THIS WEEK - The Southwest Minnesota State University (7-5, 4-2 NSIC) men's basketball team opens the 2014 calendar year hosting a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games at the R/A Facility. SMSU will take on Northern State University (10-2, 5-1 NSIC) on Friday, Jan. 3, with game time set for 8 p.m., before facing MSU Moorhead (9-1, 5-1 NSIC) on Saturday, Jan. 4, with tip-off slated for 7 p.m. Both NSU and MSUM begin the weekend tied atop the NSIC North Division standings and both are tied for second in the overall NSIC standings along with Minnesota State. MSU Moorhead will play at Sioux Falls on Jan. 3 before taking on SMSU.
NSIC SOUTH VS. NORTH IN 2012-13 - This weekend marks the first games of the 2013-14 season featuring the NSIC South versus NSIC North teams. Last season, Southwest Minnesota State finished the regular season with a final record of 6-2 versus NSIC North teams. The NSIC South dominated play in the regular season, finishing with a 47-17 record versus North Division teams with all eight NSIC South teams recording a .500 or better record in inter-division play. Six of the eight NSIC South teams had records of 6-2 or better versus NSIC North teams.
MUSTANG QUICK HITTERS -
•SMSU's victory over Sioux Falls on Dec. 21 was the program's 300th in NSIC play since joining the conference in 1969-70.
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Nick Smith has scored 982 career points and is 18 points shy of becoming the 18th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points.
•Junior guard
Travis Meinders made his first appearances of the season on Dec. 19 and Dec. 21. He scored nine points on 4 of 5 shooting in the win over UW-La Crosse. Meinders transferred from Minnesota State last December and had to sit out one full year per NSIC transfer rules.
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Vinard Birch ranks second in the NSIC with 31 assists.
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Matt Zager ranks second in the NSIC with 15 steals and 29th in Division II with 24 steals.
•SMSU has held a lead at halftime in nine of 12 games.
•SMSU has held a rebound advantage in 10 of 12 games.
•SMSU has shot 50 percent or better from the field in nine of 12 games.
•Junior guard
Cole Martin has missed the past seven games due to an injury.
•Smith ranks 47th in Division II with 19 blocked shots and is ranked seventh among all active Division II players with 140 career blocked shots.
•SMSU ranks 44th in Division II in field goal pct. (49.4) and 59th in rebound margin (+5.5).
•SMSU has committed 162 turnovers which ranks 233rd in Division II and ranks 232nd in turnover margin (-1.9) out of 291 teams.
•SMSU has shot 60 percent or higher in a half five times this season.
•SMSU has shot 70 percent or higher in the second half three times this season.
•Opponents have shot 50 percent or higher from the field four times through 12 games. Only four teams shot 50 percent or better from the field all of last season.
