MINOT, N.D. – It was a long and rugged road trip away from the MSU Dome, but it was finalized with a key win in Sioux Falls to end the stretch on a high note. Now for the Minot State men's basketball team, they hope to transform it into a winning streak as they arrive back to the Magic City.

Up next for the Beavers is another pair of NSIC powers in the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears and Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.

Minot State (18-3, 9-3 NSIC) starts a busy weekend in a huge Friday evening tilt with the Bears (14-4, 9-3 NSIC), who sit one spot behind the Beavers in the standings. Tip-off is set for 5:30. Then, the Duluth Bulldogs (12-5, 7-4 NSIC) make their way to Minot for a Saturday matinee. Start time is at 3:30 in the Dome.

The Bears and Bulldogs are confident heading into the weekend, riding 2-game and 5-game winning streaks respectively. Minot State is going to have their hands full again this time around, but if history tells a story, the Beavers have been mostly favorable in the all-time series. They are 9-3 against the Bears. In the previous clash which happened in Minot, the Beavers picked up a narrow 70-67 win back on February 17, 2024.

For Duluth, they have a slight advantage by carrying a 13-9 record versus the Beavers. The Bulldogs edged out the Beavers 94-90 last year on that same weekend in February (2/16/2024). UMD has been rolling as they are coming off a 107-67 victory over Minnesota Crookston last weekend. Concordia St. Paul was also successful in their last contest, as they registered a close 70-68 win of Bemidji.

One thing is certain: there is no shortage of talent in the Northern Sun. Headlining an improved Concordia St. Paul team is superstar guard Antwan Kimmons. Hailing right from St. Paul, Kimmons play has been stellar while leading the Bears with a mind-boggling 25.2 PPG to go with 7.1 RPG. If that was not enough, you are going to have to pick your poison with the next three. Marcus Skeete, Ben Kopetzki, and Cade Meyer all average 14.1 PPG or higher. It feels as if any of those guys can get hot in what is a great starting five unit.

On Minnesota Duluth's side, Charlie Katona is reeling in 16.5 PPG and 6.6 RPG. The fifth year Senior leads in both categories as he looks to finish his career strong.

Minot State will match with Caleb Van De Griend, as the double-double machine has been brilliant for the Beavers. The fans in Minot know how good he has been seeing his play in-person. With 19.2 PPG and 13.3 RPG, the big man is automatic in the paint. Also providing a scoring threat is Jalen Cook, the other player to watch for the hometown Beavers. The Brooklyn Park, MN guard enters with 15.1 PPG. While Cook and Van De Griend light up the scoring sheet, one member that fans should keep another close eye on is Sam West. The Junior forward came close to a triple-double against Augustana as he brings an all-around game to the table.

Recent Games
The long road stretch is over for Minot State, and the first three away from the Magic City in 2025 did not pan out for the Beavers. Fortunately, after a 78-69 loss to Wayne State College, the Beavers said enough is enough and went out to pick up a gritty 82-77 win against the Augustana Vikings. Van De Griend and Cook led the way with 26 and 23 points respectively. West nearly finished with a triple-double output of 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists. Ayouba Berthe also contributed with 12 points.