THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (4-3, 1-2 NSIC) continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play looking to snap a two-game losing streak with a pair of road games this Friday and Saturday. SMSU will face Winona State University (6-2, 1-2 NSIC) on Friday night with tip-off set for 7:30 at McCown Gymnasium in Winona, Minn., while on Saturday the Mustangs head to Fayette, Iowa, to battle Upper Iowa University (5-4, 2-1 NSIC) for a 5:30 p.m. match-up inside Dorman Memorial Gymnasium.
•Saturday's game versus UIU will be the final conference game between SMSU and UIU played in Fayette. Upper Iowa announced on Nov. 29 it will be moving to Great Lakes Valley Conference starting in the fall of 2023.
•UIU, which had its four-game winning streak snapped last Saturday at Minnesota State, will host Sioux Falls on Friday night.

    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 14th season as head coach and has an overall record of 209-168, including 139-131 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.

    MUSTANGS BY THE NUMBERS
•For the season, SMSU has four players averaging double figures in scoring with sophomore Dunwa Omot leading the way at 13.9 ppg while connecting on 10 3-pointers with a team-high 10 steals.
•Senior Anthony Costello is averaging 10.4 ppg and shooting 46 percent (30 of 66) from the field.
•Junior Cliff McCray is scoring 10.4 ppg and has dished out a team-leading 28 assists.
•Freshman Mason Lund has made a team-high 10 3-pointers and is averaging 9.9 ppg.
•Junior Jake Phipps is scoring 10.7 ppg and leads the team averaging 8.9 rebounds per game..
•SMSU is shooting 46 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3-point range, 81 percent from the free throw line and is plus-2.3 in rebound margin. The Mustangs are averaging 69 points per game, while opponents are averaging 66 ppg.

    MUSTANG TIP-OFF TIDBITS
•As of Dec. 7, SMSU ranks 11th in Division II in free throw pct. (80.6), 12th in fouls per game (13.1) and 50th in scoring defense (66.3), while Jake Phipps ranks 44th in rebounds per game (8.9).
•Junior Jake Phipps grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds at Wayne State last Saturday. He is the first SMSU player to grab 15 rebounds in a game since Kenny Byers had 15 at Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 14, 2019.
•SMSU scored a season-high 79 points and made a season-high 14 3-pointers on Nov. 26 versus Mt. Marty.
•Redshirt freshman Jakob Braaten scored career-high 11 points at Wayne State on Saturday.
•Junior Jake Phipps ranks fifth in team history in field goal pct. (56.0) and seventh in blocked shots (85).
•Sophomore Dunwa Omot ranks first in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (51.5, 67 of 130).
•Omot's 56.6 3-point field goal pct. (56 of 99) last season set a program single-season record, while his 87.5 free throw pct. ranks seventh in team single-season history.
•SMSU has had four players make their Mustang debuts this year with true freshman Mason Lund and redshirt freshmen Jake Layman, Majok Majouk and Jakob Braaten.
•SMSU had 12 games decided by four points or less or in overtime during the 2021-22 season. SMSU lost three games with the opponent scoring the game-winning points with four seconds or less in regulation and was 4-6 in games decided by four points or less.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS WINONA STATE
•SMSU and WSU meet for the 114th time with WSU leading 72-41 in a series that started in 1968-69.
•WSU holds a 29-10 advantage since 2004-05, but SMSU has won six of the last 10 games since the 2016-17 season.
•SMSU won both games last season earning a season sweep of WSU for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
•WSU holds a 42-12 advantage in games played in Winona, but SMSU earned a 79-71 last season at McCown Gym.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 10-15 all-time versus WSU.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS UPPER IOWA
•SMSU and UIU meet for the 34th time with SMSU leading 21-12 in a series that started in 1979-80.
•UIU has won the last four games, including 67-56 last season in Fayette.
•SMSU won five straight games in the series prior to UIU's current four-game winning streak.
•SMSU leads 8-6 in games played in Fayette, but has lost the previous two games inside Dorman Gym.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 13-11 all-time versus UIU.

    SMSU DROPS TWO GAMES LAST WEEK
•SMSU dropped a pair of NSIC games last week, losing 64-60 at home to Augustana last Thursday, before losing 83-62 at Wayne State on Saturday.
•In the setback to Augustana, the Vikings held a 45-34 rebound advantage while limiting SMSU to a season-low 36 percent shooting. Prior to the loss, SMSU's previous season-low shooting was 42 percent versus Sioux Falls.
•Jake Phipps led the Mustangs with 13 points on 4 of 5 shooting and 4 of 4 on free throws while grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Cliff McCray was the only other Mustang in double figure scoring with 11 points on 4 of 15 shooting.
•In the loss to WSC, the Mustangs shot 49.1 percent (26 of 53) from the field, but shot just 33.3 percent (7 of 21) beyond the arc.
•The Mustangs had three in double figures, with Cliff McCray scoring a team-high 13 points. Dunwa Omot tallied 12 points and a pair of assists, and Jakob Braaten scored a career-high 11 points with two steals.
•Jake Phipps grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds and added nine points.

    SCOUTING WINONA STATE
•The Warriors are 6-2 overall, 1-2 NSIC, after earning its first NSIC win of the season on Saturday, 66-63, at Concordia-St. Paul .  
•Sophomore guard Connor Dillon, is averaging a team-high 21 points with 23 3-pointers this season.  
•Senior guard Luke Martens is averaging 11.9 ppg shooting 50 percent from the field and leading the team with 7.7 rpg.
•Sophomore forward Connor Drew is scoring 11.6 ppg and ranks second on the team with 14 3-pointers.
•WSU is shooting 41 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range, 68 percent from the free throw line and is plus-4.4 in rebound margin.
•WSU is averaging 72 points per game, while opponents are averaging 67 points per game.
•Head coach Todd Eisner is in his eighth season at WSU with a record of 106-87. He has also been head coach at Viterbo, Bellevue, Benedictine and Midland recording a career record of 522-253 in 25 seasons as a head coach.

    SCOUTING UPPER IOWA
•UIU begins the week at 5-4 overall, 2-1 NSIC, and will host Sioux Falls on Friday night.
•Senior guard Jake Hilmer is averaging a team-high 20.1 points with a team-leading 44 assists while making 14 3-pointers.  
•Senior guard Lucas Duax is scoring 17.9 ppg with 21 steals.
•Junior forward Nick Reid has a team-leading 9.4 rpg and is scoring 14.3 ppg with 17 3-pointers.
•UIU is shooting 43 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range, 74 percent from the free throw line and is minus-1.7 in rebound margin.
•UIU is averaging 79 points per game, while opponents are averaging 82 points per game.
•Head coach Brooks McKowen is in his 10th season with a record of 155-120 and has led the Peacocks to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2017 and 2022).
•McKowen was an assistant coach at SMSU from 2011-13.

    MUSTANG CAREER 20-POINT GAMES  
•Three current SMSU players, senior Anthony Costello,  junior Jake Phipps and sophomore Dunwa Omot have scored 20 or more points in a game during their careers.
•Phipps reached 20 points five times in 2021-22 and six times in his career, Omot reached the 20-point mark five times in 2021-22 and once this season, while Costello has scored 20 points once in his career.
20 or More Point Games in Career
    28    Dunwa Omot    Minot State, 2/23/22
    25    Dunwa Omot    Minnesota Duluth, 1/28/22
    25    Jake Phipps    Concordia-St. Paul, 12/17/21
    24    Jake Phipps    Northern State, 1/14/22
    24    Dunwa Omot    UMary, 1/8/22
    23    Dunwa Omot    Winona State, 2/12/22
    22    Jake Phipps    Minnesota State, 12/18/21
    22    Jake Phipps    Sioux Falls, 11/23/21
    22    Jake Phipps    Sioux Falls, 2/21/21
    21    Anthony Costello    Newman, 11/12/22
    21    Jake Phipps    Davenport, 11/20/21
    20    Dunwa Omot    Mount Marty, 11/26/22
    20    Dunwa Omot    St. Cloud State, 1/29/22
Bold indicates 2022-23 season

    JAKOB BRAATEN NOTES
•Has played in all seven games and is averaging 5.7 ppg and 2.7 rpg.
•Scored season-high 11 points with five field goals at Wayne State (12/3/22).
•Sat out the 2021-22 season as a redshirt.

    NOAH CHAMBERLAIN NOTES
•Has played in one game this season.
•Played in 15 games with two starts last season.
•Scored season-high five points vs. Minnesota Crookston (1/21/22).
•Played in eight games with two starts in 2021 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 started all seven games and is averaging 10.4 ppg and 4.3 rpg.  
•Scored season-high 21 points on 10 of 12 shooting vs. Newman (11/12/22).
•Grabbed season-high seven rebounds vs. Mt. Marty (11/26/22).
•Played in all 27 games last season averaging 8.4 ppg and 3.0 rpg.
•Scored season-high 18 points on nine field goals at St. Cloud State (1/29/22).
•Scored double figures in 12 games.
•Scored 16 points o 7 of 12 shooting vs. Bemidji State (1/22/22).
•Spent three seasons (2018-21) at Dakota State University before transferring to SMSU.

    ALEX HILLESHEIM NOTES
•Has played in one game this season.
•Played in three games and grabbed one rebound at Minnesota Duluth (1/28/22) last season.
•Played in five games in 2021 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).

    JAKE LAYMAN NOTES
•Has played in two games this season and scored two points at Wayne State (12/3/22).
•Sat out the 2021-22 season as a redshirt.

    MASON LUND NOTES
•Has played in all seven games and is averaging 9.9 ppg and 3.7 rpg.
•Scored season-high 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting with two 3-pointers vs. Mt. Marty (11/26/22)
•Scored 12 points on 5 of 8 shooting with six rebounds vs. Newman (11/12/22).

    CLIFF MCCRAY NOTES
•Has started all seven games and is scoring 10.4 ppg and leads the team with 28 assists.
•Scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds at Rogers State (11/11/22).
•Tied career-high with eight assists vs. Newman (11/12/22).
•Started all 27 games averaging 9.5 ppg and dished out a team-high 92 assists last season.
•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 in 2021 and averaged 7.7 ppg and a team-high 6.0 rpg.
•Led the team in 2020-21 with 41 assists.
•One of two true freshman to play in 2019-20.

    MAJOK MAJOUK NOTES
•Has played in seven games and is averaging 5.0 ppg and 4.4 rpg.
•Grabbed career-high eight rebounds vs. Augustana (12/1/22).
•Scored season-high 15 points on 5 of 7 shooting with four 3-pointers vs. Mt. Marty (11/26/22).
•Scored four points with six rebounds vs. Newman (11/12/22).
•Sat out the 2021-22 season as a redshirt.

    LANCE MOSLEY NOTES
•Has played in one game this season.
•Played in two games with one rebound last season.
•Played in three games in 2021 scoring two points vs. Minnesota State (1/23/21).

    DUNWA OMOT NOTES
•Has started all seven games and is averaging a team-high 13.9 ppg with 10 3-pointers.
•Scored season-high 20 points with four 3-pointers vs. Mt. Marty (11/26/22).
•Scored 19 points with four 3-pointers at Rogers State (11/11/22).
•Played in all 27 games with eight starts last season averaging 11.9 ppg and 1.8 rpg.
•Led the team with 56 3-pointers.
•Shot 56.6 percent on 3-pointers in 2021-22 ranking first in school history, while his 87.5 free throw pct. ranks seventh in team single-season history.
•Scored 20 or more points in five games.
•Scored a career-high 28 points with six 3-pointers at Minot State (2/23/22)
•Scored 25 points with five 3-pointers at Minnesota Duluth (1/28/22).
•Played in four games and averaged 1.3 ppg and 0.8 rpg in 2021.

    JAKE PHIPPS NOTES
•Has started all seven games and is averaging 10.7 ppg and team-high 8.9 rpg.
•Career-high 15 rebounds at Wayne State (12/3/22).
•Recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds vs. Sioux Falls (11/22/22)
•Scored 14 points with eight rebounds and five assists vs. Truman State (11/19/22).
•Started all 27 games last season averaging 12.7 ppg and a team-high 6.4 rpg.
•Recorded a team-high five double-doubles last 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 was named NSIC South Player of the Week in 2021-22.
•Started 10 of 11 games in 2021 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 started all seven games and is averaging 2.9 ppg and 1.7 rpg.
•Scored eight points with two 3-pointers vs. Truman State (11/19/22).
•Played in 26 games last season averaging 3.7 ppg and 2.1 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 2021 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 appeared in one game this season.
•Played in three games and scored two points vs. Newman (11/13/21) and Minnesota Morris (11/29/21) last season.
•Played in three games in 2021 and had one rebound.  

    HOME AND AWAY IN 2021-22
•SMSU is 2-2 at home this season after finishing 6-5 at home in 2021-22. SMSU has a home record of 111-61 since Brad Bigler took over in 2009-10.
•SMSU, which is 2-1 in road/neutral site games this season, is 98-107 in 205 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 2022-23:
        W-L    FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO    
Home    2-2    42.5    38.2    84.1    36.0    68.8    10.3    
Away    2-1    51.3    35.0    73.5    30.7    70.0    17.0

    HOME SWEET HOME
•The 2022-23 season marks the 27th year the R/A Facility has served as the home arena for SMSU men's basketball.
•SMSU has a record of 243-108 (.692) in 351 games with 22 winning and four losing seasons all-time.
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    6-5    5-5    1-0
    2022-23    2-2    1-1    1-1
    Totals    243-108    160-81    83-27

    NSIC SOUTH VS. NSIC NORTH
•SMSU is a combined 43-27 versus North Division teams in conference play since divisions were introduced prior to the 2012-13 season.
•SMSU finished with 3-3 mark versus NSIC North Division teams in 2021-22.
•SMSU recorded a 3-5 record versus the NSIC North Division in 2019-20; 5-3 in 2018-19; 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 nine seasons of conference play, the NSIC South holds a 325-237 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.  

    SMSU PICKED 7TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish eighth overall and fifth in the South Division in the 16-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•SMSU junior forward Jake Phipps was named a "Player to Watch".
•Wayne State was chosen as the South Division favorite, while Minnesota Duluth was selected as the North Division and overall preseason favorite.  

    NSIC FORMAT CONTINUES FOR SECOND YEAR  
•SMSU will play 22 conference games this season, including two versus each team within the NSIC South Division and one each versus the NSIC North Division.
•For the second straight season half of the NSIC doubleheaders will feature the men's game first followed by the women's game.
•Also again this season, the NSIC Sanford Tournament will feature 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.

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAMES
•SMSU has made on at least one 3-point field goal in 695 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 was 3-1 in overtime games last season earning a 71-69 victory at Minnesota State on Dec. 18, losing 72-71 to Sioux Falls on Jan. 2, earning a 93-86 double overtime win at St. Cloud State on Jan. 29 and beating Wayne State, 60-55 in Marshall on Feb. 17.
•SMSU is 51-40 all-time in overtime games.
•SMSU is 8-6 in double overtime and is 1-2 in triple overtime games all-time.

   SEASON OPENERS
•SMSU is 30-26 all-time in season openers having won nine of its last 17 and 17 of its last 26 season lid-lifters following this season's victory at Rogers State.
•SMSU has opened the season on the road seven times in the last eight seasons.

    SMSU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
•SMSU has made five NCAA Tournament appearances (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018) 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.  

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC
•The 2022-23 campaign marks the 54th season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
•SMSU has an all-time record of 388-432 in 820 conference games, finishing in the top half of the final standings 26 times in 53 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 56th season of men's basketball in 2022-23.
•SMSU has played 1,521 games compiling an all-time record of 701-820.
•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 25 winning seasons in program history with 18 coming in the last 25 years, including 2021-22.