In Round One of the NBA playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs lost home-court advantage to the Portland Trail Blazers, and then won two road games to take a 3-1 lead. Now the Spurs find themselves in a similar situation, with the chance to go up 3-1 on the Minnesota Timberwolves before heading back to San Antonio with a chance to win the series.
Minnesota
10-Year Enrollment Changes At All Minnesota State Universities
UNDATED (WJON News) — The individual currently in charge of operations at St. Cloud State University is departing the institution to pursue another job.
Acting President Larry Lee revealed this week that he has agreed to serve as president at Blackburn College in Illinois. Lee said he will stay with St. Cloud State until mid-July to assist with the upcoming leadership transition.
Larry Dietz will assume the role of interim president at the university starting on July 1st.
Dietz, and whoever is named to fill the position on a more permanent basis, will be asked to turn around years of declining enrollment and budget deficits which have resulted in cuts to staff, programs, and sports.
Former President Robbyn Wacker announced back in November that she was leaving the university.
Here’s a breakdown of how St. Cloud State University’s 10-year enrollment decline compares to each of the other universities in the Minnesota State system.
ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY
In fiscal year 2014 SCSU had 19,623 students compared to 12,713 students in fiscal year 2023. That’s a decline in students of 6,910 or a 35 percent reduction. It has had the biggest percent decline of all the universities.
WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY
In fiscal year 2014 Winona State had 9,848 students compared to 7,030 students in fiscal year 2023. That’s a decline in students of 2,818 or a 28 percent reduction.
METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY
In fiscal year 2014 Metropolitan State had 11,497 students compared to 8,510 students in fiscal year 2023. That’s a decline in students of 2,969 or a 25 percent reduction.
MOORHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY
In fiscal year 2014 Moorhead State had 7,820 students compared to 6,072 students in fiscal year 2023. That’s a decline in students of 1,748 or a 22 percent reduction.
BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY
In fiscal year 2014 Bemidji State had 6,170 students compared to 5,062 students in fiscal year 2023. That’s a decline of 1,108 students or a 17 percent reduction.
MANKATO STATE UNIVERSITY
In fiscal year 2014 Mankato State had 18,229 students compared to 18,040 students in fiscal year 2023. That’s a decline of 189 students or less than one percent.
SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
In fiscal year 2014 SW MN State had 8,192 students compared to 8,521 students in fiscal year 2023. This is the only four-year university in the system that actually saw an increase in enrollment.
The total enrollment of all the universities combined went from 81,379 students in fiscal year 2014 to 65,948 students in fiscal year 2023. That’s a decline of 15,431 students or an 18 percent reduction.
A report completed in 2022 by Minnesota State Universities said St. Cloud State University generates nearly $600 million in economic impact annually. SCSU also supports and sustains over 4,300 jobs in the early. The combined tax impact of SCSU, its suppliers, students and visitors is nearly $43 million.
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Victor Wembanyama’s heroics helped the Spurs take a 2-1 lead in a 115-108 victory. Much like the first game of the series, Game Three was defined by back-and-forth play and tough defense. It wasn’t until Wembanyama took over in the fourth quarter that a clear winner emerged. Minnesota desperately needs a win at home to avoid going down 3-1, so expect another physical game with a large sense of urgency from the Wolves.
San Antonio’s strategy of playing fast on offense, pestering the Wolves’ ball-handlers on the perimeter with full-court pressure and doubles, while funneling everything to Wembanyama in the paint, has worked so far. Minnesota’s head coach, Chris Finch, is one of the best in the business. He’ll certainly have adjustments to counter the strategies that have worked for the Spurs.
This series has been pretty close through three games. Game Four should be no different. San Antonio can put itself in a great position to win the series by stealing another game on the road.
May 10th, 2026 | 6:30 PM CT
Watch: Peacock / NBC | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: No injuries to report.
Timberwolves Injuries: Donte DiVincenzo – Out (achilles)
Winning the possession battle
The Timberwolves took 14 more shots than the Spurs in Game Three. It’s rare to win a game where you lose the possession battle so brutally. Minnesota had 15 offensive rebounds compared to the Spurs’ 8. A lot of those offensive rebounds were long or contested 50/50 balls. If San Antonio had eliminated those second-change opportunities, the margin of victory may have been wider.
A great example of that was Game Two, when the Spurs forced 22 turnovers and grabbed more offensive rebounds, leading to a blowout. The Wolves have struggled to shoot the ball well in the series. Giving them easy opportunities and extra possessions is allowing them to make up for this weakness. The Spurs have to secure the defensive glass and take care of the ball to give themselves some more cushion in Game Four.
De’Aaron Fox’s shotmaking
San Antonio’s All-Star guard has been hot and cold in this series. He shot poorly in Games One and Three, but had a nice stat line in Game Two. Fox is averaging 18 points on 46.3% shooting in the playoffs overall. He, for the most part, has stepped up when the Spurs needed him this postseason. It’s been harder for him to get to the rim with guys like Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards guarding him on the perimeter, and Rudy Gobert roaming the paint.
Wembanyama is sure to draw a lot of attention in Game Four. San Antonio is going to need another player to step up and take on some of the scoring load. Fox is the best equipped to do that.
Minnesota’s Wembanyama game plan
Wembanyama has dominated this series. Something has to change for Minnesota to minimize his impact. Will they play Gobert more minutes? Start sending doubles earlier? Give the Spurs more open three-pointers to prohibit him from scoring inside? On offense, will the Wolves look to generate more threes to avoid going at Wembanyama in the paint? Whatever adjustments Chris Finch makes will be important to watch for in Game Four.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The Wild returns to Saint Paul tonight, taking on the Avalanche at Grand Casino Arena for the first time in the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The following lineup is a projection and is subject to change:
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