BEMIDJI, Minn. — Bemidji State University Men's Basketball heads back on the road this weekend with playoff hopes looming. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season concludes in just eight games and the Beavers are vying for a playoff position. 
 
Bemidji State Notes

• Bemidji State has struggled to find the win column following winter break, currently sitting on an eight-game losing streak. The team is 6-13 overall with a 3-11 conference record. Last weekend, the Beavers were able to keep things close against Concordia University, St. Paul and Winona State University, going into overtime against WSU, but were unable to pull away with their first wins in over a month. 
• BSU is 14th in the conference and will be looking for every possible win in the final eight games of the regular season. One best-case scenario for the Beavers would be to win out and move to 11-11 in conference play. More realistically, an ideal situation includes BSU winning four to six of its final eight games to remain in contention for the 12-team NSIC Tournament.
• At this time, the Beavers have four games on the docket that present higher-probability opportunities, including matchups against the University of Minnesota Crookston (Feb. 21), the University of Mary and Minot State University (Feb. 5 and 7), and the University of Jamestown (Feb. 14). BSU has either defeated, stayed competitive with, or is evenly matched with each of those opponents this season.
• With Jamestown ineligible for postseason play, the path to the NSIC Tournament depends on BSU winning at least four games, while teams currently just ahead in the standings, such as Minot State and Winona State, drop games down the stretch, allowing the Beavers to climb into the top 12 by conference winning percentage.

 
Augustana Notes

• The Vikings most recently posted a 78-46 victory at UMary, sliding into a four-game winning streak after breaking a skid of three losses in early January. AU is 12-7 overall and 10-4 in the NSIC, sitting in third overall. 
• Augustana comes into this game as one of the NSIC's most potent offensive teams, averaging strong scoring and balanced attack with the likes of Tameron Ferguson and Caden Hinker leading the way. Ferguson's scoring and Hinker's rebounding have been key to Augustana's success, and BSU will need disciplined defense and rebounding to stay competitive.

 
Wayne State Notes

• The Wildcats sit at 8-6 in the NSIC and 12-8 overall this season, ranking sixth in the conference rankings. On a three-game winning streak, WSC swept last weekend's trip to UMary and Minot State after taking down Minnesota Crookston the Wednesday prior.
• Matt Noll leads the team in scoring with 13.9 points per game, followed closely by Andrew Stokes at 13.1 and JJ Ferrin at 12.2. Ferrin is the team's leading three-point shooter with a .392 shooting percentage. Aurrion Harris leads from under the rim with 7.1 rebounds per game, he also tops the leaderboard for assists at 2.2, blocks at 0.9 and steals with 1.6 per game.

 
For more information on the Bemidji State Men's Basketball program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversMBB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversMBB).
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).