OPENING TIP
The Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team (2-2, 0-0 NSIC) will kick off the 2013-14 22-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule this Saturday, Nov. 30 when the Mustangs travel to Sioux Falls, S.D. to take on the University of Sioux Falls Cougars (3-0, 0-0 NSIC). First tip is set for 4 p.m. from the Stewart Center. SMSU opened the season with back-to-back wins but since has hit a two-game bump in the road after falling to Cal State Monterey Bay and South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
LAST TIME OUT
SMSU dropped its second consecutive game with a 73-70 non-conference loss to South Dakota School of Mines on Nov. 22 in Rapid City, S.D. SMSU led 36-31 at the end of the first half thanks in part to 15 of 33 (45.5%) shooting from the field. It didn't take long for the Hardrockers to erase the 5-point deficit in the second half as Devyn Asche drilled a 3-pointer to give SDSMT a 40-38 lead just 1:08 into the half.
Mikayla Saathoff's 3-pointer with 16:37 remaining tied the game at 44 but Megan Rohrer led SDSMT on a 15-2 run over the next seven minutes - Rohrer scored nine of the 15 Hardrocker points during the run. It was Rohrer's jumper at the 7:28 mark that gave SDSMT its largest lead of the game – 15, as SDSMT led 64-49.
SDSMT would turn the ball over late to give SMSU a chance to tie and complete the comeback but
Alison Nagel's jump shot didn't fall and the Lady Hardrockers held on for the non-conference victory. Nagel and
Rebekah Rolling led SMSU offensively as they poured in 18 and 17, respectively. Nagel finished 6 of 11 from the field, including 2 of 5 from behind the arc. Alexis Long and Rohrer combined to score 36 points on 15 of 21 shooting to lead SDMST. SMSU committed a season-low seven turnovers in the loss.
OPPONENT AT A GLANCE
SIOUX FALLS -- USF has opened the 2013-14 season a perfect 3-0 with wins over College of Saint Mary, Black Hills State and South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. USF is led by Colorado State (Division I) transfer Taylor Varsho who is averaging 18.7 points per game this season which ranks ninth in the NSIC. She is shooting 46.2 percent from the floor, including 37.5 percent from behind the arc. The Cougars are a 3-point shooting team as they are averaging 10.7 made 3-pointers per game at a 35.6 percent clip. Travis Traphagen is in his sixth season at the helm of the Cougar women's basketball program. He owns a 101-52 career record and a 2-1 record versus SMSU.
SERIES HISTORY - SMSU 16-5
SMSU and USF held its first official meeting in the 1969-70 season with USF prevailing 42-31. USF would win again the following year, 36-25, before SMSU would take 15 of the next 16 meetings. The two teams ended an eight year hiatus with a meeting during the 2011 season - USF defeated SMSU in Marshall by a 76-58 score. The two teams split last season - the first two NSIC games between the two teams in series history. Each team won on the road, USF 77-66, SMSU 66-52.
