THIS WEEKEND
•The Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team opens the 2022-23 season in Kearney, Neb., at the Nebraska-Kearney Classic.
•The Mustangs will play the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats at 5 p.m., on Friday before facing the host Nebraska-Kearney Lopers at 4 p.m., on Saturday.

    BROADCAST INFO
•The game will be streamed on the MIAA Network ($)
•Live stats, radio broadcast and video broadcast can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

     FAST BREAK
•SMSU begins its 53rd campaign of women's collegiate basketball.
•SMSU opens it's home schedule hosting Crown College on Nov. 15, before beginning its conference slate at home against Sioux Falls on Nov. 22.
•The Mustangs finished 10-3 at home last season, their best home win percentage since the 2002-03 season.

    SMSU PICKED 12TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish 12th overall and sixth in the South Division in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•SMSU senior center Jenna Borchers was named a "Player to Watch".
•Minnesota State was chosen as the South Division favorite as well as the favorite in the NSIC, while Minnesota Duluth was tabbed the North favorite.

    OPENING TIPS
•SMSU returns eight letter winners from last season's 13-13 team that placed fifth in the NSIC South and finished eighth overall with a 9-11 league mark.
•SMSU also earned its first home NSIC tournament game since 2005, and first NSIC tournament victory since 2003, ending the season with their first ever tournament game inside the Pentagon.
•The Mustangs return just one starter from a season ago in Jenna Borchers, who started all 26 games last season, averaging 7.5 ppg and 3.3 rpg while finishing second on the team with 53 assists.
•Madison Gehloff played in all 26 games and started three last season, shooting 45.6 percent (41 of 90) from the field, averaged 4.0 points per game and grabbed 3.7 rebounds.
•Sam Wall is also back after playing all 26 games and starting one, leading all returners with 7.7 points per game and 46 made 3-pointers, making them at a 39.7 percent clip.
•Sophomore guard Hannah Parsley saw action in all 26 games last season, averaging 3.7 points per game off the bench.
•Also coming off the bench in all 26 games was sophomore guard Bri Stoltzman, who averaged 2.6 points on 51.9 percent shooting from the field.
•Sophomores Kenzie Jones, Peyton Blandin, and Sarah Conlon also return after seeing limited time last season.
•The Mustang roster also features redshirt freshman forward Emily Kranz and four freshmen in guard Zoie Centers, forwards Maddie Thorfinnson and Audrey Swanson, and center Kennadi Buchholz.

    SMSU HEAD COACH TOM WEBB
•Tom Webb is in his seventh season as head coach with a 58-91 record, including 43-77 in NSIC play.
•Webb is 150-214 overall in his 15th season as head coach at the Division II level after compiling a record of 92-123 in eight seasons (2008-16) as head coach at Cameron University (Okla.).
•SMSU earned their first win over a ranked team since 2018-19 in 2021-22, defeating No. 15-ranked Nebraska-Kearney.
•Webb guided the Mustangs to a 10-3 home record, their best home record since the 2002-03 season and led SMSU to its first home NSIC tournament game since 2005, and first NSIC tournament victory since 2003, ending the season with their first ever tournament game inside the Pentagon.
•SMSU's .643 win percentage in 2020-21 was the program's best since their .655 percentage in the 2004-05 season.  
•Webb recorded his 100th career Division II win against Wisconsin-Parkside (91-83) on Nov. 16, 2018.

    NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE SERIES HISTORY
•SMSU and Northwest Missouri State will meet for the fifth time with SMSU leading 3-1 in a series that started in 2000.
•The teams will meet for the second consecutive season.
•SMSU claimed a 64-48 victory on the road last season, coming back after trailing 27-6 in the first quarter, holding the Bearcats under 10 points in each of the final three quarters.
•The Bearcats earned their only victory in the series in 2012.
•Tom Webb is 1-0 all-time versus Northwest Missouri State

    NEBRASKA-KEARNEY SERIES HISTORY
•SMSU and Nebraska-Kearney will meet for the fifth time with the series tied 2-2 in a series that started in 2001.
•The teams will meet for the second consecutive season.
•SMSU defeated the No. 15-ranked Lopers 76-66 after trailing 23-14 after the first quarter, outscoring UNK 29-12 in the final quarter to close it out.
•This will be the first meeting between teams in Kearney, Neb.
•Tom Webb is 1-0 all-time versus Nebraska-Kearney

    NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE NOTES  
2021-22 Record: 17-12, 12-10
Head Coach: Austin Meyer, fifth season
Mascot: Bearcats

•Last season the Bearcats finished 12-10 to finish sixth in the MIAA, losing in the first round to Nebraska-Kearney
•The Bearcats were picked to finish sixth in the MIAA Preseason Media Poll
•The Bearcats return a pair of ALL-MIAA honorable mention honorees in former MIAA freshman of the year Molly Hartnett and teammate Peyton Kelderman
•NWMSU shot 40 percent from the field, 31 percent from 3-point range, and 71 percent from the free throw line.
•The Bearcats averaged 60 points per game, while opponents averaged 57 points per game.

    NEBRASKA-KEARNEY NOTES  
2022-23 Record: 1-1
Head Coach: Carrie Eighmey, eighth season
Mascot: Lopers

•A year after a 24-8 finish and NCAA Tournament appearence, the Lopers are 1-1 after defeating Southern Nazarene and losing to West Texas A&M last weekend.
•The Lopers were picked to finish third in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
•The Lopers return a trio of All-MIAA honorees in Elisa Backes, Brooke Carlson, and Klaire Kirsch.
•UNK is shooting 40 percent from the field, 32 percent from 3-point range, and 62 percent from the free throw line.
•The Lopers are averaging 64 points per game, while opponents have averaged 56 points per game.