2006-2007 Golden Eagle Men's Basketball News
(7/10/07)- Minnesota, Crookston Men's Basketball Program Signs 6'8 Post Player (Crookston, Minn.)- The University of Minnesota, Crookston Men's Basketball program has announced the signing of 6'8, 220 lb; post player Justin Peddycoart from Springfield, Ill. Peddycoart is a transfer student-athlete from Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Ill where he played two seasons for the Loggers helping them to an 18-14 record this past season. He was also named Third Team All-Midwest Athletic Conference. "We are very excited to have Justin be a part of our program. He will strengthen our post game immediately," says UMC Head Coach Jeff Oseth. "He is a very aggressive player that rebounds and defends well. He has good feet which allows him to step out of the post area. We feel that he will be a good fit with our returning players." Lincoln Land Community College Head Coach Chad Jones echoes the sentiments of Oseth. "Justin is a special young man," says Jones. "He has devoted a great deal of time and energy into molding himself into a basketball player. Not only is he a good basketball player, but he is a pleasure to be around off the court." The Golden Eagles will open their 2007-2008 season on November 16 when they travel to Sioux Falls, S.D. for a non-conference match-up with future Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foe Augustana College. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. (5/8/07)- Golden Eagle Men's Basketball Signs Five for 2007-2008 Season (Crookston, Minn.)- UMC Head Men's Basketball Coach, Jeff Oseth announced today the signing of five players to the 2007-2008 Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team. Adam Hendricks (Watertown, Minn.) is a 6'7", 225 lb., forward from Watertown-Mayer High School. He was a two-time All-Conference basketball team member, a team captain and a team MVP. Hendricks was named the team Offensive Player of the Year and KDUZ named him to the All-Area basketball team. "We are very excited about Adam joining our program. He is an outstanding basketball player, but even a better person. Adam has the size and athletic ability to be a very good player in the NSIC," comments Oseth. "Adam has the ability to run the floor and finish on the break, he is an exceptional rebounder and above all else he has the attitude it takes to be a successful student athlete. Adam has great leadership qualities that he has developed over the course of his high school years. Those qualities are very important at the next level. Adam will make an immediate impact on our program," adds Coach Oseth. Hendricks plans to major in Sport & Recreation Management at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Abbie Albitzq and Todd Hendricks. Pat Freeman (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) is a 6'7", 185 lb, wing player who played his high school basketball at Champlin Park. Following his junior and senior season, he was name to the All-Conference team. Freeman was also name Team MVP and All-State Honorable Mention as a senior. "Pat is a very versatile player. On his high school team he played mostly inside, on his AAU team he played on the perimeter. We plan to use Pat on the perimeter at UMC," says Coach Oseth. "He has good length and jumps well. He is a great team guy and we are looking forward to having Pat in the program. As Pat becomes more comfortable with the college game we feel he will become a successful wing player." Freeman plans to major in Sport & Recreation Management at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Nancy and Bill Freeman. Robert Hubbard (Champaign, Ill) is a 6'5", 200 lb, forward from Parkland College in Illinois. At Parkland College, he was named a Team Captain and was the Iron 5 Award recipient. "Rob is a very athletic player. He is able to guard bigger players because of this strength and jumping ability. Rob has a great passion for the game and works extremely hard. He was the type of player we were looking for," says Coach Oseth. We felt we needed to get a little more athletic in the post position and we were also looking for a person with a great work ethic. We feel Rob will fit into our system very well." Hubbard plans to major in Criminal Justice at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Aletha and Terry Alexander of Savoy, Ill. Akeem Cubie (Minneapolis, Minn.) is a 6'5", 180 lb, forward from Washburn High School. In high school, Cubie was an All-Conference selection and is the career rebound leader at Washburn. "Akeem is an exceptional rebounder and has great length for a guard. We feel he can become a very good defensive perimeter player. As Akeem puts on strength he will be a very tough match-up for other teams. We are very excited to add Akeem to our program," says Coach Oseth. Cubie plans to major in Business Management at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is the son of Crecida Odenore and Christopher Cubie. Joseph Paschka (Rosemount, Minn.) is a 6'7" 245lb center out of Rosemount High School who signed last November with the team. Paschka was named All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2005 and 2006. He has also been an Honor Roll Student since his freshman year of high school. Coach Oseth says "We are very excited that Joe has decided to sign with the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Joe is a physical big man with good hands. We knew we were going to need some size in the post in the near future and Joe brings that. Having watched him over the summer we really liked how hard he plays and how he uses his body. We feel Joe has an outstanding future ahead of him. Not only is Joe a very good basketball player, but he is also a great student and we are looking forward to working with him in the very near future." Paschka plans to major in Pre-Physical Therapy at UMC. He is the son of Jon and Linda Paschka of Rosemount, MN. The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team will continue to look for one or two more players for next season throughout the summer.
(3/28/07)- AARON SMITH AND THERESA CRANCE NAMED NSIC ALL-ACADEMIC The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced its All-Academic Teams for the 2006-07 winter athletic season. To be eligible for this honor, the student-athlete must be a member of the varsity traveling team and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better. Furthermore, the student-athlete must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing at the institution represented with one full year completed at that particular institution. Aaron Smith, a junior, guard for the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) men's basketball team was named to this year's team. Smith, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is in his first year at UMC, transferring from Iowa Lakes Community College. On the season, he averaged 8.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Smith finished the season shooting an outstanding 84.6% from the free-throw line. Smith is majoring in Business Management at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. UMC women's basketball player, Theresa Crance was also named All-Academic. Crance, who also plays volleyball for the Golden Eagles, is a junior from Timber Lake, South Dakota. Theresa has made the All-Academic team two years in a row for basketball and this past fall was named All-Academic for volleyball. On the season Crance averaged 2.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. She led the team with 16 blocks on the season. Crance is a Pre-Medicine major at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.
(3/1/07)- Cummings Named NSIC Co-Newcomer of the Year
(Fayette, Iowa)- The Golden Eagle defense played a solid 40 minutes against Upper Iowa in the team's final regular season game of the year. UMC held the Peacocks to just 26 first half points to take a 39-26 lead into the half. In what proved to be their final game of the regular season the UMC Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team made a strong claim that they deserve to be in the NSIC playoffs by beating the team that made it instead in the Upper Iowa University Peacocks by a final score of 73-62. The Golden Eagles shot a blazing 53.8% for the game and held Upper Iowa to 41% shooting from the floor. UMC out rebounded the Peacocks 33-29 and made 10 more free throws than their opponent. The Golden Eagles also played an up tempo game scoring on 13 more fast break points than the Peacocks 20-7. The Golden Eagles were led by Joey Kollar (Jr., F, Norwood-Young America, Minn.) who tied a season high with 18 points. Eric Rongen (Jr., F, Devils Lake, ND.) closed out his first season with the Golden Eagles by having an outstanding game. Rongen scored a season high 14 points and dished out a team season high eight assists. The win moves the Golden Eagles to a season ending record of 3-24 (2-16 NSIC) and the loss puts Upper Iowa at 3-24 (2-16 NSIC).
(2/23/07)- #1 Winona State Defeats UMC with Big First Half (Winona, Minn.)- The UMC Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team played their last two games of the season this weekend barely missing the NSIC playoffs. First up for the Golden Eagles was powerhouse Winona State University Warriors who are currently ranked number one in the nation in Division II hoops. The Golden Eagles didn't start the weekend well losing to the number one team in the nation 104-66. The Warriors used their strength in the post to out score the Golden Eagles 50-22 for the game. UMC did get strong play from the bench who chipped in 30 of the teams 66 total points, but the Warriors showed why they are number one getting 48 points from their bench which displayed their depth. The Golden Eagles did have four players scoring in double digits; leading the scoring was freshman Bryce Cummings (G, Mukwanago, Wis.) who scored 15, Mike Thompson (Sr., G, Apple Valley, Calif.) scored 13, and Eric Rongen (Jr., G, Devils Lake, ND.) and Jordan Grafsgaard (Jr., F, Ulen, Minn.) chipped in 12 and 10 points respectively. The loss drops the Golden Eagles to 2-24 (1-16 NSIC) and WSU stays undefeated at 26-0 (17-0 NSIC). Tomorrow evening the Golden Eagles take on Upper Iowa University in the final game of the season. This game has playoff implications as the Golden Eagles need to win to have a chance at the NSIC Conference tournament. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m.
(2/17/07)- Northern States Precision in the Field Defeats Golden Eagles (Crookston, Minn.)- The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team faced off against the Northern State University Wolves tonight on senior night at Lysaker Gymnasium. The Golden Eagles played strong, but the accuracy of the Wolves shots were too much for the Golden Eagles to stop. The Wolves came out on top of tonight's game 90-72. The first half was a well fought one for the Golden Eagles. UMC trailed the Wolves 42-37 at the half. The Wolves pushed for perfection but the Golden Eagles were behind them every step of the way. UMC stretched the court out again tonight coming up with 11 assists, three from Mario Bonner (Sr., C, Milledgeville, GA.) and three from Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.). Joey Kollar (Jr., F, Norwood-Young America, Minn.) led the Golden Eagles with 10 points and a rebound in the first half. Mario Bonner's defensive presence came up clutch in the half as he recorded two blocks. The UMC bench was led by Eli McVey (Jr., G, Princeton, Minn) who scored eight points. The depth of the Golden Eagle bench was evident in the first half accounting for 20 of the teams 37 points. Craig Nelson had 13 points for the Wolves in the half. The Golden Eagles played very well in the second half, however the Wolves hit shots that did not fall in the first half. They went 19-32 from the field in the second half, making seven of those behind the three point line. Second chance points increased the Wolves scoring margin as well coming up with 23 points. The Golden Eagle defense gave up 50 points in the paint tonight as well. The Golden Eagle bench remained at the top of their game tonight scoring 38 total points. Joey Kollar was the Golden Eagles leading scorer on the evening with his season high 18 points. Kollar was also 8-9 at the free-throw line and had five rebounds. Bryce Cummings had 13 points on the night, along with four assists. Mario Bonner also finished the night with four assists. Northern States Craig Nelson finished the night with 22 points. The Golden Eagles are now 2-23 overall and 1-15 in NSIC, and the Wolves are now 19-7 overall and 12-5 in NSIC play. The Golden Eagles close out the regular season traveling to Winona State and Upper Iowa next weekend. Tip off against Winona is set for 8:00 p.m. on the 23rd, and tip off against Upper Iowa is set for 8:00 p.m. on the 24th.
(2/16/07)- Golden Eagle Men Sink Marauders (Crookston, Minn.) The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team won their first conference game tonight against the University of Mary by a score of 73-60. Great ball distribution, defense, and points off Marauder turnovers led to the victory tonight. The Golden Eagles amassed 25 points off of the Mary turnovers. In the first half, the Golden Eagles used their tough play to command the boards and shoot an impressive 53.6% from the field. The Golden Eagles also shot 50% behind the three-point line hitting three of six shots. The Golden Eagles also saw the open lanes dishing 11 assists, and scoring 16 points down low in the paint. The Marauders were not able to hang onto the ball off the pass as well, committing eight turnovers leading to the Golden Eagles scoring 14 from Marauder turnovers. This correlated to the Golden Eagles having the lead at the half with a score of 38-28. Aaron Smith (Jr., G, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) had eight points, dished two assists, had three rebounds and was 2-3 behind the three-point line. Lance Doppler and Bill Shetler each had six points for the Marauders in the first half. In the second half, the Golden Eagles kept the momentum going and even drained some of the Marauders with two dunks from Mario Bonner (Sr., C, Milledgeville, GA.) and another by Joey Kollar (Jr., F, Norwood-Young America, Minn.). Aaron Smith ended his night with a season high 14 points and six assists. He also added two steals and five rebounds. Bryce Cummings (Fr, G, Mukwanago, Wis.) had 14 points and a season high five assists. Mike Thompson (Sr., G, Apple-Valley, Calif.) had a great effort tonight all over the court with five assists, two blocks, a steal, and five rebounds, four of them coming off of offensive boards. As a team the Golden Eagles shot 51% from the field. The Marauders leading scorer was Danny Sandvig with 10 points on the night. Tonight's win puts the Golden Eagles at 2-22 overall and 1-14 in NSIC play. The Marauders are now 8-17 overall and 4-11 in conference play. UMC hosts Northern State University tomorrow night at Lysaker Gymnasium. It is the last home game for the men and it is senior night. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. The Golden Eagles close out the regular season next weekend traveling to Winona State and Upper Iowa.
(2/10/07)- Poor First Half Shooting Propels Beavers to Victory (Bemidji, Minn.)- The UMC Golden Eagle Men's basketball team traveled to Bemidji State University tonight in their lone game of the weekend. The men's comeback attempt fell a little short as their 16 point halftime deficit was too much to recover from. The Beaver's held off the UMC attack for the win 67-63. Poor first half shooting cost the Golden Eagles as they trailed by 16 at halftime. As a team the Golden Eagles shot 7-30 from the floor in the half which led to only 18 points. Solid defensive play for the Golden Eagles held Bemidji State to only 34 first half points. Joey Kollar (Norwood-Young America, Minn.) led the Golden Eagles, scoring seven first half points and a game high total of 15. In the second half the Golden Eagles stormed back shooting 15-29 on field goals for a 51.7% average while holding the Beavers to 36% shooting from the field. UMC outscored the Beavers 17-6 on points off of turnovers for the game, but the Beavers bench outscored the Golden Eagles bench 27-7. In all other statistical categories no team held a major advantage. The Golden Eagles valiant effort fell short in the end as they lost by four points 67-63. The Golden Eagles were led by Kollar's 15 points. Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) chipped in with 14 and Aaron Smith (Jr., G, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) hit double figure scoring with 10 points. Bemidji State was led by Dan Sowu's 14 points. UMC hosts the University of Mary and Northern State University on February 16 and 17 at Lysaker Gymnasium. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m. on both nights.
(2/3/07)- Dragons Take Advantage of Points in Paint to Down Golden Eagles (Moorhead, Minn.)- The University of Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagles faced off against the Minnesota State-Moorhead Dragons tonight at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse. Points down low and in the paint were the difference in the game. The Dragons outscored the Golden Eagles down low 32-8. The Dragons used that momentum in the paint to defeat the Golden Eagles 79-59. Eli McVey (Jr., G, Princeton, Minn.) led the Golden Eagles in scoring with seven points and three rebounds in the first half. As a team the Golden Eagles shot 30.8% from the field. The Dragons scored 20 points in the paint in the first and were led by Jamal O'Neal who scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds. In the second half, the Golden Eagles picked up some of the slack from the first half. They shot 42.9% in the half and Mario Bonner (Sr., C, Milledgeville, GA) made his presence felt with eight points and three rebounds in the half. Blake Strouth scored 16 points in the second half and was 3-4 behind the three point line in the game for the Dragons. UMC is now 1-21 overall and 0-13 in the NSIC. Moorhead moves to 11-10 overall and 6-6 in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles travel to Bemidji State University on Saturday, February 10th to take on their conference rivals. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m.
(2/2/07)- Free-Throws Cost Golden Eagles Victory (St. Paul, Minn.)- The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball fell to the Golden Bears of Concordia-St. Paul tonight in another classic battle. For the seventh time this season, UMC saw its defeat come by seven points or less as the Golden Bears took the 60-54 victory. The Golden Eagles came out fired up to start the first half, and had a great scheme going, holding Concordia-St. Paul to 0-15 from the field. They went into the locker room at the half tied up at 32. The Golden Bears saw their first lead of the game in their first possession of the second half, but soon after, UMC regained the lead, 36-34 and held it until just under six minutes left of the game, where UMC fell behind 52-50. After that there were no points scored until the Golden Bears' Craig Heiman hit a three-pointer with a minute and a half left to play. Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) led the Golden Eagles with 16 points, and was the only one to go to the line the entire night, going 4-4 from the free-throw line. Bryce was 5-18 from the field and 2-8 in three-point attempts. UMC made a trip to the charity stripe only for times in the game, to CSP's 31 attempts. This tough loss brings the Golden Eagles to 1-20 overall and 1-12 in the NSIC. The Golden Bears move to 15-4 overall and 9-2 in the NSIC. The men travel to Moorhead, Minn. on Saturday night to battle Minnesota State University-Moorhead 8:00 p.m.
(1/27/07)- Rebounds Hurt Golden Eagles in Loss to Mustangs (Crookston, Minn.)- The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team hosted the second ranked team in the NSIC tonight in the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University at Lysaker Gymnasium. The more physical team won the ball game tonight as the Mustangs handed the Golden Eagles an 81-60 loss. The Golden Eagles played a strong first ten minutes of basketball trailing by only three points to the Mustangs 19-16, but the Mustangs were able to go on a 20-7 run to end the half. A big reason for the Mustangs run was on the boards, as they out rebounded the Golden Eagles in the half by 10, 19-9. The score going into the locker room was Golden Eagles-26 Mustangs-39. Senior forward Garry Thompson (Sr., F, Elk River, Minn.) continued his impressive play with nine first half points off the bench coming on a variety of shots. In the second half the Golden Eagles pushed the game to within ten points at the 14:10 mark behind some three-point shots by Bryce Cummings who tied for a game high with 17 points, but that is the closest they came to the Mustangs. SMSU used their more physical play on the boards to their advantage and pushed the lead to more than 20 points, as the Mustangs out rebounded the Golden Eagles 37-17. The UMC bench played a very solid game out scoring the Mustangs 30-26 with some different looks in the line-up by Head Coach Jeff Oseth. Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) was the only Golden Eagle in double digits with 17 points for the game. The Mustangs were led by Jeremy VanKlompenburg's 17 points and five rebounds. With the loss the Golden Eagles fall to 1-19 (0-11 NSIC) and the win puts the Mustangs to 13-7 (9-2 NSIC). Catch the Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team next as they take on Concordia-St. Paul on February 2. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in St. Paul, Minn.
(1/26/07)- Golden Eagles Lose a Last Second Thriller (Crookston, Minn.) The University of Minnesota, Crookston Men's Basketball team lost a very close game tonight against the Wayne State College Wildcats in Lysaker Gymnasium. After a total of 14 lead changes in the game, the Wildcats took the win with a score of 82-80. The first half was very exciting as the lead changed 11 times with the Golden Eagles being one up on the Wildcats 35-34 at the close of the half. The bench came up big for the Golden Eagles accounting for 18 points at the half. The men posted a field goal percentage of 44.1. Leading the way for the Golden Eagles in the scoring department was Bryce Cummings (Fr. G, Mukwanago, Wis.) with 11 points. In the second half, key ball distribution led to success for the Golden Eagles. Garry Thompson (Sr., F, Elk River, Minn.) seemed to be the spark plug the Golden Eagles needed to keep them close with the Wildcats. He scored 10 points in the second half, leaving him with a total of 15 points, accompanied by seven rebounds and four assists on the night. Bryce Cummings finished the night with 16 points, while Jordan Grafsgaard (Jr., F, Ulen, Minn.) and Mario Bonner (Sr., C, Milledgeville, Ga.) added 10 points each. The Golden Eagles combined for a field goal percentage of 53.8 and had 26 assists on the night. The bench also scored 20 points in the second half bringing their game total to 36. The Wildcats were led by David Walker and Bryce Caldwell, who each had 20 points on the night. The Wildcats shot 9-17 from behind the three-point line. Tonight's defeat puts the Golden Eagles at 1-18 overall and 0-10 in NSIC conference play, while the Wildcats improve to 11-8 overall and 6-4 in NSIC play. The Golden Eagles look to rebound strong tomorrow night against the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs. The tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
(1/22/07)- Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) Earns NSIC Player of the Week Honors (St. Paul, Minn.)- Bryce Cummings had an outstanding weekend for the Golden Eagles, averaging 25.5 points in the weekend's NSIC games against Upper Iowa and #1 Winona State. Cummings was the leading scorer for UMC with 20 points, two steals, and four rebounds, shooting a solid 4-9 behind the three-point line against UIU. Against the defending National Champions, Cummings scored a career high 31 points on 11-18 (61%) shooting. He was 5-10 from long range and a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line. This is the Golden Eagle's first Player of the Week nomination of the season. Full Release (PDF)
(1/20/07)- Golden Eagles Put Up Fight; Defending Champs Too Much (Crookston, Minn.) The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team knew they had a battle tonight when they faced the defending Division II National Champions and number one ranked team in the Winona State University Warriors at Lysaker Gymnasium. UMC fell in a hard fought game 93-79. The Golden Eagles got a strong first half performance from senior Mario Bonner (C, Milledgeville, Ga.) and freshman Bryce Cummings (G, Mukwanago, Wis.) who scored 10 and 11 points respectively, Bonner also added six rebounds in the half. The defending champion Warrior's shot 57.1% from the field in the first half led by Zach Malvik's 19 points and two assists. The Golden Eagles out rebounded the bigger Warriors in the half by three rebounds 17-14, but committed 12 costly turnovers. The Warriors took a 13 point lead into the locker room with a halftime score of 48-35. In the second half the Golden Eagles continued to attack the Warriors closing the lead to within ten points, but that is all the closer they would come as the game wound down. The Golden Eagles shot 47% from the field while the Warriors shot 57% for the half. The major difference in the game came in the paint as the Warriors out scored the Golden Eagles by 26 points 58-32. Bryce Cummings and Mario Bonner again came up big for the Golden Eagles. Cummings finished with a career high 31 points on 11-18 shooting. Bonner had his best game of the season getting a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Golden Eagles also got a lift from senior Garry Thompson (F, Elk River, Minn.) who finished the game with eight points on 4-5 shooting. In the end, the number one ranked team in the nation was able to come away with a 14 point win with the game ending in a 93-79 victory. The Warriors were led by Zach Malvik's game high 33 points, and All-American John Smith's 24 points and four steels. With the loss the Golden Eagles fall to 1-17 (0-9 NSIC) and the win keeps the Warriors undefeated at 17-0 (9-0 NSIC). Catch the Golden Eagle Men's basketball team on January 26 as they take on Wayne State University at home. Tip off is scheduled for 8:00.
(1/19/07)- A Strong Second Half Not Enough for Golden Eagles (Crookston, Minn.) The Golden Eagle Men's basketball team lost a close game to the Upper Iowa University Peacocks at Lysaker Gymnasium tonight in an NSIC Conference match up. A slow start for the Golden Eagles contributed to the 75-61 loss this evening. At the half, Mario Bonner (Sr., C, Milledgeville, Ga.), Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.), and Joey Kollar (Jr., F, Norwood-Young America, Minn.) contributed six points each in the first half. The Golden Eagles shot 34.5% from the field. The Upper Iowa University Peacocks posted an outstanding 27 points coming off of the bench in the first half which helped them to a 32-22 lead. The Golden Eagles played tough with the Peacocks in the second half due to the twenty one personal fouls committed by Upper Iowa. Under those circumstances the Golden Eagles were 14-20 at the free throw line and shot another 40% from the field in the second half. Bryce Cummings was the leading scorer for UMC with 20 points, two steals, and four rebounds, shooting a solid 4-9 behind the three-point line. Jordan Grafsgaard (Jr., F, Ulen, Minn.) added 12 points and six rebounds coming off of the bench tonight as well. The Peacocks bench seemed to be the difference maker tonight, accounting for 58 points. Nick Larsen led Upper Iowa with 28 points overall. The loss puts UMC at 1-16 overall and 0-8 in NSIC play. While tonight's win puts the Upper Iowa University Peacocks at 3-14 overall and 2-6 in NSIC games. Catch the Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team tomorrow night when they take on the #1 ranked and defending Division II National Champions, Winona State Warriors. Tip off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium.
(1/13/07)- Marauders Sneak Past Golden Eagles (Bismarck, N.D.)- Bryce Cumming's (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) game high 21 points wasn't quite enough for the Golden Eagles as the University of Mary snuck out a win 68-63. UMC had three players with double-digit points. Joining Cummings were Joey Kollar (Jr., F, Norwood-Young America, Minn.) and Aaron Smith (Jr., G, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) who each contributed 14 points to UMC's offense. The difference in tonight's game was the long range shooting of Mary. The Marauder's went 10-19 from beyond the arc for 52%. UMC went just 3-12 from long range. Mary also capitalized on their chances at the free-throw shooting 100% (16-16). The tough loss drops UMC to 1-15 overall and 0-7 in the NSIC. Mary moves to 7-9 overall and 3-5 in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles host Upper Iowa University and Winona State on January 19 and 20. Both games are scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium.
(1/12/07)- Wolves Keep Golden Eagles Searching for First Conference Win (Aberdeen, S.D.)- The Golden Eagles men's basketball team used the early outside shooting of Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) and the inside play of Mario Bonner (Sr., C, Milledgeville, Ga.) to take an early 11-4 lead in the first four minutes of play, but with UMC leading 13-10, Northern State went on a 17-0 run and went into halftime with a 43-27 lead. The Wolves continued their physical play down low scoring 22 or the team's 36 points in the paint in the second half to help Northern State to an 84-60 victory. The Golden Eagles were led by Cummings with 22 points, while Bonner also was in double figures with 13. Northern State was led by Craig Nelson's 20 points. UMC is now 1-14 overall and 0-6 in the NSIC. Northern State is now 11-5 over all and 4-3 in the conference. UMC travels to Bismarck, N.D. tomorrow night to play the University of Mary. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m.
(1/6/07)- Golden Eagle Men Lose Heartbreaker To Beavers (Crookston, Minn.) The UMC Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team took on Bemidji State University tonight in conference action at Lysaker Gymnasium. The game was close throughout with BSU sneaking out a road victory 64-62. Once again Jordan Grafsgaard (Jr., F, Ulen, Minn.) came off the bench and came up big for the Golden Eagles leading the first half scoring with nine points and grabbing four rebounds. The Golden Eagles were able to stay close in the first half with a strong effort on the boards. They out rebounded the Beavers in the first half 17-11. The Beavers shot the ball well in the half connecting on 50% of their field goals and took a nine point lead into halftime 35-26. The Golden Eagles stepped it up on defense in the second half with Mike Thompson (Sr., G, Apple Valley Calif.) leading the effort with six steals for the ball game, two coming in the second half. The Golden Eagles kept cutting the lead down throughout the half and were up one point with a minute to go when BSU guard Andre Bell drove to the hole and scored on a lay-up and was fouled. He connected on his free throw to put the Beavers up by two. The Golden Eagles then called a timeout to draw up a play. Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) got a good look on his jumper, but it came up a little short. Joey Koeller (Jr., F, Norwood-Young America, Minn.) grabbed the offensive board and gave a last effort jumper at the buzzer, but it also came up short. The game ended with BSU winning by two points 64-62. Jordan Grafsgaard led the Golden Eagles with 17 points on the night and he also grabbed seven rebounds. BSU was led by Arron Evans' 14 points and 4 assists.
(1/2/07)- Golden Eagle Men Earn First Victory of 2007 (Madison, S.D.)- The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team rang in the New Year on a winning note tonight, defeating Dakota State University in Madison, S.D. 85-81. UMC shot well the entire game and it showed as five players finished the game with double-digit points. As a team, UMC shot 52.6% from the field, 50% from beyond the arc and 78.3% from the free-throw line for the game. Aaron Smith (Jr., G, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) led the Golden Eagles, scoring 14 points. Mike Thompson (Sr., F, Apple Valley, Calif.) scored a personal season high 13 points in the victory. Both Jordan Grafsgaard (Jr., F, Ulen, Minn.) and Joey Kollar (Jr., F, Norwood-Young America, Minn.) scored 12 points and Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) rounded out the top UMC scorers tallying 11 points and dishing out a personal season high seven assists on the night. Dakota State was led by Joe Backus' 29 points and 11 rebounds. The Golden Eagles look to continue the streak as the team hosts struggling Bemidji State University on January 6 at Lysaker Gymnasium. Game time is set for an 8:00 p.m. start.
(12/29/06)- Huskies Overpower Golden Eagles in the Paint, Take The UMC Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team took on a tough non-conference St. Cloud State University team tonight at Lysaker Gymnasium. The Golden Eagles fell to the Huskies 83-57. Logan Frami (Jr., F, Muskego, Wis.) came off the bench to score 10 first half points for the Golden Eagles. St. Cloud State was led by David Dreas' 20 first half points. The Golden Eagles out rebounded the Huskies in the first half by eight 24-16 but trailed at the end of the half 39-30. In the second half the Huskies came out with more energy than the Golden Eagles and pushed their lead over 20 points for the remainder of the half. The Huskies shot 57.6% for the half while the Golden Eagles shot 33.3% from the floor for the half. The Huskies out scored the Golden Eagles by 22 points in the paint 42-20. The loss puts the Golden Eagles record to 0-12 overall and the win moves the Huskies record at 11-2 overall on the season. The Golden Eagles were led Frami's 10 points and eight rebounds. The Huskies were led by David Dreas who finished with a game high 30 points. UMC travels to Madison, S.D. on January 2 to take on Dakota State. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. The team returns to Lysaker Gymnasium to host NSIC rival Bemidji State University. That game is set for an 8:00 p.m. tip-off.
(12/16/06)- Slow First Half Grounds Golden Eagles (Duluth, Minn.)- Like the Golden Eagle Women's Basketball team that played before them tonight, the men opened their game with a first have that would set the pace for the rest of the game as Duluth defeated UMC 95-71 in non-conference action. UMC went down 55-33 in the first half as UMD shot 66.7% from the field. The Golden Eagle offense and defense stepped up in the second half, playing UMD to a 40-38 second session. UMC shot 50% from the field in the second half. The Golden Eagle's had three players finish the night with double-digit points. Aaron Smith (Jr., G, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) paced UMC with 17 points (7-12 FG, 3-4 3PT), four rebounds and three assists. Logan Frami (So., F, Muskego, Wis.) and Matt Pelzer (So., G, St. Cloud, Minn.) finished with 13 and 10 points respectively. Defensively, Mike Thompson (Sr., F, Apple Valley, Calif.) grabbed seven boards and added four assists and three steals. UMC is now 0-11 overall. The team looks to turn the season around after the holidy break as UMC hosts St. Cloud State University at Lysaker Gymnasium on December 29. Gametime is set for 5:30 p.m.
(12/15/06)- #8 Mavericks Too Much For Golden Eagles (Crookston, Minn.)- The Golden Eagles had their hands full this evening when the eighth ranked team in Division II, Minnesota State University came to town. The Mavericks controlled the entire game and never trailed in route to their 87-63 victory. The game started out fast with MSU taking the early lead. Before the game could get out of reach, the Golden Eagles went on a run in the middle of the first half to get back within a point of the Mavericks. Following a timeout Minnesota State got back on track quickly increasing their lead. The Golden Eagles were led at the break by Jordan Grafsgaard's (Jr. F, Ulen, Minn.) 10 points off the bench. Minnesota State was led by Luke Anderson who led all scorers with 13 first half points. The Mavericks were nearly just as hot in the second half and again were led by Anderson. He was nearly perfect from behind the arc finishing 5-6 from three point range for the game on his way to a game high 25 points. The Golden Eagles were beaten on points off turnovers and second chance points as they were out scored 28-16 in the two categories combined. Grafsgaard finished as the Golden Eagles leading scorer with 15 total points. The Golden Eagles fall to 0-10 on the year while MSU improves to 11-1. The Men are on the road tomorrow evening in Duluth for a match-up with another NCC opponent in the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
(12/9/06)- Golden Bears Turn Up Heat on Golden Eagles in Second Half (Crookston, Minn.)- It was a tale of two halves at Lysaker Gymnasium tonight as the UMC Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team took on Concordia St Paul. The Golden Eagles led at halftime 42-40, but were out scored by 28 points in the second half losing the game 108-82. The Golden Eagles had their best half of the year in the first half coming out with a passionate effort against a solid Golden Bears team shooting 51.6% for the half. They were led by Aaron Smith (Jr., G, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Jordan Grafsgaard (Jr., F, Ulen, Minn.), as both players had eight points a piece for the half. Grafsgaard who is also on the UMC football team came off the bench and produced immediately, scoring inside on nice moves to the bucket. The Golden Eagles went into the locker room at halftime with a two point lead 42-40. The second half was a different story for the Golden Eagles as the Golden Bears started the first seven minutes of the half on a 24-4 run gaining the lead and holding it for the remainder of the game. They got a lot of their buckets going to the basket on the fast break for lay-ups. The Golden Bears shot a blazing 68.9% from the field for the game and 67.5% for the half. The game ended with the Golden Bears winning 108-82. It was a good offensive game for the Golden Eagles as they got season highs from four players. They were led by Jordan Grafsgaard's season high 17 points, Eric Rongen (Jr. G, Devils Lake, N.D.) added a season high 13 points, Logan Frami (Jr., F, Muskego, Wis.) had season highs in both points and rebounds with 12 points and eight boards and Mike Thompson (Sr., G, Apple Valley, Calif.) had a season high in points with nine and tied season high with six assists. The Golden Bears were led by Kyle Marxhausen's 21 points.
(12/8/06)- Golden Eagle Men Fall to Hot Shooting Dragons (Crookston, Minn.) The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team lost to a solid shooting Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons team tonight at Lysaker Gymnasium 81-68. The Golden Eagles were led by Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) and Mike Thompson's (Sr., F, Apple Valley, Calif.) seven points in the first half. Both teams were pretty even in the rebounding category with the Golden Eagles grabbing 22 and the Dragons getting 25. At the end of the half the Golden Eagles trailed by only six 36-30. In the second half the Dragons came out on fire hitting on 69.2% of their shots for the half. The Golden Eagles also shot well for the half at 48.4%. The Dragons got too many easy buckets down low though as they pulled away leading by double digits for most of the half. The score ended in an 81-68 Dragon victory. With the loss the Golden Eagles fall to 0-8 (0-3 NSIC) and the win puts the Dragons at 5-2 (1-1 NSIC). Bryce Cummings was the only Golden Eagle in double digits with 17 points for the game. Logan Otten (Jr., East Troy, Wis.) came of the bench in the second half and gave UMC a boost with seven second half points. The Dragons were led by Lee Isaacson's 22 points and nine rebounds and Blake Strouth's 21 points and 11 rebounds. Catch the Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team tomorrow night as they take on Concordia St. Pual. Tip off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium.
(12/2/06)- Cummings Hits Last Second Three-Pointer to Send Game to Overtime, Wilcats Survive OT, Sneak Past Golden Eagles The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team continued their two game weekend road trip as the team finished off the weekend against Wayne State College tonight. The Golden Eagles fell in a hard fought battle against a strong Wayne State team in overtime 96-89. The Golden Eagles stepped up there shooting tonight hitting on a season high thirteen three- pointers. They also scored a season high in field goals made with 33 and points scored with 89. The game was evenly matched throughout with the second half ending in a tie at 80-80 as Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) hit as last second three-pointer for the Golden Eagles to send the game into an extra session. The home court advantage may have had a big impact in the outcome of the game as Wayne State College shot 27 more free throws than the Golden Eagles in the 96-89 victory. The Golden Eagles had a very balanced scoring attack tonight with five players scoring in double digits. Leading the way was Bryce Cummings with 18, Joey Kollar (Jr., F, Northwood-Young America, Minn.) with 15, point guard tandem Aaron Smith (Jr., G, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Delano Robinson (Fr., G, Bloomington, Ill.) had 13 a piece and Eric Rongen (Jr., G, Devils Lake, N.D.) came off the bench to score 12. The Wildcats were led by Jonathon Thomas who scored 29 points in the Wildcat win. The loss brings the Golden Eagles record to 0-7 (0-2 NSIC) the win puts the Wildcats to 5-2 (2-0 NSIC). UMC will open its home conference schedule next weekend as the team hosts MSU-Moorhead and Concordia-St. Paul at Lysaker Gymnasium. Game times are scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on both nights.
(12/1/06)- Key Shooting in Second Half Leads Mustangs Past Golden Eagles The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team began their NSIC Conference schedule this weekend in Marshall, Minn. against Southwest Minnesota State University. The Golden Eagles fell to the Mustangs 66-50 in a low scoring affair. Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) continued his hot shooting for the Golden Eagles scoring seventeen points hitting 5-12 shots, three coming from long range. The Golden Eagles committed a season low eight turnovers, but were out rebounded by the Mustangs by 16 (43-27). The Golden Eagles were led by Bryce Cummings 17 points and four assists. The Mustangs were led by Travis Krenske who had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. The loss moves the Golden Eagles record at 0-6 overall and 0-1 in the NSIC. The win moves the Mustangs to 4-1 and 1-0 in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles travel to Wayne, Nebraska tomorrow for an NSIC Conference game with the Wayne State Wildcats at 8:00 p.m. UMC returns home on December 8 and 9 to host MSU-Moorhead and Concordia-St. Paul. Game times are set for 8:00 p.m. on both nights.
(11/27/06)- Cougars Come Back in Second Half to Down Golden Eagles The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team looked for their first win tonight on the road against the University of Minnesota, Morris Cougars. They could not sustain their halftime lead of 35-33 falling to the Cougars in the end 83-77. The Golden Eagles won the battle of the boards 44-36 and shot a better percentage from the field 43.5% to the Cougars 41.3%. The difference in the game was in turnovers and getting to the free-throw line. The Cougars forced the Golden Eagles into 24 turnovers compared to their 18 and got to the free-throw line 13 more times. The Golden Eagles had three players scoring in double figures with Joey Kollar (Jr., F, Northwood-Young America, Minn.) and Delano Robinson's (Fr., G, Bloomington, Ill.) leading with 11 points apiece. The Cougars were led by Brendan McNally's 23 points. The lose puts the Golden Eagles record 0-5 overall and the Cougars move to 1-3. UMC is on the road on December 1 and 2 to open NSIC Conference play. The Golden Eagles travel to Marshall, Minn. to take on the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University at 8:00 p.m. on December 1. The team then travels to Wayne State (NE) on December 2 to take on the Wildcats at 8:00 p.m. UMC returns home on December 8 and 9 as the team hosts MSU-Moorhead and Concordia- St. Paul.
(11/25/06)- Golden Eagle Men Lose A Tough One to Augustana (Crookston, Minn.) The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball lost a hard fought game tonight against the Augustana College Vikings at Lysaker Gymnasium. The first half saw hot shooting on both sides of the floor. Golden Eagle's guard Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) scored 15 first half points on five first half three's and Vikings guard Joey Ryan scored all of his 23 points in the first half also hitting five threes. The Vikings were in the lead for most of the half, but the Golden Eagles tied it up 42-42 by the end of the half. The Golden Eagles took control for a majority of the second half behind strong play from Joey Kollar (Jr., F, Northwood-Young America, Minn.) and defensively by Mike Thompson (Sr., G, Apple Valley, Calif.) who held Joey Ryan to no points in the second half. Down the stretch the Golden Eagles looked like they had the game in control, but Augustana was able to hit some key shots and free throws to pull the win out 73-70. The Golden Eagles shot a solid 41% percent from the field for the game. Augustana also shot the ball well hitting 50% of their shots. The Golden Eagles out rebounded the bigger Augustana team 35-30. The loss brings the Golden Eagles record to 0-4 and the win puts Augustana's record to 4-1. Bryce Cummings led the Golden Eagles in scoring with 19 points and Mike Thompson played a very good all around game with five points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. The Vikings were led by Joey Ryan's 23 points. The Golden Eagles play next on November 27 against the University of Minnesota Morris in Morris. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 P.M.
(11/21/06)- Comets Shoot Down Golden Eagles The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team got a slow start tonight in Mayville, ND and could not recover in the second half as UMC fell 87-73 to the Comets. Delano Robinson (Fr., G, Bloomington, Ill.) led the Golden Eagles in the first half scoring 10 points and grabbing four rebounds. Robinson would be the only Golden Eagle with the hot hand in the first as no other player scored more than five points in the first 20 minutes of play as UMC went down at half 29-41. UMC's Aaron Smith (Jr., G, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Joey Kollar (Jr., F, Northwood-Young America, Minn.) both picked up their play in the second half. Smith added nine second half point while Kollar added six. UMC played the Comet's to a 44-46 second half but it was not enough as the first half deficit kept the Golden Eagles out of the win column. UMC returns home on November 25 to host Augustana College. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. in Lysaker Gymnasium.
(11/18/06)- Valley City Sneaks Past Golden Eagles One point in each half was all that separated the Golden Eagles and the Viking of Valley City State tonight as VCSU escaped with the two point victory 60-58. UMC shot better from the field than the Vikings, 38% to 31% but it was solid free-throw shooting in the second half for VCSU that helped lead them to their second victory of the season. The Vikings shot 17-21 (81%) from the line in the second half which was over half of the team's points for the second half. Aaron Smith (Jr., G, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) led the Golden Eagles in scoring tallying 15 points in 29 minutes of play. Defensively he grabbed six rebounds for UMC. Senior Mario Bonner (C, Milledgeville, Ga.) was the only other Golden Eagle with double-digit points, scoring 12 in 24 minutes of play. Mike Thompson (Sr., F, Apple Valley, Calif.) had an outstanding night on the boards grabbing 13 rebounds (5 offensive, 8 defensive) to lead both teams. UMC is now 0-2 on the young season but look to change their fortunes on November 25 as the team hosts Augustana College at Lysaker Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
(11/15/06)- Golden Eagle's Battle Fighting Sioux to Tight Finish (Crookston, Minn.)- The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team gave the visiting UND Fighting Sioux all they could handle tonight in UMC's first regular season home game at Lysaker Gymnasium. In the first half the Golden Eagles established themselves on the defensive end holding the Fighting Sioux to just 30 first half points. The Fighting Sioux were able to get some easy fast break points converting on all seven first half turnovers by the Golden Eagles. The halftime score ended with the Fighting Sioux leading the Golden Eagles by one point at 30-29. Bryce Cummings (Fr., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) had a solid half for the Golden Eagles hitting two big threes to keep the score close, he finished the first half with nine total points. In the second half the Golden Eagles took the lead and held it for a majority of the half. Matt Pelzer (So., G, St. Cloud, Minn.) came of the bench and gave the Golden Eagles the spark they needed crashing the offensive glass and tipping in offensive rebounds. Pelzer finished the game with eight points. In the end, turnovers coupled with an inability to score in the crucial minutes of the game allowed the Fighting Sioux to creep back into the game and regain the lead. Once the Fighting Sioux regained the lead they did not look back, taking the win 75-62. The Golden Eagles gave the visiting Fighting Sioux all they could handle, but just didn't seem to have enough in the tank at the end of the ball game. The Golden Eagles were led in scoring by Mario Bonner's (Sr., C, Milledgeville, GA) 11 points and six rebounds and Aaron Smith's (Jr., G, Cedar Falls, Iowa) 10 points. The Fighting Sioux were led by Ervin Youman's 19 points and Mike Gutter's 14 points. With the loss, the Golden Eagles fall to 0-1 on the season and the Fighting Sioux move to 1-0. See the Golden Eagle Men's Basketball team next when they face Valley City State this Saturday November 18 in Valley City. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
(11/14/06)- Joseph Paschka Signs Early with Golden Eagle Men's Basketball (Crookston, Minn.)- The Golden Eagle Men's Basketball Program announced today the signing of Joseph Paschka from Rosemount, Minn. to a National Letter of Intent. Paschka is a 6'7", 245lb center out of Rosemount High School. Paschka was named All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2005 and 2006. He has been an Honor Roll Student since his freshman year. "We are very excited that Joe has decided to sign with the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Joe is a physical big man with good hands. We knew we were going to need some size in the post in the near future and Joe brings that," says Head Coach Jeff Oseth. "Having watched him over the summer we really liked how hard he plays and how he uses his body. We feel Joe has an outstanding future ahead of him. Not only is Joe a very good basketball player, but he is also a great student and we are looking forward to working with him in the very near future," Oseth adds. Paschka plans to major in Pre-Physical Therapy at UMC. He is the son of Jon and Linda Paschka of Rosemount, MN.
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Bryce Cummings finished his freshman season second in the NSIC in free throw percentage (.885), eighth in scoring (15.3) and tenth in three pointers (2.22). Cummings was named NSIC Player of the Week on January 22nd after averaging 25.5 points in the weekend's NSIC games against Upper Iowa and #1 Winona State. Cummings was the leading scorer for the Golden Eagles with 20 points, two steals, and four rebounds, shooting a solid 4-9 behind the three-point line against UIU. Against the defending National Champions, Cummings scored a career high 31 points on 11-18 (61%) shooting. He was 5-10 from long range and a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line. 