MBB: Western Illinois regains the Fall momentum 
For Western Illinois, it took a trip up north to stop the momentum from going south. 
 
The Leathernecks’ marauding 9-2 non-conference record had become a bit of a distant memory after a recent four-game losing streak, including three within league play. That included a loss at Omaha that seemed improbable given the direction the two teams had been heading, as well as an equally improbable rough offensive night in a loss at St. Thomas. 
 
Cue Trenton Massner. The Northwestern State transfer’s 31 points in WIU’s overtime win at North Dakota State on Saturday helped earn him the league Player of the Week nod, and finished off a two-game sweep in the Peace Garden State after beating North Dakota in a tight game midweek. Rob Jeter talked about the win over the Bison in a release, which included a 13-0 run in the extra period.
 
"We were never playing from a deficit and I thought that helped our psyche… our guys remained poised which was good to see," Jeter said.
 
The confidence from that road trip should serve one of the Summit’s early surprises well. The win over the Fighting Hawks was, at times, a grinding effort that the Leathernecks closed out with a pair of big-time defensive possessions. The victory in Fargo, however, was more reminiscent of the potent offense that WIU used to get by Miami (Ohio), Ball State and others earlier in the season. 
 
Massner’s effort was the third 30-plus point outing from a Leatherneck this season, adding to his own big night in the overtime win at Denver (31 points) and Colton Sandage’s offensive bonanza against Ball State (33 points). In total, just 10 WIU players have logged 30-point games over the past 10 seasons, and three of them – Massner, Sandage, Will Carius – are on this current roster. That firepower makes WIU an intriguing team in Jeter’s second season, and the Leathernecks will look to build even more momentum with four-straight home games on the docket. 
 
WBB: Oral Roberts, North Dakota surge up the standings
There was a time both the Golden Eagles and Fighting Hawks stood winless in conference play. That sure feels like a long time ago. 
 
Both teams are now riding respective four-game winning streaks, laying an early claim to the No. 3 seed in Sioux Falls (assuming the South Dakota schools continue on their current trajectories). A feature on Kacie Borowicz’s breakout season and UND will run later this week, so this space will focus on the Golden Eagles’ pole vault up the standings. 
 
That conversation starts with freshman forward Tirzah Moore, who has played at an all-league level since Summit action began. Moore scored a career-high 21 points (10-17 FG) against Kansas City’s talented front line in an important win for ORU over the weekend. In total, she’s scored in double figures in every league game, and has posted a sparkling stat line against Summit opposition (15.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg). 
 
The Golden Eagles blowout win over St. Thomas on Monday included a career night from senior Delany Nix (16 points) and an efficient outing from the free throw line (14-18), a place that has become the Golden Eagles calling card this season. They are scoring nearly a quarter of their points from the charity stripe, the fourth highest rate in the country per HerHoopStats.com. Keni Jo Lippe and Hannah Cooper racking up trips to the line while Moore continues to grow into a central role has been a winning formula for ORU as it flipped its season around.
 
MBB: Alex Arians, underappreciated
Alex Arians is no stranger to playing alongside the stars. The Jackrabbit senior has suited up with Mike Daum and David Jenkins Jr. and, of course, Douglas Wilson and Baylor Scheierman. That doesn’t, however, mean he always needs to play only a supporting role, as he led the way with 19 points (5-8 3FG) in SDSU’s weekend win over Denver. 
 
It’s a worthy time to appreciate the career the stat-stuffing guard has had in Brookings. With his current playing time, he’d be the only player in the Jackrabbits’ Division I history to average 25 minutes per game or more in four separate seasons. Plenty of players have had their moments on a deep team this year, but Arians (7.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.5 apg) has been right there, as he always has been.
 
WBB: South Dakota’s at-large safety net grows wider
At least, perhaps. Tournament talk is never precise, but the Coyotes resounding win over South Dakota State and continued dominance would seem to have them firmly in the at-large conversation. That isn’t a groundbreaking thought, but it’s worth keeping perspective how impressive their 12-game winning streak has been. 
 
The Coyotes’ – as of this writing – 35 NET ranking has them entrenched around teams that ESPN is currently projecting as on the right side of the bubble. That includes Arkansas (31), Kansas (37) Kentucky (45) and, especially, Northwestern (67). The return date in Brookings still looms large for USD’s resume, but the early signs in a fickle process look positive.
 
Number of the Week: 105. The South Dakota men spread the love in an offensive eruption against Omaha, seeing six players score in double figures en route to a 105-70 win on Saturday. That was a pretty historic mark, though you’ll have to brace yourself for the qualifiers. It was just the second time the Coyotes topped the century mark in regulation against a Division I opponent since joining the sport’s top division in 2009. 
 
Mason Archambault’s free throw assault (25 points, 4-9 FG, 15-16 FT) was also covered in notoriety. He became just the second player this season to score at least 25 points on four or fewer made field goals. The other? His teammate Kruz Perrott-Hunt’s own 25-point outing against Tennessee State in November (25 points, 4-10 FG, 15-16 FT). 

Game of the Week: Oral Roberts at North Dakota, Thursday, Jan. 20, 7PM CT (WBB). Lo and behold, dueling four-game winning streaks get put on the line as Moore and the Golden Eagles visit Borowicz and the Fighting Hawks. ORU has yet to lose in two trips to Grand Forks, leaving both games with double digit wins. That streak would figure to get a stiff test against a Fighting Hawks offense that has been among the league’s best in Summit play.

Stats compiled by using sports-reference.com

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