#SummitMBB Weekly Notebook: Vol. 7

SIOUX FALLS, SD —Summit League men’s basketball action resumes Thursday after Winter Storm Elliott wreaked some havoc on the opening week of play. St. Thomas and North Dakota State were the only teams able to get both of their contests before the Christmas break, while the other eight teams all played once.

The Tommies won both of their meetings, defeating both North Dakota and North Dakota State at home, while Kansas City, Oral Roberts, Omaha and Western Illinois also won their home games.

All of those winning teams, except for Omaha, head into this week’s schedule, which features four games on both Thursday and Saturday, while the Fighting Hakws host the Bison on Friday night in the state regional in Grand Forks.

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DENVER PIONEERS (9-4; 0-1 SL) | @DU_MensHoops
Next: Kansas City (Dec. 29; 7 p.m. MT); Oral Roberts (12/31; 1 p.m. MT)
Previous games: Colorado Christian (W, 85-74); in Omaha* (L, 83-66); Oregon State (W, 57-52)

The Pioneers have dropped four of five heading into the Christmas break, but nearly clinched a Power-5 victory Wednesday before Oregon State closed the game on an 8-2 run to win by five.. In the league opener, DU fell to a tie. In Omaha’s road game, Tommy Bruner and Justin Mullins each scored 15 points…Preseason All-League selection Tevin Smith returned against the Mavericks after being absent the previous six games…He eased his way back in. bench is scoring five points in 15 minutes … Smith was the team’s leading scorer at 14.5 ppg at the time of the injury … Bruner is now claiming 15.3 ppg and has reached double figures in eight straight … Mullins is averaging 12.1 ppg, which is second among league newcomers … Pioneers host Kansas City and Oral Roberts after the break.

KANSAS CITY ROSE (5-9, 1-0 SL) | @KCRoosMBB
Next: at Denver (12/29; 7 p.m. MT); at Omaha (Dec. 31; 1 p.m. CT)
Previous games: at Green Bay (L, 70-64); South Dakota* (W, 62-45); SDSU* (PPD)

The Roos held off visiting South Dakota to beat the Coyotes 62-45 in the Summit League opener … The 45 points were a season-low for the Roos, who are the league’s leading scoring defense, yielding 65.9 points … RayQuawndi Mitchell accounted for nearly half of Kansas City’s points and finished with 28 in the contest … It was the fourth time this season that he has scored 27 or more points in a game, the most among players in the league … His 17.5 ppg clip is second in the league … David Allen Mukeba poured in a game-high eight rebounds and tied for second among league players in that category (8.3 rpg) … KCs tilt with South Dakota State was postponed by Winter Storm Elliott and returns to league play after layoffs in Denver and Omaha.

NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS (6-8; 0-1 SL) | @UNDMBasketball
Next: North Dakota State (12/30; 7 p.m. CT); South Dakota (5/1; 7 p.m. CT); SDSU (1/7; 1 p.m. CT)
Previous games: North Central (W, 99-48); at St. Thomas (L, 75-62); Western Illinois (PPD)

The Fighting Hawks opened league play with a 75-62 loss at St. Thomas before the Winter Storm Elliott postponed their tilt at Western Illinois … Freshman BJ Omot again led UND in scoring with 14 points … Has already reached double figures 11 times this season … Classmate Treysen Eaglestaff made his first career start against the Tommies, finishing with six points and three rebounds … Elijah Brooks is another UND starter who has shown late, averaging 11.7 ppg since moving. into the starting lineup three games ago… UND opens a three-game homestand on Friday, Dec. 30 against in-state rival North Dakota State.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON (3-11; 0-2 SL) | @NDSUMBB
Next: at North Dakota (Dec. 30; 7 p.m. CT); SDSU (1/5; 7 p.m. CT); South Dakota (July 1; 1 p.m. CT)
Previous games: Western Illinois* (W, 79-60); at St. Thomas* (L, 73-63)

The Bison dropped back-to-back road games last week to open league play, falling to Western Illinois and St. Thomas … It’s the first time since 2010-11 and just the second time overall that NDSU has started league play 0. -2 (16 seasons) … Junior Grant Nelson became just the second Summit League player (Mike Daum, South Dakota State did it twice) in the last 25 years to score at least 35 points and pull down 16 rebounds in a league game … Nelson registered the feat against the Leathernecks and added 15 points and nine rebounds in back-to-back Tommies… Jacari White added 15 off the bench for the Bison and is averaging 10.5 points over his last four games.

OMAHA MAVERICKS (5-8; 1-0 SL) | @OmahaMBB
Next: Oral Roberts* (12/29; 7 p.m. CT); Kansas City* (12/31; 1 p.m. CT)
Previous games: Denver* (W, 83-66); Iowa State (CCD)

The Mavericks opened league play with a convincing 83-66 victory over Denver after outscoring the Pioneers by 17 in the second half… Sophomore JJ White had a career-high 18 points and dished out a career-high eight assists, while freshman Luke Jungers also had a career-high 20 points off the bench for 5- 8 from 3-point range … White averaged 12.8 ppg and 5.0 apg over his last four contests … Frankie Fidler added 16 points and also finished with a career-high seven assists … Omaha finished with a season-high 21 assists on 31 field goals … The Mavericks’ final nonleague game at Iowa State, scheduled for Wednesday, was canceled … They resume at Home after the break tilted against Oral Roberts and Kansas City.

ORAL ROBERTS GOLDEN EAGLES (10-3; 1-0 SL) | @ORUMBB
Next: at Omaha* (Dec. 29; 7 p.m. CT); in Denver* (Dec. 31; 1 p.m. MT)
Previous games: Missouri State (W, 80-77); SDSU* (W, 79-40)

The Golden Eagles opened league play with a 79-40 win over South Dakota State – the programs most of the Jackrabbits in 30 all-time meetings … ORU’s previous season-low was 62 by John Brown (Nov. 11) … The win was the Golden Eagles’ seventh straight , whose 9-3 start in non-conference play was the best in program history … Arkansas transfer Connor Vanover scored a season-high 21 points to pace the Golden Eagles in the win, while DeShang Weaver added 14 in just 15 minutes off the bench … Kareem Thompson played a solid all- against the Jacks of the around game. He had seven points, a career-high seven assists and eight rebounds … Oral Winter Storm Elliott postponed Roberts’ contest with South Dakota, and the Golden Eagles will return to play at Omaha and Denver after the break.

ST. THOMAS TOMMIES (11-4; 2-0 SL) | @TommieMBball
Next: at South Dakota* (12/29; 7 p.m. CT); SDSU* (12/31; 2 p.m. CT)
Previous games: North Dakota* (W, 75-62); North Dakota State* (W, 73-63)

The Tommies opened league play with back-to-back double-digit wins and have already surpassed the program’s first-season mark of 10 at the Division I level a season ago… Sophomores Parker Bjorklund (career-high 29) and Riley Miller (24) combined for 53 points in a 13-point win over UND. .. Miller finished with five threes against the Fighting Hawks and added 13 points in a 10-point win against the Bison… He is third in the division. I players with 52 triples this season … Bjorklund led the way with 19 points against the Bison and has averaged 21.3 ppg over the past three games since returning from injury … The Tommies get a swing at Rushmore State after the break. Next games at South Dakota and SDSU.

SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES (5-8; 0-1 SL) | @SDCoyotesMBB
Next: St. Thomas* (Dec. 29; 7 p.m. CT); Western Illinois* (12/31; 1 p.m. CT)
Previous games: Coastal Carolina (W, 87-86); at Kansas City (L, 62-45); in Oral Roberts (PPD)

The Coyotes dropped a 62-45 decision to Kansas City in the league opener, and Winter Storm Elliott held off the Oral Roberts brilliance… It was the second time USD has been held to less than 50 points in a game this season… Tasos Kamateros (11) and AJ Plitzuweit (10) both reached double figures, marking the first time this season that Kamateros led the Coyotes in scoring, though he was one of four Dollar players averaging double figures (10.4 ppg) … Paul Bruns chipped in nine points, which was his fourth start of the season as USD played without leading scorer Kruz Perrott-Hunt (11.3 ppg) for the first time this season … The Coyotes are back in action looking to snap a four-game skid. after a break in home games against St. Thomas and Western Illinois.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE DIVIDERS (5-8; 0-1 SL) | @GoJacksMBB
Next:Western Illinois* (12/29; 7 p.m. CT); St. Thomas* (Dec. 31; 2 p.m. CT)
Previous games: Mount Marty (W, 85-56); In Oral Roberts* (L, 79-40); in Kansas City* (PPD)

The Jackrabbits scored a season-low 40 points in dropping their league opener at Oral Roberts… It was the first time SDSU was held in the 40s since falling to Gonzaga 66-46 in the opening round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The 39-point outing was the most for the Jacks since 2006 … SDSU leading scorer Zeke Mayo (13.6 ppg) had his eighth straight game in double figures as he finished with six against the Golden Eagles … Alex Arians and William Kyle III led the way SDSU’s way by eight points … The reigning Summit League tournament and regular season champions return home after the break to play Western Illinois and St. Thomas.

WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERS (8-4; 1-0 SL) | @WIU_MensHoops
Next: SDSU* (12/29; 7 p.m. CT); at South Dakota* (Dec. 31, 1 p.m. CT)
Previous games: Eureka (W, 79-50); North Dakota State* (W, 79-60); North Dakota* (PPD)

The Leathernecks won their sixth straight game, pulling away late for a 79-60 victory over North Dakota State in their league opener…Senior Trenton Massner was stellar again for WIU, finishing with a 24-point, 11-rebound double. double-double and adding a game-high seven assists … Winona State transfer Alec Rosner scored 19 points in a win against the Bison … Each member of the Massner-Rosner duo has averaged 16.0 ppg so far this season. has them tied for third among league players … Jesiah West scored two points in the season-opening win over Illinois State, but the JUCO transfer has scored at least eight points in WIU’s next 11 contests, including 14 in just 20 minutes against the Bison … He will averaged 11.8 ppg and ranks second in league with 21 blocks … WIU hits games at SDSU and South Dakota after the break.

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