IPFW Closes Two-Game Road Swing At North Dakota State Saturday

FARGO, N.D. -- IPFW, ranked No. 15 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, will play at North Dakota State University in Summit League men's basketball action Saturday, February 6, at Scheels Arena in Fargo, North Dakota at 5 p.m. ET. The Mastodons (19-6, 8-2 Summit League) of second-year head coach Jon Coffman are led in scoring by redshirt-senior Max Landis/Indianapolis (18.9), coming off a school-record 44-point performance at South Dakota Thursday night that included a school-record 11 three-point field goals, along with redshirt-freshman John Konchar/Chicago, Ill. (12.5) and senior Joe Reed/Greenwood (10.5). The Bison are coached by David Richman, who is also in his second season, and are led in scoring by sophomores Paul Miller (16.5) and A.J. Jacobson (12.9), along with senior Kory Brown (10.0).

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV: MeTV (Statewide in N.D.)
Radio: ESPN 1380 AM / 100.9 FM
Play-by-Play: John Nolan
Video: GoBison.com
Stats: GoBison.com
Audio: espnfortwayne.com (Listen Live)

Quick Hits
• IPFW is playing fellow Summit League member North Dakota State for the 23rd time overall since 2005-06. The closely-played series is tied, 11-11, after the Mastodons took a 79-74 home win in Fort Wayne earlier this season (1/21). The two schools split two games during 2014-15.
• IPFW is 76-70 in Summit League regular season games since joining the league in 2007-08, including 17-9 under Coach Coffman.
• IPFW has attained its finest start to a season as a Division I program (2001-02) with its 19-6 record. The 2013-14 team had also started 18-6, but dropped to 18-8, before finishing 25-11 ... the program's best DI season to date.
• Max Landis scored a school-record 44 points at South Dakota (2/4), including a school-record 11 3FGs (11-15). The 44 points ties the fifth-most in Division I this season, and the 11 3FGs are the second-most in DI this year.
• IPFW is ranked No. 15 in this week's The CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, it's highest national ranking ever, and is among the Top 25 for the fifth consecutive week. The Mastodons previous highest ranking was No. 19 during 2013-14 (2/3/2014).

Scouting The Bison
North Dakota State is 15-8 overall, 5-4 in The Summit League, following a league home win past Oral Roberts (67-63) Feb. 4. The Bison are coached by David Richman, who is in his second season as head coach at NDSU. North Dakota State has three scoring in double-figures, including sophomores Paul Miller (16.5) and A.J. Jacobson (12.9), along with senior Kory Brown (10.0). The Bison have averaged 71.7 points, while allowing 65.3 points, and are 9-1 in home games this season, 4-1 in the league. NDSU is currently fifth in the Summit League standings.

Scouting The Mastodons
IPFW is 19-6 overall, 8-2 in The Summit League, following a league road win at South Dakota (95-82) Feb. 4. The Mastodons are coached by Jon Coffman, who is in his second season as head coach, fifth year at the school and 19th overall. IPFW has three scoring in double-figures, including Landis (18.9), Konchar (12.5) and Reed (10.5). The Mastodons have averaged 80.4 points, while allowing 75.9 points, and are 9-4 in road games this season, 4-1 in the league. IPFW is currently first in the Summit League standings.

Last Time Out
Landis scored a school-record 44 points to lead IPFW to a 95-82 Summit League road win at South Dakota in Vermillion. Landis' 44-point night included a school-record 11 three-point field goals (11-15) as the visiting Mastodons made a school-record 20 three-pointers (20-36). IPFW took a 22-15 lead seven minutes into the contest after making six three-pointers … three by Landis, who missed on his first attempt from beyond the arc before making three-straight and 6-8 in the opening half. The Mastodons led 31-23 at 8:57 following Landis' fourth three-pointer, and the lead was its largest of the half at 34-25 after a conventional three-point play by senior Michael Calder/Fort Lauderdale, Fla. at 8:29. USD closed to within 36-33 at 3:56, but a pair of three-pointers from Landis, as well as his two-point jumper, along with a layup by Calder pushed the advantage back to nine at 46-37. IPFW led 46-40 at the intermission behind 24 first-half points from Landis (6-8 3FGs), while Calder and junior DeAngelo Stewart/Detroit, Mich. each had eight first-half points. USD scored the first basket of the second half to make it a four-point game, but that was as close as the hosts would get … IPFW answered with a three-pointer from Calder that started a 10-4 run capped by a three-pointer from Stewart that made it 56-46 at 13:56. Landis knocked down his first triple of the second half at 12:31 to make it 59-48, his second three-pointer of the half made it 67-54 at 8:25 and his third triple of the half, ninth of the game, made it 80-58 with 5:10 remaining. Landis made his record 11th three-pointer with 1:53 on the clock for a 93-71 advantage, before retiring to the bench with his pair of new school-records.

Landis led IPFW with his school-record 44 points, making 15-21 field goals, including the school-record 11 three-pointers (11-15) and 3-5 free throws in 38 minutes. Stewart added a career-high 17 points, including a career-high 5-9 three-pointers. Calder finished with 14 points (3-6 3FGs) and tied his career-high with eight rebounds. Konchar had 13 points and a career-high 10 assists for his ninth collegiate double-double, while redshirt-junior Brent Calhoun/Indianapolis tied his career-high with a game-high nine rebounds. IPFW shot 56% (34-61) from the field, including 56% (20-36) on the school-record 20 three-pointers and 64% (7-11) at the free throw line.

Who's Hot
IPFW … with 19 wins in 25 games for its finest start to a season since moving up to Division I (2001-02). Landis, Landis, Landis ... averaging 26.1 points and 4.9 assists in his last seven games, including one 40-point game and two 30-point games among four 20-point games, while shooting 50% (58-115) from the field, 55% (36-66, 5.1) on three-pointers and 82% (31-38) at the line. Konchar ... averaging 15.4 points and 11.1 rebounds (six double-doubles) in his last seven games, while shooting 60% (39-65) from the field, 65% (11-17) on three-pointers and 66% (19-29) at the line. He grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds vs. North Dakota State (1/21), the second-highest among guards in Division I and third-most by a freshman this season. Stewart ... averaging 14.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in his last five games, while shooting 58% (25-43) from the field, 52% (15-29) on three-pointers and 71% (5-7) at the line. Calder ... averaging 12.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in his last seven games, while shooting 36% (28-77) from the field, 36% (13-36) on three-pointers and 78% (18-23) at the line. He scored a career-high 20 points vs. IUPUI (1/23). Reed ... averaging 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in his last seven games, while shooting 59% (23-39) from the field, 40% (4-10) on three-pointers and 74% (23-31) at the line.

NCAA RPI Ratings
IPFW has an NCAA RPI of 77 as of Feb. 5, ranking 2nd among the Summit League's top five teams behind South Dakota State (40), followed by Oral Roberts (121), North Dakota State (136) and Omaha (140).

Raining 3's
IPFW has made 261 three-point field goals, ranking 4th in Division I. The Mastodons rank 7th nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.420, 261-621) and in three-pointers per game (10.4). Landis has made 90 three-pointers, ranking in a tie for 2nd nationally, while he ranks 2nd in three-pointers per game (3.8) and 4th in three-point percentage (.497, 91-183).

What A Game By Landis
The 44 points scored by Landis at South Dakota (2/4) ties the fifth-highest total in Division I this season, and is the sixth-most ever in a Summit League game, while tying the ninth-most ever in the Summit League (including non-league games). His 11 three-point field goals are the second-most in Division I this year, and tie the Summit League record (league and non-league). Landis has two other games this season with nine three-pointers (9-12 vs. Austin Peay, 12/12; 9-12 at Omaha, 1/16).

Elite First-Year Player
Konchar is ranked 1st among Division I freshmen in minutes played (863, while tied for 4th nationally in double-doubles (9) and 8th in rebounding (8.7). If he qualified for field goal percentage (minimum 5.0 made per game-Konchar is just below at 4.68), he would rank 3rd (.585, 117-200) among the nation's freshman class. Some names of those just ahead of him in the national rankings include Ben Simmons at LSU, Henry Ellenson at Marquette and Caleb Swanigan of Purdue.

Stepping It Up A Notch
IPFW is averaging 83.4 points per game through 10 Summit League contests (8-2), up from its 80.4 scoring average overall. Landis is averaging 23.8 points with 4.7 made three-point field goals in league games, up from his 18.9 points and 3.8 three-pointers overall. Konchar is averaging a double-double of 14.8 points and 10.2 rebounds in league games, including seven double-doubles (one with assists), up from his 12.5 points and 8.7 rebounds overall.

Among The Top 25
IPFW is ranked No. 15 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 with 322 votes, it's highest ever national ranking. The Mastodons are ranked among the Top 25 for the fifth consecutive week, up eight spots from No. 23 a week ago, after a previous high ranking this season of No. 20 (1/11). IPFW had previously attained its highest national ranking at No. 19 during 2013-14 (2/3/2014).

Ironmen
IPFW has three starters who have ranked among the Division I leaders in minutes played all season, including Landis (t-11th, 881), Konchar (15th, 863) and Reed (t-216th, 728).

Road Warriors
IPFW has played 15 games away from Fort Wayne, including 13 true road games (9-4) and two neutral-site contests (1-1). The Mastodons' brutal early-season schedule (10 of the first 14 away) included trips to Valparaiso; Clarksville, Tennessee; Oxford, Ohio; Greensboro, North Carolina; San Luis Obispo, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; Bloomington and Kalamazoo, Michigan -- all before Christmas. IPFW has since traveled to Denver, Colorado; Brookings, South Dakota; Omaha, Nebraska and Tulsa, Oklahoma for league games. This trip includes visits to Vermillion, South Dakota and Fargo, North Dakota.

Frequent Flyers/Travelers
IPFW has already flown 9,765 miles this season for games in North Carolina (1,402), California and Utah (3,599), Denver (2,086), South Dakota and Nebraska (1,192) along with Oklahoma (1,486). In addition, the Mastodons have already traveled 2,806 miles this season on Charter Buses for games in Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio and Michigan. Nearly 1,000 miles of the bus rides occurred during the trips to California (700) and South Dakota/Nebraska (238). This trip to Vermillion, South Dakota and Fargo, North Dakota, and back, will add an additional 1,332 miles flown and 364 miles on a Charter Bus to the total.

The Team Three-Point Stat
IPFW has made at least one three-point field goal in 383 consecutive games, dating back to a road game at Miami (Ohio) (12/21/03, 0-9). The Mastodons' 261 three-pointers this season include 14 games with at least 10 three-pointers, including a school-record 20 made three-pointers at South Dakota (2/4, 20-36, 56%). The season-low is six, three times, most recent vs. Navy (11/29, 6-26) in Greensboro, North Carolina. Through Feb. 5, UNLV has the current Division I record at 964 straight games, dating back to Nov. 26, 1986.

Among Indiana / Mid-Majors
IPFW has posted 60 wins over the past three seasons since 2013-14, ranking 3rd among Indiana's 10 Division I programs, behind Valparaiso (65) and Notre Dame (62). The Mastodons are 2nd among those schools considered to be mid-major programs in Indiana (Valparaiso). The two-plus campaigns are also the most successful seasons in the program's Division I history, including consecutive post-season appearances in the 2014 and 2015 CollegeInsider.com Tournaments -- the first and only consecutive post-season appearances, as well.

Up Next
IPFW will enjoy a week off before hosting Denver Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center in Fort Wayne.

Complete game notes via linked pdf.

IPFW Closes Two-Game Road Swing At North Dakota State Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Michael Calder

Brent Calhoun

John Konchar

Max Landis

Joe Reed

DeAngelo Stewart

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics