THE LOOK AHEAD
• The Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team opens the 2023-24 season hosting the NSIC/MIAA Challenge. The Mustangs welcome the University of Minnesota Crookston, Northwest Missouri State University, and the University of Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 10-11, inside the SMSU R/A Facility.
• SMSU is squaring off with NWMSU to begin its regular season schedule for the second time in three seasons. Tip-off against NWMSU is set for 5 p.m. on Nov. 10.
• The Mustangs then host Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 11, with start time set for 7 p.m.
• Two additional tournament games will be played amongst visiting teams.
• Nebraska-Kearney will square-off with Minn. Crookston to begin the tournament on Friday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m.
• Northwest Missouri State will play Minn. Crookston on Saturday, Nov. 11, with tip-off scheduled for 5 p.m.
 
            GAME COVERAGE
• The SMSU games will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik and streamed on the NSIC Network.
• Live stats and audio for all games can be found under the women's basketball "schedule" tab on smsumustangs.com
 
            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.
 
            2023-24 OUTLOOK
• SMSU is coming off a 19-11 season and a third-place finish in the NSIC South Division with a 14-8 league mark. The 19 victories are the highest in program history since the 2004-05 season, while the Mustangs advanced to the NSIC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2003.
• The Mustangs return 10 letter winners and four starters from last season's team.
• SMSU guard Sam Wall is one of three seniors on the team. Wall, a native of Delhi, Iowa, was named All-NSIC second team last season after starting all 30 games and averaging a team-high 13.9 points per game with a program single-season record 77 3-pointers.
• SMSU's second senior is guard Madison Gehloff, who started all 30 game a season ago and averaged 8.8 ppg and made 21 3-pointers. Junior guard Bri Stoltzman earned All-NSIC second team honors last season after ranking second on the team in scoring at 13.8 ppg, while leading the team with 6.9 rebounds per game.
• Senior guard Hannah Parsley is another returning starter after scoring 11.7 ppg and leading the team with 59 steals and ranking second in rebounding at 5.6 per game.
• Junior guard Peyton Blandin played in 30 games last season with one start and averaged 7.6 ppg, while ranking third on the team with 37 3-pointers. Junior forward Kenzie Jones appeared in 21 games and averaged 2.8 ppg and 2.0 rpg.
• Four sophomores, forward Maddie Thorfinnson, guard Zoie Centers, center Audrey Swanson and center Kennadi Buchholz all played more than half the games last season in gaining valuable experience.
• The 2023-24 roster also includes true freshmen guard Brynn Busse, forward Brylee Iverson, guard Allison Milbrandt, forward Christina Wagner and forward Elizabeth Wagner.
 
            SMSU PICKED FOURTH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
• The Southwest Minnesota State University's women's basketball team was picked to finish fourth in the annual 15-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll
• Minnesota Duluth was chosen as the unanimous preseason favorite earning 196 points, with 14 first-place votes (coaches can't vote for their own team), and Minnesota State was selected second with 165 points (one first-place vote).
• SMSU guard Sam Wall is one of three seniors on the team and was named a 'Player to Watch' in the NSIC this season.
 
            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 currently ranks sixth all-time in 3-pointers made with 163 in 98 games. Wall is only six made threes away from cracking the top five.
• The senior guard ranks in the top five in three-point FG percentage with .387 (163-421).
• Wall sits towards the top of the rankings in free throw percentage as well, sitting in seventh with 122 makes on 150 attempts (.813).
• More info on the SMSU women's basketball record book can be found on page 3.
 
            NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE SERIES HISTORY
• SMSU and Northwest Missouri State will meet for the sixth time with the Mustangs holding a 3-2 edge in a series that started in 2000.
• SMSU suffered a 95-86 loss to NWMSU at the UNK Classic last season.
• SMSU is hosting NWMSU for the first time this weekend.
• The Mustangs have lost two of the last three meetings, and average around 71 points of scoring per game against NWMSU.
• SMSU head coach Tom Webb is 1-1 all-time versus the Bearcats.
• Full series history can be found on page 14.
 
            NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE NOTES 
2022-23 Record: 15-15 overall, 9-13 MIAA
Head Coach: Austin Meyer, 6th season, 59-80 at NWMSU (Women's)
• Entering the 2023-24 season, the Bearcats come in with only two seniors this year. Underclassmen in the past couple seasons have made an impact on the team and that doesn't stop this season. This year's squad features two seniors, two six juniors, three sophomores, one redshirt freshman, and one lone freshman.
• The Bearcats were picked to finish sixth (media), seventh (coaches) in the MIAA preseason polls.
• Junior guard Molly Harnett comes in as the top returning scorer from last year's squad providing 398 points and 13.3 PPG. Harnett was also the leading provider in assists with 91 last season, which ranked 14th in the MIAA. Harnett shot a total of 108 free throws in the 2022-23 season making 98 of those for 90%. Molly holds the third best mark in Bearcat history in attempted free throws in a single game (18), coming against UCO last season. Hartnett is also a part of the 1,000 point club.
• Lindsey and Peyton Kelderman come back for their second and third seasons with the Bearcat program. Last season, the Kelderman duo combined for 79 3-point field goals. Peyton has made 104 3-pointers entering this season.
 
            NEBRASKA-KEARNEY SERIES HISTORY
• SMSU and UNK will meet for the sixth time on Saturday, with the Lopers holding the series advantage 3-2.
• Last season, SMSU suffered a road loss by a score of 67-57 to the Lopers.
•SMSU hosts UNK for the second time ever, with the Lopers taking the first game in Marshall in 2015 by a score of 74-50.
•UNK declared victory in two of the three previous meetings.
•Tom Webb is 1-1 all-time against Nebraska-Kearney.
•Full series history can be found on page 14.
 
            NEBRASKA-KEARNEY NOTES
2022-23 Record: 28-5 overall, 20-2 MIAA
Head Coach: Drew Johnson, 1st season, 0-0 at UNK
•UNK was placed sixth in the coaches (111) and fifth in the media (218; three first place) MIAA preseason polls. The Lopers are defending MIAA regular season champions and are coming off a 28-5 (20-2) season.
•UNK returns eight letter winners (two starters) back from last year's squad. The veterans include forward Shiloh McCool (Pleasant Hill, Ia.), guards Halle Duft (South Weber, Utah), Trinity Law (Brandon, S.D.) and Meg Burns (Ankeny, Ia.) and wings Lexi Moes (Smithville, Mo.) and Samantha Moore (Mullen).
•The Lopers lost to Missouri Southern in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament a season ago by a score of 63-51.
 
            SMSU HEAD COACH TOM WEBB
• Tom Webb is in his seventh season as head coach with a 77-102 record, including 57-85 in NSIC play.
• Webb is 168-225 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
• Played every game last season, including a start, and averaged 24.6 minutes per game.
• Averaged 7.6 ppg and 3.8 rpg.
• Tied a career-high 15 points on 6 of 9 shooting against Minnesota Crookston (1/28/23)
 
            KENNADI BUCHHOLZ NOTES
• Appeared in 16 games last season.
•Tallied 30 points, 26 rebounds, three steals, and five blocks.
• Recorded her first double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 13 rebounds against Crown College (11/15/22)
 
            ZOIE CENTERS NOTES
• Appeared in 18 games last season.
• Tallied seven points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
 
            MADISON GEHLOFF NOTES
• Started every game for the Mustangs last season.
• Averaged 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 25.6 minutes per game.
• 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
• Appeared in 21 games last season.
• Recorded 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in 11.1 minutes per game.
 
            HANNAH PARSLEY NOTES
• Started all 29 games she appeared in last season.
• Averaged 11.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 steals per game.
• 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 every game last season.
• Averaged 13.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in 29.7 minutes per game.
• Scored a career-high 24 points on 9 of 12 shooting against Winona State (2/11/23)
• Had a career-high in rebounds (11) against Augustana (2/16/23), and career-high assists (5) against Michigan Tech (11/17/22).
• Named NSIC South Division Player of the Week (11/21/22).
 
            AUDREY SWANSON NOTES
• Appeared in 28 games last season.
• Averaged 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds per game
• Scored 6 points in 14 minutes against Crown College (11/15/22).
           
            MADDIE THORFINNSON NOTES
• Appeared in every game last season.
• Scored 1.7 points and grabbed 1.0 rebounds per game in 15.6 minutes per game.
• Scored 10 points in 18 minutes against Augustana (12/1/22)
 
            SAM WALL NOTES
• Started every game last season.
• Averaged 13.9 points and 30.0 minutes 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.
• Was an NSIC Top Performer after her weekend Jan. 27-28, 2022, scoring 33 points and going 7 of 14 from three.
 
            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 was 11-4 at home last season after finishing 10-3 in 2021-22 and 6-2 in 2020-21.
• The Mustangs were 8-7 in road/neutral site games last 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  0-0       0.0       0.0       0.0       0.0       0.0       0.0
Away   0-0       0.0       0.0       0.0       0.0       0.0       0.0
 
            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 1,357 games compiling an all-time record of 651-706.
• SMSU has recorded 28 winning seasons, including the last four seasons. The 2019-20 squad that finished 16-12 was the program's first winning season since 2009-10.