After starting the season with a seven-game win streak, the Southwest Minnesota State University womens basketball team has dropped their last three games. The Mustangs will look to get back into the win column when with another matchup against a top 25 team when they face the nations top ranked team, Washburn University (KS). SMSU will face WU and Arkansas Tech University at the Hoops-n-Surf Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 19 and 20. Sundays game against Washburn will be at 5:00 p.m. local time and the game on Sunday against ATU will be at 7:00 p.m. local time.
The Records: The Mustangs will go to Hawaii with a 7-3 record after falling to the University of Minnesota-Duluth 72-63 on Sunday afternoon. Washburn currently has an unblemished record of 6-0, but will face Evangel University (MO) before leaving for the Hoops-n-Surf Classic. Arkansas Tech will head west with a 5-3 record after earning a 56-43 win over LeMoyne-Owen College (TN). ATUs first game in Hawaii will be against Central Missouri State.
Game Tip-Ins:
SMSU has been perfect in tournaments this season. The Mustangs are 6-0 after competing in the Northwest Missouri State Classic, the SMSU/US Bancorp Classic and the USD Coyote Classic. Michelle Bruns has been named tournament MVP in two of the classics.
The Mustangs have an all-time record of 479-376 overall and in conference play have compiled a record of 162-158
Southwest Minnesota State is 2-2 on the road this season. Last season SMSU finished the season with an 8-6 record on the road.
This season SMSU is 3-3 against North Central Conference opponents. This year the Mustangs will face off against NCC opponents seven times, playing all seven NCC teams. Last year the Mustangs finished 3-3 with one of their losses coming against South Dakota State University who has now moved to Division I.
Mustang Season Highs: Southwest Minnesota State has posted some impressive numbers during their 7-3 start to the 2004-05 season. In their season opener against Waldorf, SMSU established season-highs in points (87), field goals made (35), field goal percentage (.565), three-point percentage (.500), rebounds (49) and assists (25). The Mustangs top defensive effort in terms of points allowed came at the SMSU/US Bancorp Classic when SMSU held Upper Iowa to just 43 points. Twice this season the Mustangs have held an opponent under 50 points.
A First For Everything: When SMSU does battle with Washburn on Sunday, it will mark the first time in school history that the Mustangs have faced the nations top ranked team. In the 2001-02 season, SMSU lost at home to the University of North Dakota who was at the time ranked second in the country.
Bench Production: Betsy Tasca and Kelsey Wells came off the bench this past weekend to provide valuable minutes. Against Augustana, Tasca came off the bench to record a career-high 10 rebounds and Wells scored a career-high 11 points off the bench. Both players had solid minutes against Minnesota-Duluth as Wells posted eight points and three assists while Tasca played strong defense against UMDs Lindsey Dietz.
The Series: Southwest Minnesota State will be starting new chapters in their history books at the Hoops-n-Surf Classic. Their games against number one ranked Washburn and Arkansas Tech will be their first meetings with both schools.
Best Start Since the 70s: SMSUs 7-0 start to this season was the schools best start since the 1974-75 season when the Mustangs started 8-0 to set the school record. That season SMSU went 11-2.
Awards for the Mustangs: The Southwest Minnesota State players are seeing a nice amount of awards for their early success. Three times this season Michelle Bruns has been named NSIC Player of the Week, both weeks sharing the award with two players. She was also named to the all-tournament team, along with teammate Regan French, at the SMSU/US Bancorp Classic. Kelly Crimi was selected as an all-tournament member at the Northwest Missouri State Classic, after scoring a career-high 18 points on six three-pointers that tied a school record.
Bruns and the History Book: Senior guard Michelle Bruns, who last season joined the 1,000 point club, has a chance this season to climb the Mustangs career record book. Entering this season she ranked ninth on the career scoring chart with 1,136 career points. Bruns has already scored 198 points this season, moving her career total to 1,344. Julie Thein (1987-91) owns the SMSU career scoring title with 1,800 career points. Bruns is also chasing Dani Colemans (1996-2000) school career record for three-point field goals made. Coleman holds the SMSU record with 177 and Bruns entered this season with 131. She has already made 20 three-point field goals this season, moving her 26 three-point baskets away from Colemans record.
Opponent Info:
Washburn - The Lady Blue have been phenomenal this season with wins over NCAA Division I Kansas University and previously #1 Drury University (MO). Theyre 6-0 this season with one game against Evangel University (MO) before taking on the Mustangs. Jennifer Harris and Carla Sintra have been a dynamic duo for Washburn this season. Harris leads the team in scoring with 13.7 points per game and Sintra is second with 13.3. Sintra is the teams leading rebounder with 7.5 rebounds per game while Harris is chipping in 6.7 rebounds per game. WUs defense has been stingy this season, allowing just 47.2 points per game.
Arkansas Tech - The Golden Sun will arrive in Hawaii with a 5-3 record, with all three of their losses coming away from home. They have just one player averaging 10 points or more a game, as Natalie Garey is leading the team in scoring with 10.8 points per game. She is also the teams leading rebounder with 5.4 rebounds per game.
Southwest Minnesota State at Home: Since the opening of the R/A Facility in 1996, the Mustangs have proved theres no place like home. SMSU has posted a 67-27 record in the previous eight seasons at home, for a winning percentage of .714. So far this season SMSU is perfect with a 3-0 record.
