PORT HURON, Mich. – The Southwest Minnesota State University wheelchair basketball team opened the 2023-24 season this past weekend taking home second place with a 5-1 record at the Wolverine Invitational hosted by the University of Michigan.
 
SMSU opened played on Friday with victories over the University of Arizona women's team, 84-20, and the Brampton Cruisers (Ont.), 71-42. The Mustangs then completed pool play with a 62-33 victory over the University of Michigan on Saturday morning.
 
SMSU earned an 85-38 win over London (Ont.) in the quarterfinals before defeating Kitchener (Ont.) by a score of 62-43 in the semifinals.
 
SMSU suffered its first loss in championship game to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 64-50. Emmanuel Fuentes Cervantes led the Mustangs in the title game with 22 points, while Joshua Brown added 18 points.
 
Fuentes Cervantes had a huge five games as he led the entire tournament with 204 points, averaging 41 per game, while teammate Fermin Wingerter averaged 24 points per game ranking third in the tournament.
 
The Mustangs return to action hosting a tournament on Oct. 28-29.