompson with 18 points while
Devin Green had 13. In that game, Thompson hit four triples and USF had eight as a team. Jordan Janssen led WSC with 19 points and eight rebounds. USF led, 33-28 at the break and outscored WSC, 42-36 in the second half.
USF also had a 77-65 win on Jan. 3., 2020. In a 77-65 win at Wayne on Jan. 3, 2020, USF led 30-28 at half and outscored WSC, 47-37 in the second half.
Austin Slater had a double-double of 15 points and 13 boards to lead USF. Trevon Adams scored 16. In USF's 79-77 win at Wayne, Neb., in 2018-19,
Drew Guebert scored 20 as USF overcame a 45-39 halftime deficit by outscoring the Wildcats, 40-32. On Jan. 4, 2019, USF had a 77-71 win as they led 38-33 at half and outscored WSC, 39-38 in the second half to pull out the six-point win. Trevin Joseph had 35 to lead all scorers while USF had 23 from
Drew Guebert and 16 from
Trevon Evans.Â
All-time Series Breakdown1929-30 -- Wayne State 21 Sioux Falls 19 (0-1-0)
1933-34 -- Wayne State 35 Sioux Falls 21 (0-2-0)
1938-39 -- Wayne State 35 Sioux Falls 34 (0-3-0)
1939-40 -- Wayne State 31 Sioux Falls 30 (0-4-0)
1940-41 -- Wayne State 46 Sioux Falls 45 (0-5-0)
1940-41 -- Sioux Falls 41 Wayne State 23 (1-5-0)
1950-51 -- Wayne State 74 Sioux Falls 48 (1-6-0)
 Sioux Falls 55 Wayne State 54 (2-6-0)
1951-52 -- Wayne State 77 Sioux Falls 54 (2-7-0)
1971-72 -- Wayne State 101 Sioux Falls 84 (2-8-0)
1987-88 -- Sioux Falls 63 Wayne State 62 (3-8-0)
1-30-1990 -- Wayne State 100 Sioux Falls 74 , @ Wayne, Neb., (3-9)
12-7-2012 -- Wayne State 55 Sioux Falls 53 , @ Stewart Center, (3-10)
2-16-2013 -- Wayne State 77 Sioux Falls 57, @ Rice Auditorium (3-11-0)
12-6-2013 -- Sioux Falls 85 Wayne State 75 , @ Stewart Center, (4-11-0)
1/25/2014 -- Sioux Falls 95 Wayne State 83 , @ Rice Auditorium (5-11-0)
1-3-2015 -- Sioux Falls 80 Wayne State 77 @ Stewart Center, (6-11-0)
2-13-2015 -- Wayne State 73 Sioux Falls 50, @ Rice Auditorium, (6-12-0)
1-3-2016 -- Sioux Falls 79 Wayne State 70 , @ Rice Auditorium, (7-12-0)
2-12-16 --- Sioux Falls 79 Wayne State 58 , @ Stewart Center, (8-12-0)
12-30-16 -- Sioux Falls 64 Wayne State 58, @ Rice Auditorium, (9-12-0)
2-11-17 -- Wayne State 80 Sioux Falls 68, @ Stewart Center, (9-13-0)
12-30-17 - Wayne State 78 Sioux Falls 66, @ Stewart Center, 9-14-0)'
2-10-18 -- Wayne State 78 Sioux Falls 64 @ Rice Auditorium (9-15-0)
1-4-19 -- USF 77 Wayne State 71, @ Stewart Center (10-15-0)
2-23-19 -- USF 79 Wayne State 77, @ Rice Auditorium, 11-15-0)
1-3-20 -- USF 77 Wayne State 65, @ Rice Auditorium, (12-15-0)
1-22-20 -- USF 75 Wayne State, 64 @ Stewart Center (13-15-0)
2-5-2021-- USF 70 Wayne State 68 @ Rice Auditorium (14-15)
2-6-2021 --Â Wayne State 71 USF 46, @ Rice Auditorium (14-16)
12-4-2021 -- USF 81 Wayne State 79 @ Stewart Center (15-16)
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NSIC Rankings -- Individual
NSIC Game Highs (USF players)
Points --
Jack Thompson, 34 vs. SMSU, 1-2-22, tied for 4th;
Matt Cartwright, 32 vs Wayne State, 12/4/2021, tied for 10th;
Matt Cartwright, 31, vs Upper Iowa, 12/10/21, tied for 14th
Rebounds --
Chase Grinde, 14, vs Winona State, 12/11/2021, tied for 10th
Assists --
Jack Thompson, 9, vs Dakota State, 11/16, 2021, tied for 7thÂ
3-point field goals --
Matt Cartwright, 7, vs. Upper Iowa, 12/10/2021 tied for 1st; 6, vs. No. 1 Northwest Missouri State, 11/13/2021, tied for 8th.
Player Profiles – Inside look -Â
Senior forward
Matt Cartwright is averaging 19.4 points (1st, NSIC, 49th, NCAA DII) and 3.1 rebounds with 18 double-digit (12, 29, 28, 28, 19, 17, 22, 32, 31, 24, 16, 18, 22, 14, 15, 29, 22, 20) scoring games. Cartwright (408 total points) has scored 28 or more points in seven games and has 11 20-point games this season and 22 in his career. His 66 threes gives his 210 in his career as he now has 1,225 points. Cartwright ranks first in the NSIC and 18th in DII with 3.1 triples per game and with 210 in his career has passed the 200 mark. He is third in the NSIC and 42nd in DII with 66 made three-pointers. His career-high is 37 points against Minnesota Crookston in 2018-19 with a high of 32 points at USF against Wayne State on Dec. 4. He has totaled 55 double-digit scoring games with 22 of 20 points or more and four over 30. Cartwright is tied for first in the NSIC with seven made threes in a game vs Upper Iowa, 12/10/2021; and his six threes from No. 1 Northwest Missouri State on 1113/2021 is tied for seventh. Â
Sophomore guard
Jack Thompson is supplying 12.9 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals. He ranks second in the NSIC and 10th in DII an assist/turnover ratio of 3.1 and is sixth in the NSIC with 4.0 assists per game. Thompson had a career-high 34 points in a 72-71 overtime win over SMSU on Jan. 2 and was named the NSIC South Division Player of the Week for the first time in his career. In the game, he scored 15 straight points and had 28 in the second half. It is the most points in a half by a player since Jordan Stotts had 32 (34 overall) against Upper Iowa in 2013.  An honorable mention All-NSIC in 2019-20, he has started 54-of-62 games with 33 career double-digit scoring games with 20 starts in 21 games this season He had a career-best five triples against Augustana on Jan. 4, 2020. He also has high of nine assists against Dakota State on Nov. 16, 2021. He has scored 699 career points, including 271 this season. Â
Junior guard
Chase Grinde, who has 50 double-digit scoring games and six 20-point games, is supplying 11.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Grinde, who has 979 career points (242 in 2021-22) had a season-high 24 points against Chadron State. His career-high is 29 against MSU Moorhead on Feb. 8, 2020 and five times has registered nine rebounds in a game. With 14 points and a career-high 14 rebounds against Winona State on Dec. 11, 2021, he had his first-career double-double. He added a second double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds on Feb. 5 against Minnesota State. His career-best in assists is eight against Minot State. Grinde has 498 career rebounds, 77 made three-pointers (15 this year and a high of 32 in 2019-20), 214 assists, and 98 steals.Â
Senior center
Austin Slater, who has a career total of five double-doubles and 15 double-digit scoring along with 14 double-digit rebound games, is supplying 3.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. In his career, Slater has totaled 602 points and 663 rebounds,. He has 51 blocked shots, 42 steals and made 17-of-63 from the three-point range for 27.4 percent. Slater has made 71 starts and played in a team-high 123 games. He is one of five players ever to play in more than 120 games for the Cougars.
Noah Puetz is averaging 4.3points and 2.8 rebounds this season with a career-high of 12 points vs Concordia St. Paul on Feb. 4.. He has played 27 career games with nine starts and has three double-digit games.
USF Game-By-Game Review - 2021-22
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 from 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 USF 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. 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. Â
G3 – USF 71 Dakota State 61 --
Matt Cartwright scored 28 points and
Jack Thompson had a 17 to USF to a 71-61 nonconference victory over Dakota State (2-6) in USF's home opener at the Stewart Center. Cartwright hit 12-of-24 field goals, including 2-of-6 from three-point range while grabbing five rebounds and recording an assist and steal. Thompson was 6-of-11 from the floor and added nine assists, three rebounds and two steals in a solid floor game. USF outscored Dakota State, 29-21, in the first half and had a 42-40 edge in the second 20 minutes for the 71-61 win and a second straight decision over the Trojans. Overall, USF was 27-of-59 from the field for 45.8 percent, which included 7-of-19 from the three-point range for 36.8 percent. The Cougars, which had a 19-6 margin in points from turnovers, made 10-of-14 free throws for 71.4 percent. USF also had a 9-2 margin in fast-break points and had a 12-11 margin in points off the bench.
G4 – USF 74 Chadron State 56 -- The trio of
Matt Cartwright,
Chase Grinde and
Jake Kettner combined for 69 points to lead the University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team (3-1) to a third straight nonconference win in a 96-78 decision over Chadron State (0-4) on Friday night. For the third straight game, Cartwright, a senior from Sioux Falls, S.D., scored at least 28 points in a win. In his 28 tonight, he hit 9-of-13 from the field with 3-of-4 from three-point range and 7-of-9 free throws while adding four rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes.  Junior guard
Chase Grinde had a season-high with 24 points as he surpassed double digit scoring for the 35th time and the first time this season. He now has six 20-point games in his career. On the night, the Spring Grove, Minn., native, made 10-of-14 field goals, including 1-of-3 from three and 3-of-3 at the foul line while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing three assists in 24 minutes. Also for USF,
Jake Kettner of New Ulm, Minn., had a career-high of 19 points as he was 6-of-11 from the field and 2-of-3 from three while hitting 5-of-6 foul shots. The Cougars, which defeated Chadron State for a third straight time in the series, had a season high with 20 assists, committed just seven turnovers and owned a 32-26 edge in rebounds. The Cougars raced to a 47-29 lead by halftime and with 49 points in the second half recorded a season-high points in the 96-78 decision. The point total is the highest offensive output most since recording a 96-51 win over Minot State in the NSIC playoffs on Feb. 27, 2019. On the night, USF hit 54.2 percent from the field on 32-of-59 shooting. USF was 7-of-15 from the three-point range and 25-of-32 for 78.1 percent at the foul line. USF had a 28-20 margin with points in the paint, 33-31 total in bench points and a 10-8 advantage in points off the break.
G5 -- SMSU 70 USF 69 -- In a back and forth tussle, USF dropped a close 70-69 decision to Southwest Minnesota State (4-1, 1-0 NSIC) in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference opener at the Stewart Center on Tuesday night (Nov. 23). SMSU now has a 23-15 lead in the all-time series. In the series, SMSU has won five of the seven games decided by two points or fewer. USF was led by senior guard
Matt Cartwright, who had 19 points, including 4-of-11 from three-point range. USF had three players in double-digits with junior guard
Chase Grinde adding 12 points, a team-high seven rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot.
Jack Thompson added 10 points with a team-high six assists, two rebounds and a steal.Â
G6 - Mary 83 USF 74 -- USF, which had 17 points by
Matt Cartwright, dropped an 83-74 nonconference decision to U-Mary (2-3) on Friday (Nov. 26) at the Microtel Thanksgiving Classic. Oba finished with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. In total USF had five players in double digits as
Jack Thompson and
Jake Kettner both scored 11 points and
Chase Grinde had 10 points and seven rebounds. USF led, 36-28, at halftime but was outscored 55-38 in the second half by the Marauders. USF finished 29-of-66 from the field for 43.9 percent and made 8-of-25 from three-point range for 32 percent. In addition, USF, which was outrebounded, 37-36, hit 8-of-13 free throws for 61.5 percent.Â
G7 -- Sioux Falls 80 MSUM 76 --
Matt Cartwright scored a game-high 22 points while
Jack Thompson added 16 points and
Chase Grinde had 15 to lead the University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team to 80-76 win over Minnesota State Moorhead in nonconference play at the Microtel Thanksgiving Classic which concluded on Saturday (Nov. 27). In a game that featured numerous runs by both sides and 24 lead changes as well as 22 ties, the Cougars prevailed with a closing run of 11-2 over the final 2:58 of regulation. USF trailed, 74-69 before Cartwright hit a three and was fouled with the "and 1" drawing USF within a point at 74-73. The Cougars then closed on a 7-2 run for the win. Key in the final moments was four points from Thompson in the final 1:20 of the game. His foul shots gave USF a 75-74 lead and with 37 seconds left and converted a drive into points for a four-point lead (78-74). Â
G8 -- Augustana 72 USF 67 -- In a city rivalry battle, which included 10 lead changes and six times, USF dropped a 72-67 decision to Augustana (7-1, 1-1 NSIC) on Dec. 2 at the Pentagon. USF, which trailed just 26-25 at halftime, was outscored 46-42, in the second half. With the loss, USF is now 0-2 in league play and 4-4 overall. They now trail Augustana, 41-37, in the all-time series. The two schools will meet later this year on Thursday, Feb. 17 at the Stewart Center. Against AU, the Cougars were led by 18 points from freshman guard
Jake Kettner, who hit 5-of-11 shots from the field and was 4-of-7 from three-point range. Sophomore guard
Jack Thompson chipped in with 13 points, eight assists, two steals and three rebounds. For the game, USF hit 25-of-59 field goals for 44 percent and made 7-of-21 from the three-point range for 33.3 percent. USF, which had a 36-to-27 rebound edge, hit 10-of-14 from the line. Â
G9 -- USF 81 Wayne State 79: Matt Cartwright scored 32 points, including hitting the game-winning shot with 6.2 seconds left, to rally USFÂ to a gritty come-from-behind win over Wayne State on Dec. 4 at the Stewart Center. With the victory, USF won for the 15th time in 31 games with Wayne State and its sixth win in the last seven meetings between the two schools. It was quite a day for Cartwright, who not only had his first 30-point game at USF, but his season-high total of 32 points pushed him past 1,000 points for his career and sits at 1,006. Cartwright, who scored 17 points in the first half, helped USF rally from down, 54-40 at the 15:42 mark of the second half, to earn a win and end a two-game slide. Cartwright hit 13-of-19 field goals, including 2-of-6 from three-point range and 4-of-5 at the foul line. In his first start at USF, Cedric Johnson came up big with his high at USF of 14 points while adding eight rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block to his total.
Chase Grinde had 10 points, five rebounds and led USF with six assists. Â
G10 – Upper Iowa 86 USF 79 – USF, which had a game-high 31 points from
Matt Cartwright, lost a shootout with Upper Iowa, 86-79, in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division play on Dec. 10 at the Stewart Center. While a winter storm bristled outside, both USF and Upper Iowa put on an offensive show in the second half with a combined 103 points. USF, which trailed, 36-26, at the break, outscored the Peacocks, 53-50, over the final 20 minutes but just came up short. USF opened the second half on a 26-to-16 run to draw even with the Peacocks at 50-50 (10:44) but couldn't sustain the run as UIU closed on a 36-29 advantage. Cartwright, a senior from Sioux Falls, S.D., had 31 points for his second straight game of 30 points or better. Cartwright hit a career-best seven three-point field goals on 16 attempts and added two rebounds. In addition, USF had a big night from
Chase Grinde, a junior guard from Spring Grove, Minn., who had 15 points and eight rebounds. He was 6-of-12 from the floor and hit 1-of-3 from three-point range. USF also had 10 points, five assists and four rebounds from
Jake Kettner while
Jack Thompson had eight points, three assists and a rebound before fouling out. Â
G11 – USF 71 Winona State 57 -Â
Matt Cartwright scored 24 points,
Chase Grinde had his first career double (14 points, 14 rebounds) and
Luke Healy scored 13 off the bench to lead USF past Winona State (6-4, 2-3 NSIC), 71-57, in NSIC South Division play at the Stewart Center. The Cougars also defeated the Warriors for the fourth straight time and now own a 10-7 series advantage. Grinde, a junior guard from Spring Grove, Minn., had a career-high 14 rebounds, including 12 on the defensive glass. On 6-of-11 shooting, including a triple, he had 14 points along with three assists in 31 minutes on the floor. In his 47th double-digit scoring game, Cartwright of Sioux Falls, S.D., had 24 points on 9-of-23 shooting from the floor, adding a pair of triples and two assists. In his first game for USF, Healy, a freshman from Hudson, Wisc., stepped up. With two starters out, Healy had 13 points and four rebounds with two assists, two steals and a blocked shot. He was 4-of-7 from the floor, including 1-of-2 from three-point range and 4-of-4 at the foul line. The Cougars owned a commanding 44-to-30 rebounds margin with 11 off the offensive glass as Slater had three offensive boards. As a result, USF had a 15-to-2 margin in second-chance points. USF, which had a 19-to-3 margin in bench points, also used the break to its advantage to the tune of 9-to-2. After trailing by 11 points (23-12) with 10:26 to play in the first half, USF closed on an 18-to-11 run to draw within, 34-30, at the break. Then in the second half, USF dominated the boards to a tune of 29-to-13 and outshot WSU, 42.4 percent (14-of-33), to 31.0 percent (9-of-29) to outscore the Warriors, 41-23.Â
G12 - Minnesota State 81 USF 63 -- A short-handed University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team (6-6, 2-4 NSIC) dropped an 81-63 decision to Minnesota State (8-3, 3-3 NSIC) at the Taylor Center at Bresnan Arena on Dec. 17. USF, which had two starters out, was led by a pair of players who reached career-bests. Senior forward
Marko Coudreau scored 13 points for his top mark at USF and junior Will Kondrat reached double-digits for the first time at USF with a team-high 14 points. USF, which was outscored, 48-23, in the first half after shooting just 25 percent, outscored MSU, 40-33, in the second half to cut the deficit to 81-63. In the final 20 minutes, the Cougars hit on 17-of-32 field goals for 53.1 percent.
G13 -- USF 80 Concordia St. Paul 69 -- Led by sophomore guard
Jack Thompson with 17 points and 12 from redshirt freshman
Jake Kettner, the University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team (7-6, 3-4 NSIC) closed 2021 with a road win in an 80-69 decision over Concordia St. Paul (1-12, 0-7 NSIC) at the Gangelhoff Center on Dec. 18. Overall, USF, despite missing two starters, had a balanced attack with 10 players putting points on the board and eight players scoring six or more. The Cougars had a 20-10 run in the first half to move to a 38-25 lead before extending the margin to 46-28 at the half-time break. CSP outscored USF, 41-34, in the second half but the Cougars maintained a double-digit lead for most half in defeating the Golden Bears for a ninth straight time dating to 2017. For the game, the Cougars hit 26-of-66 shots for 39.4 percent with 6-of-19 from three-point range for 31.6 percent. USF, which made 22-of-27 free throws for 81.5 percent, dominated the boards at a 47-30 margin and committed just 10 turnovers. The Cougars also shared the ball with 16 assists on 26 made baskets.
G14 -- USF 72 SMSU 71 --
Jack Thompson scored a career-high 34 points and led a 10-4 rally in overtime to lift USF (8-6, 4-4 NSIC) to a come-from-behind 72-71 win over Southwest Minnesota State (8-5, 4-4 NSIC) in NSIC South Division play on Sunday, Jan. 2 at the R/A Facility in Marshall, Minn. For the game, Thompson hit 8-of-21 field goals, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, while knocking in 16-of-19 foul shots. He also had four rebounds, three assists and four steals in his career-best performance. Thompson scored 15 points straight for USF at one point in the second half and scored 28 overall after halftime. His previous career-best was 27 vs Minnesota State on Jan. 31, 2021. However Thompson beat that total in second half and overtime as he averaged better than a point a minute in those 25 minutes to play. After trailing 24-15 in the first half, USF closed with a 12-6 run to draw within, 30-27, at the break. In the second half, USF had a 33-30 edge over SMSU as the game was tied at 60 to force overtime. In the extra session, USF had a 12-11 advantage to earn the hard-fought win. Also for USF, junior guard
Chase Grinde added 10 points and eight rebounds with two assists, two steals and two blocks in 39 minutes.
Noah Puetz, who made his second career start, added a career-high 11 points and three rebounds with two steals. He hit a clutch three-pointer in the final two minutes of overtime to help USF rally for the win. Â
G15 -- Northern State 79 USF 72 -- For the second straight game, USF was led in scoring by sophomore guard
Jack Thompson, who had 21 points, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, but fell at Northern State, 79-72. Thompson also had six rebounds, two assists and two steals in 31 minutes on the floor.
Matt Cartwright recorded his 48th double digit scoring game, including 11 at USF, by scoring 16 points, adding four rebounds and three assists. Junior guard
Chase Grinde had his 44th career double digit scoring game with 15 points, four rebounds. USF also had 11 rebounds from
Austin Slater, who added five points and four assists. It is Slater's 10th double-digit rebound game of his career. USF, which had a 21-13 lead in the first half, had a one-point edge at halftime at 25-24 but NSU outscored, USF, 55-47 in the second half as both teams shot the ball extremely effectively. The key to the game was at the foul line where NSU had a 34-to-10 advantage even though USF had a 27-to-21 margin in field goals. Â
G16 - USF 72 Bemidji State 65 -- With a closing run of 33-12, USF rallied past Bemidji State (6-10, 3-9 NSIC) on Friday (Jan. 21) at the Stewart Center. The Cougars, which had four players score in double-digits, trailed 53-39 with 13:03 to play. Then, sparked by Cedric Johnson, who had nine of his 12 points in the second half, USF put together their closing run of 33-12. USF was led by
Matt Cartwright, who scored 18 points and hit a trio of three-pointers while grabbing three rebounds and blocking a shot. Johnson had 12 points as he scored in double-digits for the second time at USF and 10th in his career. Also reaching double-digits for the second time at USF was freshman guard
Noah Puetz, who had 10 points with a career-best seven rebounds and hit a pair of triples. Junior guard
Chase Grinde added 10 points, two rebounds and two steals.Â
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G17 -- USF 73 Minn. Crookston 47 --
Matt Cartwright,
Jack Thompson and
Chase Grinde scored in double-digits to lift USF (10-7, 6-5 NSIC) to a 73-47 NSIC cross-divisional win over Minnesota Crookston (6-13, 3-10 NSIC) on Saturday evening (Jan. 22) at the Stewart Center. Cartwright had 22 points to lead all scorers on the night. USF also had 14 points, six rebounds and three assists from sophomore guard
Jack Thompson, who now has 30 double-digit scoring games in his career. Thompson hit 6-of-11 field goals and was 2-of-2 at the foul stripe. Junior forward
Chase Grinde added 13 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal in 29 minutes. Also for USF,
Noah Puetz had nine points and four rebounds while
Jake Kettner added six points, a steal and two rebounds. In the past two games, USF has shut down the opponent's three-point shooters. Bemidji State hit 6-of-25 for 24 percent and UMC was 5-of-20 for 25 percent. In total, USF's perimeter defense held the two opponents to 11-of-45 or 24.4 percent. Â
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G18 -- St. Cloud State 72 USF 63 --Despite placing three players in double-digits, USF dropped a 72-63 decision at St. Cloud State (9-10, 5-7 NSIC) on Jan. 28 in Halenbeck Hall. USF, which led early, 14-6, trailed 24-23 at halftime before SCSU had a 48-40 margin in the second half to pick up the win. Junior guard
Chase Grinde led USF in scoring with 18 points and seven rebounds Senior guard
Matt Cartwright scored 14 points, including making 4-of-10 shots from three-point range. Sophomore guard
Jack Thompson added 10 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals. Senior forward
Austin Slater had six points with 11 rebounds. Overall, USF was 25-of-63 for 39.7 percent from the field with 5-of-17 from three-point range for 29.4 percent. The Cougars, which lost the rebound battle, 38-36, were outscored at the foul line, 21-to-8, a major factor in the final tally. SCSU was 23-of-57 from the field for 40.4 percent and 5-of-18 for 27.8 percent from three-point range. SCSU, which hit 46.7 percent (14-of-30) in the second half as they earned the win. Caleb Donaldson had 18 points and six rebounds while Anthony Roberts had a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. Â
G19 -- Minnesota Duluth 98 USF 64 -- USF, which had career highs from
Luke Healy (16) and
Jack Cartwright (15), dropped a 98-64 decision to No. 11 Minnesota Duluth (19-2, 12-2 NSIC) on Jan. 29 in NSIC cross-divisional play at Romano Gym. Healy scored 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field as he recorded his second career double-digit scoring game.
Jack Cartwright registered his first-ever double-digit scoring game and had a career-high with 15 points as he knocked in a career-best three triples in eight attempts. Also reaching double-digits was
Chase Grinde, who made it for the 48th time in his career as he finished with 10 points along with six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Overall, USF was 24-of-67 from the field for 35.8 percent. The Cougars were outrebounded, 34-27, and committed 12 turnovers. UMD, which had 33 points from Drew Blair and 22 by Austin Andrews, came into the game as the highest-scoring team in the league.Â
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G20 -- USF 66 Concordia St. Paul 64 --
Matt Cartwright scored 15 points to lead USF to the home win and sweep of the season series. USF now leads CSP, 20-6 all-time. After two road losses, the Cougars had a bounce back win where they controlled the rebounds, 38-to-33, and shared the basketball with 16 assists on 24 made baskets. Overall, USF hit 24-of-62 field goals for 38.1 percent but knocked in 11-of-33 from three-point range for 33.3 percent, a mark well above its average of 7.4 made threes per game. In addition, USF had eight steals and had just nine turnovers as they had a 17-to-11 margin in points off turnovers. USF also used the rebound margin to a 9-to-5 advantage in second chance points.
Noah Puetz had a career-high with 12 points and
Jack Thompson also had 12. USF led, 37-29, at the halftime break.
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G21 -- Minn. State 77 USF 69 -- –
Matt Cartwright scored 29 points and
Chase Grinde had his second career double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) but the USF dropped a 77-69 NSIC South Division decision to Minnesota State on Feb. 5 at the Stewart Center. After MSU raced to a 10-0 lead in the opening two minutes of the game, USF rebounded and took a 38-35 halftime lead. However, MSU outscored USF, 42-31, in the second half to earn the victory. While USF had a massive advantage of 44-to-34 on the glass, including 18 offensive rebounds, the Mavericks earned the win with a solid shooting effort. The Mavericks converted 26-of-54 from the field for 48.1 percent, including 7-of-15 from three-point range (46.7 percent) while making 18-of-30 foul shots. USF was not quite as successful as they hit 25-of-72 field goals for 34.7 percent and made just 6-of-29 shots from three-point range for 20.7 percent. USF was solid at the line by converting 13-of-15 free throws for 86.7 percent. In the paint, MSU had a 36-to-28 points advantage while USF had a 13-to-8 margin on second-chance points. Cartwright scored 20 points or more for the 20th time in his career as he had 29 by making 10-of-23 field goals, including 5-of-14 from three-point range while grabbing five rebounds. Grinde registered his second career-double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
G22 -- Winona State 76 USF 75 --
Matt Cartwright scored 22 points and led four players in double-digits but USF dropped a heartbreaker in the final seconds to Winona State, 76-75, on Friday (Feb. 11). WSU had a game-winning lay-up from Devin Whitelow as time expired to lift WSU to the win. Cartwright scored 20 points (22) or more for the second straight game and the 10th time this season. Cartwright hit 8-of-17 shots from the floor and 4-of-9 from three-point range while grabbing two rebounds and adding a pair of assists. Sophomore guard
Jack Thompson supplied 16 points and seven rebounds with three assists and two blocked shots. Also reaching double-digits was junior guard
Chase Grinde, who did it for the 50th time in his career. With 11 points, as well as two rebounds and two assists, Grinde now has 979 career points. Sophomore guard
Jake Kettner had 12 points and six rebounds with two blocks. This was certainly a game of runs as the Cougars opened on a 20-2 opening run and led 26-5 with 12:53 to play in the first half. However, WSU closed to 43-38 at halftime and then after trailing, 73-65 with five minutes to play had a 11-2 closing run.
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G23 -- No. 19 Upper Iowa 82 USF 58 --Â
Matt Cartwright scored 20 points while
Jack Cartwright and
Noah Puetz provided 10 each but USF fell to No. 19 Upper Iowa, 82-58, on Saturday night (Feb. 11). USF took an early 14-8 lead over Upper Iowa before the Peacocks closed the half on a 39-to-22 run to take a 47-36 halftime advantage. UIU outscored USF, 35-22, in the second half for the 82-58 win and with it, swept the season series with the Cougars. For the third straight game, senior guard
Matt Cartwright scored 20 points or more. With 20 points, he made 7-of-16 shots from the field, including 3-of-10 from three-point range along with three rebounds and both an assist and a steal. Joining him in double-digits was his brother,
Jack Cartwright, with 10 points in 16 minutes. In his second career double-digit scoring game, he hit a pair of triples in four attempts while grabbing five rebounds with a steal. Sophomore forward
Noah Puetz supplied 10 points and seven rebounds as he had his fourth career double-digit scoring game. USF also had seven points from
Luke Healy. The Peacocks outshot USF and won the board battle. In the opening half, UIU made 19-of-31 field goals for 61.3 percent and 2-of-7 from three-point range. USF was just 13-of-41 for 31.7 percent and 5-of-19 from three-point range for 26.3 percent. Â
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