MINOT, ND- The Minot State men's basketball team returns to action Thursday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Aberdeen, SD. against Northern State University. The Beavers then return home on Saturday, Feb. 19 for a 3:30 p.m. matchup against Minnesota State University Moorhead to conclude the regular season.

Last Time Out
Minot State (15-7 overall, 9-7 NSIC) enters the final weekend of the regular season winners of three consecutive games. Most recently, an 89-81 victory over St. Cloud State and an 80-63 victory over the No. 6 ranked Bulldogs of Minnesota Duluth.

Max Cody scored a season high 31 points in Friday's victory over St. Cloud State. Kody Dwyer sparked the Minot State offense against Minnesota Duluth with 18 points to surpass 1000 career points as a Beaver.

Scouting Northern State
Northern State (17-11 overall, 11-9 NSIC) enters the weekend winners of back-to-back games over Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. The Wolves of Northern State were defeated by Minot State in their first meeting this year 79-69. The Wolves enter the final weekend of the regular season with four players averaging over 10 points per game. Lead by Junior guard Sam Masten with 15.3 points per game.

Scouting the Dragons
Minnesota State University Moorhead (14-11 overall, 9-7 NSIC) enters the weekend on a three-game winning streak. In their first matchup with Minot State this season, the Beavers defeated the Dragons 88-74. Junior guard Lorenzo McGhee leads the Dragons in scoring with 12.8 points per game on over 50% shooting from the field.

Playoff Scenarios
Minot State (15-7 overall, 9-7 NSIC) finds themselves in second place of the NSIC North. With the top six teams in each side of the NSIC reaching the conference tournament, Minot State has already clinched a playoff berth. The Beavers await the results of the final weekend of regular season play to determine if they receive a first-round bye and automatically advance to the quarterfinals, host a first-round game or travel for a first-round game.