Caleb Van De Griend

MINOT – Leading the way with a career-high in points and averaging a double-double for the week, Caleb Van De Griend helped the Minot State University (MSU) men’s basketball team remain unbeaten on the season.

Scoring a career-best 28 points Friday night in a 63-56 road win at South Dakota Mines proved to be one of the highlights of a busy three-game effort for Van De Griend, who was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his efforts on the hardwood for the Beavers.

The honor is the first this season for Van De Griend who has been named to the NSIC Shining 5 each of the first three weeks of the season, as well.

The Beavers’ 6-foot-8 junior from Bridgetown, Australia averaged 19.7 points and 10.3 rebounds last week as MSU opened league play with an 83-52 home win over Minnesota Crookston on Tuesday, then posted wins at South Dakota Mines (63-56) and at Black Hills State (71-64) on Friday and Saturday, improving to a program-best 9-0 start to the season.

Van De Griend had a career-high 28 against the Hard Rockers on Friday along with 11 rebounds, and 21 points and 11 boards on Saturday, giving him six double-doubles so far this season.

Tuesday, he added ten points and nine rebounds in the Beavers’ NSIC-opening win.

Van De Griend also added four blocked shots, two assists, and two steals on the week while shooting 70.3 percent from the field (26-of-37), just off his season pace of 73.3 percent from the field (66-of-90) which ranks second in the nation.

Van De Griend and the rest of the MSU men’s basketball team are back in action at home this weekend as the Beavers host St. Cloud State on Friday, December 6, and Bemidji State on Saturday, December 7, in men’s and women’s doubleheaders at the MSU Dome.

The MSU women tip things off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday while the men’s games are slated for 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.