THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (10-7, 6-6 NSIC) heads back to the road this Friday and Saturday taking on a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division opponents.
•SMSU opens the weekend taking on No. 8 (D2SIDA) / No. 11 (NABC) ranked University of Minnesota Duluth (17-2, 10-2 NSIC) with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m. inside Romano Gymnasium in Duluth, while on Saturday the Mustangs battle St. Cloud State University (8-10, 4-7 NSIC) with game time set for 5:30 p.m. at Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, Minn.
•Friday's game will be SMSU's first versus a nationally ranked opponent since losing to No. 21 Northern State on Feb. 26, 2020.
•SMSU's last victory over a Top 25 team came on Jan. 27, 2018, over No. 7/12 Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D.
•SMSU, which is 2-2 versus NSIC North teams this season, is a combined 42-26 versus North teams in conference play since divisions were introduced during the 2012-13 season. These are the final two regular season games versus NSIC North Division teams this season.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler recorded his 200th career victory last Saturday versus Bemidji State.

    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 200-160, including 134-125 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
•Junior Anthony Costello scored a career-high 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers versus Bemidji State last Saturday night.
•Sophomore Jake Phipps recorded his team-leading fourth double-double of the season on Friday versus Minnesota Crookston.
•SMSU committed a season-low six turnovers in the loss to UMC on Friday.
•In NSIC games only, SMSU ranks first in field goal pct. defense (42.0) and third in the NSIC in scoring defense (68.4). SMSU ranks ninth in field goal pct. offense (46.8) and 13th in scoring offense (71.2). SMSU is also second in free throw pct. (77.4) and fifth in rebound margin (+4.3).
•Phipps ranks eighth in the NSIC in field goal pct. (53.4), ninth in rebounding (7.2) and third in blocked shots (1.4), while sophomore Cliff McCray ranks seventh in assists (4.2) and first in steals (2.0).
•For the season, senior Kenny Byers leads SMSU in scoring (14.7) and is second in assists (48) and field goals made (95).
•Phipps ranks first in rebounding (7.2) and field goals made (102), second in scoring (14.6), second in field goal pct. (53.4) and third in 3-pointers (17).
•Redshirt freshman Dunwa Omot has connected on a team-high 27 3-pointers.
•McCray has recorded a team-high 72 assists and has a team-leading 34 steals.
•SMSU has held 12 of its 17 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 12 of 17 games.
•SMSU is shooting 47 percent from the field, 36 percent from 3-point range, 77 percent from the free throw line and is plus-4.3 in rebound margin.
•SMSU is averaging 71 points per game, while opponents are averaging 68 points per game.
•In the latest NCAA statistics (Jan. 25), SMSU ranks 19th in free throw pct. (77.4), 58th in rebound margin (+4.3), 71st in field goal pct. defense (42.0) and 75th in field goal pct. (46.8). Cliff McCray ranks 38th in total steals (34) and 56th in total assists (72); Jake Phipps ranks 42nd in total blocks (24). A complete listing of the latest NCAA stats can be found on page 15.

    MUSTANGS SPLIT A PAIR OF HOME GAMES LAST WEEKEND
•SMSU split a pair of home games versus NSIC North Division teams last weekend, losing 70-67 to Minnesota Crookston, before earning a 72-64 victory over Bemidji State.
•Kenny Byers, who had a pair of 3-point field goal attempts to tie the game in the final seconds, led the Mustangs with 15 points and eight rebounds versus UMC. Jake Phipps scored 14 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, while Logan Benson added a career-high 10 points with a pair of 3-pointers.
•In the win over BSU, Anthony Costello scored a career-high 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting, while Phipps added 16 points and eight rebounds.  
•Sam Schwartz added 11 points on 4 of 6 shooting, while teammates Cliff McCray, Byers and Dunwa Omot all added eight points.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS MINNESOTA DULUTH
•SMSU and UMD meet for the 87th time with UMD leading 51-35 in a series that began in 1972-73.
•SMSU has won five straight and 17 of the last 19 since the 2005-06 season. UMD's two victories since the 2005-06 season came on Jan. 20, 2012, and Jan. 30, 2016, both in Duluth.
•SMSU won the last meeting on Dec. 14, 2019, in Marshall, 89-82 in triple overtime.
•UMD leads 33-10 in games played in Duluth but SMSU has won the last two games played in Duluth.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 13-2 all-time versus UMD.
•Game-by-game results of the series is located on page 17.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS ST. CLOUD STATE
•SMSU and SCSU meet for the 65th time with SCSU leading 42-22 in a series that started in 1969-70.
•SCSU has won the last two games, including 77-70 in Marshall on Dec. 13, 2019.
•SCSU leads 25-8 in games played in St. Cloud and has won four of the last five at Halenbeck Hall.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 6-11 all-time versus SCSU.
•Game-by-game results of the series is located on page 18.

    SCOUTING MINNESOTA DULUTH
•UMD is 17-2 overall, 10-2 NSIC, after splitting the past two weekends. The Bulldogs lost at Augustana (89-80) last Friday, but rebounded to defeat Wayne State on Saturday (91-83).
•UMD has five players averaging double figures in scoring with sophomore forward Austin Andrews averaging a team-high 18.8 ppg with a team-leading 9.6 rpg.  
•Junior guard Drew Blair is averaging 18.1 ppg with a team-high 42 3-pointers.   
•Sophomore guard Joshua Brown has made 39 3-pointers and is scoring 14.3 ppg.
•UMD is shooting 53 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range, 72 percent from the free throw line and is plus-5.8 in rebound margin.
•UMD is averaging 88 points per game, while opponents are averaging 69 points per game.
•Head coach Justin Wieck is in his fourth season with a record of 62-28.  


    SCOUTING ST. CLOUD STATE
•SCSU begins the weekend 8-10 overall, 4-7 NSIC, having lost four straight games heading into Friday's game versus Sioux Falls.  
•SCSU has four players averaging double figures in scoring with junior guard Anthony Roberts averaging a team-high 20.1 ppg with 25 3-pointers and team-high 8.3 rpg
•Junior guard Caleb Donaldson is averaging 17.1 ppg and is shooting 60 percent from the field.    
•Sophomore forward Matthew Willert has connected on a team-high 40 3-pointers and is averaging 12.4 ppg.
•SCSU is shooting 47 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range, 76 percent from the free throw line and is minus-1.0 in rebound margin.
•SCSU is averaging 80 points per game, while opponents are averaging 84 points per game.
•Head coach Matt Reimer is in his eighth season with a record of 126-94.      

    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 16th in team history with 1,150 points in 110 games, connecting on 445 field goals, including 58 3-pointers and 202 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.

    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 17 games and is averaging 3.0 ppg and 3.5 rpg.
•Scored career-high 10 points on 4 of 4 shooting with two 3-pointers vs. Minnesota Crookston (1/21/22).
•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 17 games and is averaging 14.7 ppg and 5.5 rpg.
•Ranks 16th in team history with 1,150 points in 110 games.
•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 nine games with two starts.
•Scored season-high five points vs. Minnesota Crookston (1/21/22).
•Played in eight games with two starts last season and averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg.
•Scored career-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 17 games and is averaging 8.2 ppg and 3.4 rpg.
•Has scored double figures in eight games including a career-high 16 points o 7 of 12 shooting vs. Bemidji State (1/22/22).
•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 16 games and is averaging 6.1 ppg and 5.0 rpg. He missed two games due to COVID protocols.  
•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 17 games and is averaging 10.5 ppg and has dished out a team-high 72 assists.
•Tied career-high with eight assists at Northern State (1/14/22) and has five or more assists in eight 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 17 games and is averaging 9.2 ppg and 1.6 rpg.
•Leads the team with 27 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 17 games is averaging 14.7 ppg and a team-high 7.2 rpg.
•Has a team-high four double-doubles this season.
•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.
•Sat out the 2018-19 season as a redshirt.

    SAM SCHWARTZ NOTES
•Has played in 17 games and is averaging 5.1 ppg and 2.7 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 2-2 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 42-26 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. 23, 2022), the NSIC South holds a 315-231 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 4-4 at home this season, has a home record of 107-58 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    4-4    45.8    32.8    76.4    37.6    71.8    12.5      
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 239-105 (.694) in 344 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    4-4    3-4    1-0
    Totals    239-105    157-79    82-26

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAMES
•Southwest Minnesota State has made on at least one 3-point field goal in 678 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 383-426 in 809 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 1,504 games compiling an all-time record of 692-812.
•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.