.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
Friday, December 30
Fargo, N.D.
8:00 p.m.
Purdue Fort Wayne
at
North Dakota State
Photo by: Lucas Carter
Men's Basketball Looks to Finish 2011 on Right Foot
12/29/2011 4:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PRE-GAME NOTES
Fargo, N.D. - The IPFW Mastodons look to close out the 2011 calendar year on the right foot on Friday evening, when the team travels to Fargo, North Dakota to take on the Bison of North Dakota State in an 8 p.m. tip-off at the Bison Sports Arena.
Opponent: North Dakota State Bison (9-3, 2-1 Summit League)
When: Friday, December 30, 2011 | 8:00 p.m. EST
Where: Fargo, N.D. | Bison Sports Arena (5,830)
Radio: ESPN 1380 AM (Mike Maahs, play-by-play)
Live Stats: North Dakota State Live Stats
Streaming Video: NDSU All-Access
SCOUTING THE BISON
NDSU comes into the final game of the 2011 calendar year after a 96-69 victory over the Oakland Grizzlies on December 28.
In the win over the Grizzlies, the Bison put five players into double-figure scoring, led by Taylor Braun's 21 points, while Mike Felt scored 16, TrayVonn Wright 15, Dylan Hale 12, and Lawrence Alexander 10, with Marshall Bjorklund finished a point shy of giving the Bison six in double-figures. Alexander dished out a game-high 10 assists, while Wright had six assists in the win.
For the year, Braun paces the squad in scoring, averaging 14.6 points per game while Bjorklund, Felt, and Alexander each have 135 points, for an average of 11.3 points per game. Wright and Hale are just off of the double-figure pace by averaging 8.5 and 7.3 points per game, each.
Braun and Bjorklund each average over six rebounds per game, Bruan pulling down 6.7 and Bjorklund 6.4, as the sophomore duo lead the Bison to a +2.5 advantage on the boards. Alexander has dished out 69 assists on the season, good for third in the Summit League, as Braun has added 35. Alexander also leads the team with 21 steals, while Wright has a team-best 19 blocked shots.
AT THE SUMMIT
• On Dec. 20, The Summit League was No. 12 in the Sagarin Ratings, maintaining its highest position of the season, and No. 13 in the Collegiate Basketball News RPI (rpiratings.com), after peaking at No. 11 as recently as Dec. 18. Last season, the league fi nished No. 18 in the Sagarin and No. 21 in the RPI.
• Through Dec. 19, The Summit League has a winning percentage of .500 or better against 14 of the 16 midmajor conferences its teams have played this season.
• Through Dec. 19, The Summit League owns a .526 winning percentage against non-league Division I opposition and a .602 winning percentage against all non-league competition. Those clips are on pace to shatter the previous best marks on record (since 1998-99), surpassing the .447 D1 winning percentage and .491 overall clip, both set during the 2001-02 season.
• The Summit League has three players among the NCAA's Top 11 in scoring average (Dec. 19 rankings), more than any other Division I conference. IUPUI's Alex Young owns the nation's highest single-game scoring total this season (43) while Oakland's Reggie Hamilton is tied for second (41).
LAST TIME OUT
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits out-scored IPFW 48-21 in the second half, running away with a 94-58 Summit League win on Wednesday evening at Frost Arena.
The loss droped IPFW to 7-5 on the season, and 1-2 in the Summit League, while South Dakota State improves to 11-4 and a perfect 3-0 in league play.
Frank Gaines scored a team-high 15 points for the Mastodons, while Trey McCorkle scored 12, and Justin Jordan 10. Antwaun Boyd narrowly missed double-figures with eight, as John Peckinpaugh chipped in a half-dozen.
McCorkle had a team-best six rebounds for IPFW, with Gaines adding five for IPFW, who was out-rebounded by a 45-31 margin in the contest.
QUICK HITTER
• Frank Gaines currently sits fourth in the Summit League and 24th in NCAA Division I in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game.
• After totaling one double-double over his first three seasons, IPFW senior Trey McCorkle has picked up two in the first 11 games of the 2011-12 season.
• IPFW head coach Tony Jasick is 7-5 in his first season as head coach of the Mastodons
• Gaines saw his 19-game double-figure scoring streak snapped at Nebraska Omaha on December 11, being held to seven points. He has scored 20 or more in 10 of his last 14 games.
• Freshman Jonny Marlin's 5.0 assist per game average is fourth best in the Summit League and 64th in the country
• Trey McCorkle's field goal percentage of .602 puts him 55th in the country
MBB vs Dominican Post game and Highlights
Sunday, November 09
Mikale Stevenson #SCTop10 dunk
Tuesday, October 28
PFW MBB vs Ball State Post game and Highlights
Tuesday, October 28
Corey Hadnot II is back from the Waffle House
Thursday, October 09
