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Teams: Minot State at University of Mary | Series: MSU leads 33-30
Date: Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014 | Time: 6 p.m. | Site: McDowell Activity Center

THIS WEEK: Minot State begins Northern Sun Intercollege Conference play with a trip south to Bismarck, N.D., to take on rival University of Mary. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., at the McDowell Activity Center on Nov. 29.

RECORDS: Minot State is 4-1 overall heading into Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. The Beavers are currently undefeated on their home floor. U-Mary comes into this week with a 2-2 overall record. The Marauders are 0-1 at home while they boast winning record of 2-1 on the road. Last season the Beavers finished 4-18 in the NSIC while the Marauders ended the season with a 5-17 record in the conference.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State's Matt Murken is in his third season as head coach of the Beavers. He is 22-37 during his time with Minot State and is 67-45 throughout his five year head coaching career. In his first season with the MSU, Murken increased the Beavers' win total by six from the previous year including the program's first ever win against a NCAA Division II ranked opponent (68-62, No. 19 St. Cloud State, Jan. 5, 2012). Before his time at Minot State, Murken was the head coach at the University of Jamestown where he compiled and impressive 46-16 overall record and was named Dakota Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2012. Jevin Budde is currently in his fourth season as the U-Mary Marauders head basketball coach. Budde has an overall record of 19-61 during his time at U-Mary. The four-year head coach compiled his best record with the program back in 2011-12 when the Marauders finished 8-18 overall and 7-15 in the Northern Sun.

FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: The game is broadcast locally on KCJB 910-AM with Scott Kittell calling the play-by-play. Live audio can be accessed online at kcjb.com. MSU provides live video and live stats as well as links to the live audio at msubeavers.com. Minot State Athletics also is active on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube with all feeds accessible at msubeavers.com/stayconnected.

RANKINGS: Minot State and the University of Mary did not receive any votes in the latest poll released by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. However, two Northern Sun teams did receive votes as Minnesota State came in ranked as the No. 14 team in the nation while Augustana College came in ranked as the No. 19 ranked team in the country.

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State heads into Northern Sun play on a three game winning streak, their longest winning streak since they started the 2013-14 season with five straight wins. In the Beavers' most recent game, they defeated Dickinson State University 83-76 after getting out to a 46-28 lead at halftime. Minot State is shooting the ball relatively well this season, hitting 47.5 percent of their shots from the field while holding their opponents to just a 41.5 percent shooting percentage. The Beavers also hold a significant advantage on the boards against their opponents, outrebounding the opposition by an average of 17.0 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORY: Since Minot State made the transition to NCAA Division II, the Beavers hold a 4-1 advantage against the University of Mary Marauders. In the 2013-14 season, the Beavers went 2-0 against U-Mary but not without grinding out an overtime win in their first meeting of the season when the Beavers came out on top with a 96-87 win. Later in the season, the Beavers took it to the Marauders, coming away with a convincing 71-49 win that broke a five game losing streak in the middle of the NSIC season. Minot State leads the all-time series 33-30, dating back to the 1976-77 season.

NOTING THE MARAUDERS: The University of Mary heads into Northern Sun play fresh off a 92-75 loss against Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, Calif. The previous day (11/21) the Marauders started their California road trip off right when they defeated Saint Katherine College by a score of 81-43. So far this season, U-Mary has struggled the most at the defensive end of the floor as they're allowing their opponents to shoot 49.3 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from behind the three-point line, although they are averaging and impressive 6.7 steals per game. While the Marauders have shot 47.7 percent from the field themselves, the Marauders have dug themselves a -3.7 scoring margin early in the season.

GETTING BIG ON 'EM: While Lamont Prosser (Sr., F, Fort Wayne, Ind.) scored only two points in the Beavers previous game against Dickinson State, the 6-8 transfer from Portland State has shown he's a force to be reckoned with. Against Mayville State this past Sunday, Prosser dropped 21 points in just 24 minutes while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out two assists. Aside from his game against Dickinson State, Prosser is averaging 12.8 ppg in just 17.8 minutes per game.

THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE: Known for his constant work ethic and seemingly always getting shots up in the gym, Thomas Korf (Sr., F, St. Cloud, Minn.) is seeing his hard work pay dividends so far this season. The senior co-captain is averaging 12.2 ppg including a career-high performance against Dickinson State where he dropped 25 points on 9-13 shooting and 7-11 shooting from behind the arc.

Year      Korf's Top Scoring Games    Points
14-15     Dickinson State                      25
11-12     Rocky Mountain                      20
12-13     Minnesota-Duluth                    19
13-14     Dickinson State                      18

SAFE HAVEN: The Beavers are off to a quick start so far this year at home sitting at a perfect 2-0, but the team will be tested shortly as they begin a three-game road trip starting this weekend at U-Mary. The following weekend, Minot State will travel to MSU-Moorhead and Northern State as they continue Northern Sun play. The Beavers are currently 1-0 on the road and 1-1 on neutral courts.

A FRESH LOOK SQAUD: The 2014-15 Minot State Beavers will look significantly different than they did last season as only six Beavers return to the team for the 2014-15 season. Fortunately for Minot State, three of the six returners are starters so the team will look to mix in the newcomers this season with some seasoned veterans.

A BALANCED ATTACK: While it may be early in the season, the Beavers are sharing the ball well and getting contributions from multiple players on the floor. Five different Beavers are averaging double figures for Minot State, headlined by Dominque McDonald's (Jr., G, Raleigh, N.C.) 12.8 points per game. Thomas Korf (Sr., F, St. Cloud, Minn.) is a close second in scoring average, scoring 12.2 ppg.

TROUBLE AT THE CHARITY STRIPE: The Beavers are shooting the ball relatively well, knocking down 47.5 percent of their shots but the team is struggling to put the ball in the hole at the free throw line. Minot State is currently shooting 61.8 percent from line, the second worst percentage in the NSIC. The Beavers have gotten to the line the fifth-most times in the conference (123 attempts), so free throws will become more of a factor for the team over the course of the season.

BY THE NUMBERS
3: Minot State is in the midst of a three game winning streak, their longest such streak since the Beavers won five straight games to open the 2013-14 season.

16.7: U-Mary's Damonta Henry will be a player the Beavers look to key in on this weekend as his average of 16.7 ppg is good for fifth-most points in the NSIC this season.

43.2: The Beavers are proving to be one of the best teams in the NSIC when it comes to crashing the boards. Minot State's 43.2 rebounds per game are good for second in the NSIC.