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The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team hosts its home opener on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. in the R/A Facility.

Disney Classic Recap
SMSU upset No. 9 Delta State (Miss.) in its season opener in Florida, winning 66-51.  Heidi Kimmes and Sara Leidall led with 12 points each.  Kimmes also had a team-high seven rebounds and scored 10 of her 12 points by hitting 5-of-6 field goal attempts.  She also converted 2-of-3 from the line.  Delta State was 33-1 last season and lost its only game of the year in the Final Four to South Dakota.

The Mustangs continued to roll in game two of the tournament, defeating American International (Mass.) 66-60.  Southwest got big games from Leidall and Kimmes once again as Leidall had a team-high 20 points and added seven rebounds.  Kimmes and Abby Oakland each scored 10.  Aneshia Starks had a career-high eight rebounds.

Playing its second top-25 team of the tournament, SMSU cooled off, falling 76-63 to No. 20 South Carolina-Aiken in the final game of the Disney Classic.  Leidall led in scoring once again with 18 points and had five rebounds.  Kimmes scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting and 5-of-6 from the line.  The Mustangs were out-rebounded 30-29, the first time in the three games that SMSU's opponent had more boards.

Jump Start
SMSU his played well in season openers recently, winning 11 of its last 12 season-opening games after defeating No. 9 Delta State on Oct. 31 at the Disney Classic.  Last season, Southwest won 72-54 at Chadron State (Neb.) to open the 2007-08 season.

Internet Radio, Video & Stats
All SMSU women's basketball conference games during the 2008-09 season can be seen and heard on the Internet.  A video Webcast is available free of charge at www.northernsun.tv while the radio broadcast is available at www.SMSUmustangs.com.  Fans can also follow the game on the Internet with live in-game statistics for all home games at www.SMSUmustangs.com and clicking on the “live stats” link on the right side of the women's basketball page.

Radio Broadcast Information
SMSU women's basketball will once again be heard all season long on KARL 105.1 FM, Marshall.  Sports director Aaron Ziemer will be SMSU's play-by-play announcer throughout the year for a sixth straight season.

Opponent Information
Chadron State: For the Eagles, Saturday's game will be their season opener and the first of a new era with first-year head coach Tim Connealy.  Connealy comes to Chadron after spending the past four seasons as an assistant at Nebraska-Kearney.  CSC went 9-18 overall last year and 6-13 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.  The Eagles return three starters from last season's squad, led by Sunni Busch (G, 5-8, Jr.), who led CSC, averaging 13.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists.  Also returning are Chelsea DeHaven (F,  5-10, Sr., 3.3 PPG and 4.5 RPG last year) and Samantha Arkulari (G, 5-7, Jr., 8.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.6 APG).  Additionally, Kristy Long (G, 5-8, Sr.), who missed part of last season with an injury and averaged 10.1 points, is back.  Chadron lost an exhibition game to the University of Nebraska 102-30 on Oct. 31.

Series Information
SMSU leads the all-time series with CSC 4-0, including 2-0 in games played in Marshall.  The Mustangs won 72-54 to open the season against the Eagles last winter.

Beating the Best
SMSU?defeated No. 9 Delta State (Miss.) 66-51 on Oct. 31 at the Disney Classic.  It was Southwest's first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 18 Northern State 53-48 on Feb. 2, 2007.

Leidall Closes in on Milestones
Sara Leidall enters Saturday's game needing 23 points to reach 1,000 for her career as she currently has 977 points and 465 rebounds in her career.  Barring injury, she will become just the ninth player in school history with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.


1,000 Points and 500 Rebounds Club    Pts.    Reb.
Julie Thein (1987-91)    1,800    913
Lillie Brown (1992-96)    1,759    895
Michelle Bruns (2001-05)    1,635    596
Andrea Schreier (1997-01)    1,570    689
Shelli Schoeneck (1999-03)    1,488    506
Cindy Olson (1976-80)    1,463    655
Regan French (2001-05)    1,018    633
Amy Boman (1998-02)    1,009    589

Get that Outta Here
Heidi Kimmes blocked 48 shots last season, the most for a Mustang women's basketball player since Chrishawn McArthur blocked 79 in 1996.  The closest anyone has come to Kimmes' total in the past 12 seasons was Amy Boman, who blocked 45 shots in 2001-02.

Through three games this season, Kimmes ranks seventh in career blocked shots with 84, just one behind Amy Boman (1998-02) for sixth place.  McArthur (1993-96) is the career leader at 183.  She is currently tied after three games for the team lead with three blocked shots.

Among the Best
Sara Leidall was named honorable mention All-NSIC last season after the leading the Mustangs in scoring and rebounds.  She became the first player in two seasons to earn postseason honors from the NSIC.   Kelly Crimi and Leidall were each named second team All-NSIC in 2005-06.

Old Folks
The Mustangs begin the 2008-09 season with four seniors on their roster after graduating just one last season.  Abby Oakland (76), Sara Leidall (71), Heidi Kimmes (30) and Megan Wittkop (29) enter their senior seasons with a combined 206 starts in their careers.  Additionally, fourth-year junior Megan Stadler has started 22 games in her two seasons on the court.  Stadler missed the 2006-07 season due to injury, but returned to start 13 games last winter.

Going Big Time
It is believed that Heather Smith is SMSU women's basketball's first-ever NCAA?Division I transfer.  Records going back through the mid-1980s show no women's basketball players transfering to Southwest from a Division I school.  Smith transfered to SMSU?during the spring of 2008 from Liberty University.

Sharp Shooters
Megan Wittkop, Abby Oakland, Sara Leidall Heidi Kimmes and Kady Telschow rank among SMSU's best all-time shooters.  Wittkop is currently third in career free throw percentage and fourth in three-point percentage.  Leidall ranks seventh in free throw percentage.  Telschow is currently the career three-point percentage record holder at 45.9 percent (50-of-109).  Oakland also ranks in the top-10 in three-point field goals attempted and made.  Kimmes jumped into the top-five in field goal percentage when she reached the minimum field goals made to qualify for the career field goal percentage leaders during the Disney Classic.

Field Goal percentage (minimum 200 made)
.537    Amy Boman (403-751)    1988-02
.533    Steph Syltie (219-411)    1995-97
.497    Anne Pryor (299-602)    1978-82
.492    Heidi Kimmes (204-415)    2005-
.490    Shelly Honermann (350-715)    1997-01
.485    Lillie Brown (706-1456)    1992-96
.483    Shelli Schoeneck (512-1061)    1999-03
.477    Chrishawn McArthur (292-612)    1993-96
.472    Shannon Dunse (356-754)    1989-93
.469    Regan French (375-799)    2001-05

Free throw percentage (minimum 100 made)
.842    Mary Roddel (256-304)    2000-04
.833    Shannon Dunse (120-144)    1989-93
.813    Megan Wittkop (117-144)    2005-
.785    Nicole Bullock (117-149)    1998-02
.785    Andrea Schreier (409-521)    1997-01
.777    Shelli Schoeneck (380-489)    1999-03
.776    Sara Leidall (159-205)    2004-
.771    Amy Buschow (168-218)    1990-93
.760    Traci Robinson (193-254)    1988-90
.750    Erin Frye (345-460)    1997-01

3-point field goals made
190    Michelle Bruns (119 games)    2001-05
177    Dani Coleman (110 games)    1996-00
169    Mary Roddel (121 games)    2000-04
142    Kelly Crimi (105 games)    2002-06
114    Erin Frye (107 games)    1997-01
109    Andrea Schreier (111 games)    1997-01
105    Megan Wittkop (84 games)    2005-
84    Shelli Schoeneck (122 games)    1999-03
72    Darcy Peterka (101 games)    1988-92
58    Abby Oakland (84 games)    2005-

3-point field goals attempted
501    Michelle Bruns (119 games)    2001-05
454    Dani Coleman (110 games)    1996-00
447    Mary Roddel (121 games)    2000-04
392    Kelly Crimi (105 games)    2002-06
354    Erin Frye (107 games)    1997-01
273    Megan Wittkop (84 games)    2005-
255    Andrea Schreier (111 games)    1997-01
229    Darcy Peterka (101 games)    1988-92
222    Shelli Schoeneck (122 games)    1999-03
196    Abby Oakland (84 games)    2005-

3-point FG percentage (minimum 50 made)
.459    Kady Telschow (50-109)    2006-
.427    Andrea Schreier (109-255)    1997-01
.390    Dani Coleman (177-454)    1996-00
.385    Megan Wittkop (105-273)    2005-
.382    Sara Leidall (50-131)    2004-
.379    Michelle Bruns (190-501)    2001-05
.379    Haneefah McNair (55-145)    1993-96
.378    Shelli Schoeneck (84-222)    1999-03
.378    Mary Roddel (169-447)    2000-04
.362    Kelly Crimi (142-392)    2002-06

History of the Program
Southwest Minnesota State is in its 40th season of women's basketball and has played 955 games, compiling an all time record of 518-442 (updated through first three games).  SMSU?has racked up 25 winning seasons with 10 coming in the last 15 years.  The 2000-01 squad won a school record 25 games and made an appearance at the NCAA?Tournament.

Mustangs Home and Away
The Mustangs finished the 2007-08 season 5-9 at home and had a 7-7 away game record.  The following is a statistical comparison of the?Mustang averages for home and away games in 2007-08:
    W-L    FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO
Home    5-9    .400    .669    38.1    67.6    14.5
Away    7-7    .402    .670    36.1    62.5    14.6

Mustangs at Home:
The R/A Facility, the home of SMSU basketball has been a tough place to play for opponents since opening its doors for the 1996-97 season.
     In 11 seasons of playing in the Mustang home arena, SMSU women's basketball?has compiled a record of 95-59.

Year    Overall    NSIC    Non-Conf.
1996-97    6-6    2-4    4-2
1997-98    5-6    3-3    2-3
1998-99    11-2    6-0    5-2     
1999-00    11-3    7-2    4-1     
2000-01    12-0    9-0    3-0
2001-02    11-2    8-1    3-1
2002-03    11-3    7-2    4-1
2003-04    3-7    2-6    1-1     
2004-05    10-4    5-2    5-2
2005-06    5-9    3-4    2-5
2006-07    5-8    3-6    2-2
2007-08    4-8    2-5    2-2
2008-09    0-0    0-0    0-0
Totals    95-59    57-37    38-22

SMSU?Late in the Game
The following is SMSU's offensive and defensive statistical averages in the final five minutes of its games during the 2008-09 season.
<5 min.    FG%    3-FG%  FT%    REB    PTS    TO
SMSU    .524    .200    .733    4.0    11.3    1.0
Opp.    .556    .667    .769    4.0    10.7    1.7

Mustang Returners by the Numbers
SMSU returns 10 letterwinners, while losing just three.  The Mustangs return 78.7 percent of their scoring and 80.4 percent of their rebounding from last season.  Additionally, the returners shot 41.6 percent from the field.  Players from last season's team that are not returning shot just 34.7 percent.

SMSU Picked 9th in Preseason Poll
The Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs women's basketball team has been picked to finish ninth in the Preseason Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coaches' Poll.  The announcement came from the NSIC?offices in St. Paul.

SMSU received 91 points in the poll, while first place Minnesota State, Mankato had 179 points and 11 first-place votes.  Augustana was picked to finish second and received three first-place votes.  Defending NSIC?champion Concordia-St. Paul was third.

Minnesota State, Mankato guard Heather Johnson was picked as the NSIC?Preseason Player of the Year.  Johnson led MSU?in scoring last season, averaging 16.9 points.  She also set a school record with 81 three-pointers last season.