Minnesota Lynx Single-Game Tickets On Sale Today at 6 p.m.

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced that individual game tickets for the team’s 2016 season will go on sale today, Thursday, April 14 at 6 p.m. CDT. Single-game tickets can be purchased by calling the Lynx at 612-637-8400 or by visiting lynxbasketball.com/tickets.

Full-season memberships, half-season packs and Starting 5 Flex Packs are also on sale for the Lynx 2016 season. Memberships include exclusive benefits, perks and programs, as well as the best seats for the best price for all 17 home games.

A few key highlights of Minnesota’s 17-game home schedule include:

• May 14: The home opener against the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday, May 14 at 6:30 p.m., which will feature a historic ring ceremony and championship banner unveiling for the 2015 WNBA Champions. Fans are encouraged to wear white and be in their seats by 6 p.m. for the ceremony.
• May 27: A rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals when Tamika Catchings and the Indiana Fever return to Target Center on Friday, May 27 at 7 p.m. The first 2,500 fans will receive their own mini 2015 championship trophy.
• August 28: Minnesota will host the Seattle Storm in the first home game following the Olympic break. The Lynx will unveil the new scoreboard at Target Center and will give away Sylvia Fowles bobbleheads to the first 2,000 fans.

The first chance for fans to see the 2016 Lynx squad is during the team’s preseason game against the Washington Mystics in Rochester, Minnesota at the Mayo Civic Center on Sunday, May 8 at 4 p.m. Tickets for the May 8 game in Rochester are on sale through the Mayo Civic Center Box Office and on Lynxbasketball.com. Tickets start as low as $10 and can be purchased by visiting the Mayo Civic Center Box Office or lynxbasketball.com. For more information, call 612-673-8400.

For the Lynx’s full 2016 season schedule, visit lynxbasketball.com/schedule.

UMC Athletic Banquet April 19

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston athletic department will host the UMC Athletic Banquet on Tues., April 19 at Brown Dining Hall with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. The cost for non-student-athletes and athletic staff to attend is $10. The ceremony will include a dinner, introduction of the M Club, as well as a keynote speaker. The speaker is Eric Curry, a NCAA Division I basketball referee, Executive VP of Sales and Customer Service for SunCountry Airlines and former Vice President of the Minnesota Twins Corporate Partnership Team.

The Golden Eagles will present their end of the 2015-16 season awards, including Male and Female Outstanding Athlete of the Year, Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year and the Justin Knebel Memorial Award. In addition, the UMC All-Academic Team will be honored, as will the recipients of the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction recipients. It will also mark the introduction of the M Club, as senior student-athletes will become members of the inaugural M Club at Minnesota Crookston.

The 2016 banquet will be the return of the UMC Athletic Banquet after five years. For the past five years, the UMC athletic awards have been announced at the Student Awards Ceremony, which will be held this year on April 21. 

To capture the event, UMC junior student-athletes Tyman Hayashi (Kalihi, Hawai’I) of football and Baillee Hauser (Raymond, Minn.) of women’s golf, will be part of the first student takeover of social media for event. Be sure to follow us on social media as Hayashi and Hauser capture the event of the University of Minnesota Crookston Twitter (@UMNCrookston) and Instagram (@umncrookston). If you are present for the event or getting ready to head over to the UMC Athletic Banquet tweet or put your pictures on Instagram using the hashtag #spreadyourwings. The UMC Athletic accounts will also be sharing content that Hayashi and Hauser produce for the event.

UND to reduce number of varsity sports following 2015-16 season

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota Athletics Department announced on Tuesday that it will discontinue its varsity baseball and men’s golf programs, effective following the 2015-16 season, as part of the University’s overall budget restructuring process.

Through expense reductions and revenue increases, the UND Athletics Department will see an estimated 2.4 million dollar budget impact for 2016-17. The decision announced today was reached based upon forecasted state revenue shortfalls, conference core sport sponsorship requirements, and Title IX compliance.

“There are realities to the amount of funding the state can provide. In fact, all of our revenue sources will be under pressure for the foreseeable future. This requires us to focus, to prioritize, to plan and to make the tough decisions,” said University Interim President Edward T. Schafer.

UND Athletics will honor all athletics scholarships at their present equivalencies for returning student-athletes in the affected sports. In addition, UND Athletics will assist all student-athletes who desire to transfer to another institution if they wish to continue their playing careers.

UND Athletics Director Brian Faison met with the UND baseball and men’s golf staff and student-athletes on Tuesday afternoon to inform them of the decision.

“This is the hardest decision we’ve had to make as a department and that I’ve ever had to make in my career,” said UND Athletics Director Brian Faison. “UND Athletics is a part of the University and we have to do what is in the long-term best interests of the University, as well as the athletics department.”

The estimated $2.4 million budget impact for UND Athletics in 2016-17 consists of $1.5 million in revenue increases and $886,568 in expense reduction. By reducing its number of varsity programs, UND Athletics will see a departmental cost savings of approximately $720,000 in operating budgets and salaries.

UND baseball played its first game in 1889 and, after hiatuses from 1917-19 (World War I) and from 1921-55, ushered in the program’s modern era in 1956. It is currently in its third year as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Men’s golf became a varsity sport at UND in 1929 and is currently in its second season of Big Sky Conference membership.

UND Tops Final Hockey Polls

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The recently-crowned national champion University of North Dakota men’s hockey team was ranked No. 1 in the final installments of both national polls released on Monday afternoon.

North Dakota received all 50 first-place votes in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll and all 34 first-place nods in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll, capping off a 34-6-4 season in which the program won its eighth national title and second consecutive National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) regular-season crown.

The Fighting Hawks defeated previously-top-ranked Quinnipiac 5-1 in the championship game on Saturday, displacing the Bobcats atop both polls.

UND was one of four NCHC schools ranked among the top 15 in both polls, joining Denver, St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

Rk.      School (1st-place votes)         Record           Pts.         PR

1.         North Dakota (50)                     34-6-4         1000            3

2.         Quinnipiac                                        32-4-7            947            1

3.         Boston College                               28-8-5            865            6

4.         Denver                                           25-10-6            860            7

5.         St. Cloud State                                31-9-1            752            2

6.         Michigan                                          25-8-5            746            5

7.         Massachusetts-Lowell                  25-10-5            677            8

            Providence                                       27-7-4            677            4

9.         Minnesota Duluth                          19-16-5            530          14

10.       Harvard                                          19-11-4            496          10

11.       Yale                                                  19-9-4            486          11

12.       Northeastern                                 22-14-5            478            9

13.       Notre Dame                                   19-11-7            405          13

14.       Boston University                         21-13-5            384          12

15.       Ferris State                                    20-15-6            338          18

16.       Michigan Tech                                  23-6-5            269          15

17.       Minnesota State                            21-13-7            147          16

18.       St. Lawrence                                  19-14-4            122          17

19.       Cornell                                           16-11-7              92          19

20.       RIT                                                  18-15-6              78         NR

Others receiving votes: Minnesota 50, Penn State 36, Dartmouth 26, Omaha 20, Robert Morris 13, Bowling Green 4, Miami 2.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

Rk.      School (1st-place votes)         Record           Pts.         PR

1.         North Dakota (34)                     34-6-4           510            2

2.         Quinnipiac                                        32-4-7            475            1

3.         Denver                                           25-10-6            428            4

4.         Boston College                               28-8-5            426            3

5.         St. Cloud State                                31-9-1            350            6

6.         Michigan                                          25-8-5            336            5

7.         Providence                                       27-7-4            306            7

8.         Massachusetts-Lowell                  25-10-5            268            8

9.         Harvard                                          19-11-4            186            9

10.       Yale                                                  19-9-4            170          11

11.       Northeastern                                 22-14-5            167          12

12.       Minnesota Duluth                          19-16-5            154          10

13.       Notre Dame                                   19-11-7            126          13

14.       Boston University                         21-13-5            118          15

15.       Ferris State                                    20-15-6              36          14

Others receiving votes: Michigan Tech 2, Cornell 1, RIT 1, St. Lawrence 1.

Timberwolves Host Fan Appreciation Day

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves will thank fans for their support by hosting Fan Appreciation Day on Wednesday, April 13, as they play host to the New Orleans Pelicans at Target Center in the 2015-16 season finale.

Fans can enjoy a special halftime performance from Grammy-nominated rapper Skee-Lo, known for his hit single “I Wish,” and as a former VJ for MTV’s The Beach House. “I Wish” had a number one MTV video that won several nominations from VMA Awards worldwide and his debut album of the same title earned him two Grammy nominations.

The day will kick off with a Fan Appreciation breakfast in Mayo Clinic Square Skyway from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. The breakfast will include complimentary coffee and donuts, and chances to win a variety of giveaways throughout the morning. The celebration will also include appearances from Crunch and the Timberwolves dancers.

Fans in attendance at the game (tip 7:10 pm) will have opportunities to win a variety of prizes throughout the night. Prizes include Timberwolves autographed items, seat upgrades and gifts from partners including a $100 gift card to The Pint, free Papa John’s pizza for a year, a one-night stay at Loews Hotel and vouchers for free CherryBerry at select retail locations. Players will share thank you messages and there will be special performances by the Timberwolves entertainment groups.

The game also marks the final bobblehead night of the year, with the first 5,000 fans through the doors receiving a Gorgui Dieng bobblehead. Five lucky fans will receive autographed sets of the entire 2015-16 bobblehead collector series with Woodchuck collector stand.

The Wolves ProShop, located in the skyway level of Target Center, will be celebrating all day long with a special 2 for $30 offer on all T-shirts.

Timberwolves tickets with no fees are available at www.timberwolves.com/wolvestix.

Timberwolves' Towns Named Player of the Week

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The NBA today named Minnesota Timberwolves forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns as its NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the week of April 4-10. After earning Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors five consecutive months, this is the first such award for Towns. He is the eighth Wolves player to win Player of the Week honors: Mo Williams, Kevin Love (2 times), Nikola Pekovic, Al Jefferson (2), Sam Cassell, Kevin Garnett (15), Stephon Marbury. Towns is the first rookie in the NBA to be named Player of the Week since Michael Carter-Williams in 2013-14. For the week, Towns averaged 21.3 points (T-10th in Western Conference), 10.3 rebounds (T-7th in the Western Conference) and 1.7 blocks per game as Minnesota’s swept its three-game West Coast road trip, the team’s most successful road trip since a 4-0 swing in December 2005. Towns opened the week with a 20-point, 12-rebound performance against the Golden State Warriors, including scoring five points in the final 2:00 of overtime as the Wolves made up a 17-point third-quarter deficit. He added two blocks, pushing his season total to 132 and breaking Kevin Garnett’s franchise rookie record. Two days later, Towns tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds against Sacramento, his 50th double-double of the season and 14th consecutive, the longest streak in the NBA this season. He finished the week with 27 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter on 7-of-8 shooting, and nine rebounds Apr. 9 at Portland. Towns punctuated the night by hitting the game-winning hook shot with 1.8 seconds remaining to cap Minnesota’s comeback from a 10-point deficit. The first overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, Towns ranks eighth in the NBA in rebounding (10.5 rpg), eighth in field goal percentage (54.1%), ninth in blocked shots (1.69 bpg), 27th in scoring (18.3 ppg) and third in double-doubles (50). Already the franchise rookie record holder in rebounds (838) and blocks (135), Towns (1463 points) enters tonight’s game against Houston needing just 10 points to surpass Christian Laettner (1472) for the franchise rookie scoring record.

UMC Football Releases 2016 Schedule

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston football program officially announced their 2016 football schedule Fri., April 8. The Golden Eagles will play 11 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) football games. Five will be played at the friendly confines of Ed Widseth Field in Crookston, Minn., while six will be played on the road.

“We are excited about our 2016 schedule,” said Head Coach Mike Fritze. “We get the opportunity to play some great NSIC opponents at home including NSIC North rivals U-Mary, St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth.”

The Golden Eagles open up the schedule Thurs., Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. against Winona State University. The Golden Eagles last played the Warriors Sept. 20, 2014 as they played the Golden Eagles close at home, losing 33-7 to No. 24 Winona State. The Warriors went 5-6 on the 2015 season.

“Starting out the season we are at Winona State,” Fritze said. “It is a mid-week trip with the game on a Thursday. It puts a bind on us with our guys having almost a full day before we play at 6 p.m. We love to play Winona State and they are classy group of guys and it will be a good game for us. I also enjoy it because it is my alma mater and this will actually be my first time getting to coach at their stadium as an opposing coach.”

Minnesota Crookston will open up their home slate Sat., Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. as they face Concordia University, St. Paul. UMC last played the Golden Bears Sept. 27, 2014 and fell 44-3 in St. Paul, Minn. The Golden Bears are in their first season back under the leadership of Shannon Currier, who is returning to Concordia-St. Paul. He coached the Golden Bears from 2000-03. Concordia-St. Paul went 1-10 last season.

“That will be a very big game for us, being home for the first time this season and having over 100 guys for the game,” Fritze said. “It will be a game that we are very competitive in. Coach Currier will be new, but he has been the head coach at Concordia-St. Paul before and he is very knowledgeable and he is a very good coach.”

UMC will take on Augustana University Sat., Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Golden Eagles last played Augustana Sept. 6, falling to the Vikings. Augustana went 9-3 last season.

Minnesota Crookston will then return home to host Southwest Minnesota State University Sat., Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. The Golden Eagles last played against the Mustangs Sept. 13, 2014, falling 56-31 to SMSU in Marshall, Minn. The Mustangs went 8-3 on the 2015 season.

UMC will remain at home as they open NSIC North play on Sat., Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. at Ed Widseth Field. The Huskies went 6-5 on the 2015 season.

The Golden Eagles will then head to Moorhead, Minn., for the Red River Valley Showdown sponsored by State Farm Insurance. UMC will battle for the State Farm Traveling Trophy against Minnesota State University Moorhead Sat., Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. The Dragons went 6-5 on the 2015 season.

UMC will return home Sat., Oct. 15 for their Homecoming game against University of Mary. The Golden Eagles will take on the Marauders at 1 p.m. UMC fell in a close game on the road to the Marauders last season, 33-28. U-Mary went 1-10 on the 2015 season in their third season under Head Coach Josh Kotelnicki.

“We are very excited to have U-Mary as our homecoming opponent,” Fritze said. “They have become another big rivalry game for us. We have had some great games against them and hopefully we will be able to compete and have a good game at home for homecoming.”

The Golden Eagles will then hit the road Sat., Oct. 22 as they take on Minot State University at 1 p.m. UMC upended Minot State 45-14 at Ed Widseth Field last season. The Beavers went 1-10 on the 2015 season. The year in their third season under Head Coach Tyler Hughes.

UMC will return home for the last time on the 2016 season Sat., Oct. 29 as they take on University of Minnesota Duluth at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs went 9-3 on the 2015 season. The game will serve as Senior Day for the Golden Eagles.

The Golden Eagles will end the season with two games on the road. It will start as they face Northern State University Sat., Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. in Aberdeen, S.D. The Wolves went 6-5 on the 2015 season.

The season will conclude Sat., Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. as UMC ends the year with a rivalry game. The Golden Eagles will take on Bemidji State University in the “Hub Cap Game” as they take on their foe from 88 miles down U.S. Highway 2. The Beavers were 7-4 on the 2015 season. UMC last defeated the Beavers in 2013 with a 16-14 win at Ed Widseth Field.

 “It is kind of tough for us, every other year we end up on the road two games in a row,” Fritze says. “That happens with us at the end of this season when we have Northern State on the road and then Bemidji State on the road to end the season. It will be great to finish up with Bemidji State this year. They are one of our top rivals and our players are always excited to play BSU. We get to play on Lake Bemidji, it is a great place to play and we really enjoy going there.”

Minnesota Crookston is in their fourth season under Coach Fritze in 2016. They return their entire staff including Offensive Coordinator Robby Case and Defensive Coordinator Mark Dufner. The Golden Eagles went 1-10 on the 2015 season.

UMC looks primed for improvement with seven starters returning on both offense and defense. Offensively, the Golden Eagles are led by three All-NSIC picks from 2015. All-NSIC North Second Team pick Dre Person (Sr., RB, Detroit, Mich.) returns after rushing for 767 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior. Fellow All-NSIC North Second Team selection Adam Connette (Jr., WR, Corona, Calif.) also returns. Connette is on pace to break every receiving record at UMC after 671 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore. UMC also returns All-NSIC Honorable Mention pick Noah Lee (R-So., OL, Vadnais Heights, Minn.) on the offensive line. He will help anchor the most experienced offensive line UMC has had in recent history, returning four starters.

Defensively, UMC also returns seven starters on the defensive side of the ball. The Golden Eagles return a lot of experience in the secondary led by Jake Newman (Jr., DB, White Bear Lake, Minn.), who had 58 tackles last season with three interceptions. Dion Wallisch (R-So., DB, Oakdale, Minn.) also returns after a strong freshman year, as does Ali Alkhatib (R-So., DB, Rosemount, Minn.). UMC also returns Bubba Cook (So., DL, Surprise, Ariz.) on the defensive line. Cook had 40 tackles and five tackles for loss as a freshman for UMC.

NDSU Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach Resigns

FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State University head men’s basketball coach David Richman announced Friday, Apr. 8, that assistant coach Freddy Coleman has resigned to pursue further opportunities outside of coaching.

Coleman had been a part of the Bison men’s basketball coaching staff for three years, starting prior to the 2013-14 season.

“We are extremely appreciative of Freddy’s time and efforts toward our success here at NDSU, as a player and most recently as a member of our coaching staff,” said Richman. “The impact Coach Coleman has had on our program, and specifically on a number of our student-athletes, is what makes him such a special person. Freddy is and always will be a member of our Bison Family.  We wish him nothing but the best.”

“I would like to thank Coach Richman and the administration for allowing me to be a part of something extremely special here,” Coleman said. “NDSU will always have a special place in my heart. As an alum, wearing the Green and Gold and ‘NDSU’ on my chest for a number of years is something I can be proud of for the rest of my life. Once a Bison, always a Bison.”

A national search to fill the assistant coach position will begin immediately.

MN Lynx Foundation and Lynx FastBreak Foundation Accepting Applications for Grants

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx Foundation and Lynx FastBreak Foundation today announced that it will be accepting applications from non-profit organizations for grants for the upcoming 2016 WNBA season. The applications process will be open until May 2, 2016. Go to http://lynx.wnba.com/lynx-in-the-community/minnesota-lynx-foundation/ to download an application. Grant recipients will be selected by the end of May 2016. The winners will be honored throughout the 2016 Minnesota Lynx season.

 During the 2016 Minnesota Lynx season the Lynx Foundation and Lynx Fastbreak look to support Minnesota community in a variety of ways. The Lynx will feature events and grants  to organizations that best fulfill the missions for either the Minnesota Lynx Foundation or Lynx FastBreak Foundation.

“Each season the Minnesota Lynx Foundation provides grants to organizations in the community to help fulfill their missions,” said Timberwolves and Lynx President Chris Wright. “It is a great way for the Lynx to give back to the Twin Cites community which has always supported our organization.”

During the 2016 WNBA season, the Minnesota Lynx will give $36,000 spread between eight separate grants to organizations which focus on a specific area of charity. Four the eight grants, totaling $20,000, will be given from the Minnesota Lynx Foundation to fund breast cancer research and support programs throughout the state of Minnesota. The remaining four grants ($16,000) will be donated from the Minnesota Lynx FastBreak Foundation to support hands-on programs which positively impact Minnesota youth.

The Minnesota Lynx Foundation and the FastBreak Foundation operate as a part of the Minnesota Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation, a non-profit organization as described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Timberwolves Towns Named Rookie of the Month

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The NBA today named Minnesota Timberwolves forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns as its Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for March. This is the fifth consecutive month Towns has won the award, becoming the first player in Wolves history to earn Kia NBA Rookie of the Month honors in five consecutive months. Towns is the ninth player since the award began in the 1981-82 season to win five consecutive Rookie of the Month honors: Damian Lillard in 2012-13, Blake Griffin in 2010-11, Chris Paul in 2005-06, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James in 2003-04, Tim Duncan in 1997-98, David Robinson in 1989-90 and Ralph Sampson in 1983-84.

Towns led all qualified rookies in rebounding (10.5 rpg), field goal accuracy (58.2%) and PER (23.8), while ranking second in scoring (21.9 ppg), blocked shots (1.33 bpg) and minutes played (35.9 mpg) in March. He also was third among rookies in free throw percentage (83.6%), fifth in steals (1.00 spg) and eighth in assists (2.7 apg). The 7-0 forward/center also shared the overall league lead in point/rebound double-doubles with 12, ending the month with a personal season-best 10 consecutive double-doubles.

After averaging 21.1 ppg and 11.8 rpg in February, Towns has become just the fourth rookie in the last 20 years to post back-to-back months averaging 20+ points and 10+ rebounds, joining Tim Duncan, Elton Brand and Blake Griffin.

The first overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, Towns scored a game-high 28 points, on 14-for-18 shooting, and added a season-high seven assists in the Wolves’ March 5 win vs. Brooklyn. He led all scorers with 32 points while adding 11 rebounds March 18 at Houston, his fourth 30+ scoring effort of the season. Towns recorded 26 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in a March 23 win vs. Sacramento and followed that up with 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a double OT victory March 25 at Washington. He set the Wolves single-season rookie rebounding record in the Washington game, breaking Kevin Love’s record.