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This week:  The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team will open the 2009-10 season this weekend when the Mustangs face Truman State (Mo.) and Hillsdale (Mich.) as part of the SMSU Classic presented by State Farm Insurance.

SMSU basketball online:  Live statistics for home games and live audio and video streaming for all women's basketball games are available at www.smsumustangs.com.

Tune it in:  SMSU women's basketball can be heard all season long on 105.1 KARL FM.  Aaron Ziemer, the voice of the Mustangs, will again handle play-by=play.

The series:  This weekend marks the first meetings between SMSU and both Truman State and Hillsdale.

SMSU Classic presented by  State Farm Insurance:  The SMSU Classic presented by  State Farm Insurance will feature eight games in two days with four women's games and four men's games on Friday and Saturday.  It will be the first time SMSU has hosted both a men's and women's classic since 2006.
    Friday, Nov. 20
    1 p.m.  - Minnesota State Moorhead vs. Hillsdale (Mich. (WBB)
    3 p.m.  - Upper Iowa vs. Bellevue (Neb.) (MBB)
    6 p.m. - SMSU vs. Truman State (Mo.) (WBB)
    8 p.m. - SMSU vs. Lewis (Ill.) (MBB)
    Saturday, Nov. 21
    1 p.m. - Minnesota State Moorhead vs. Truman (Mo.) (WBB)
    3 p.m. - Upper Iowa vs. Lewis (Ill.) (MBB)
    6 p.m. - SMSU vs. Hillsdale (Mich.) (WBB)
    8 p.m. - SMSU vs. Bellevue (Neb.) (MBB)

The coaches:  Mike Jewett enters his fourth year at the helm of the SMSU women's basketball program.  Jewett owns a 33-53 record at SMSU.  Under his direction, the Mustangs have charted improved records in each of his seasons, going from seven wins in 2006-07 to twice that in 2008-09. The sixth head coach in the program's 40-year history, Jewett is in seventh overall season as a head coach at the collegiate level, where he has an overall record of 95-73.
    Michael Smith begins his second season as the Truman Statewomen's basketball head coach in 2009 after being named the ninth head coach of the Bulldog women's basketball program in April of 2008. Smith previously served as an assistant coach at Arkansas-Little Rock as well as head coach at Moberly Area Community College.  In his first season at TSU, the Bulldogs went 8-19 and tied for eighth in the MIAA. The squad won four of its final six games and lost a standings tie-breaker for the right to compete in the conference's postseason tournament.
    Claudette Charney enters her eighth season as head coach of Hilldsale.  Charney's 452 career wins rank her among the top 12 most successful Division II women's basketball coaches in the nation. Over the past two years, Charney has led the Chargers to their three best records in program history, including a 27-4 mark in 2008-09.

About SMSU:  The Mustangs return three starters and its top players in rebounds and assists from last season's 14-16 (6-14 NSIC) team.  Guard Tori Fink (North Fond du Lac, Wis.) is the Mustangs' top returning scorer.  The junior averaged 8.4 point per game and started 23 games last season.  Fellow guard Megan Stadler (Sioux Falls, S.D.) is also back.  The lone senior on this year's roster led SMSU with 4.6 assists per game last season and averaged 6.4 point per game as the team's starting point guard. 
    Also returning is junior center Laura Kramer (Fulda, Minn.), who was SMSU's top rebounder last year.  Kramer snagged 5.9 boards per game and also led the Mustangs with 31 blocks and shot a team-best 48.8 percent from the field.  Sophomore center Abby Kenealy (Farmington, Minn.), junior guard Heather Smith (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and sophomore guard Taylor Voss (Avon, Minn.) are also back.  Kenealy averaged 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last season, while Smith averaged 3.5 points per game.  Voss averaged 5.3 points per game in 2008-09 and was second on the team with 36 three-pointers and shot 35.3 percent from behind the arc.
    Four newcomers, including a pair of freshman and a pair of junior college transfers, round out this year's 12-person roster.

About Truman State:  The Bulldogs enter this weekend sporting a 1-0 record after picking up a 58-54 win over Hannibal-LaGrange in their season opener.  TSU returns a trio of seniors in Laura Joya, Julie Guinn and Sarah Seberger.  They'll be joined by junior Malorie Kiecker and sophomore Breanna Daniels, who both saw significant minutes in 2008-09.

About Hillsdale:  The Chargers will see their first regular season action of 2009-10 on Friday against the Mustangs.  HC is coming off a 27-4 campaign last season.  Nine letterwinners return for the Chargers, including two players who were named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team. Guard Brooke Knight returns for her third season as the team's starting point guard. She was named first-team All-GLIAC in 2008-09, and led the conference in assists with 196, which was also a school record for one season.

Exhibition to open:  SMSU hosted Bethel in exhibition action on Nov. 14, having little trouble with the Division III Royals.  Taylor Voss poured in a game-high 17 points to help lead the Mustangs to an 81-45 win.  SMSU had four score in double figures as Tori Fink had 13 points, Miley Hunziker finished with 12 and Lucia Puchelova added 11.

Preseason coaches' poll:  The NSIC's 14 head coaches tabbed SMSU 11th in their annual preseason poll.  The Mustangs received 66 points in the poll.  Defending NCAA Division II national champion Minnesota State, Mankato received nine first-place votes and 176 points to take the top spot in the poll.  Concordia- St. Paul, Augustana and Winona State also received first-place votes and checked in at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5, respectively.
    1.     Minnesota State (9)    176
    2.     Concordia-St. Paul (2)    154
    3.    Augustana (2)    145
    4.     MSU Moorhead    142
    5.     Winona State (1)    140
    6.     Minnesota Duluth    131
    7.     Wayne State    111
    8.     St. Cloud State    99
    9.     Mary    96
    10.     Northern State    73
    11.     Southwest Minnesota State    66
    12.     Minnesota, Crookston    55
    13.     Bemidji State    37
    14.     Upper Iowa    32
    ( ) First Place Votes

SMSU in season openers:  The Mustangs have won 11 of their last 12 season openers--that one loss coming in 2005-06 to North Dakota.  Head coach Mike Jewett has yet to lose in a season opener at SMSU.

Stadler in the record book:  Senior Megan Stadler (Sioux Falls, S.D.) begins the season ranked ninth in career assists at SMSU.  The guard will likely jump a few spots quickly throughout the beginning of the season as she is just 11 assists away from moving into the eighth spot.
    1.     493    Michelle Bruns - 2001-05
    2.     425    Mary Roddel - 2000-04
    3.     401    Dani Coleman - 1996-00
    4.     366    Erin Frye - 1997-01
    5.     341    Lillie Brown - 1992-96
    6.     330    Abby Oakland - 2005-09
    7.     321    Shelli Schoeneck - 1999-03
    8.     317    Darcy Peterka - 1988-92
    9.     307    Megan Stadler - 2005-10

Seeing double:  The Mustangs will have opponents seeing double this season as the squad has added twin sisters Landi and Miley Hunziker (Milford, Iowa) to the roster for 2009-10.  The siblings were both multi-sport athletes at Okoboji High School and opted to stay together in their college choice.  Can't tell them apart?  Landi wears No. 4, while Miley sports No. 24.

Home, sweet 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 13 seasons of playing in the Mustang home arena, SMSU women's basketball has compiled a record of 103-64.
    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    9-6    3-6    5-0
    2009-10    -    -    -   
       Totals:    103-64    60-41    43-22

Historically speaking:  SMSU enters its 41st season of women's basketball this season.  SMSU has played 987 games, compiling an all time record of 530-457.  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 add four during early signing period:  Head  coach Mike Jewett announced on Nov. 11 the signing of four student athletes for the 2010-11 season.  Breanna Holleman from Hancock, Minn., Hannah Beeler from Indianola, Iowa, Jessie Watts from Omaha, Neb., and Ellen Degler from Chaska, Minn., have all signed letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at SMSU.

2008-09 season wrap:  SMSU team finished the 2008-09 season with a 14-16 overall record and 6-14 in the NSIC.  The Mustangs' conference campaign earned them an 11th-place spot in the final  conference standings.  Senior forward Sara Leidall was named All-NSIC second team.  It was her third all-conference award of her career; she was also named All-NSIC honorable mention in 2007-08 and was the NSIC Newcomer of the Year in 2005-06.