The #12 University of Minnesota Duluth men’s basketball team heads to Kenosha, WI this week to take on the 2023 Haribo Invitational, hosted by the University of Wisconsin Parkside. The action for the Bulldogs will kick off on Friday, Nov. 17, at 7:00 PM against the UW Parkside Rangers, followed by a game against the Davenport University Panthers on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 5:00 PM.
GAME INFORMATION
Friday
7:00 PM @ University of Wisconsin Parkside
Saturday
5:00 PM vs. Davenport University
THE SEASON SO FAR
The Bulldogs opened their regular season schedule last weekend at the GAC/NSIC Crossover Classic, going 1-1 over their two games. The weekend started off with a narrow 77-71 win over the Oklahoma Baptist University Bison, where graduate student guard Drew Blair dropped 33 points to break the UMD all time scoring record. The weekend concluded with a hard fought 58-62 loss to the East Central University Tigers.
RECORDS, RECORDS, RECORDS
After a record breaking opening weekend for Blair, the Bulldogs approach a few more accolades to begin the season. Head coach Justin Wieck nears his 100th win at the mantle of UMD men’s basketball after getting his 97th on Friday against OBU. The earliest he will be able to reach this milestone will be Saturday, Nov. 25, against Michigan Tech. Senior forward Charlie Katona nears his 1,000th career point after his 17 point opening weekend. He currently sits just eight points away at 992 total, and will look to this weekend to earn this career milestone.
SCOUTING REPORT
UW Parkside opened their 2023-24 regular season with a pair of wins over the University of Indiana Greyhounds and the University of Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars. The Bulldogs are 2-4 against the Rangers over their last six matchups since 2013, but have won their two most recent games in the 2017-18 season and 2019-20 season. Davenport University are off to a rocky start this season, opening their schedule with a pair of losses to the William Jewell College Cardinals and the Rockhurst University Hawks. This will be the first time the Bulldogs will face off against the Panthers in recent years.
LOOKING AHEAD
Men’s Basketball will take on a pair of non-conference matchups before returning for their season home opener in Romano Gymnasium. The Bulldogs will take on Michigan Tech on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 12:00 PM CST and Northern Michigan University on Sunday, Nov. 26, at 12:00 PM CST.