OPENING TIP
The Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team (4-22, 2-20 NSIC) enters the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference / Sanford Health Tournament as the No. 8 seed in the south and will travel to play the No. 1 seed (North) #22 Northern State Wolves in the first round. Tip-off from Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, S.D. is slated for 6 p.m. The quarterfinals, semifinals and championship will take place on March 1-4 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
OPPONENT AT A GLANCE
Northern State captured the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North title by finishing the season 17-5 in conference play. The Wolves, ranked No. 22 in the latest NCAA top 25 poll, are ranked No. 7 in the latest NCAA Central Region Poll and defeated the Mustangs 57-46 earlier this season at the R/A Facility in Marshall, Minn. NSU is a solid rebounding team and feature a roster loaded with height and it shows in the statistics as the Wolves finished the season ranked third in NSIC games in offensive (13.77) and defensive rebounding (29.0). NSU showed off its rebounding prowess in the lone regular season matchup as the Wolves out-rebounded the Mustangs 53-25, including 19-7 on the offensive end. Megan Mutchler and Rachel Krogman each grabbed double-digit rebounds -- 10 and 11, respectively, while Alison Kusler and Krogman each poured in 16 points. NSU committed 17 turnovers to SMSU's seven in the game but SMSU shot just 29.6 percent (16 of 54) from the field, including just 1 of 15 from behind the arc. NSU closed the season on a two-game winning streak with home wins over U-Mary (73-59) and Minot State (59-49). NSU is a perfect 13-0 at home this season. The last time NSU lost at home was Feb. 23, 2013, in the 2012-13 regular season finale versus U-Mary.
SERIES HISTORY
NORTHERN STATE | NSU LEADS 44-15 -- SMSU and Northern State will meet for the 60th time in a series that the Wolves control handily, 44-15. Northern State took the first 24 games of the series and 30 of 31 up until the 1998-99 season, with the Mustangs' first series victory coming during thew 1995-96 season. The series is tied at 14-14 since the 1998-99 season but SMSU has lost five straight meetings dating back to Feb. 27, 2010. The last two wins in the series for SMSU have come at the R/A Facility -- 50-49 on Feb. 28, 2009 and 66-64 on Dec. 11, 2009. The last time SMSU defeated Northern State at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, S.D., was on Feb. 2, 2008. SMSU won by a score of 64-56 --
Abby Oakland hit 5 of her 8 3-pointers attempted and led SMSU with 17 points. Sara Leidall went 5 of 5 with 12 points.
SMSU & NSU IN THE NSIC TOURNAMENT
Southwest Minnesota State and Northern State have met just once in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament in the series history. The meeting came in the 1999-2000 season with SMSU taking a convincing 70-53 win in St. Paul in the NSIC semifinal game. SMSU fell to Minnesota Duluth in the championship game 83-57 and finished the season 20-9 overall.
SMSU IN THE NSIC TOURNAMENT
Southwest Minnesota State is 8-9 all-time in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament. It is the second straight season that all 16 teams qualify for the tournament after the conference expanded before the 2012-13 season. In previous seasons, only the top eight teams in the conference qualified. SMSU has lost seven consecutive NSIC tournament games, with its last win coming in the 2002-03 season over Wayne State, 67-54. SMSU fell 72-47 to No. 1N St. Cloud State last season. This season marks the second consecutive season that SMSU is the eighth seed in the south taking on the one seed from the north.
