GRAND FORKS, N.D. - UND wraps up a three-game road swing on Saturday as the Sioux resume a rivalry with South Dakota State. The teams will play twice this season, however, Saturday's matchup is the first since the quarterfinal round of the 2004 North Central Conference Tournament. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.
UND VS. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE SERIES
All-time: UND leads 105-77
In Brookings: SDSU leads 51-35
Last Meeting: SDSU won 74-63 (3/2/2004)
SDSU Head Coach Scott Nagy vs. UND: 16-5
WHERE TO WATCH/LISTEN/TRACK
Radio: 100.3 FM (Grand Forks) or iHeartRadio App (computer or smart phone)
Internet Video Stream: www.FightingSioux.com (UNDInsider Subscription)
Internet Audio Stream: www.FightingSioux.com (UNDInsider Free)
Live Stats: www.FightingSioux.com
IN THE PAINT...
• With the 183rd meeting with the Jackrabbits set for Saturday at Frost Arena, only two teams have been a more frequent opponent for UND: North Dakota State (287) and South Dakota (187).
• UND is still in search of its first road win of the season after getting off to an 0-3 away from the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center (4-1).
• Sophomore
Troy Huff (Milwaukee, Wis.) is averaging 17.0 ppg in those three road tilts, while classmate
Aaron Anderson (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) is averaging 13.7 ppg and senior
Patrick Mitchell (Des Moines, Iowa) is at a 13.3 ppg clip.
• The latest setback came on Wednesday as UND fell to UMKC 78-75 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
• Sophomore
Brandon Brekke (East Grand Forks, Minn.) registered his second double-double of the season with a career-high 20 points and 10 rebounds against the Kangaroos. It was the fifth of his career.
• Brekke had made 14 straight field goals over a seven-game stretch, but missed his first shot from the floor. He finished the game 10-for-16 and is now 26-for-36 (72.2 percent) on the season.
• The loss to the Roos marked the first time this season that UND led at the half and did not go on to win the contest (4-1).
• Anderson ranks second among GWC players in field goal percentage (Brekke does not have enough attempts to qualify) and tops the 3-point percentage list. He is shooting 57.6 percent from the floor (34-for-59) and 62.5 percent from distance (10-for-16).
• Huff is also among the league leaders in a number of categories. He ranks third in scoring (14.8 ppg), fourth in rebounding (6.9 rpg) and first in steals (2.3 spg).
• Mitchell firmed up his perch a top the GWC blocked shots chart (17; 2.1 bpg) with a career-high equaling five at UMKC. Mitchell now has 131 for his career and needs three more to move into sole possession of second place on UND's career charts.
• Classmate
Jamal Webb (Buffalo, N.Y.) is the league's top assist man through Dec. 7, averaging 3.9 apg (31 total). He trails only Huff in the steals department with 15 (1.8 spg).
• Webb had 20 assists and 23 turnovers through his first six games, but has dished out 11 helpers compared to only one turnover in the last two contests.
• Sophomore
Josh Schuler (Urbana, Ohio) is averaging 7.3 ppg to lead all UND bench scorers. Schuler had nine against UMKC on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor.
• Schuler has shaken off a slow start by connecting on 12 of his last 22 field goal attempts, including a 7-for-12 effort from beyond the arc over the last five games. Schuler also tops UND and ranks second in the GWC in free throw percentage (84.0; 21-for-25).
• Huff has reached double figures in 25 of 30 career starts and shares the team lead along with Mitchell at six double-figure scoring games. That duo shared the lead in that category last season with 25 double-digit efforts.
• The game against the Jackrabbits will mark the third Summit League foe UND will play this season. The SIoux are 0-2 in those tilts, suffering three-points losses to both Western Illinois (Nov. 26) and UMKC (Dec. 7).
• Since beginning the transition to Division I, UND owns a 5-8 record against Summit League teams.
• After UND plays host to the Jacks next Thursday (Dec. 15), the Sioux will have two more games this season against Summit League competition: at Western Illinois (Dec. 22) and vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 17; Ralph Engelstad Arena).
SCOUTING THE JACKRABBITS
Head coach Scott Nagy enters his 16th season at the helm of the Jackrabbits' program. He has coached the Jacks in 21 previous contests against UND, winning 16 of them.
Nagy has amassed the most wins of any basketball coach in SDSU history and has his squad off to a 7-3 start in 2011-12. The Jacks were one of only two Summit League teams to start the conference slate unbeaten at 2-0. It was not easy, however, as SDSU was taken to overtime by IUPUI in the opener, before posting a 97-93 victory. The Jacks then beat Western Illinois 67-66 this past Saturday.
Overall, the Jacks have won six of seven overall and three straight after knocking off Southwest Minnesota State 92-69 on Tuesday.
Point guard Nate Wolters - a preseason first team All-Summit League selection - is the team's top scorer, averaging 20.6 ppg. He has led the Jacks in scoring in seven of 10 contests, including scoring a season-high 32 points twice in wins over Western Michigan (Nov. 12) and IUPUI (Dec. 1).
Forward Jordan Dykstra - a preseason second team All-Summit League selection - made his first start of the season vs. Southwest Minnesota State. He scored nine points and had six rebounds in the contest. Dykstra is 7.3 ppg and 2.9 rpg in seven appearances.
The only other Jack averaging in double figures is Griffin Callahan. He is the team's top 3-point threat, connecting on 38.7 percent of his attempts. Callahan is averaging 12.1 ppg and has started all 10 games.
SOPHOMORE SIZZLE
Last season, UND's quintet of freshmen (
Aaron Anderson,
Brandon Brekke,
Troy Huff,
Josh Schuler and
Jamal Webb) provided more scoring production for their club than any other rookie unit in Division I basketball (chart to the right). This season, that unit is providing even more of a scoring punch as those five players have scored 73.4 percent (431 of 587) of UND's points through eight games. Huff leads the charge with a 14.8 ppg average (118 points). Anderson (13.0 ppg) and Webb (10.8 ppg) are also chipping in with double-figure averages.
LAST TIME OUT: UMKC 78, UND 75 (Dec. 7)
UMKC held off a late rally by North Dakota to pick up a 78-75 victory in non-conference men's basketball action on Wednesday night at Municipal Auditorium.
UND sophomore
Brandon Brekke (East Grand Forks, Minn.) scored a career-high 20 points and posted his second double-double of the season, but 12 3-pointers, including seven in the second half, by the home team proved to be the difference in the outcome.
Both teams held double-digit leads in the contest only to see those evaporate. UND's (4-4) lead was as many as 12 points midway through the first half, but UMKC (5-5) chipped away and the home team pulled within four to make it a 38-34 contest at halftime. The Roos opened the second half on a 10-2 to gain their first advantage of the contest since the opening basket put them up two.
Holding a 61-59 lead with just over seven minutes to play, UMKC would sink a 3-pointer on three consecutive possessions to stretch its advantage to 11.
The Sioux would not go away though, coming all the way back thanks to a flurry of their own. An acrobatic layup by sophomore
Troy Huff (Milwaukee, Wis.) capped an 11-0 run that pulled the visitors even at 70-70 with just over two minutes to play.
UMKC caught a break on the next possession after senior
Patrick Mitchell (Des Moines, Iowa) blocked his career-high fifth shot of the game. The rebound fell right to Kirk Korver, who had an easy putback to give the Roos back the lead.
Mitchell misfired on a 3-point attempt on the ensuing possession and the Kangaroos made all six of their free throws in the final minute to secure their third straight win over UND.
Huff finished with 15 points and nine rebounds on 6-of-16 shooting from the floor, while Mitchell added 10 points and seven rebounds to go with his five blocks. Sophomore
Josh Schuler (Urbana, Ohio) scored nine points off the bench for UND.
UMKC finished 12-for-20 (60 percent) from beyond the arc, while the UND went just 4-for-13 from that range. The Roos also corrected their struggles from the foul line in the first half (1-for-6) by making 11-of-12 after the break. UND made just 11 of its 20 tries from the line.
Reggie Chamberlain equaled Brekke's 20-point output for the home team, while Trinity Hall added 18, Nate Rogers had 14 and Michael Gholston scored all 12 of his points from 3-point range.
