RYAN STANDOUT TO PLAY TWO AT MSU

The Minot State University Athletic Department announces that Brooks Backes has signed a letter of intent to pursue the remainder of his intercollegiate athletic career at Minot State University. Backes comes from Bishop Ryan High School in Minot, ND and will compete in both Basketball and Baseball.

Backes averaged 15 points per game this season in helping Minot Ryan to their third consecutive North Dakota State ‘B’ Tournament. The three-year letter winner has been named All-District twice and was named All-Region this past season. In addition, Backes was named the 2008 All-State Tournament team. He has also been invited to participate in the Lions All-Star games this summer.

Head MSU Basketball Coach Mike Hultz had these comments: “The biggest thing about Brooks that stands out to me is his instinctiveness. He has a great feel for whatever game he is playing and has a nose for the ball whether it be on the basketball court or on the football field. He is a good all-around athlete that will discover his full potential when he is pushed at the next level.”

As a baseball player Backes is pushing the Lions to get to their fourth straight State Tournament and the opportunity to defend their 2007 State Championship. Backes has been an All-Region player in each of his first three seasons and was named Most Valuable Player of the 2007 State Tournament.

Head MSU Baseball Coach Brock Weppler had these comments: “Brooks is very athletic and we expect to use him on the mound right away. If he keeps at it and works hard he will be very good down the road.”

Backes was also an All-Conference and All-State cornerback on the Ryan football squad.

HEITKAMP TO ATTEND MINOT STATE
The Minot State University men's basketball team has added local prep standout Gary Heitkamp to its list of recruits for the 2008-09 season.

BEAVERS RUN FALLS SHORT
Minot State battled No. 5 seed Northwestern College (Iowa) for much of the game, but the Red Raiders fended off repeated Beavers' runs in a 97-90 win in the first round of the 2008 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks.

MINOT STATE ALUM FEATURED IN MINOT DAILY NEWS

MSU MEN PLACE 4 ON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Minot State University Men have place four players on the Dakota Athletic Conference All-Conference Team for the 2007-08 season. Matt Witwer, a 6'5' Senior from Minot, ND was named to the first team, CJ DeWitty, a 6'0 Junior from Austin, TX, and Aaron Patterson, 6'4" Junior from Freemont, CA, to the second team, and Joe Gathings, a 6'1" Senior from Chicago, IL was named to the third team. Witwer averaged 17 points, 6 rebounds per game, Patterson averaged 16 point per game, DeWitty averaged 15 points and 6 assists per game and led the DAC in steal per game (2), while Gathings averaged 14 points and 2.4 assists per game.

NAIA II NATIONAL TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

DEWITTY SHOOTS HIS NAME INTO MSU LORE

VIDEO FOOTAGE OF BUZZER BEATER

BRANSON BOUND
Minot State University's C.J. DeWitty had the option of shooting the final shot or kicking it out after a drive. After seeing him wipe his shoes during the inbounds pass with 11.7 seconds remaining and the game tied at 85, there wasn't much question to what he was going to do.

BEAVERS RUN PAST VIKINGS
The Minot State University men's basketball team played perfect basketball for nearly 35 minutes in Wednesday's Dakota Athletic Conference playoff semifinal

MSU SURVIVES SCARE
In the past three games, Minot State University men's basketball team had to rally from late deficits. Beavers head coach Mike Hultz felt that would benefit his team in the tight games in the playoffs. It certainly seemed to in Sunday's first round.

CJ DEWITTY FEATURED IN MINOT DAILY NEWS

BEAVERS OUTLAST BLUE HAWKS
There is nothing like a little drama to end the regular season.

Minot State University's Matt Witwer nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing with 8.6 seconds to go in regulation to force overtime. Beavers guard C.J. DeWitty sealed the win in overtime with a three-point play with 14.1 seconds remaining as MSU rallied late for an 89-86 overtime win over Dickinson State in Dakota Athletic Conference men's basketball Wednesday at the MSU Dome

MSU FENDS OFF DAKOTA STATE
Minot State University built a big second-half lead, lost it, and then regained a cushion down the stretch in an 88-80 win in Dakota Athletic Conference men's basketball Saturday.

BEAVERS RALLY FOR HUGE ROAD WIN
Minot State University's men's basketball team went on a 30-18 run to finish the game and rally past Mayville State 95-92 in a key Dakota Athletic Conference win for the Beavers Friday.

JOE GATHINGS FEATURED IN MINOT DAILY NEWS

JAMESTOWN PULLS AWAY
About midway through the second half, Minot State University needed a stop. It never came.

Jamestown College scored virtually the entire night and got big shots when it needed them as the Jimmies pulled away from the Beavers in an 88-67 win in Dakota Athletic Conference men's basketball Friday at the MSU Dome.

BEAVERS BLOW OUT VIKINGS
Minot State University's hot first half shooting carved up one of the top defenses in the country. The Beavers scorched the nets to the tune of 53 percent from the floor and 7 of 10 shooting on 3-pointers to build a 48-37 lead. Then the Beavers defense made a stand of its own.

MSU held No. 12 Valley City State to just two field goals over the first 10 minutes of the second half and the Beavers powered their way to their second win over VCSU 87-68 in Dakota Athletic Conference men's basketball Friday at the MSU Dome.

BEAVERS SWEEP WEEKEND
Things looked a little precarious for Minot State University. On the bench was starting point guard C.J. DeWitty with two fouls and shooting guard Joe Gathings after being poked in the eye. The Beavers were clinging to a 28-25 lead. In comes Stan Schauer. Schauer hit two big 3-pointers, ran the MSU offense and played solid defense during a key stretch in the first half, turning the three-point lead into a 38-29 lead.

BEAVERS CAN'T REBOUND; BHSU DOES
The Minot State University men's basketball team was hoping to rebound from a disappointing loss Friday to South Dakota Mines. Instead, Black Hills State used the rebound — more specifically the offensive rebound — to derail the Beavers.

MINOT STATE DEFENSE FALTERS
This wasn't what Minot State University's men's basketball team wanted to capitalize on momentum. MSU struggled on defense and South Dakota Mines shot 60.8 percent from the floor in the second half as the Hardrockers upset the Beavers 87-86 in Dakota Athletic Conference basketball Friday at Kings Center

AARON PATTERSON FEATURED IN MINOT DAILY NEWS

BEAVERS HANG ON FOR HUGE VICTORY
Minot State University's free throw shooting kept Calvin Kraft and his No. 15-ranked Valley City State team at bay.

BEAVERS CAN'T COMPLETE COMEBACK
Jamestown College's Kyle Iverson and Jake Holen had just enough to fend off Minot State University.

BEAVERS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE
The Minot State University men's basketball team answered every question Mayville State threw at it in the second half.

MSU PULLS AWAY FROM TROJANS
It certainly wasn't the prettiest game played at the Minot State University Dome.  But Minot State University will take it.

The Beavers got a solid game from starter Aaron Patterson and key minutes from reserve Stan Schauer to run their record in the Dakota Athletic Conference to 2-0 with a 90-67 win over Dakota State in Dakota Athletic Conference men's basketball Friday.

MSU REBOUNDS FOR WIN
Maybe the Minot State University men's basketball team hit the snooze button on its game-time alarm.

MSU DROP TITLE GAME
WITWER, PATTERSON NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT
The Brock Badgers captured their third Wesmen Classic Championship in five years with a convincing 98- 88 victory over the Minot State University Beavers in front of 1400 spectators at the Duckworth Centre Sunday night. Mike Muir led the Badgers with 21 points. Six other Brock players scored in double digits including Mike Kemp with 19 points, Owen White with 18 and Brad Rootes with 15 points to go along with 15 assists. Aaron Patterson led Minot State with a game high 24 points followed by Andy Leraas with19 points. The Badgers had control of the game leading 51- 36 going into the halftime break. Brock continued their fast paced offense and were able to hold off a late charge by the Beavers to secure the win.

Tournament All-Stars
Ross Bekkering - Calgary
Erfan Nasajpour - Winnipeg
Matt Witwer - Minot State
Aaron Patterson - Minot State
Brad Rootes - Brock

BEAVERS RUN PAST WESMAN
WINNIPEG — The Minot State University men's basketball team shot out to a big lead and continued to pull away, defeating Winnipeg Wesmen 77-53 Saturday in the Wesmen Classic.

“We jumped out 14-3 in the first minutes of the game,” MSU head coach Mike Hultz said. “From there, we pretty much kept control of the game.”

Matt Witwer led all scorers with 20 points and Aaron Patterson added 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Jessie Ford joined Patterson with 11 boards as the Beavers thrashed Wesmen on the boards with 22 offensive rebounds.

MSU held Wesmen's top scorer, Erfan Nasajpour, to just nine points.

“We held him to nine and he got in foul trouble,” Hultz said. “That was a big factor.”

Andy Leraas came off the bench to score nine points for MSU.

The Beavers play in the Wesmen Classic championship against Brock at 8 p.m. - Courtesy of the Minot Daily News

MSU WINS OPENER IN WINNIPEG TOURNEY
WINNIPEG — Minot State University's Matt Witwer finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, five assist and three steals to pace the Beavers to a 80-70 win in nonconference men's basketball at the first round of the Wesmen Classic here Friday.

“Wit had a fantastic first half. I think he scored about 20 and I don't think he missed a shot,” MSU head coach Mike Hultz said. “He and Aaron Patterson finished with seven offensive rebounds and we had 21 as a team. I was pretty happy with how we played.”

The game was played under FIBA rules with both an eight-second back court violation and a 24-second shot clock in effect. Both factors were important to Hultz's overall satisfaction.

“It is tough because they pressed us the entire second half and then fell back into a zone,” he said. “We did a good job of attacking the press and then setting up against the zone.”

Patterson added 20 points and Joe Gathings finished with 12 points and four assists. As a team, the Beavers had 18 total assists and shot 42.9 percent, while holding the Bisons to just 39.7 percent shooting for the game.

“We got good minutes from Mitch Mayer (four points, four rebounds),” Hultz said. “Milan (Cvetkovic) didn't make the trip because of a bad back and Jessie (Ford) got into foul trouble. Mitch stepped in and did a good job.”

The Beavers will take on host Winnipeg in one semifinal tonight at 6 p.m. MSU is setting up an audio link on its Website (www.msubeavers.com) to get a play-by-play of the game.

“It should be a good one,” Hultz said. “This tournament is a pretty big deal. There are four ranked teams in the bracket. There should be close to 3,500 people at the game. We are looking forward to this one.”  - Courtesy of the Minot Daily News

BEAVERS FALL SHORT
Minot State University's comeback was derailed by two crucial offensive rebounds.  Rocky Mountain Article

BEAVERS TRIP HAWKS
at Dickinson Article

BEAVERS GRIND OUT WIN
GATHINGS, WITWER KEEP MONTANA-WESTERN IN CHECK
Joe Gathings and Matt Witwer teamed up to help Minot State University continue dominating its series with the University of Montana-Western.

The two combined for 31 points as the Beavers defeated Montana-Western 67-59 in an NAIA non-conference men's basketball game Wednesday night at the Minot State University Dome.  Montana-Western Article

BISON OUTMUSCLES MINOT STATE
There is definitely a difference between the level at NCAA Division I North Dakota State and Minot State University.

It isn't one glaring one, however. But of all the advantages the Bison have, the most glaring is strength.  NDSU Article

KEY INJURY, POOR SHOOTING SINK BEAVERS
When Milan Cvetkovic left the court so did Minot State University's chance of winning Saturday's non-conference men's college basketball game against Montana State-Northern.

Cvetkovic exited with an apparent right ankle injury early in the second half and the Lights immediately went on an 11-2 run that helped them to an 85-73 victory at the Minot State University Dome.  MSU-Northern Article

BEAVERS FIGHT BACK FROM DEFICIT TO UPEND GREAT FALLS
Minot State University is built to score points. The team has reached the 80s in every game this season. But it was a solid defensive effort, including two huge stops in the final 11.3 seconds that made the difference Friday.  Great Falls Article

BEAVERS DROP HEARTBREAKER
Minot State lost it's home opener Sunday night, on a 3 by Dany Charlery with .8 seconds to play.  Minot led throughtout most of the game before a Hartman three with just under 40 seconds to play.  Minot then tied it with two Dewitty free throws, before the buzzer beater.  Minot was led in scoring by Aaron Patterson with 22.  CJ Dewitty also had 18, Joe Gathings 15, Matt Witwer 14, and Jessie Ford 11.  Minot goes on the road this weekend as they travel to Great Falls and Havre to square off Friday and Saturday.

BEAVERS ANNOUNCE JUNIOR COLLEGE SIGNINGS
The Minot State University Men’s Basketball program announces that Cardell (CJ) DeWitty and Aaron Patterson have signed a letter of intent to pursue the remainder of their intercollegiate basketball career at Minot State University. 

DeWitty, a 6'0" guard, comes from Del Valle, TX.  DeWitty finished his junior college career this past season at Temple Community College in Temple, TX.  DeWitty helped the Leopards to a 23-8 record and conference championship.  DeWitty averaged 10 points per game while shooting 42 percent from the three-point arc.  He earned Honorable Mention All-Conference recognition. 

Head Coach Mike Hultz had these comments: “C.J. comes from a great program in a great conference.  He went there as a walk-on and left there on a scholarship and was in their starting line-up.  That speaks volume for his work ethic and his competitive drive.  He’s a good athlete that can play both guard positions.”

Patterson, a 6'3" guard, comes from Freemont, CA.  Patterson finished his junior college career this past season at Cabrillo Community College in Aptos, CA.  Patterson led the Seahawks to their first conference championship in the school’s 38 year-old history.  Cabrillo finished the season 19-9 overall and 9-3 in the Coast Conference South.  Patterson averaged 19 points, 6 rebounds per game while shooting 35 percent from the three-point arc.  Those numbers earned him First-Team All-State honors after being named the conference’s Most Valuable Player.

Head Coach Mike Hultz had these comments: “Aaron’s resume speaks for itself.  He put up numbers, earned All-State and MVP honors while leading his team to a conference title.  Offensively he is a versatile player.  He can shoot the three, take it to the basket and even has a bit of a post-up game.  His coach spoke very highly of him and praised him for his competitive nature.” 

LOCAL ATHLETES JOIN MSU HOOPS SQUAD
The Minot State University Men’s Basketball program announces that Jordan Pederson, Our Redeemers and Matt Mueller, Minot Ryan have joined the MSU Basketball team for the 2007-08 season. 

Pederson, a 6'0 guard,  was a four year starter at Our Redeemers where he led his team in assists each season including a school record of 119 as a senior.  He also had 73 steals during his senior season.  For his efforts, Pederson was named All-District while averaging 11 points and 7 assists per game.

Matt Mueller, a 5'11 guard,  helped Bishop Ryan to back-to-back region championships and North Dakota Class ‘B’ State Tournament appearances.  Mueller averaged 12.2 points while shooting 36.5 percent from the three-point arc and 80 percent from the free throw line.

Head Coach Mike Hultz had these comments: “It is good to have these local athletes join our squad.    Jordan and Matt will most likely red-shirt as they will use the year to get stronger and adjust to the college game. 

LIONS ALL-STAR CHOOSES MINOT STATE
The Minot State University Men’s Basketball program announces that Robbie Getzlaff will pursue his intercollegiate basketball career at Minot State University. Getzlaff, a 6'7/240 pound center was a three-year starter at DeLacs-Burlington High School.  This past season Getzlaff averaged 18  points per game while shooting 57 percent from the field.  He also grabbed 10 rebounds and had 2 blocks per game.  For his efforts , he was named All-District 12 and All-Region 6.  Getzlaff has also been selected to participate in the Lions All-Star games this summer.

Head Coach Mike Hultz had these comments: “Robbie is a real nice kid and we are excited to have him aboard.  As with most big kids it is hard to forecast exactly what kind of career they will have but Robbie’s progress over the past year gives us a lot to be excited about.  He is just starting to come into his own and now with the opportunity to practice everyday against players his own size he will really have a chance to flourish.”

POST SEASON AWARDS

This year's Beaver's squad had two post season award recipients.  Jordan Cooper was a 2nd team All-Conference selection.  Cooper was second on the team in scoring averaging 11.9 points per game and shooting a blistering 43% from the  three point arc.  Drew Hysjulien was also named an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Drew averaged 9.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while shooting an outstanding 42% from behind the three point line. 

Cooper will be back next fall to finish his History Education degree and will be on the sideline helping assist the Minot State Men's Basketball team.  Drew will also be back finishing his degree in History Education as well.  Congratulations to both on their outstanding careers here at Minot State University.