THIS WEEK - The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (2-1) opens its 14-game home schedule this Friday night taking on the University of Jamestown (4-5) at the R/A Facility in Marshall with tip-off set for 6 p.m. The game is the first of six straight home games for the Mustangs, who will not play on the road again until Dec. 12. Jamestown, which is coming off a 74-65 road loss to Minnesota Crookston on Wednesday night, is a member of NAIA and competes in the North Star Athletic Conference (NSAA).
    Following Friday's game, SMSU will host Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan on Nov. 28-29. Wayne State will also play both NMU and MTU in Marshall during the two days.

    RADIO - Friday's game will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik handling play-by-play and Anthony Rohlik serving as analyst.

    SERIES HISTORY - Southwest Minnesota State and Jamestown meet for the sixth time on Friday with SMSU leading 3-2 in a series that started during the 1968-69 season. SMSU has won the only meeting in Marshall, earning an 82-63 victory during the 1969-70 season. The last meeting between the two teams occurred on Jan. 2, 1993, at the Northern State Holiday Tournament with Jamestown earning an 89-84 overtime victory. SMSU head coach Brad Bigler has never faced Jamestown. A game-by-game listing of the series is located on page 14.

    ABOUT JAMESTOWN - The Jimmies are 4-5 on the season following Wednesday night's 74-65 loss to Minnesota Crookston. Junior guard Brequan Tucker led the Jimmies with 13 points on 5 of 18 shooting, but was just 1 of 10 from 3-point range. Senior guard Taylor Newton was the only other Jimmie player to reach double figures scoring with 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers. UMC finished the game making 32 of 42 free throws, while Jamestown was just 13 of 20 from the foul line. Jamestown, which finished 17-12 last season, was the preseason pick to win the NSAA along with Dakota State. The Jimmies are led by Tucker, the preseason conference player of the year, who is averaging a team-high 19.3 ppg and shooting 46 percent from the field. He is also the team leader in rebounding with 4.6 per game. Sophomore guard Jake Hagler is averaging 11.4 ppg and has connected on a team-high 14 3-pointers. Jamestown is averaging 73.2 ppg, shooting 43.5 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range and 70.6 percent from the free throw line. Jamestown opponents are averaging 75.1 ppg and shooting 45.8 percent from the field. Jamestown head coach Alan Magnani is in his first season with a record of 4-5. He spent 15 seasons as head coach at Iowa Wesleyan College (1996-2011).  

    MUSTANGS FALL IN OVERTIME - Southwest Minnesota State suffered its first loss of the season on Wednesday night falling in a hard-fought game to Northern State, 93-88, in overtime in a non-conference game. The two rivals will play again later this season in Marshall during Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Jan. 16. Mitch Weg scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Mustangs, while Cole Martin poured in 15 points with a team-high three 3-pointers. Joey Bartlett added 14 points, while Carter Kirk chipped in with a career-high 14 points on 6 of 10 shooting. SMSU shot 52 percent (33 of 64) from the field, including 9 of 26 from 3-point range, but made just 13 of 22 free throws. SMSU also committed 16 turnovers, which led to 20 NSU points. NSU closed the night shooting 48 percent (33 of 69) and made nine 3-pointers on 22 attempts. NSU was 18 of 24 from the foul line.