“UMD’s Epic 2025 Home Opener: The Thrilling Sophie’s Squad Showdown Against SCSU!”

The University of Minnesota Duluth men’s basketball squad returns to Romano Gymnasium for the first time in 2025 on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 3:00 PM, competing against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in their annual Sophie’s Squad mental health awareness matchup.

 

Last Game Recap 

 

The Bulldogs commenced the new year with a weekend sweep on the road, staging a comeback to overcome the Northern State University Wolves and delivering a commanding second half performance against the previously ranked Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons.

 

UMD began the night against NSU sluggishly, narrowly trailing 40-37 during the opening 18 minutes of the first half. The Bulldogs seized a scoring surge to take the lead before the halftime break, maintaining it throughout the remainder of the evening to secure the 83-72 triumph.

 

In their final game of the weekend, the Bulldogs pushed the Dragons to a 35-35 stalemate at the halftime break, managing to keep the score competitive at the start of the second half. With approximately 12 minutes remaining, UMD gained a 10-point advantage that continued to expand, allowing the Bulldogs to clinch the 71-56 victory.

 

Highlighted Players from Last Weekend

 

#24 Charlie Katona – 2 GP, 35 PTS, 10 REB, 7 A, 3 STL

 

#4 Caleb Siwek – 2 GP, 30 PTS, 15 REB, 6 A, 1 BLK, 1 STL

 

#1 Joshua Brown – 2 GP, 23 PTS, 16 REB, 6 A

 

Scouting Overview – St. Cloud State University 

 

The St. Cloud State University Huskies possess a record of 10-7 overall and 6-3 against NSIC competitors in the 2024-25 season, recently achieving a 93-89 victory against the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears. 

 

The Bulldogs are 12-9 overall against the Huskies since 2013, holding a home record of 7-3 and an away record of 5-6 against SCSU. UMD’s largest victory margin over the Huskies has been 21 points (95-74, Dec. 2019), and they defeated SCSU 80-69 in their latest encounter last season.

 

The Huskies are currently driven in scoring by sophomore guard #10 Nate Dahl, averaging 13.0 points per game with a total of 221 points over 17 games with SCSU this season.

 

Bulldogs Versus Other Teams

 

The Bulldogs are ranked among the top five in the NSIC in 12 different statistical categories, including four categories where they rank in the top three. These categories comprise:

 

Blocks Per Game – 3.9 (2nd in NSIC, 61st in NCAA)

Effective Field Goal Percentage – 0.541 (3rd in NSIC, 61st in NCAA)

Field Goal Percentage – 47.8 (4th in NSIC, 56th in NCAA)

Field Goal Percentage Defense – 42.0 (4th in NSIC, 63rd in NCAA)

Free Throw Attempts per Game – 20.7 (5th in NSIC, 108th in NCAA)

Rebounds Margin – 4.7 (4th in NSIC, 61st in NCAA)

Scoring Defense – 66.9 (4th in NSIC, 36th in NCAA)

Scoring Margin – 9.4 (2nd in NSIC, 53rd in NCAA)

Scoring Offense – 76.3 (2nd in NSIC, 53rd in NCAA)

Steals per Game – 7.2 (5th in NSIC, 148th in NCAA)

Turnover Margin – 1.5 (4th in NSIC, 98th in NCAA)

Turnovers Per Game – 10.7 (5th in NSIC, 23rd in NCAA)

 

UMD Projected Third in NSIC Preseason 

 

The University of Minnesota Duluth men’s basketball team was projected to finish third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) in the preseason coaches poll. The Bulldogs accumulated 172 points in the conference poll, including one first-place vote, after concluding the 2023-24 season in the second round of the NCAA Central Region tournament.

 

Katona Acknowledged as NSIC Player to Watch 

 

Fifth-year senior Charlie Katona was recognized as UMD’s NSIC Player to Watch for the 2024-25 season. Katona was a regular in the Bulldog starting lineup last season, starting in all 33 games and averaging 28 minutes per game. Katona accumulated a total of 424 points, averaging 12.8 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 1.9 assists per game while entering the season as the reigning NSIC Defensive Player of the Year.

 

Departures in the Offseason

 

The Bulldogs will experience some modifications in the rotation from last season, facing significant gaps due to the graduation of Drew Blair and Jack Middleton, as well as the transfer of Lincoln Meister.

 

Drew Blair was the premier player in the Bulldog’s offensive system last season, breaking the program’s all-time scoring record at the beginning of the season against Oklahoma Baptist and leading the team in four different statistical categories (total points, points per game, rebounds, and steals). 

 

Jack Middleton was the bedrock of the Bulldog’s leadership and established himself as one of the most precise shooters on the team. Middleton concluded his career with the Bulldogs as a 40.8% 3-point shooter and an 89.8% free throw shooter.

 

Lincoln Meister was the Bulldog’s primary sixth man option, serving as a formidable presence under the basket and an exceptional blocker. Concluding the season with 32 blocks, UMD loses one of their strongest defensive big men with his transfer to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

 

Previous Season 

 

The Bulldogs wrapped up their 2023-24 season with their third consecutive NCAA tournament participation, falling in the second round against the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats.

 

UMD finished the regular season in second place in the NSIC standings and subsequently lost in the championship game of the NSIC tournament to the eventual NCAA National Champions, Minnesota State Mankato.

 

The Bulldogs secured the third seed for the NCAA Central Region tournament, winning the opening round with a buzzer-beater layup from Mattie Thompson to defeat Fort Hays State. 

 

UMD concluded their season in the semifinals following a defense-driven, 71-62 defeat to the Bearcats.

 

Upcoming Matches

 

Bulldog men’s basketball will proceed with their three-game homestand next weekend against the Bemidji State University Beavers and the University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles. The tip-off against the Beavers is presently scheduled for Friday, Jan. 17, at 5:30 PM.