THE LOOK AHEAD
• The Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team (0-4) begins its conference slate on the road with a mid-week game against the Wayne State Wildcats (2-0) tomorrow, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
• The Mustangs have beaten their first NSIC opponent of the year for three consecutive seasons, including the shortened 2020-21 season.
 
GAME COVERAGE
• Live stats, video, and audio for all games can be found under the women's basketball "schedule" tab on smsumustangs.com
• Home games will be broadcast on Marshall Radio; 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik on the call.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team closed its trip to Michigan with a 74-53 loss to the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Friday afternoon inside the Berry Events Center.
• Senior guard Sam Wall scored a team high 12 points in the contest on 33.3 percent shooting (4-12), while adding four rebounds and two assists. Her two 3-pointers now place her in the top five in career 3-pointers made in program history with 171 in 102 games.
•  Bri Stoltzman was the only other Mustang to reach double-figure scoring, grabbing 11 points on 5 of 10 shooting, while pulling down a team-high seven rebounds.
• Peyton Blandin and Hannah Parsley combined for 15 points, nine rebounds and three steals, while freshman Elizabeth Wagner posted six points and four rebounds.
• SMSU shot 34.5 percent (19 of 55) from the field and 24.1 percent (7 of 29) from three while making 8 of 10 free throws. Northern Michigan closed the game shooting 41.9 percent (26 of 62) from the field, 37 percent (10 of 27) from three, and finished a near-perfect 12 of 13 from the free throw line.
• SMSU was called for nearly double the fouls NMU was with 15 in comparison to the Wildcats eight. The Mustangs committed six more turnovers than the Wildcats, allowing NMU the 23-14 advantage in points created off turnovers.
 
MUSTANGS COMING OFF BEST SEASON IN NEARLY 20 YEARS
• SMSU finished the 2022-23 season with 19 wins, the most single-season victories since the 2004-05 season.
• The Mustangs closed conference action third in the NSIC South, its best finish in the NSIC division era, and tied for fourth in the NSIC overall, the highest finish since the 2004-05 season.
• SMSU's 14 NSIC victories are the most since the 2001-02 season, and its .636 conference win percentage is the highest mark since the 2004-05 season.
• The Mustangs developed into road warriors during the season, winning seven of its final nine road games, the best stretch since winning 11 consecutive games across two seasons from Dec. 16, 2000 to Dec. 8, 2001.
 
MUSTANGS BY THE NUMBERS
• For the season, SMSU has three players averaging double figures in scoring with junior Bri Stoltzman leading the way at 20.3 ppg while leading the team in rebounding at 8.5 per game and free throw percentage with 94.4 percent.
• Junior Peyton Blandin is scoring 12.3 ppg, while shooting 37 percent from the field.
• Senior Sam Wall is averaging 11.0 ppg and shooting 90.9 percent from the line. Junior Kenzie Jones and senior Hannah Parsley round out the SMSU top scorers, averaging 9.5 ppg and 6.3 ppg, respectively.
• SMSU is shooting 37.1 percent from the field, 30.7 percent from 3-point range, 71.4 percent from the free throw line and is minus 39 in rebound margin. The Mustangs are averaging 69 points per game, while opponents are averaging 81 ppg.
 
STONE COLD STOLTZMAN
• Bri Stoltzman recorded a career-high 36 points on 13 of 23 shooting in the loss to Northwest Missouri State on Nov. 10, 2023.
• Stoltzman trumped her previous career-best 24 points against Winona State (2/11/23) by 12 points.
• The junior guard has excelled at the line thus far shooting 94.4 percent, missing just one free throw on 18 attempts.
• The Mankato, Minn. native leads the Mustangs in rebounding this season with 34.
 
KEEP THE WALL ROLLING
• Southwest Minnesota State's Sam Wall set the program record for 3-pointers made in a single-season with 77 in 2022-23.
• Wall, with her two makes in the game against NMU, is now fifth all-time in 3-pointers made in program history with 171 makes in 102 games.
• The senior guard also ranks in the top ten in three-point FG percentage with .378 (171-454).
• Wall sits towards the top of the rankings in free throw percentage as well, sitting in sixth with 132 makes on 161 attempts (.820).
• More info on the SMSU women's basketball record book can be found on page 3.
 
WAYNE STATE SERIES HISTORY
• SMSU and Wayne State will meet for the 65th time with the Wildcats holding a 42-22 edge in a series that started in 1991.
• SMSU defeated WSC 85-66 at home last season after suffering defeat to the Wildcats earlier in the season by a score 72-62.
• The Mustangs have won two of the last three meetings, and average 63 points per game against WSC.
• SMSU head coach Tom Webb is 4-10 all-time versus Wayne State.
•Full series history can be found on page 14.
 
WAYNE STATE NOTES 
2023-24 Record: 2-0 overall, 0-0 NSIC
Head Coach: Brent Pollari, 6th season, 59-69 at WSC
• Wayne State started slow, but used a strong ending to the second and third quarter to break away from Bellevue for an 84-42 non-conference women's basketball victory Wednesday evening at Rice Auditorium in Wayne.  The Wildcats are now 2-0 while the contest was an exhibition game for the 2-4 Bruins.
•  Bellevue stayed close to the Wildcats early in the contest. The Bruins held an early 9-6 lead, then WSC scored the next seven points thanks to a Britney Ho three-point play and a 3-pointer by Carsyn Boswell to take a 13-9 lead.
• Ho produced a game-high 19 points for the Wildcats.  She also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.  Delaney Clark and Jordon Heckert each hit double figures with 11 points.
•  Wayne State held a 38-33 advantage in rebounding and forced 24 turnovers on the Bruins, resulting in a 22-11 edge in points off turnovers. Maya Fitzpatrick had six assists with Clark adding five.  Heckert and Tate Norblade each recorded three steals.
 
SMSU HEAD COACH TOM WEBB
• Tom Webb is in his seventh season as head coach with a 77-106 record, including 57-85 in NSIC play.
• Webb is 168-229 overall in his 14th 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.).
• Last season, Webb guided the Mustangs to a 11-4 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's complete bio is found on page 15.
 
PEYTON BLANDIN NOTES
• Started all games this season.
• Averaging 12.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game
• Scored a career-high 17 points against Northwest Missouri State this season (11/10/23).
 
KENNADI BUCHHOLZ NOTES
• Played in two games this season, recording just one 3-pointer.
•Tallied 30 points, 26 rebounds, three steals, and five blocks in 16 games last year.
• Recorded her first double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 13 rebounds against Crown College (11/15/22)
 
BRYNN BUSSE NOTES
• Appeared in all games this season.
• Drained her first collegiate bucket against Michigan Tech (11/16/23)
• Recorded her first collegiate assist and steal against Nebraska-Kearney (11/11/23).
 
ZOIE CENTERS NOTES
• Appeared in one game this season, scoring two points.
• Tallied seven points, nine rebounds, and five assists in 18 games last season.
 
MADISON GEHLOFF NOTES
• Started all games this year.
• Averaging 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
• Last season, tied a career-high with 20 points against Northwest Missouri State (11/11/22).
• Totaled a career-high 13 rebounds and five assists against Sioux Falls (11/22/22).
 
KENZIE JONES NOTES
• Started all games this season.
• Averaging 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
• Scored a career-high 14 points against Michigan Tech (11/16/23).
 
HANNAH PARSLEY NOTES
• Appeared in three games this year.
• Averaging 6.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game.
• Snagged a career-high five steals against Nebraska-Kearney (11/11/23).
• Recorded career-high 19 points against Sioux Falls (11/22/22). Snagged a career-high nine rebounds against MSU Moorhead (1/13/23).
 
BRI STOLTZMAN NOTES
• Started all games this season.
• Averaging 20.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, while adding 1.8 steals
• Scored a career-high 36 points on 13 of 23 shooting and tied a career-high five assists against Northwest Missouri State (11/10/23).
• Had a career-high in rebounds (11) against Augustana (2/16/23).
• NSIC "Shining Five" member for the first week of the season.
 
AUDREY SWANSON NOTES
• Appeared in all games this season.
• Recorded two steals and one assist
• Scored 6 points in 14 minutes against Crown College (11/15/22).
 
MADDIE THORFINNSON NOTES
• Appeared in all games this season.
• Averaging 1.5 points and 0.8 rebounds.
• Scored 10 points in 18 minutes against Augustana (12/1/22)
 
ELIZABETH WAGNER NOTES
• Appeared in all games this season.
• Recorded her first collegiate bucket and rebound against Nebraska-Kearney (11/11/23).
• Scored a career-high six points and pulled down four rebounds against Northern Michigan (11/17/23).
 
SAM WALL NOTES
• Started all games this season.
• Averaging 11.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game
• Scored a career-high 25 points on seven field goals and four three pointers against Minnesota State (12/17/22)
• Her 77 3-pointers last season broke the single-season record.
• Cracked the top-five in 3-pointers made with two makes against Northern Michigan (11/17/23).
 
WORKING OVERTIME
• SMSU is 13-30 all-time in overtime games, including 1-1 last season after defeating MSU Moorhead 82-75 in overtime on Jan. 13, and suffering a loss to St. Cloud State 70-59 on Jan. 20.
• SMSU is 4-4 in double OT games.
 
HOME AND AWAY      
• SMSU is 0-2 at home this season after finishing 11-4 at home in 2022-23 and 10-3 in 2021-22.
• The Mustangs are 0-2 in road/neutral site games this season after recording a 3-9 mark in road/neutral site games in 2022-23.
• The following is a statistical comparison of the Mustang team averages for home and away/neutral games in 2023-24:
 
            W-L      FG%     3-FG%  FT%     REB      PTS      TO
Home  0-2       37.3     30.6     70.4     33.5     78.5     11.0
Away   0-2       38.1     30.8     75.0     30.0     59.0     18.5
 
SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC
• The 2023-24 campaign will mark the 45th season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
• SMSU has an all-time record of 279-419 in conference games and have won four regular season championships (1979-80, 1980-81, 2000-01, 2001-02) and one NSIC Tournament championship (2002).
 
MUSTANG HISTORY
• Southwest Minnesota State is in its 55th season of women's basketball in 2023-24.
• SMSU has played 1,361 games compiling an all-time record of 651-710.
• SMSU has recorded 28 winning seasons, including the last three seasons. The 2019-20 squad that finished 16-12 was the program's first winning season since 2009-10.