BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Men's Basketball team will be home for the first round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament when they host Augustana this Wednesday night at 6 p.m. inside the BSU Gym.
The Beavers went 18-10 overall and 13-9 in NSIC play this regular season to secure the fourth seed out of the NSIC North Division. Augustana tied with Minnesota State for fifth in the NSIC South Division but held the tiebreaker with the Mavericks having won both games against the teams this season. The Vikings are 15-13 overall and 11-11 in NSIC play.
It's the first time Bemidji State has hosted a first round game since the 2013-14 season when Wayne State came to town. That marked the third of three straight seasons in which the Beavers hosted. The 2012-13 campaign saw BSU host Wayne State again that year and eventually reach the NSIC Championship Game. The 18 wins so far this season is the most in a season since the 2013-14 team went 18-9. The 2011-12 team won 22 games and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
The Beavers have certainly enjoyed playing at home this year going 11-3 during the regular season. Bemidji State faced Augustana back on Jan. 21 in Sioux Falls coming away with the 89-85 victory. BSU has won two of the last three meetings between the teams. These teams have seen each other in the opening round a couple of times in recent memory. BSU traveled to Sioux Falls during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons to face the Vikings in the opening round of the NSIC Tournament with Augustana winning both meetings.
John Sutherland, the three-time NSIC North Division Player of the Week, is averaging 19.3 points and 8.6 rebounds this season. He is shooting 58.4 percent from the field and has added 70 assists. Mohamed Kone is averaging 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, along with 98 assists and 38 steals. He has made a team-high 54 three-pointers. Dalton Albrecht is averaging 14.4 points and 4.8 rebounds. RJ Smith is averaging 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Rounding out the starting five, Brayden Williams averages 7.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 79 assists.
The Beavers will be looking to advance to the Pentagon in Sioux Falls where the quarterfinals will begin next weekend.
To see the entire NSIC Tournament bracket, click here
