THE LOOK AHEAD

• The Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team (17-10, 14-8 NSIC) hosts Minnesota Crookston (10-18, 9-13 NSIC) at 1 p.m., on Tuesday, Feb. 21, for the first round of the NSIC Tournament

• This is the second consecutive season that the Mustangs will host an NSIC Tournament game, and just the second since 2005.

• The winner will move on to face the No. 2 seed in the North, St. Cloud State, at 1:30 p.m., on Sunday inside the Sanford Pentagon. 

•SMSU defeated UMC 75-58 on the road earlier this season. Box score from the game this season can be found on page 19.

• The game will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik and streamed on the NSIC Network.

•The complete 2023 NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament bracket can be found on page 20.

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC TOURNAMENT  

•Since the NSIC Tournament started in 2000, SMSU is 9-17 all-time with one championship title in 2002.

•SMSU had lost 14 consecutive NSIC Tournament games before defeating MSU Moorhead in the first round last season. 

•SMSU has advanced to the semifinals four times and played in the first three championship games (2000, 2001, 2002).

•The Mustangs are 5-1 at home, 0-11 on the road and 4-5 in neutral site tournament games. 

•Game-by-game history can be found on page 3.

    MUSTANGS CAP OFF BEST REGULAR SEASON IN NEARLY 20 YEARS

• SMSU finished the regular season with 17 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.

    FAST BREAK 

• The Mustangs have won 10 home games for the second consecutlve season and the fourth time since 2002-03. 

• SMSU has shot at least 50 percent in seven games this season and are 32nd in the nation with a 43.8 field goal percentage, also slotting 26th with a 35.2 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 13th most three pointers per game in the nation, making 8.7 three-pointers per game and shoot the 30th most three-pointers with 24.7 attempts per game.

• The Mustangs have made 192 three-pointers in conference play, 36 more than the next closest team, and are making them at a 34.6 percent clip, second in the NSIC. 

• Sam Wall has made 67 three-pointers this season, the 27th most in the country, and is one of 12 players in the country to made at least 67 three pointers while shooting at least 41.4 percent from beyond the arc. 

• Wall and Jenna Borchers (55) are one of only seven sets of teammates in DII to have at least 55 made three-pointers this season.

• Wall's 67 three pointers are the third most in a single season in program history. 

3-point field goals made 

1.     73     Michelle Bruns (31 games) - 2002-03 

2.     72    Jenna Borchers (28 games) - 2019-20 

3.     67      Sam Wall (27 games) - 2022-23 

4.     63     Kelly Crimi (28 games) - 2005-06 

• SMSU has touted a high-octane offense, ranking 29th in the nation scoring 73.6 points per game and have shot 74.6 percent from the free throw line, ranking 55th in the NCAA.

• Bri Stoltzman leads the Mustangs with 13.7 ppg on a 54.6 field goal percentage, 7.0 rpg, and 52 steals, and is second with 67 assists.

• Stoltzman has elevated her game at the right time, collecting three double-doubles in her last four games, and is averaging 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game on 60.0 percent shooting from the field. 

• Wall is second on the Mustangs with 13.4 ppg, shooting 42.1 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from three. 

• Hannah Parsley is scoring 12.1 ppg, adding 5.4 rpg, 53 steals, 375 assists, and 11 blocks while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from three as an all-around threat for the Mustangs.

• Borchers is fourth on the team with 11.3 ppg and leads the team with 73 assists while shooting 36.7 percent from deep. 

• Madison Gehloff  is scoring 8.4 ppg and grabbing 4.6 rpg to round out the starting lineup, shooting 42.0 percent from the field.

• Peyton Blandin has provided a spark off the bench this season, scoring 7.8 points per game, grabbing 3.8 rebounds per game, and is third on the team with 32 three-pointers. 

• Also moving up the career rankings is Wall, who is now fifth in program history in three point percentage (38.3 percent) and sixth in three pointers made (153) in 95 career games. 

•SMSU is averaging 73.6 ppg while opponents are averaging 67.4 ppg. SMSU has a plus-0.5 rebounding margin.

•SMSU is shooting 43.8 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from the 3-point line, and 74.6 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. 

    BORCHERS REWRITES THE RECORD BOOKS

• Jenna Borchers holds the program record for career three-pointers made with 240 makes after breaking the previous record of 199 on Dec. 1. She also ranks 11th among all DII players in career three-pointers made.

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

• She currently ranks first in program history with 123 games played, ninth with a .799 career free throw percentage and 13th in program history with 1,240 career points

    MINNESOTA CROOKSTON SERIES HISTORY

• SMSU and Minnesota Crookston will meet for the 37th time with the Mustangs holding a 23-13 edge in a series that started in 1996.

• SMSU defeated UMC on the road earlier this season.

• SMSU is 11-7 all-time against the Golden Eagles in Marshall. 

• The Mustangs have won four of the last six meetings, including the last two meetings in Marshall. 

• SMSU head coach Tom Webb is 4-2 all-time versus the Golden Eagles.

•Full series history can be found on page 19.

    MINNESOTA CROOKSTON NOTES  

2022-23 Record: 10-18 overall, 9-13 NSIC

Head Coach: Mike Roysland, 17th season, 145-304 at UMC

• UMC concluded the regular season last weekend, losing at home to UMD and at St. Cloud State

• The Golden Eagles were picked to finish 16th in the NSIC and eighth in the NSIC North in the NSIC Preseason Poll

• Emma Miller leads the Golden Eagles with 18.1 points per game in 35.4 minutes per game, also leading the team with 88 assists and 30 steals. She has made 68 three pointers this season, 24th most in the country.

• Bren Fox averages 9.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. She has grabbed 266 rebounds on the year, 15th most in the country, and collected 11 double-doubles, 25th most in the country. 

•Alex Page has tallied 9.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

•Minnesota Crookston is shooting 39.1 percent from the field, 32.5 percent from 3-point range, and 77.4 percent from the free throw line.

•The Golden Eagles average 63.4 points per game, while opponents average 72.8 points per game.

    SMSU HEAD COACH TOM WEBB

• Tom Webb is in his seventh season as head coach with a 75-101 record, including 57-85 in NSIC play. 

• Webb is 166-224 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.). 

• 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's complete bio is found on page 17.

     LAST TIME OUT

• The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team dropped its final regular season road match-up 88-56 against the Augustana Vikings on Thursday night inside the Sanford Pentagon. 

• SMSU shot a season-low 29.4 percent (20 of 68) from the field and 16.1 percent (5 of 31) from three while making 11 of 17 free throws.

•  The Mustangs closed out a special regular season on Saturday night, defeating the Wayne State Wildcats 85-66 inside the R/A Facility.

• Sam Wall finished the game with a team-high 21 points, shooting 7 of 11 from the field and 4 of 7 from three. Bri Stoltzman capped off her third double-double in her last four games with 18 points and 10 rebounds, adding five assists and three steals.