St. Cloud State
Clarke University
Men's basketball hosts Clarke in midweek tilt
11/16/2021 9:57:00 AM | Men's Basketball
ST. CLOUD, MINN. - The St. Cloud State men's basketball team's schedule is a little jam-packed to open the season. Three days after hosting the GAC/NSIC Crossover Friday and Saturday, the Huskies will host Clarke University Tuesday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. in Halenbeck Hall.Â
Tuesday's game will be the last chance for many to see St. Cloud State at home for a long time. In fact, after Tuesday, the Huskies will play five consecutive road games, including this Saturday's contest at Minnesota State. After Tuesday, St. Cloud State's next home game will take place on December 4, when the Huskies host Bemidji State at 2:00 p.m.Â
There are a plethora of giveaways planned for Tuesday night's contest. The first 50 fans through the door will receive a free Huskies men's basketball t-shirt, and there will also be a halftime performance by the St. Cloud State national champion dance team. Tickets can still be purchased at www.scsutickets.com, and all students get in free with their student ID. Â
For those who cannot make the trek to Halenbeck Hall, live stats and video will be available for tonight's contest. Additionally, score updates will be made to the Huskies' official Twitter page (@scsuhuskies_mbb).
Here are the five things to know before Tuesday's tipoff:
71.5 - Sure St. Cloud State scored a lot of points at the GAC/NSIC Crossover, averaging 93.0 points as a team, but it was the Huskies defense that really came to play. St. Cloud State held Ouachita Baptist and Harding to a combined 71.5 points, surrendering just 71 points to the Tigers in the season opener before the Bison put up just 72 on Saturday. The Huskies additionally forced 29 turnovers and tallied 16 steals over the weekend while holding their opponents to .227 shooting from three-point range.Â
9 - Senior guard Ryan Bagley (Pocatello, Idaho / Burley) played a key role in St. Cloud State's defensive success, specifically against Ouachita Baptist on Friday. The senior recorded nine steals in the 84-71 victory, tying the program record for single-game steals. Bagley finished the weekend with 10 steals, averaging 5.0 per game, and 13 assists while committing just seven turnovers.Â
5 - Five different Huskies averaged double-digit points at the GAC/NSIC Crossover, including Bagley, Caleb Donaldson (Bloomington, Ill. / Bloomington), Anthony Roberts (Chicago, Ill. / Oak Park), Matthew Willert (Buffalo, Minn. / Buffalo) and Josh Tomasi (Melbourne, Australia / Box Hill). Roberts led the way, averaging 19.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in the season opening tournament, while Willert and Bagley averaged 16.0 and 15.0 points respectively. As the team's starting forward, Tomasi averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, while Donaldson closed the weekend averaging 11.5 points with a .583 shooting percentage.Â
2019 - St. Cloud State scored 102 points in regulation in its 102-72 win over Harding on Saturday. The last time the Huskies scored 100+ points in regulation occurred in 2019-20, and they did it twice that season. St. Cloud State earned its first win of 2019-20 by defeating Oak Hills Christian College 126-48 before earning a 100-90 win over Concordia-St. Paul later that same season. Donaldson, Roberts and Daniel Geistler (Norwalk, Iowa / Norwalk) are the only remaining Huskies from the 2019-20 team, which posted an overall record of 14-15 with an 11-11 mark in NSIC play.Â
.565 - St. Cloud State shot .565 from three-point range in the 30 point win over the Bison on Saturday. The last time the Huskies shot over .550 against a Division II opponent was in 2018-19, when they shot .577 in a 92-74 win over Upper Iowa. As a team, St. Cloud State shot 15-26 from beyond the arc that game thanks in large part to Brindley Theisen. The former standout went 8-11 from three-point range against the Peacocks and scored a season-high 26 points in the process.
