Denver (5-15, 1-5) vs. North Dakota State (13-7, 4-2)
Scheels Center, Fargo, North Dakota; Saturday, 3 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: North Dakota State goes for the season sweep over Denver after winning the previous matchup in Denver. The teams last faced each other on Dec. 29, when the Bison shot 47.1 percent from the field while limiting Denver to just 32.2 percent en route to a 66-55 victory.
LEADING THE CHARGE: Tyson Ward is averaging 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds to lead the way for the Bison. Vinnie Shahid has paired with Ward and is maintaining an average of 16.6 points per game. The Pioneers are led by Jase Townsend, who is averaging 17.3 points and 5.2 rebounds.
SUMMIT LEAGUE IMPROVEMENT: The Bison have scored 76.8 points per game against conference opponents so far, an improvement from the 67.2 per game they managed against non-conference competition.
CREATING OFFENSE: Ward has either made or assisted on 52 percent of all North Dakota State field goals over the last three games. The senior guard has 28 field goals and 16 assists in those games.
STREAK STATS: Denver has dropped its last eight road games, scoring 64.5 points and allowing 82.3 points during those contests. North Dakota State has won its last six home games, scoring an average of 83.8 points while giving up 65.7.
ACCOUNTING FOR ASSISTS: The Bison have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Pioneers. North Dakota State has 40 assists on 84 field goals (47.6 percent) over its previous three outings while Denver has assists on 29 of 85 field goals (34.1 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: North Dakota State has committed a turnover on just 15.3 percent of its possessions this season, which is the 10th-lowest rate among all Division I teams. The Bison have turned the ball over only 10.2 times per game this season and just 7.3 times per game over their last three games.
