MSUM MBB off to Undefeated Start

DRAGONS BEGIN 10-0; BEST START SINCE 2014-15 (12-0).

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR)–Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) is off a historic start to their season. At 10-0, the Dragons are turning heads. Leading the charge on offense is junior guard Jacob Beeninga.

Beeninga is averaging over 20 points-per-game and he is the lone returner of last year’s top four scorers.

“I think everything is just slowed down for me a little bit,” said Beeninga. “The biggest part is trying to make plays for my teammates and letting the game come to me a little bit. I have great players around me. So, I think it’s really just trying to get them involved and get the ball moving through the offense. And, you know, that sometimes opens some things up for me, but it definitely comes from my teammates.”

The Dragons are led by second year head coach Tim Bergstraser. At the helm in year one, he led the team to an NSIC championship and NCAA tournament appearance. Now, in year two, to an undefeated first 10 games.

“We got some really good players in this program,” said Bergstraser. “I was very fortunate, especially in my first year as a head coach, and I thank [Chad] Walthall a lot for a allowing me to step into head coach and roll with those type of players. I think we did a good job this offseason of bringing in some pieces we felt we needed. On top of that, our returners did a great job of improving their game as well. I don’t want to say I’m surprised by our start, but I mean 10-0 is something some pretty special. We know we can lose to anybody, so we’re just going to keep trying to take it day by day at this point.”

The Dragons have been soaring on the court and in the polls. The latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) poll placed them at No. 2, their highest ranking ever.

“I think it’s really cool for the fans and the people surrounding the program,” said Beeninga. “But I mean, in all honesty, it doesn’t really mean that much to us. Like you still have to go out there and play. It is just going to increase the target on our back.”

Coach Bergstraser shares the same philosophy.

“It’s a number,” said Bergstraser. “I mean, we don’t get caught up in the rankings too much. Yes, it’s awesome. We want to be recognized at a national level. I think it’s great just for the university, but we can’t kid ourselves or get caught up in a that. We really just got to focus on us.”

The last time MSUM had this good of a start was the 2014-15 season. That year, the dragons started 12-0 and reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. What is this year’s Teams ceiling?

“A National championship,” said Beeninga. “I mean, to be honest, that’s why we play, you know, to have a chance at those games, but it’s still a long way to go. The ceiling is whatever we can set it to be. We have control of our own destiny. We just got to continue to go one game at a time.”

Senior forward Dane Zimmer also believes this squad can make some noise in March.

“We can definitely make a good run in the tournament,” said Zimmer. “Keep winning games…we know that every game we’re in we have a good chance of winning, so we just go into these games knowing we think we’re a better team. That’s how we play.”

A national championship would be the first for MSUM in program history at the NAIA or Division II level, but of course still plenty of season to go.

The Dragons are next in action on Thursday, December 14 At Minnesota Crookston.