MARSHALL, Minn.- The Southwest Minnesota State University ­women's basketball team (2-18, 2-14 NSIC) will travel to North Dakota this weekend as they face Minot State (3-19, 1-15 NSIC) on Friday night at 6 p.m., followed by a trip to play U-Mary on Saturday with tipoff scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
            BROADCAST INFO
•This weekend's games will broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik and Anthony Rohlik handling the play-by-play for SMSU basketball
•The game can also be viewed online at SMSUmustangs.com.
           
            SERIES HISTORY (Minot State)
•Minot State leads the all-time series 3-2
•SMSU won the first ever meeting between the two schools, 72-60, in a non-conference game back in 2011
•SMSU won the only game played between the two teams last season, 79-69 in Marshall
•Complete game-by-game listing of the series is located on page 18
 
            SERIES HISTORY (U-Mary)
•U-Mary has won five straight matchups dating back to the 2011-12 season
•The last two games have gone to overtime including a double-overtime game last year which U-Mary won in Marshall, 80-77
•U-Mary leads the all-time series 10-3
•The last win for SMSU was an 80-69 victory on Jan. 14, 2011, in Bismarck
•Complete game-by-game listing of the series is located on page 19
 
            GAME DAY STORYLINES
•After returning to the starting lineup in the last four games, Caleigh Rodning has averaged 14.0 ppg and a team leading 10.0 rpg
•Since defeating Minnesota Crookston on Jan. 13, SMSU has dropped five straight games by an average margin of 13.8 points per game
•SMSU has been outscored by a combined 64 points during the first and second quarters of its current five game losing skid, but the Mustangs have only been outscored by a combined five points in the second halves during the same stretch
•After a slow start to its season, SMSU's offense has been steadily improving, rasing its season scoring average in 11 straight games
•With just two home games remaining, SMSU is still searching for its first home win of the season (SMSU has never gone an entire season without a home victory in its previous 47 years of women's basketball)
 
            SMSU?HEAD COACH TOM WEBB
•Tom Webb is in his first season as the head coach with a 2-16 overall record thus far
•Webb is the eighth head coach in the program's history
• Prior to SMSU, coach Webb spent eight seasons (2008-16) as the head coach at Cameron University (Okla.) compiling a record of 91-123.
• Webb was recognized as the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year in 2014-15
 
            NSIC RANKINGS (Conference games only)
•Lauren Hedlund is second in the NSIC in rebounding with 10.1 rpg and leads the conference with 62 offensive boards
•Taylor Holicky is fourth with 8.0 rpg
•Taylor Silva ranks fourth in assists (4.19 apg)
•Caleigh Rodning is 13th in the conference in field goal percentage (.479) and 14th in scoring (13.7 ppg)
 
            ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE
•SMSU?is 2-18 on the season following last weekend's pair of home losses
•SMSU has an average scoring margin of minus 14.1 points per game
•The Mustangs are shooting 39 percent as a team on field goal attempts this season
•Lauren Hedlund leads the team in scoring (12.7 ppg)  and rebounding (9.7 rpg)
•Taylor Holicky is averaging 7.9 rebounds per game and has a team high 22 blocked shots on the season
•Taylor Silva has dished out a team-high 82 assists (4.3 apg)
•Jamie Spicer has averaged 10.3 ppg and 3.3 apg over the last four games while shooting 54 percent from the field
 
            ABOUT MINOT STATE
•Minot State (3-19, 1-15 NSIC) is currently on a nine game losing skid, dropping a pair of road games at No. 22 Winona State and Upper Iowa last weekend
•The Beavers' last win was back on Dec. 30 when they defeated St. Cloud State 77-63 in St. Cloud
•Minot State is 12th in the NSIC?in points allowed giving up an average of 71.1 ppg
•Minot State is last in the NSIC in scoring at 56.2 ppg
 
            ABOUT U-MARY
•The University of Mary has won two of its last three games including a 59-57 win over Upper Iowa
•The Marauders are fifth in the NSIC North, one game out of fourth and the final home playoff berth in the first round of the conference tournament
• Mary is 1st in the NSIC in blocked shots at 5.5/game
•Hannah Larson 13th in the NSIC in scoring (13.7 ppg), ninth in rebounding (7.5 rpg) and first in blocked shots (2.5 bpg)
           
            PLUS/MINUS
•Emily Buysse has the best plus/minus per 40 minutes at minus 2.79 points in just over 157 minutes of action
•The following are the best three plus/minus combinations per 40 minutes for the Mustangs this season (min. 15 minutes played)
1 Connell, Rodning, Silva, Hedlund, Buysse S. (+15.7) in 35:41 minutes
2 Spicer, Holicky, Hedlund, Silva, Rodning (-4.0) in 20:02 minutes
3 Spicer, Holicky, Hedlund, Silva, Connell (-11.4) in 21:05 minutes
 
            LAURIE BOHLER NOTES
•Has appeared in all 20 games
•Pulled in career best three rebounds versus Augie
•Has appeared in 53 career games
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            EMILY BUYSSE NOTES
•Scored career high six points vs UMD with two made three pointers (12/9/16)
•Made her Mustangs' debut versus Sioux Falls on Nov. 26
•Has appeared in 12 games averaging 14.9 minutes per game
•Younger sister of teammate Sarah Buysse
 
            SARAH BUYSSE NOTES
•Had career high 5 assists against UIU (12/2/16)
•Led team in scoring with 14 points in season debut vs USF
•Started all 29 games as a true freshman in 2015-16
•Averaging 8.0 ppg and 2.9 rpg
•Older sister of teammate Emily Buysse
 
            ABBY CONNELL NOTES
•Has started 16 games
•Scored career high 14 points at WSC (12/31/16)
•Career highs 10 field goal attempts vs UIU (1/7/17)
•Has connected on a team-leading 37 three point attempts
 
            LAUREN HEDLUND NOTES
•On pace to average sixth most rebounds per game (9.7) in school history
•Has led team in rebounding in 40 games during her career
•Team high 12.7 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per game
•Pulled in career high 18 rebounds vs WSU?(1/6/17)
•Scored career-high 27 points vs. St. Cloud State
•First all-time in offensive rebounds per game (3.1)
 
            TAYLOR HOLICKY NOTES
•Ranks eighth in SMSU history in defensive rebounds per game (4.2)
•Had career high 22 points vs. Minnesota Crookston (1/13)
•Has recorded four double-doubles this season
•Has team leading 22 blocked shots on the season
 
            CALEIGH RODNING NOTES
•Had career highs in points (21), field goals made (9) and attempted (18) vs Upper Iowa (1/7)
•Season high 14 rebounds vs. Minnesota Crookston (1/13) and MSU?Moorhead (1/27)
•Started 8 games and is averaging 24.6 minutes a night on the court
•Averaging 12.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, and 1.3 apg as a true freshman
•Has led Mustangs in scoring on seven occasions this season
 
            TAYLOR SILVA NOTES
•Has started all 20 games
•Leads team with 4.3 assists per game
•Had career high seven assists at Wayne State (12/31/16)
•Scored career high 21 points against UIU?(12/2/16)
•Grabbed career high four steals against UIU (12/2/16)
 
            KENDRA SNAZA NOTES
•Has appeared in eight games
•Scored six points with two 3-pointers vs. Fort Hays State
 
            JAMIE SPICER NOTES
•Has appeared in 18 games
•Scored a season high 17 points going 5-of-6 on three point attempts vs. Minnesota State (1/21)
•Averaged 10.3 ppg and 3.3 apg over the last four games while shooting 54 percent from the field
 
            BRIANNA VONWAHLDE NOTES
•Has appeared in 12 games
•Scored field goals vs. Fort Hays State and South Dakota Mines
•Attempted career high five field goals vs. MWSU (11/11/16)
 
            ANGIE WENNING
•Has played in 10 games
•Recorded first career field goal vs. Northern State (1/28)
 
            OFF?THE BENCH
•The SMSU bench is averaging 17.6 ppg this season, while its opponents are averaging 25.8 ppg
•SMSU averaged 14 bench points per game in 2015-16
 
            SHARING?THE?BALL
•The Mustangs will look to improve on their early assist numbers as they are averaging 11.3 assists per game
•SMSU tallied double-digit assists in 20 games last season and averaged 11.4 apg
•The Mustangs have hit double digit assists on 12 occasions so far this year
 
            WORKING?OVERTIME
•SMSU is 10-24 all-time in overtime games and has not won an overtime game in 11 seasons as the Mustangs are 0-9 since the 2004-05 season •SMSU is 2-5 in seven double-overtime games
•The last overtime win for SMSU was on Feb. 11, 2005, versus Minnesota Crookston
•SMSU has yet to play an overtime game this season
 
            2016-17 NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish 15th overall and eighth in the South Division in the annual 16-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll released in October.
•Winona State was chosen as the overall preseason favorite earning 201 points including seven first place votes and were also picked to win the South Division
 
            MUSTANG HISTORY
•SMSU?is in its 48th year of women's basketball in 2016-17
•SMSU has played in 1,198 games all-time with a 576-622 (.481) all-time record overall
•SMSU is 224-348 (.391) in conference games
 
            EARLY GAME STRUGGLES
•SMSU has been outscored by a combined 124 points in the first half of games this season forcing multiple comeback attempts
•SMSU has only held a lead beyond the first quarter in seven games this season
           
            HOME AND AWAY
•SMSU finished 3-12 at home last season and is a combined 11-51 at home over the last five seasons
•The Mustangs are 2-9 in road/neutral site games this season after finishing 2-12 in road/neutral site games last season
•SMSU is 0-9 in home games this year
•The following is a statistical comparison of the Mustang team averages for home and away/neutral games in 2016-17:
 
           W-L     FG%    3-FG% FT%     REB     PTS      TO      
Home  0-9       .395     .344     .691     36.4     61.4     18.9    
Away   2-9       .384     .335     .735     35.7     60.7     19.7
 
             HOME SWEET HOME
•The 2016-17 season marks the 21st year the R/A Facility has been the home arena for SMSU women's basketball.
•SMSU has compiled a record of 134-137 (.494) in 271 games in the R/A Facility
•SMSU is 314-234 (.573) in all home games in the program's history
 
SMSU in the R/A Facility
            Year         Overall     NSIC    Non ---.
            1996-97           6-5       2-3       4-2
            1997-98           5-6       3-3       2-3
            1998-99           11-2     6-0       5-2      
            1999-00           11-3     7-2       4-1      
            2000-01           12-0     9-0       3-0
            2001-02           11-2     8-1       3-1
            2002-03           11-3     7-2       4-1
            2003-04           4-8       2-7       2-1      
            2004-05           10-4     5-2       5-2
            2005-06           5-9       3-4       2-5
            2006-07           5-8       3-6       2-2
            2007-08           5-9       2-7       3-2
            2008-09           9-6       4-6       5-0
            2009-10           10-5     6-4       4-1
            2010-11           6-7       5-6       1-1
            2011-12           3-9       3-8       0-1      
            2012-13           2-10     1-10     1-0
            2013-14           3-9       2-9       1-0
            2014-15           3-11     3-8       0-3
            2015-16           3-12     2-9       1-3
            2016-17           0-9       0-9       0-0
   Totals:                  134-137  82-106  52-31