DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica men's basketball team will face Northland College in another pivotal Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) contest on Friday and then will play its final non-conference game of the year at Finlandia University (Mich.) on Saturday.
Where:
Friday
Kendrigan Center – Ashland, Wis.
Saturday
Paavo Nurmi Center – Hancock, Mich.
When:
Friday at Northland – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday at Finlandia – 6 p.m. (ET)
Live Video vs. Northland: http://www.northlandcollegesports.com/sports/2015/9/3/GEN_0903154524.aspx
Live Video vs. Finlandia: http://www.fulions.com/watch/?Live=247
Social Media:
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/Csssaintsbball
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/csssaints
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/css.saints
St. Scholastica Saints
Stats
Record: 10-8, 7-3 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
Last Action: The Saints had a pair of key conference wins last weekend at home, defeating conference leader the University of Northwestern (Minn.) 75-74 on Friday night and then taking out North Central University (Minn.) 77-67 on Saturday … Friday's win over Northwestern saw six ties and six lead changes in the final five minutes …
Zach Dahlman (Braham, Minn./Braham HS)'s layup in the final 20 seconds was the game-winner … It was the first league loss for the Eagles … On Saturday against North Central,
Dylan Zimmerman (Elmdale, Minn./Upsala HS)n had a career-high 18 points and nine rebounds in the 10-point win over the Rams.
Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers Week: Head Coach
David Staniger will be participating in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Suits and Sneakers during this weekend's games … This is a nationwide event that unites coaches across the country to raise awareness about the American Cancer Society's lifesaving mission, and promote the American Cancer Society as a place for help and support. More info at
http://www.nabc.org/NABC_Releases/2017/suits_sneakers
Where They Stand: With its two wins last weekend, St. Scholastica currently holds a half-game lead for the second spot in the UMAC, two games behind Northwestern … Bethany Lutheran College sits third a half-game back and Northland College is fourth, a game behind CSS … Six conference games remain for the Saints.
No Sophomore Slump: Sophomore
Brandon Newman (Barnum, Minn./Barnum HS) leads the team and is fifth in the league averaging 16.4 points per game … The 2015 UMAC Freshman of the Year is averaging 18.1 points per game in league games … If the season ended today, Newman's 16.4 points per game would be the highest average per game by a Saint since Brett Tester averaged 17.0 points per game during the 2011-12 season.
Get to the Line: Friday's matchup features the top free throw shooting teams in the conference … Northland leads making 75 percent from the charity stripe, but have attempted the second-fewest in the league … The Saints make 73 percent from the line, but have attempted (448) and made (325) the most in the league … The 325 made free throws rank 15
th in NCAA Division III … Newman has made the second most in the conference (84) and
Nate Weets (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet HS) the fourth most (71).
Turnover Margin: St. Scholastica leads the UMAC with a +3.50 turnover margin per game … CSS forces a conference-best 14.7 turnovers per game … In December's win over Northland, the Saints out-scored Northland 24-4 in points off turnovers.
Upcoming Opponents
Northland LumberJacks
Record: 9-9, 6-4 UMAC
The LumberJacks had a three-game win streak snapped on Saturday with a four-point loss at Crown College … The previous night, Northland had a big win on the road at the University of Minnesota Morris … The 'Jacks like to launch it from beyond the arc as they lead the conference in 3-point field goal attempts (489) … They have made the second-most in the league (171) … Guards Rijo Jackson and Dan Campion are one-and-two in the league in made 3-point field goals … Northland made 14, 3-pointers in the December contest against the Saints … The LumberJacks have three players averaging 12.6 points per game; Jackson, Campion and Thomas Whiting … Whiting also grabs a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game and led Northland with 23 points in December … Whiting has the second-best field goal percentage in the league, making 57 percent of his shots.
Finlandia Lions
Record: 3-13
The Lions enter the weekend on a four-game losing skid … However, these will be their first home games since mid-December … Marcus Geralds leads the team averaging 19.9 points per game … Brandon Robinson is right behind him at 19.5 per game and Geoff Smart is at 19.1 per contest … Smart did not play against the Saints in the first meeting … Geralds almost averages a double-double as he leads the team with 9.9 rebounds per game.
Series Records:
-CSS leads Northland 57-20
(Last Meeting: 105-102 (ot) CSS – 12/10/2016)
-CSS leads Finlandia 22-8
(Last Meeting: 74-59 CSS – 12/9/2016)
Series Histories: In the first meeting this season, the Saints defeated Northland in an overtime thriller at the Reif Gymnasium 105-102 … It was the second straight overtime game in the series … Northland led by seven with two minutes remaining, before the Saints closed regulation on a 7-0 run to force OT /// CSS defeated Finlandia for the fourth straight time in December at the Reif … However, the Saints are only 4-4 at Finlandia since 2003.
Looking Ahead: The Saints will have their final home games of the regular season when they welcome Bethany Lutheran College and Martin Luther College to the Reif Gymnasium on February 3 and 4.
