The final countdown is about to get underway.
The Northern State men’s and women’s basketball teams are in the middle of a battle for postseason position for the upcoming Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament.
The Wolves have just four games remaining starting this evening and each game carries plenty of meaning. NSU plays at Bemidji State tonight and at Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday, host Mary next Thursday and play at Minot State the following Saturday.
The tournament is based on the top 12 teams overall in the NSIC; North and South division placement does not count. The top four squads get an automatic berth to the conference tournament at the Sanford Pentagon, while the remaining eight teams will play each other for the final four spots. Seeds 5-8 will host a play-in game on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Currently, the Northern State men’s team is tied for sixth with a 10-8 conference record. After just one conference win last year, the Wolves are in a position to fight for a spot near the top.
With two wins over the next four games, it will guarantee a spot in the top 12. The Wolves also have a possibility of gaining a first-round bye by jumping up as high as second place.
The remaining schedule for the Wolves consists of 4-14 Bemidji State which would have to win all four games to have a chance, a 9-9 Minnesota Duluth squad fighting for better placement, 3-15 Mary which is eliminated from the playoffs, and 7-11 Minot which is outside looking in for the final spot.
If the Wolves win out, they will finish the year with a 14-8 conference record. With four Wolves wins and if Augustana loses all four of its games, Southwest Minnesota State, Minnesota State, and Concordia-St. Paul all lose two, and Wayne State loses one, the Wolves can jump up to second place and earn a first-round bye.
The women’s squad currently is tied for seventh with an 8-10 conference record. After a first-round bye last year, and a trip to the semis, the women will look to get back to the Pentagon.
With three wins over the next four games, NSU will guarantee its spot, and most likely a top 8-position. With two victories, it opens up a lot more possibilities. Teams currently in the 7th-15th spots are all within three games of each other, so there’s a ton of movement that could happen there.
The Wolves are five games behind fourth place, which means they aren’t able to have a first -round bye and a ticket straight to the Pentagon. However, their chances to host a play-in game getting within the top eight are within reach, especially with three wins.
The Wolves open up their four-game final stretch with a 5-13 Bemidji State squad looking to get into the top 12, Minnesota-Duluth which sits second at 14-4 looking to clinch a bye, a 13-5 Mary team sitting third, also looking to clinch a bye, and a 7-11 Minot State team which is sitting on the fringe, tied for ninth with two other teams.
All four games matter for the NSU women, as any game can determine the outcome of their season.
