SMSU HEADS NORTH TO SCSU, UMD THIS WEEKEND - The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team (3-17, 1-13 NSIC) will head on the road again, as they travel to St. Cloud State (11-7, 10-4 NSIC) and Minnesota Duluth (5-12, 5-9 NSIC) this weekend. The Mustangs will face the Huskies on Friday night at 6 p.m., before playing the Bulldogs on Saturday at 4 p.m.

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.

ABOUT ST. CLOUD STATE - The Huskies are 11-7 overall, 10-4 in the NSIC and are riding a two-game winning streak entering the weekend after defeating U-Mary (70-51) and Minot State (58-51) last weekend. SCSU is led by junior guard Chelsea Nooker who is averaging 14.4 ppg, shooting 43.4 from the floor, averaging 7.1 rpg, while recording 25 blocks and 44 steals this season. She also one of two players in the nation to record a triple double. Senior forward Lexy Petermann is second on the team averaging 13.9 ppg, while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and 43.2 percent from 3-point range. Senior forward Karissa LeCaptain averages 12.1 ppg while leading the team shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 7.8 rpg. Junior guard Betsy MacDonald adds to the offense with 11.4 ppg, while averaging 3.4 apg and leads the team shooting 93.2 percent from the charity stripe.
St. Cloud State is averaging 66.3 ppg, shooting 39.2 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range, 78.4 percent from the free-throw line-ranked fifth in the nation-and is a plus-5.9 rebound margin-ranked 40th in the nation. SCSU opponents are averaging 64 ppg and shooting 39.3 percent from the field. St. Cloud State head coach Lori Fish is in her 8th season. She was also head coach at Minnesota State for four seasons.

MUSTANGS AGAINST THE HUSKIES - Southwest Minnesota State will meet with St. Cloud State for the 52nd time in a series that started during the 1969-70 season. SCSU leads the series 35-16 and has won the last eight games in the series. SMSU's last win in the series came back on Feb. 2, 2010 season in St. Cloud (66-44). SCSU leads 16-7 in games played in Marshall, including winning the last six of seven. See page 14 of game notes for full series.

ABOUT MINNESOTA DULUTH - The Bulldogs will enter the weekend 5-12 overall, 5-9 in the NSIC and will play Sioux Falls on Friday night. UMD split games last week with Minot State (71-55) and U-Mary (44-54). UMD will face Sioux Falls on Friday night before playing SMSU. Junior guard Allyson Harris leads the Bulldogs averaging 13.6 ppg, shooting 49.7 percent from the floor and has 25 blocks. Junior forward Kenzie Kane averages 10.2 ppg, while shooting 31.4 percent from the field and a team-best 93.3 percent from the charity stipe. Freshman guard Sammy Kozlowski leads the defense averaging 5.8 rpg and has 32 steals, while shooting 31.1 percent from the floor.
Minnesota Duluth is averaging 58.9 ppg, shooting 36.9 percent from the field, 26.8 percent from 3-point range, 69.2 percent from the free-throw line and has a negative-1.1 rebound margin. UMD opponents are averaging 65 ppg and shooting 37.6 percent from the field. Minnesota Duluth head coach Mandy Pearson is in her 1st season. She was also head coach at DIII Saint Mary's University for seven years.

MUSTANGS AGAINST THE BULLDOGS - Southwest Minnesota State will meet with Minnesota Duluth for the 72nd time in a series that started during the 1976-77 season. UMD leads the series 54-17, but suffered a 71-68 loss last season on Jan. 31, 2015, that snapped a five-game skid in the series for the Mustangs. UMD leads 27-5 in games played in Duluth, including winning the last seven. SMSU's last win in Duluth was in the 2001-02 season with a 79-71 victory. See page 14 of game notes for full series.

CATCHING UP WITH THE MUSTANGS - The Mustangs played host to Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul last week. MSU recorded four players with double-digit points to defeat SMSU, 88-77 last Friday. SMSU finished shooting 40 percent (32 of 80) from the floor and 58.8 percent (10 of 17) from the charity stripe. MSU shot 45.1 percent (32-71) from the field and 68 percent (17 of 25) from the stripe. Hope Bonlander led SMSU with 23 points (10 of 15) and pulled down 10 rebounds to earn her second double-double of her career. Annessa Rosch added 17 points (8 of 19), while Sarah Buysse scored 14 points (5 of 11). Lauren Hedlund pulled down nine rebounds and Taylor Silva nabbed three steals.
Concordia-St. Paul's Fredenburg recorded her fifth double-double of the season to help defeat Southwest Minnesota State 78-70 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball last Saturday night in the R/A Facility. SMSU finished shooting 39.7 percent (25 of 63) from the floor and 80 percent (12 of 15) from the free-throw line. CSP shot 46 percent (29 of 63) from the field and a percent 12 of 12 from the charity stripe. Annessa Rosch led the Mustangs with 17 points (6 of 14), while Hope Bonlander added 17 points (6 of 10). Lauren Hedlund scored nine points (3 of 8) and Taylor Silva dished out five assists. Hedlund paced the defense with 11 rebounds and Taylor Holicky pulled down six. SMSU made use of 16 offensive boards converting them into 13 points.
For the season, SMSU is averaging 60.2 ppg, shooting 38 percent from the field, 28 percent from 3-point range, 67.8 percent from the free-throw line and have a negative-4.6 rebound margin. SMSU opponents are averaging 75.7 ppg and shooting 44.3 percent from the field.

HEAD COACH - Allison Kruger is in her sixth season as head coach at Southwest Minnesota State University and has compiled a record of 27-128, including 19-105 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.).