MINOT, N.D. -- When Minot State began the 2017-18 season in October with two a day practices it was all in preparation for a postseason run. That quest begins on Wednesday as Minot State will host Upper Iowa in an opening round game of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament at 8 p.m. in the Minot State Dome.

This will mark the second consecutive season in which Minot State has hosted an opening round game in the NSIC Tournament. Last season, the Beavers lost to Sioux Falls 80-77 in the Dome.

Minot State finished the regular season with a 19-9 overall record and a 13-9 mark in the NSIC to secure the No. 3 seed from the North Division. The 19 wins are the most under the direction of sixth-year head coach Matt Murken and the most since the Beavers won 20 games in 2008-09.

Upper Iowa, which is the No. 6 seed from the South Division, finished the regular season with a 17-14 overall record and a 10-12 league record.

Minot State will be seeking its first-ever NSIC Tournament win on Wednesday as the Beavers have an 0-5 all-time record in postseason play. This will mark the third time MSU has faced the Peacocks in the NSIC Tournament and Upper Iowa posted a 97-85 win in 2015 and also beat the Beavers 86-72 in 2013. Minot State also lost to Winona State in both the 2014 and 2016 seasons and Sioux Falls last year.

Minot State enters the tournament as one of the more dangerous teams in the league due to its precision offense and shut-down defense. The Beavers are currently fourth in the league in field goal percentage shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and rank fifth in the league allowing just 72.3 points per game.

The Beavers also have two characteristics that play well in the postseason in free throw shooting and taking care of the basketball.  Minot State is ranked third in the NCAA with only 9.3 turnovers per game, and the Beavers are 18th in the nation shooting 77.0 percent from the free throw line.

Minot State has two of the top players in the NSIC in Tyler Rudolph and Luis Ricci Maia. Rudolph has been named the NSIC North Player of the Week five times this season and is third in the conference averaging 20.7 points per game and sixth in the league averaging 7.3 rebounds per contest. Ricci Maia is one of the top point guards in the league and is second in the conference averaging 6.3 assists per game and 10th with 1.3 steals per contest.

The Beavers starting five also includes sharp-shooting Russ Davis who is 17th in the NSIC in three-point field goals made per game, inside force David Akibo who averages 13.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and lock-down defender Brandon Green.

Senior Nathaniel Moore is a pure scorer off the Beavers bench and averages 10.2 points per game. Max Cody, Dorian Aluyi and Trevor Rothstein have provided the Beavers with valuable minutes off the bench all season long.

Upper Iowa was one of only three teams to defeat the Beavers in the MSU Dome this season as the Peacocks handed Minot State a 99-89 loss on Jan. 27.

Prices for the tournament are set by the NSIC and no passes, season tickets or complimentary tickets will be accepted. Adults are $12 per person, students are $2 per person and children 5-and-under are admitted free of charge. Minot State students will be admitted free of charge with a valid identification courtesy of the Minot State Student Affairs office. Tickets are currently on sale at msubeavertickets.com

Northern State earned the top overall seed for the tournament and will host Concordia-St. Paul on Wednesday, while Southwest Minnesota State is the top seed from the South Division and will host Mary. The other matchups feature Minnesota Duluth at Winona State, Minnesota State Moorhead at Winona State, Bemidji State at Augustana, Wayne State at St. Cloud State and Minnesota Crookston at Sioux Falls.

The quarterfinals, semifinals and championship will take place on February 24, 26-27 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.  All rounds of the NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament played at the Sanford Pentagon will to aired live on MidcoSN and streamed for free via Stretch Internet. 

NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament
Wed., Feb. 21 - First Round
(S8) Concordia-St. Paul at (N1) Northern State, 8 p.m.
(N5) Minnesota Duluth at (S4) Winona State, 7 p.m.
(N7) MSU Moorhead at (S2) Minnesota State, 7 p.m.
(S6) Upper Iowa at (N3) Minot State, 8 p.m.
(N8) Mary at (S1) Southwest Minnesota State, 7 p.m.
(N4) Bemidji State at (S5) Augustana, 8 p.m.
(S7) Wayne State at (N2) St. Cloud State, 8 p.m.
(N6) Minnesota Crookston at (S3) Sioux Falls, 8 p.m.