MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University wheelchair basketball team opens the 2018-19 season this Friday and Saturday hosting Nebraska-Omaha and Wisconsin-Whitewater in a triangular at the R/A Facility.
 
The Mustangs will play two games each day, first taking on UNO on Friday at 4 p.m., before closing with UWW at 7 p.m. On Saturday, SMSU opens with UNO at 9 a.m. before finishing the weekend against UWW at 12 p.m.
 
UNO and UWW will play each other at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and also again on Saturday morning at 10:30.
 
UWW are the defending national runners-ups from last season, losing to Alabama in the championship game, 69-65. The national tournament was held in Marshall from March 15-17.
 
SMSU head coach Derek Klinkner enters his sixth season on the sideline and has 18 players on the roster with 10 returning letter winners from last season's team that finished 10-16.
 
The team features seven seniors along with three juniors, two sophomores and six freshmen. Senior Jesus Villa is the team's top returning scorer, averaging 20.2 points per game while shooting 41 percent from the field. Senior Ryan Kile averaged 9.2 points per game and shot 52 percent from the field.
 
The Mustangs averaged 55 points per game a season ago and shot 41 percent from the field.
 
Southwest Minnesota State is scheduled to play in five tournaments during the season and will conclude the season at the 42^nd annual National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament from March 14-16, 2019, in Champaign, Illinois.