KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Minot State University men’s basketball ranked with the nation’s elite as five individual student-athletes were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches 2016-17 Honors Court, the program announced Friday.

The NABC Honors Court recognizes those men’s collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the past season.

Named to the NABC Honors Court from Minot State were Russ Davis, a rising senior guard from Chandler, Ariz.; Damjan Jovikj, a rising sophomore guard from Skopje, Macedonia; Luis Ricci Maia, a rising senior guard from Sao Paulo, Brazil; Nathaniel Moore, a rising senior guard from Milwaukee, Wis.; and Nathan Mertens, a guard from Devils Lake, N.D., who graduated in May.

“To have five of our student-athletes selected to the NABC Honors Court is a great accomplishment,” said MSU head coach Matt Murken. “There were very few institutions in all of college basketball that had that many representatives. It is a great credit to our student-athletes, our coaching staff, and the many people on the Minot State campus who work to help our students not only be successful, but to excel. I greatly appreciate the efforts of all those involved in the success of our men’s basketball student-athletes.”

The Beavers were one of just nine teams in NCAA Division II to place five or more individuals on the Honors Court and only Upper Iowa (six) had more than MSU in the Northern Sun. There were only 30 teams in NCAA Division I, II, II and NAIA with five or more out of 1,337 eligible teams.

To earn NABC Honors Court, a student-athlete must meet a high standard of academic criteria. The qualifications are academically, a junior or senior and a varsity player, a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season, matriculated at least one year at their current institution, and a member of NCAA Division I, II, II or NAIA Division I or II institution with a NABC member coach.

— Minot State athletics

Demko transfers to Minot State

Minot State University head women’s golf coach Spencer Hilde announced Friday that Alexandra Demko has joined the program, transferring from NCAA Division I Presbyterian College.

Demko is a 5-foot-6 sophomore originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario. She played one season at Presbyterian.

“We are very excited to have Alex join our program,” said Hilde. “As a team we took a big step up within the conference last year, and we have four freshman players from last year returning this fall. Adding a player of Alex’s caliber to the team is a big shot in the arm heading into the season.”

During her freshman campaign, she played in five tournaments for PC, finishing tied for 27th at the Winthrop Invitational. Her low round of the season was a 78 as she shot the score three times – the second round of the Terrier Classic, the first round at the Bill Berg Invitational and her first round at the Winthrop Invitational. She shot four sub 80 rounds and 13 of her 17 scores carded on the year were under 90.

“Alex is a very athletic player with a lot of high quality tournament experience,” added Hilde. “We see her contributing right away this fall season.”

As a prep golfer, she was a standout at Sir Winston Churchill High School, winning the 2015 Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s Player’s Championships at Whistle Bear. She was third in that event in 2014. Also in 2014, she was second at the MJT Junior World Championship Qualifier.

With the addition of Demko, the Beavers have added four student-athletes for the upcoming season. Demko joins Makensy Arlien and Lindsey Duben, who signed National Letters of Intent in April and Jessica Simants, who inked with the Beavers in the fall.

— Minot State athletics