Complete Release (PDF)

The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team looks to have its best start in four years, as it hosts Mayville State on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in Marshall.  SMSUstarted the 2004-05 season 7-0 and a 4-1 start would be the best start for the Mustangs since 2004-05.

Chadron State Recap
Heather Smith scored a career-high 29 points to lead SMSUto a 111-75 victory over Chadron State (Neb.) on Saturday in Marshall.  Smith hit 9-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-7 from the outside as the Mustangs tied a school record by drilling 14 three-pointers in the contest.  Smith scored 20 of her points in the first half, helping SMSU to a 60-36 halftime lead.

Smith also had four steals of SMSU's season-high 17 steals.  Megan Stadler and Aneshia Starks each had three.

Sara Leidall scored 13 points, while Abby Oakland recorded her first career double-double, putting up 12 points with a career-high 10 rebounds.  Oakland played 21 minutes, the most of any player on Saturday as all 14 players on the active roster played at least eight minutes.  Starks and Andrea Fennern each added nine points.

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.  Tuesday's game will be moved to KMHL 1400 AM due to the men's game on KARL.  Ryan Rohlik will call the play-by-play.

Opponent Information
Mayville State: The Comets enter Tuesday's game with an overall record of 2-5, following a 73-64 win over Anoka-Ramsey Community College on Saturday.  The win over ARCC snapped  four-game losing streak.  Ali Sontelie (F, 6-1, Jr.) has been MSU's leading scorer so far, averaging 13.7 points, while also averaging 6.0 rebounds.  Kelli Smart (G, 5-4, So.) has connected on 40.0 percent from the outside and averages 11.2 points and 4.0 assists.  Lindsay Sannes (C, 6-0, Jr.) is Mayville's leading rebounder with 8.0 per game, while chipping in with 6.2 points per game.  Last year, the Comets were 16-12 and 8-6 in the Dakota Athletic Conference.  However, MSU graduated its top five scorers from a year ago.

Series Information
The two schools have split the all-time series 3-3.  However, SMSU has won meetings during the past two seasons, winning 77-57 at the SMSU Classic last year and 76-66 on the road to open the 2006-07 season.

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 Tuesday's game needing 10 points to reach 1,000 for her career.  Leidall would become the 16th player in school history to reach that milestone.  She currently has 990 points and 469 rebounds in her career.  Barring injury, at some point this season, 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
Sara Leidall    990    469

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 four 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 is second on the team with three blocked shots this season.

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.

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 eighth 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.

Free throw percentage (minimum 100 made)
.842    Mary Roddel (256-304)    2000-04
.833    Shannon Dunse (120-144)    1989-93
.808    Megan Wittkop (118-146)    2005-
.785    Nicole Bullock (117-149)    1998-02
.785    Andrea Schreier (409-521)    1997-01
.777    Shelli Schoeneck (380-489)    1999-03
.771    Amy Buschow (168-218)    1990-93
.762    Sara Leidall (154-202)    2004-
.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
104    Megan Wittkop (84 games)    2005-
84    Shelli Schoeneck (122 games)    1999-03
72    Darcy Peterka (101 games)    1988-92
61    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
274    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
189    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
.380    Megan Wittkop (104-274)    2005-
.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
.346    Sue Olson (53-153)    1985-89

History of the Program
Southwest Minnesota State is in its 40th season of women's basketball and has played 961 games, compiling an all time record of 519-442 (updated through first four games this season).  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    1-0    0-0    1-0
Totals    96-59    57-37    39-22

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    .433    .143    .667    4.5    10.3    1.0
Opp.    .483    .800    .800    5.5    11.0    2.0

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.