THE LOOK AHEAD

•The Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team returns home, welcoming MSU Moorhead at 5:30 p.m., on Friday and Northern State at 3:30 p.m., on Saturday to the R/A Facility.

    BROADCAST INFO 

• The games will be streamed on the NSIC Network.

• Both games will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik. 

• Live stats, radio broadcast and video broadcast can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

     LAST TIME OUT

• The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team opened 2023 with an 89-74 road loss to the University of Mary on Friday night at the McDowell Activity Center.

• UMary shot season bests from the field (30 of 51, 58.8 percent), beyond the arc (6 of 11, 54.5 percent), and the free throw line (23 0f 24, 95.8 percent), while the Mustangs shot 42.2 percent (27 of 64) from the field, 47.1 percent (8 of 17) from downtown, and 85.7 percent (12 of 14) from the free throw line. 

•  Jenna Borchers scored a team-high 17 points with five 3-pointers to pace the Mustangs to a 75-58 road victory over Minot State on Saturday afternoon inside the Minot State Dome.

•Borchers was joined in double-figure scoring by three other teammates as Hannah Parsley poured in 13 points on 6 of 10 shooting, while Madison Gehloff added 12 points with Sam Wall chipping in with 11 points.

• SMSU dominated the boards holding a 34-18 rebound advantage with 16 offensive rebounds, leading to a 24-4 advantage in second chance points.

    FAST BREAK 

• The Mustangs are 6-1 at home after finishing 10-3 at home last season, their best home win percentage since the 2002-03 season.

• The 10-5 start to open the season is the Mustangs' best start since starting 11-4 in the 2009-10 season

• The Mustangs have shot at least 50 percent in five of their 15 games this season, ranking 19th in the nation with a 45.2 field goal percentage and 11th with a 37.6 percentage from three-point range on the season.

• Their three-point percentage does not come with a lack of trying, as SMSU has made the 10th most three pointers per game in the nation, making 9.1 three-pointers per game and shoot the 36th most three-pointers with 24.3 attempts per game, one of three programs to rank in the top 11 of both. 

• SMSU has touted a high-octane offense, ranking 21st in the nation scoring 76.7 points per game, and have turned it over 14.0 times per game, the 35th fewest total in DII.

• SMSU returns eight letter winners from last season.

• SMSU was tabbed 12th overall and sixth in the South Division in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

• Bri Stoltzman leads the Mustangs with 13.1 ppg, a 53.1 field goal percentage, 6.3 rpg, and 29 steals, and is second with 36 assists.  

• Hannah Parsley is second in scoring 12.7 ppg, adding 5.3 rpg, 28 steals, 27 assists, and eight blocks while shooting 51.1 percent from the field. 

• Jenna Borchers is third on the team with 12.5 ppg and leads the team with 38 assists. 

• Sam Wall (12.2 ppg), and Madison Gehloff (8.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg) round out the starting lineup, with both shooting at least 42 percent from the field.  

• Peyton Blandin has provided a spark off the bench this season, scoring 8.6 points per game, grabbing 3.6 rebounds per game, and shooting 37.7 percent from behind the arc. 

•Wall and Borchers have each made 33 three-pointers, with Wall shooting 40.7 percent from deep. 

• Both Wall and Borchers (37.5 percent) rank inside the top 10 in the NSIC in three point percentage and makes.  

• Borchers holds the program record for career three-pointers made with 218 makes after breaking the previous record of 199 on Dec. 1. 

• Borchers also became the 23rd member of the 1,000 point club on Saturday, Nov. 19 against Northern Michigan.

• She currently ranks eighth in program history with a .794 career free throw percentage and 16th in program history with 1,121 career points

•SMSU is averaging 76.7 ppg while opponents are averaging 64.7 ppg. SMSU has a plus-2.5 rebounding margin.

•SMSU is shooting 45.2 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from the 3-point line, and 72.7 percent the free-throw line.

•Full team statistics can be found on page 5, individual career statistics can be found starting on page 9, and an NCAA Ranking summary can be found on page 16. 

    SMSU HEAD COACH TOM WEBB

• Tom Webb is in his seventh season as head coach with a 68-96 record, including 50-80 in NSIC play. 

• Webb is 159-219 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.

• Webb recorded his 100th career Division II win against Wisconsin-Parkside (91-83) on Nov. 16, 2018.

• Webb's complete bio is found on page 17.
 

    MSU MOORHEAD SERIES HISTORY

• SMSU and MSUM will meet for the 87th time with the Dragons leading 44-42 since its inception in 1973.

• The teams last met in the first round of the NSIC Tournament last season, with the Mustangs winning 71-67 at home. 

• SMSU has won the previous two meetings, while the Dragons won the nine previous. 

•The Mustangs are 25-13 all-time at home in the series.

•SMSU head coach Tom Webb is 2-5 all-time versus MSUM.

•Full series history can be found on page 18.

    NORTHERN STATE SERIES HISTORY

• SMSU and Northern State will meet for the 70th time with the Wolves leading 52-17 in a series that began in 1969.

• The Mustangs fell 74-64 to NSU last season.

• The Wolves have won 13 of the last 15 meetings.

• The Mustangs are 12-21 all-time at home the series.

•SMSU head coach Tom Webb is 1-4 all-time versus Minot State.

•Full series history can be found on page 19.

    MSU MOORHEAD NOTES  

2022-23 Record: 8-6 overall, 5-5 NSIC

Head Coach: Karla Nelson, 23rd season, 393-234 at MSUM

Mascot: Dragons

• MSUM is 5-5 in the NSIC on the season after defeating Northern State 60-53 on Tuesday.

• The Dragons were picked to finish ninth in the NSIC and fifth in the NSIC North in the NSIC Preseason Poll.

• Natalie Jens leads MSUM with 15.3 ppg and 40 assists, adding 4.1 rpg. 

• Mariah McKeever averages 14.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, and Peyton Boom adds 13.7 ppg and 7.6 rpg.

• MSUM is shooting 40.8 percent from the field, 28.7 percent from 3-point range, and 71.9 percent from the free throw line.

• The Dragons average 63.9 points per game, while opponents average 58.6 points per game.

    NORTHERN STATE NOTES  

2022-23 Record: 9-7 overall, 4-6 NSIC

Head Coach: Paula Krueger, 5th season, 42-59 at NSU

Mascot: Wolves

• NSU is 4-6 in the NSIC this season after a 60-53 loss to MSUM on Tuesday

• The Wolves were picked to finish sixth in the NSIC and third in the NSIC North in the NSIC Preseason Poll.

• Northern State has three players averaging double figures, with Kailee Oliverson (12.2 ppg), Laurie Rogers (11.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg), and Rianna Fillipi (10.0 ppg, 34 steals leading the charge. 

• NSU is shooting 39.6 percent from the field, 27.7 percent from 3-point range, and 70.9 percent from the free throw line.

• The Wolves average 64.5 points per game, while opponents average 61.3 points per game.