MINOT, N.D. – A busy holiday week is in store for the Minot State men's basketball team following a victory in the home opener. Things begin to ramp up as the Beavers usher in the start of conference play for the first time in the 2024-25 season.

Minot State faces the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles before they head on the road for two games in the Mount Rushmore State. And for the first time in a while, the Beavers compete against the South Dakota School of Mines along with Black Hills State in back-to-back days.

Minot State (6-0) and Minnesota Crookston (1-3) will tip off at the MSU Dome tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. (CT) right after the Minot State women finalize their duel with Crookston.

The Beavers will then travel to South Dakota for games on Friday and Saturday. A day after the Thanksgiving festivities, Minot State hits the hardwood versus the Hardrockers (0-6) at 7:00 p.m. (CT).

Wrapping up the week on Saturday will be a solo contest with the Yellow Jackets (3-3). Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m. (CT).

Minot State has had a long stretch of dominance over the Golden Eagles, having won 34 of 39 total games against Minnesota Crookston all-time. The latest was a 76-61 win on December 30, 2023. As for Mines and Black Hills, the Beavers way back with them. The last time the Beavers and Rockers saw each other was November 14, 2014, where Minot State was victorious 82-76. As for the Jackets, they bested the Beavers in their previous time out in Spearfish, SD with a 79-69 decision.

Minnesota Crookston is led in scoring by Reid Grant and Chandler Meeks, who will be players to watch when they come to the Dome. Grant averages 14.3 PPG with Meeks right behind him at an even 14.0 PPG. Grant can also set up teammates for success. He shares the ball enough at a rate of 5.75 assists per game.

The starting unit continues to thrive for Minot State, as all 5 starters have averaged double-digit scoring in 6 games. Top on the list for the Beavers is Caleb Van De Griend. Not only does he lead the Beavers in scoring, but he has also started to average double figures in rebounds. The double-double pace is good for 16.7 in PPG and 11.3 in RPG. Jalen Cook (15.7 PPG) and Ayouba Berthe (15.5 PPG) are neck-and-neck as the other scoring guards. Jaxon Gunville lives at the arc, with an astounding 27 of 62 from three (43%) so far this season.
 
Recent Games
Minot State opened the home slate with an 86-74 victory in a non-conference matchup against in-state foe University of Jamestown. The win pushed the Beavers to a 6-0 record. The starting unit scored in double figures once again, led by Caleb Van De Griend's double-double with 23 points and 15 rebounds. Jaxon Gunville followed as the second leading scorer with 15, with Sam West and Ayouba Berthe matching each other's efforts with 13 points each. Jalen Cook rounded out the scoring from starters with 12 points. Trey Brandt provided a boost from the bench with 8 points on the day.