WINONA, Minn. -- The Winona State men's basketball team heads back on the road for a pair of important road games up north. WSU takes on Bemidji State Friday at 8 p.m. before facing MInnesota Crookston at 6 p.m. Saturday.

WINONA STATE at BEMIDJI STATE FIRST LOOK:
Overall Series: Warriors lead 85-70 ... 156th Matchup
First meeting: Jan. 7, 1933 ... BSU won 43-34
Last meeting: Jan. 30, 2015 ... WSU won 75-68
Last BSU win over WSU: Mar. 2, 2013 ... BSU won 74-72
WSU Last Game: W, 84-63 vs. Wayne State
BSU Last Game: L, 81-68 vs MSU Moorhead

WINONA STATE at MINNESOTA CROOKSTON FIRST LOOK:
Overall Series: Warriors lead 27-2 ... 30th Matchup
First meeting: Jan. 7, 2000 ... WSU won 83-51
Last meeting: Jan. 31, 2015 ... WSU won 76-52
Last UMC win over WSU: Feb. 19, 2011 ... UMC won 70-66
WSU Last Game:  W, 84-63 vs. Wayne State
UMC Last Game: L, 84-80 vs Northern State

LAST TIME OUT: The Warriors split a pair of road matchups last week, beating a then 13-3 U-Mary team 64-54 before falling to Minot State 63-46.

ROAD WOES FADING: After winning just one road game all of last season and dropping the first four to start this season, the Warriors have since tripled their road win total from a year ago and have earned road victories on each of the past three trips, splitting weekend back-to-backs.

LAST TIME vs BSU: The Warriors earned a 75-68 home win over the Beavers last season in McCown Gym. Isaiah Gray put together arguably the best game of his career, scoring 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, while Kyle Bauman added 18 points.

LAST TIME vs. UMC:  The Warriors came away with a 76-52 victory over the Golden Eagles last season at home. Riley Bambenek had a game high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while Isaiah Gray scored 13.

ABOUT THE BEAVERS: BSU is coahed by Mike Boschee, who has a 53-49 record in his fourth season at the helm of the Beavers. Bemidji State is led by Ben Best's 13.7 ppg and 5.6 rebounds, while DJ Anderson adds 10.9 points per game. The Beavers rank 13th in the NSIC in scoring offense (73.9 ppg) and are sixth in scoring defense (73.2). They also rank 14th in FG percentage (44.1%) and eighth in FG percentage defense (44.4%). BSU ranks last in 3-point FG percentage, making 32 percent of its attempts, while its opponents hit on 3s at a 39.8 percent clip.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES: UMC is coached by Dan Weisse, who holds a 10-35 record in his second season at the helm of the Golden Eagles. Minnesota Crookston is led by three players scoring in double figures, including C.J. Polk's 12.9 ppg, Derrick Redd's 11.6 ppg and Kobe Critchley's 10.2. UMC ranks last (16th) in scoring offense at 68.7 ppg and are 11th in scoring defense at 77.6 ppg. UMC is 15th in FG percentage (42.7%) and 14th in FG percentage defense (47.2%). The Golden Eagles also rank at the bottom of the league in rebounding offense (30.4 per game) and defense (40.1).

1,000 ON THE HORIZON: Junior Riley Bambenek enters the weekend with 996 career points, just four points shy of becoming the 36th member of WSU's 1,000 point club. The last Warrior to reach 1,000 points was Xavier Humphrey, who accomplished the feat in 2013.  

A TRIPLE A GAME: It's been more than 15 years since the Warriors went scoreless from behind the 3-point arc. WSU has made a 3-point field goal in 493 consecutive games, with the last 0-for coming on Nov. 29, 2000 in a 79-57 win over Saint Mary's.

REBOUNDING RIGHT: WSU ranks second in the NSIC in rebounding defense, allowing just 31.8 per game, behind only SMSU's 30.3 per game. The Warriors were especially efficient in rebounding last weekend against Augustana and Wayne State, outrebounding the Vikings 40-30 and the Wildcats 41-27.

TOUGH DEFENSE: The Warriors rank toward the top of the league in a pair of defense statistics. WSU has the second-best scoring defense, allowing teams to score just 70.8 points per game, behind only Augie's 70.1. WSU also ranks second in field goal percentage defense, with the opposition hitting just 42 percent of its shots from the field.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: The Warriors have recorded four double-doubles this season, with three coming from Kyle Bauman and one from Mark Blacklock. Bauman's most recent double-double came in the road win against U-Mary, where he scored 18 points and grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds.