THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (9-6, 5-5 NSIC) returns to the friendly confines of the R/A Facility this Friday and Saturday hosting a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division opponents.
•SMSU opens the weekend taking on the University of Minnesota Crookston (5-12, 2-9 NSIC) with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m., while on Saturday the Mustangs battle Bemidji State University (6-9, 3-8 NSIC) with game time set for 5:30 p.m.
•SMSU has played just three games since Dec. 18 due to a pair of games being canceled due to COVID protocols.
•SMSU is coming off a 69-68 road loss to Northern State last Friday. The Mustangs' scheduled game at MSU Moorhead last Saturday was canceled.
•SMSU, which is 1-1 versus NSIC North teams this season, is a combined 41-25 versus North teams in conference play since divisions were introduced during the 2012-13 season.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler enters Friday's game with 199 career victories.

    BROADCAST INFO
•Both games will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik providing play-by-play.
•Live stats, radio and video broadcasts of all games can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

    SMSU HEAD COACH BRAD BIGLER
•Brad Bigler, the all-time wins leader in program history, is in his 13th season as head coach and has an overall record of 199-159, including 133-124 in NSIC play.
•The 2012-13 and 2016-17 NSIC Coach of the Year, Bigler has led SMSU to seven winning seasons, including one 28-win season, one 25-win season and two 19-win seasons.
•SMSU won NSIC Tournament titles in 2012 and 2017 and won back-to-back NSIC South Division championships in 2016-17 and 2017-18.  
•SMSU has played in five NSIC Tournament championship games during his tenure (2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019).
•SMSU's 11th head coach, Bigler spent six seasons (2003-09) as an assistant coach at SMSU, including the last three as associate head coach.
•SMSU's 71 combined victories from 2016-19 was the best three-year stretch in program history.
•Bigler's complete bio is found on page 16.

    MUSTANG TIP-OFF TIDBITS
•In NSIC games only, SMSU ranks third in field goal pct. defense (43.3) and sixth in the NSIC in scoring defense (72.4). SMSU also ranks fourth in field goal pct. offense (48.0) and 11th in scoring offense (70.9).
•In NSIC games only, SMSU is second in free throw pct. (78.0) and fifth in rebound margin (+1.6).
•Sophomore Jake Phipps ranks fifth in the NSIC in field goal pct. (56.7) and third in blocked shots (1.3), while sophomore Cliff McCray ranks eighth in assists (4.1) and second in steals (1.8).
•Senior Kenny Byers leads SMSU in scoring (15.1) and is second in assists (44).
•Phipps is second in scoring (14.5), ranks first in rebounding (6.9), second in field goal pct. (57.0) and is third in 3-pointers (15).
•Redshirt freshman Dunwa Omot has connected on a team-high 23 3-pointers.
•McCray has recorded a team-high 61 assists and has a team-leading 30 steals. McCray tied a career-high last Friday at Northern State with eight assists.  
•SMSU has held 11 of its 15 opponents to 69 or less points in regulation, including a season-low 49 in a victory over Winona State on Dec. 10.
•SMSU has outrebounded its opponent in 11 of 15 games.
•SMSU is shooting 47 percent from the field, 35 percent from 3-point range, 77 percent from the free throw line and is plus-4.7 in rebound margin.
•SMSU is averaging 72 points per game, while opponents are averaging 69 points per game.
•In the latest NCAA statistics (Jan. 18), SMSU ranks 21st in free throw pct. (77.4), 58th in rebound margin (+4.7) and 64th in field goal pct. (47.2). Cliff McCray ranks 40th in total steals (30); Jake Phipps ranks 44th in total blocks (21) and 57th in field goal pct. (57.0). A complete listing of the latest NCAA stats can be found on page 15.

    NORTHERN STATE RALLIES TO STUN MUSTANGS
•Northern State rallied from an 18-point second half deficit to earn a dramatic 69-68 victory over SMSU last Friday night in Aberdeen, S.D. NSU's Sam Masten, who scored a game-high 30 points, scored the game-winning lay-up with 4.2 seconds remaining. The field goal answered a three-point play by SMSU's Jake Phipps with 10 seconds left that put the Mustangs in front at 68-67.
•Phipps, who scored a team-high 24 points on 10 of 15 shooting, registered his fifth 20-point game of the season and the sixth of his career. Kenny Byers added 20 points on 9 of 12 shooting and pulled down six rebounds but fouled out with just over two minutes left in the game. Cliff McCray also reached double-figures in scoring with 11 points while dishing out eight assists and grabbing six rebounds.
•SMSU finished the game shooting an outstanding 55 percent (29 of 53) from the field but made just 4 of 16 from 3-point range and committed 17 turnovers.
•SMSU held a 34-30 rebound advantage with the Mustangs' Grant Kramer pulling down a game-high nine rebounds.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
•SMSU and UMC meet for the 38th time with SMSU leading 34-3 in a series that started in 1994-95.
•SMSU leads the series 31-1 since UMC joined the NSIC in 1999-2000.
•SMSU has won the last 23 games with UMC's last win coming on Jan. 16, 2004, in Crookston. SMSU holds an 18-1 lead in games played in Marshall. UMC won the first-ever game played in the series, 87-78, in Marshall during the 1994-95 season.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 12-0 all-time versus UMC.
•Game-by-game results of the series is located on page 17.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS BEMIDJI STATE
•SMSU and BSU meet for the 98th time with SMSU leading 55-42 in a series that started during the 1968-69 season.
•SMSU leads 34-15 in games played in Marshall, including winning the last three played inside the R/A Facility.
•SMSU has won five of the last seven meetings, since Feb. 6, 2015, but BSU won the last game on Feb. 1, 2020, in Bemidji.   
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 7-7 all-time versus BSU.
•Game-by-game results of the series is located on page 18.

    SCOUTING MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
•UMC is 5-12 overall, 2-9 NSIC, after snapping a nine-game losing streak last Friday with a 77-72 victory at Concordia-St. Paul. Saturday's game at Minnesota State was canceled.
•UMC has four players averaging double figures in scoring with junior guard Ethan Channel averaging a team-high 12.6 ppg with 23 3-pointers.  
•Junior forward Leonard Dixon is averaging 12.4 ppg with a team-high 38 3-pointers and is also leading the team with 6.8 rebounds per game.   
•Senior guard Brian Sitzman (10.5) and sophomore guard Uzo Dibiamaka (10.3) both average double figures in scoring.
•UMC is shooting 42 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range, 67 percent from the free throw line and is minus-1.1 in rebound margin.
•UMC is averaging 66 points per game, while opponents are averaging 72 points per game.
•Head coach Dan Weisse is in his eighth season at UMC with a record of 61-130.  

    SCOUTING BEMIDJI STATE
•BSU begins the weekend 6-9 overall, 3-8 NSIC, having lost three straight games heading into Friday's game at Sioux Falls. BSU has lost its last four games by five or less points or in overtime.
•BSU has four players averaging double figures in scoring with senior guard Travis Bianco averaging a team-high 16.1 ppg with a team-best 33 3-pointers. He also leads the Beavers in rebounding at 6.4 rpg.
•Senior guard Mohamed Kone is averaging 11.7 ppg and has dished out a team-high 70 assists   
•Sophomore forward John Sutherland is shooting a team-high 59 percent and is averaging 10.1 ppg.
•BSU is shooting 48 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3-point range, 71 percent from the free throw line and is plus-5.0 in rebound margin.
•BSU is averaging 75 points per game, while opponents are averaging 72 points per game.
•Head coach Mike Boschee is in his 10th season at BSU with a record of 113-140. He was also head coach at Central College (Iowa) from 2003-12.     

    BYERS REACHES 1,000 CAREER POINTS
•Senior Kenny Byers became the 25th player in team history to reach 1,000 career points during SMSU's loss to Augustana on Dec. 4.
•Byers ranks 17th in team history with 1,127 points in 108 games, connecting on 436 field goals, including 57 3-pointers and 198 free throws.

    MUSTANGS GET DEFENSIVE IN WIN OVER WSU
•SMSU allowed just 10 second half points and four field goals to Winona State on Dec. 10, marking the first time an SMSU opponent was held to 15 points or less in a half since Michigan Tech scored 15 in the second half on Nov. 17, 2017.
•The last time SMSU held an opponent to less than 50 points in a game was on March 2, 2014, when SMSU defeated Wayne State, 68-45.
•The last time an SMSU opponent was held to five or less field goals in a half came on Dec. 11, 2009, when Northern State had just three field goals in the second half.

    PHIPPS AND BYERS EARN NSIC WEEKLY AWARD
•Sophomore Jake Phipps was named the NSIC South Division Player of the Week for the second time this season on Dec. 20.
•Phipps averaged 23.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocked shots, while shooting a combined 63 percent (22 of 35) from the field, including connecting on three 3-pointers in SMSU's road victories versus Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State.
•He also earned the award on Nov. 22 after averaging 18 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocked shots in SMSU's victories over Wisconsin-Parkside and Davenport (Mich.). He shot a combined 64 percent (16 of 25) from the field, including connecting on three 3-pointers.
•Senior Kenny Byers was named the NSIC South Division Player of the Week (Jan. 10) following his play in SMSU's 77-73 home victory over the University of Mary on Jan. 8.
•He scored 22 points on 10 of 16 shooting with a team-high nine rebounds, while adding four assists and two steals in the victory.
•It's the first time in his career he has earned the NSIC weekly award.

    SMSU SETS PROGRAM SINGLE-GAME RECORD
•This year's SMSU team set a program single-game record in its 84-58 victory over Newman on Nov. 13 connecting on all 15 free throw attempts. The previous single-game record was a 14 for 14 performance versus Minnesota Crookston  Jan. 18, 2002.  

    SMSU PICKED 7TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish 13th overall and seventh in the South Division in the 16-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•SMSU senior guard Kenny Byers was named a "Player to Watch".
•Minnesota State and Wayne State each were chosen as the South Division favorites. MSU Moorhead was selected as the overall preseason favorite.  

    NEW LOOK NSIC FORMAT TOURNAMENT  
•SMSU was scheduled to play 22 conference games this season, including two versus each team within the NSIC South Division and one each versus the NSIC North Division.
•The NSIC Sanford Tournament will feature just 12 teams, with the top six in each division qualifying for the tournament. The top two teams in each division receive a spot in the quarterfinals.
•The quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game will all be played at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

    MUSTANG 20-POINT GAMES  
•Three current SMSU players, senior Kenny Byers, sophomore Jake Phipps redshirt freshman Dunwa Omot have scored 20 or more points in a game during their careers.
•Byers has reached 20 points five times this season and 16 times in his career, which includes one 30-point game.
•Phipps reached 20 points five times this season and six times in his career, while Omot has reached the 20-point mark one time this season.
20 or More Point Games in Career
    33    Kenny Byers    Minnesota Crookston, 1/31/20
    27    Kenny Byers    St. Cloud State, 12/13/19
    26    Kenny Byers    Parkside, 11/19/21
    25    Jake Phipps    Concordia-St. Paul, 12/17/21
    24    Jake Phipps    Northern State, 1/14/22
    24    Dunwa Omot    UMary, 1/8/22
    24    Kenny Byers    Wayne State, 1/4/20
    24    Kenny Byers    Minnesota Duluth, 12/14/19
    23    Kenny Byers    Sioux Falls, 1/2/22
    23    Kenny Byers    Minnesota State, 1/11/20
    23    Kenny Byers    Sioux Falls, 12/21/19
    22    Kenny Byers    UMary, 1/8/22
    22    Jake Phipps    Minnesota State, 12/18/21
    22    Kenny Byers    Upper Iowa, 12/11/21
    22    Jake Phipps    Sioux Falls, 11/23/21
    22    Jake Phipps    Sioux Falls, 2/21/21
    21    Jake Phipps    Davenport, 11/20/21
    21    Kenny Byers    Concordia-St. Paul, 1/10/20
    21    Kenny Byers    Augustana, 1/3/20
    20    Kenny Byers    Northern State, 1/14/22
    20    Kenny Byers    Central Missouri, 11/9/19
    20    Kenny Byers    Concordia-St. Paul, 12/8/18
    20    Kenny Byers    Crown, 11/24/18
Bold indicates 2021-22 season

    LOGAN BENSON NOTES
•Has started all 15 games and is averaging 2.4 ppg and 3.5 rpg.
•Scored career-high eight points on 4 of 4 shooting vs. Augustana (12/4/21).
•Grabbed career-high six rebounds vs. Winona State (12/10/21).
•Played in seven games with two starts last season.
•Sat out the 2019-20 season as a redshirt.

    KENNY BYERS NOTES
•Has started all 15 games and is averaging 15.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg.
•Ranks 17th in team history with 1,127 points.
•Hit game-winning field goal with 5.6 seconds left in overtime to defeat Minnesota State (12/18/21).
•Scored season-high 26 points with 10 field goals at Parkside (11/19). Also scored 23 points vs. Sioux Falls (1/2).
•Sat out the 2020-21 season.
•Started all 29 games in 2019-20 and led team in scoring (16.3), rebounding (6.9), assists (95) and steals (43).
•Named second team All-NSIC in 2019-20.
•Scored career-high 33 points at Minnesota Crookston (1/31/20).  
•Grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds vs. Minnesota Duluth (12/14/19).
•Named to the 2019 NSIC All-Tournament team.

    NOAH CHAMBERLAIN NOTES
•Has played in seven games and has two points and three rebounds this season.
•Played in eight games with two starts last season and averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg.
•Scored season-high seven points vs. Minot State (1/8/21) on 3 of 3 shooting with one 3-pointer.
•Scored five points vs. Minnesota State (1/24/21).
•Sat out the 2019-20 season as a redshirt.

    ANTHONY COSTELLO NOTES
•Has played in all 15 games and is averaging 7.7 ppg and 3.5 rpg.
•Has scored double figures in seven games including 12 points four times.
•Scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds vs. Newman (11/13/21).
•Spent three seasons (2018-21) at Dakota State University before transferring to SMSU.

    ALEX HILLESHEIM NOTES
•Has played in two games this season.
•Last season played in five games averaging 4.0 ppg and 2.0 rpg.
•Scored career-high 13 points on five field goals and grabbed a career-high six rebounds vs. Minnesota State (1/24/21).

    GRANT KRAMER NOTES
•Has started all 15 games and is averaging 6.1 ppg and 5.0 rpg.
•Second on the team with 19 3-pointers.
•Scored season-high 16 points vs. Augustana (12/4/21).
•Scored 15 points with five 3-pointers at Wayne State (12/2/21).
•Played in five games with three starts last season after missing the first six games due to injury.
•Scored career-high 18 points on a career-high seven field goals with four 3-pointers at Northern State (2/26/20).
•Scored 17 points with five 3-pointers versus both Wayne State (2/21/20) and Augustana (2/22/20).
•Career-high 11 rebounds at Minnesota State (1/12/19).
•Sat out the 2017-18 season as a redshirt.

    CLIFF MCCRAY NOTES
•Has started all 15 games and is averaging 10.9 ppg and has dished out a team-high 61 assists.
•Tied career-high with eight assists at Northern State (1/14/22).
•Has five or more assists in six games.
•Tied career-high with 19 points vs. Minnesota Morris (11/29/21).
•Scored 19 points vs. Newman (11/13/21) on 7 of 10 shooting.
•Played and started nine games last season and averaged 7.7 ppg and a team-high 6.0 rpg.
•Led the team with 41 assists.
•One of two true freshman to play in 2019-20.

    LANCE MOSLEY NOTES
•Has played in two games with one rebound.
•Played in three games last season and scored two points vs. Minnesota State (1/23/21).

    DUNWA OMOT NOTES
•Has played in all 15 games and is averaging 9.3 ppg and 1.4 rpg.
•Leads the team with 23 3-pointers.
•Poured in career-high 24 points of 9 of 17 shooting with two 3-pointers vs. UMary (1/8/22).
•Scored 16 points with four 3-pointers vs. Davenport (11/20/21).
•Scored 15 points on 5 of 6 shooting with three 3-pointers vs. Newman (11/13/21).
•Played in four games and averaged 1.3 ppg and 0.8 rpg in 2020-21.

    JAKE PHIPPS NOTES
•Has started all 15 games is averaging 14.5 ppg and a team-high 6.9 rpg.
•Scored a career-high 25 points with 12 field goals at Concordia-St. Paul (12/17/21).
•Scored 24 points on 10 of 15 shooting at Northern State (1/14/22).
•Twice has been named NSIC South Player of the Week this season.
•Scored 21 points on 9 of 13 shooting with 11 rebounds vs. Davenport (11/20/21).  
•Grabbed career-high 12 rebounds at Parkside (11/19/21).  
•Started 10 of 11 games in 2020-21 and averaged 11.1 ppg and 4.6 rpg.
•Appeared in all 29 games with three starts in 2019-20 and averaged 7.2 ppg and 3.8 rpg.
•Shot a team-high 63.3 percent from the field in 2019-20 ranking third in team history.
•Career-high five blocked shots vs. Concordia (1/10/20).
•Sat out the 2018-19 season as a redshirt.

    SAM SCHWARTZ NOTES
•Has played in 15 games and is averaging 5.0 ppg and 2.8 rpg.
•Scored season-high 12 points on 5 of 6 shooting at Concordia-St. Paul (12/17/21).
•Poured in 11 points with three 3-pointers vs. UMary (1/8/22).
•Grabbed career-high 11 rebounds with a career-high six assists vs. Minnesota Morris (11/29/21).
•Played in nine games with four starts in 2020-21 and averaged 9.3 ppg and 2.8 rpg.
•Scored career-high 15 points with six field goals vs. Sioux Falls (2/21/21).
•Hit three 3-pointers twice vs. Minot State (1/8-9/21).
•Sat out the 2019-20 season as a redshirt.

    JONATHAN ZINNIEL NOTES
•Has played in two games and scored two points vs. Newman (11/13/21) and Minnesota Morris (11/29/21).
•Played in three games in 2020-21 and had one rebound.  

    NSIC SOUTH VS. NSIC NORTH
•SMSU is 1-1 versus NSIC North Division team in 2021-22 after not having any conference games versus NSIC North Division opponents in 2020-21.
•SMSU is a combined 41-25 versus North teams in conference play since divisions were introduced prior to the 2012-13 season.
•The 2019-20 season (3-5) was just the second time in eight seasons SMSU had a losing record versus the North Division.
•SMSU finished with a 5-3 record versus the NSIC North Division in 2018-19. SMSU was 7-1 in 2017-18; 6-2 in 2016-17; 3-5 in 2015-16; 5-3 in 2014-15; 5-3 in 2013-14; and 6-2 in 2012-13.
•Through eight-plus seasons of conference play (as of Jan. 16, 2022), the NSIC South holds a 307-223 advantage over NSIC North teams since divisions were formed in 2012-13.  
•The 2018-19 season is the only year in which the North has held an advantage versus the South.  

    HOME AND AWAY IN 2021-22
•SMSU, which is 3-3 at home this season, has a home record of 106-57 since Brad Bigler took over in 2009-10.
•SMSU, 6-3 in road/neutral site games this season, is 93-102 in 195 road/neutral site games during the Bigler era.
•The following is a statistical comparison of the Mustang team averages for home and away/neutral games in 2021-22:
        W-L    FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO    
Home    3-3    46.4    29.6    76.1    38.0    72.5    12.8
Away    6-3    47.7    37.7    78.9    35.8    70.8    12.7

    HOME SWEET HOME
•The 2021-22 season marks the 26th year the R/A Facility has served as the home arena for SMSU men's basketball.
•SMSU has a record of 238-104 (.695) in 342 games with three losing seasons.
SMSU in the R/A Facility
    Year    Overall    NSIC    Non
    1996-97    6-4    3-2    3-2    
    1997-98    8-5    4-2    4-3    
    1998-99    10-3    5-1    5-2    
    1999-00    12-3    7-2    5-1    
    2000-01    12-1    9-0    3-1    
    2001-02    12-2    7-2    5-0    
    2002-03    9-5    7-2    2-3
    2003-04    9-5    5-3    4-2    
    2004-05    6-8    3-4    3-4
    2005-06    10-5    3-4    7-1    
    2006-07    13-2    8-1    5-1
    2007-08    12-2    7-2    5-0
    2008-09    13-3    8-2    5-1
    2009-10    12-3    7-3    5-0
    2010-11    10-3    8-3    2-0
    2011-12    10-2    9-2    1-0
    2012-13    7-4    7-4    0-0
    2013-14    11-4    8-3    3-1
    2014-15    6-8    4-7    2-1
    2015-16    8-4    7-4    1-0
    2016-17    9-3    8-3    1-0
    2017-18    12-2    10-1    2-1
    2018-19    12-5    7-4    5-1    
    2019-20    4-9    2-9    2-0
    2020-21    2-6    1-5    1-1
    2021-22    3-3    2-3    1-0
    Totals    238-104    156-78    82-26

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAMES
•Southwest Minnesota State has made on at least one 3-point field goal in 676 straight games.
•The last time SMSU failed to connect on a 3-pointer was on Dec. 11, 1998, versus MSU Moorhead (0 for 10) at the North Dakota State Classic.

    MUSTANGS AND THE CENTURY MARK
•SMSU has not scored 100 points in a game since Feb. 1, 2019, versus Minnesota Crookston (100-78).
•SMSU is 40-8 all-time when scoring 100 points, including 8-2 under head coach Brad Bigler.

    WORKING OVERTIME
•SMSU is 1-1 in overtime games this season earning a 71-69 victory at Minnesota State on Dec. 18, before losing 72-71 to Sioux Falls on Jan. 2.
•SMSU is 49-40 all-time in overtime games.
•SMSU is 7-6 in double overtime and is 1-2 in triple overtime games all-time.

    SMSU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
•SMSU has made five NCAA Tournament appearances (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018) in program history since moving to Division II in 1995-96.
•SMSU is 9-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament games appearing in three region championship games with region titles and Elite Eight appearances in both 2001 and 2009.  

    SEASON OPENERS
•SMSU is now 29-26 all-time in season openers following this season's loss to Rogers State.
•SMSU has opened the season on the road six times in the last seven seasons.

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC
•The 2021-22 campaign marks the 53rd season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
•SMSU has an all-time record of 382-425 in 807 conference games, finishing in the top half of the final standings 25 times in 52 seasons.
•SMSU has captured one regular season championship (2000-01) and two tournament championships (2012 and 2017).
•SMSU also won NSIC South Division titles in both 2016-17 and 2017-18.

    MUSTANG HISTORY
•Southwest Minnesota State is in its 55th season of men's basketball in 2021-22.
•SMSU has played 1,502 games compiling an all-time record of 691-811.
•SMSU has won two NSIC regular season championships (2001 & 2009), two NSIC South Division championships (2017 & 2018), two NSIC tournament championships (2012, 2017), two NCAA region championships (2001 & 2009) and has appeared in five NCAA tournaments (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018).
•SMSU has recorded 24 winning seasons in program history with 17 coming in the last 24 years.