SMSU CLOSES 2015 WITH PAIR OF HOME GAMES - The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team will close 2015 hosting Culver-Stockton College in a non-conference game on Friday night starting at 6 p.m., before playing Sioux Falls on Saturday at 4 p.m.

    ABOUT CULVER-STOCKTON - The Wildcats are 9-3 overall and 3-2 in Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) and will play Mount Mercy University on Thursday before playing SMSU on Friday. C-SC defeated Greenville College 56-46 on Tuesday night. Culver-Stockton was picked to finish fourth in the new 12-team HAAC. Randi Lee Plunkett is a top returner for the Wildcats after leading the team averaging 11.5 points a game, while shooting 46.6 percent from the field a season ago. Plunkett leads the team this season averaging 15.3 points a game and rebounding with 6.9 boards a game. She is shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 79.2 percent from the free-throw line. Brianna Marzette adds to the offense attack averaging 9.8 points a game, while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from behind the arch. The Wildcats are averaging 65.8 points a game, while shooting 39.2 percent from the floor. Head coach Janette Burgin is in her third season at Culver-Stockton with an overall record of 33-35.

    MUSTANGS AGAINST THE WILDCATS - Southwest Minnesota State will meet with Culver-Stockton for the first time in program history on Friday night. Culver-Stockton competes in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) and is part of the NAIA.

    ABOUT SIOUX FALLS - The Cougars are 9-1 overall and 4-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play after earning a 2-0 recorded last weekend. USF defeated Minot State 87-54 last Friday, before stealing a 69-67 win against U-Mary on Saturday. USF was picked to finish third overall and third in the South Division. Taylor Varsho, who was named the NSIC South Division Player of the Week, is averaging a team-high 18.5 points, while shooting 43.1 percent from the floor. Sam Knecht controls the box for USF as she is averaging 6.5 rebounds a game and shooting 51.8 percent from the field. Allison Klostergaard also adds to the USF defense as she is averaging 6.1 rebounds a game and also has 20 steals so far this season. USF is averaging 74.2 points a game, while shooting 42.5 percent. Travis Traphagen is in his eighth season as head coach with a 129-76 overall record.

    MUSTANGS AGAINST THE COUGARS - Southwest Minnesota State will meet with Sioux Falls for the second time this season and the 17th time in program history on Saturday with the SMSU holding a 16-10 advantage in the series. USF holds a 7-3 record in the last 10 match ups with SMSU's last win coming back in 2013 in Sioux Falls. The last time SMSU won in the R/A Facility was in the 2002-03 season. See page 13 for full series.

    LAST TIME AGAINST THE COUGARS - Southwest Minnesota State met with Sioux Falls earlier this season on Nov. 24, and suffered a 74-42 loss in Sioux Falls. Hope Bonlander led the Mustangs with 13 points on 6 of 11 shooting, while Annessa Rosch added 10 points on 4 of 11 from the floor and 2 of 5 from 3-point range. Taylor Holicky finished tying her career high with nine boards while Bonlander pulled down seven. USF finished shooting 41.2 percent from the floor and 30 percent from behind the arc, while SMSU finished shooting 29.8 percent from field-goal range and 15.4 percent from down town. The Cougars capitalized on 25 Mustang turnovers as they scored 24 points off of takeaways. See page 14 for full box score.

    CATCHING UP WITH THE MUSTANGS - The Mustangs opened their NSIC home schedule last weekend playing U-Mary and Minot State. SMSU split the weekend matchups with a 80-77 double-overtime loss to U-Mary, before rebounding with its first conference win of the season with a 79-69 victory to Minot State. Lauren Hedlund, Hope Bonlander and Annessa Rosch all scored double-digit points in both games. Hedlund scored a seasons-high 20 points in the win against Minot State.

    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.

    HEAD COACH ALLISON KRUGER - Allison Kruger is in her sixth season as head coach at Southwest Minnesota State University and has compiled a record of 26-119, including 19-96 in NSIC play. Prior to SMSU, Kruger spent two seasons as assistant coach at NCAA Division I University of South Dakota and four years at Wayne State (Neb.).