MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University wheelchair basketball team opens play at the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament on Thursday in Whitewater, Wis., as the No. 7 seed and will face No. 2 seed Wisconsin-Whitewater at 6 p.m.
 
If SMSU wins, they'll play on Friday at 4 p.m., versus the winner of No. 3 seed Illinois and No. 6 seed Edinboro.
 
If SMSU suffers a loss on Thursday, they'll play at 10 a.m. on Friday versus either Illinois or Edinboro.
 
SMSU is 17-9 overall and will be facing UWW for the third time this season. SMSU won the first meeting, 62-57 on Oct. 21, but UWW has won the past three games.
 
The nine teams competing in the tournament include the University of Alabama, Auburn University, Nebraska-Omaha, Edinboro University, University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, University of Missouri, Texas-Arlington and SMSU.
 
The NWBA has held a national tournament since 1977 with SMSU winning national titles in 1981, 1983 and 1986.