MANKATO, Minn. – The Bethany Lutheran College men's basketball team hits the road this weekend for a pair of key Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) matchups. The Vikings (12-2 overall, 3-0 UMAC) will take on North Central (9-5 overall, 2-1 UMAC) on Friday at 5:30 in Minneapolis before clashing with Northwestern (6-8 overall, 1-2 UMAC) in St. Paul at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Friday: Live Stats | Watch Live

Saturday: Live Stats | Watch Live

Bethany Lutheran
The Vikings are coming off a pair of wins last week in which they outscored their opponents 219-111. Through 14 games they've seen a balanced attack with Drew Sagedahl's 16.6 points leading the way, while Jax Madson's 15.4 is right behind. Hunter Nielsen has been a dominant inside presence, averaging 13.9 point on 66.2 percent shooting to go along with 7.3 rebounds. The Vikings average 95.7 points per game which is the most in NCAA Division III for a team with a winning record while their 22.5 assists per game is also tops in the nation.

North Central
The Rams enter the contest coming off a big 64-54 win over Northwestern on Saturday. Micah Filer continues to be a steady force for NCU as he averages 18.6 points per game on an efficient 45.3 percent from the field to go along with 5.2 rebounds. Caden Freetly is also having a solid all-around season, averaging 11.6 points and 4.9 rebounds.

The Series vs. North Central
Friday's game marks the 22nd all-time matchup between the teams with Bethany holding a 15-6 advantage, however, the Rams took both contests last year.

Northwestern
After starting the season 5-3, the Eagles have dropped five of their past six contests. The Eagles have relied heavily on their starting five this season for scoring, with Henry Fahnbulleh leading the way with 15.5 points per game, while Kyle Kaemingk averages 14.9. Fahnbulleh has also been the top rebounder for the group averaging 7.9, while Kaemingk follows him with 6.7.
 
The Series vs. Northwestern
Saturday's game marks the 44th meeting between the teams with Northwestern holding a 32-11 advantage. The Eagles have won the past five contests with the last Viking victory coming on Dec. 11, 2019.