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Jack Rendulich

PREVIEW: Men’s Basketball Prepares for Final Road Trip of the Regular Season

| By: Andrew Laughlin
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica men's basketball team will make its last road trip of the regular season this weekend for two crucial Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) matchups, as it takes on Crown College on Friday night and the University of Minnesota Morris on Saturday.

Game Schedule: (Game Day Media)
Friday at Crown – 7:30 p.m. (Live Video | Live Stats)
Saturday at Minnesota Morris – 5 p.m. (Live Video & Stats)

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About the Saints
Record: 7-14, 5-5 UMAC

  • The Saints look to build off of an 82-73 victory against Martin Luther last Saturday, in which the Saints had four players, Trevor Morlock (Rogers, Minn./Rogers HS (Minn., Crookston)), Brett Tester (Andover, Minn./Andover HS), Marshaan Johnson and Jonah Dahlman (Braham, Minn./Braham HS), in double figures.
  • The Saints are currently tied for fourth in the UMAC standings with Minnesota Morris and a game ahead of Crown.
  • Only the top four teams make the UMAC Tournament.
  • Tester leads the team with 13.2 points per game and 129 total rebounds. Tester became just the second player in program history to record 1,400 career points and 600 rebounds last Friday
  • Tester was named to the Capital One Academic All-District team last week for the second straight season.
  • The Saints have struggled on the road, winning just two games away from Reif Gymnasium this season. Their only conference victory on the road came against Northland College.
  • CSS averages over 5.5 more assists per game in victories (16.9 apg) than losses (11.2 apg).

About the Storm
Record: 9-12, 4-6 UMAC

  • Crown has been led by three time UMAC player of the week Anthony DiLoretto. The 7-footer is third in the UMAC in scoring and leads the conference in rebounding (11.6) and blocks (3.7) per game.
  • His 3.7 blocks per game lead the nation and he is in the top five in the country in rebounds.
  • The Storm are currently coming off of a tough 78-76 loss to second place North Central on Saturday, a day after upsetting conference-leading Northwestern 69-67. Both contests were on the road.
  • Truman Shetler has also been a factor for Crown, averaging 12.3 points and 2.3 steals per game.
  • Crown has had difficulties taking care of the ball this year. Their 17.7 turnovers per game are highest in the UMAC.

Series History: (CSS is 25-3 vs. Crown)
  • The Saints defeated Crown 75-63 at home earlier this season.
  • Derek Steve (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Apollo HS), Cole Mortel (Luck, Wis./Luck HS) and Trevor Morlock (Rogers, Minn./Rogers HS (Minn., Crookston)) were all in double figures for the Saints.

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About the Cougars
Record: 10-11, 5-5 UMAC

  • Morris fell 70-67 to Northwestern last Saturday after downing North Central on Friday by 16, 86-70.
  • The Cougars stepped out of conference play on Tuesday and defeated Presentation 84-72.
  • Morris plays the final five games of the regular season at home.
  • The Cougars shoot it well from long range, as their 3-point percentage of .409 is tops in the UMAC and 14th in the nation.
  • Ben Hoidal leads the UMAC, making a blistering 57 percent of his 3-point attempts, while Steve Birman is fourth at nearly 46 percent.
  • The Cougars have struggled from the line this season, shooting 59.7 percent. Only Martin Luther has a lower percentage of 59.5 percent.


Series History: (CSS is 13-18 vs. Minnesota Morris)

  • The Saints tamed the Cougars by a score of 82-77 at home earlier this season, but are just 3-11 against Morris on the road.
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