MUSTANGS HOST U-MARY, MINOT STATE IN NSIC HOME OPENING WEEKEND - The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team will host U-Mary and Minot State this Friday and Saturday in its Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference home opening weekend. The Mustangs will face the Marauders on Friday night with a 6 p.m., tip, before playing the Beavers Saturday at 5 p.m.
ABOUT U-MARY - The Marauders are 6-4 on the season and 0-2 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play after suffering a pair of conference loses last week. U-Mary loss to Northern State and MSU Moorhead last weekend. U-Mary picked up a non-conference win with a 66-42 victory against Valley City State on Tuesday. U-Mary was picked to finish 11th overall in the NSIC and fifth in the North Division. Brittney Dietz is a top returner for the Marauders after leading the team averaging 16.7 points, while shooting 41.2 percent season ago. Dietz is the lone Marauder averaging double-digit points this season, as the senior is averaging 21.1 points a game and shooting 44.4 percent. Hannah Larson is controlling the boards for U-Mary, averaging 8.1 rebounds a game and shooting a team-high 84.6 percent from the charity stripe. U-Mary is shooting 41.8 percent from the floor, while averaging 68.8 points a game. Head coach Rick Neumann is in his 4th season at U-Mary with an overall record of 46-40.
MUSTANGS AGAINST THE MARAUDERS - Southwest Minnesota State will meet with U-Mary for the 13th time in program history on Friday night with U-Mary holding a 9-3 advantage. U-Mary leads 5-1 all-time in games played in Marshall as SMSU has lost the two with its last win coming back in 2009. The Marauders hold a four-game win streak after winning last season, 76-70 in overtime on Dec. 12, in Bismarck.
ABOUT MINOT STATE - The Beavers are 4-4 overall and 1-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play after splitting games last weekend. Minot State suffered a 81-72 loss to MSU Moorhead last Friday, before winning its first conference game 69-61 against Northern State Saturday. MISU was picked to finish 13th overall and seventh in the North Division. Alex Haley is a top returner for the Beavers after finishing last season averaging 11.2 points a game, while shooting 42.4 percent from 3-point range and 49.6 percent from the floor. Haley leads Minot State so far this season averaging 11.8 points a game while shooting 40.7 percent from the field. Savana Kingsbury adds to the Beaver offense averaging 11.6 points a game while pulling down a team-high 6.6 rebounds. She also leads the team shooting 54.5 percent from the floor and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line. MISU is shooting 42.1 as a team and averaging 72.38 points a game. Sheila Green Gerding is in her 21st season as head coach at Minot State with an overall record of 346-239.
MUSTANGS AGAINST THE BEAVERS - Southwest Minnesota State will meet with Minot State for the fifth time on Saturday with the Beavers holding a 3-1 advantage. The two teams will meet in Marshall for just the second time in the series as MISU defeated SMSU, 64-60 back in 2013.
CATCHING UP WITH THE MUSTANGS - The Mustangs traveled to No. 10 Winona State and Upper Iowa last week for their first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference road games. SMSU suffered a 0-2 record as it lost to WSU 81-46, before dropping a 59-54 contest to UIU.
Hope Bonlander recorded a pair of career-highs against the Peacocks as she scored a career-high 26 points, while making a career-high 11 of 20 field goal attempts. Bonlander's previous high was 21 points that she set earlier this season.
MEDIA COVERAGE - Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball during the NSIC season can be heard all season long on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik handling the play-by-play and Anthony Rohlik as color analyst. Games can be heard via live stream at marshallradio.net. All NSIC games can be viewed online at smsumustangs.com/watchnow.
