Independent file photo SMSU’s Nick Dufault follows through on a shot during their game against Bemidji State University last Saturday. The Mustangs will hit the road this weekend to face the Golden Bears and Mavericks.

MARSHALL – The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball team (13-5, 9-3 NSIC), which has won three straight games, begins a key four-game road trip this Friday and Saturday facing a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division teams.

•SMSU will face Concordia University-St. Paul (3-14, 2-9 NSIC) on Friday, beginning at 8 p.m. at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul.

•SMSU concludes the weekend with a 6 p.m. match-up versus Minnesota State University (13-4, 9-2 NSIC) on Saturday, at the Taylor Center in Mankato.

•SMSU begins the weekend in second place in the NSIC South Division standings and fourth place overall. SMSU trails MSU by one-half game in the standings.

•CSP opens the weekend eighth in the NSIC South standings and 15th overall, while MSU is currently first in the NSIC South standings and third overall.

BROADCAST INFO

•All SMSU games will be broadcast all season on 105.1 FM KARL.

•Live statistics and video can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

SERIES HISTORY VS. CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL

•Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul meet for the 38th time with SMSU leading 27-10.

•The teams first met during the 1980-81 season.

•CSP joined the NSIC prior to the 1999-2000 season.

•SMSU is 11-7 all-time in games in St. Paul.

•SMSU’s win last season in St. Paul snapped a two-game losing streak at the Gangelhoff Center.

•SMSU won both meetings last season, including 89-76 at CSP.

•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 10-6 all-time versus CSP.

SERIES HISTORY VS. MINNESOTA STATE

•Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota State meet for the 57th time with MSU leading 40-16.

•The teams first met during the 1969-70 season.

•MSU leads 21-8 in games played in Mankato.

•MSU has won eight of the last 11 games overall in the series since the 2012-13 season, but SMSU three victories have come in the last four games.

•SMSU won both games last season, including 67-64 in Mankato.

•SMSU’s win last season in Mankato snapped a four-game losing streak at the Taylor Center.

•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 6-12 all-time versus MSU.

TOUGHEST

SCHEDULE IN

THE NSIC

•SMSU has played a strong schedule through 18 games this season and the latest NCAA statistical numbers back it up.

•SMSU has played the 50th toughest schedule in Division II and the toughest among all NSIC schools as of Monday.

•SMSU’s Division II opponents have a combined record of 135-108 (not including games with SMSU).

MUSTANG

TIP-OFF TIDBITS

•SMSU attempted a season-high 29 3-pointers in last Saturday’s win over Bemidji State.

•SMSU tied a season-low with seven free throws made in its victory over Minnesota Crookston last Friday.

•Carter Kirk tied the team season-high with 10 field goals made versus BSU. He also had 10 field goals versus Emporia State.

•Ryan Bruggeman is second in team history with 390 assists ranking six behind all-time leader, Vinard Birch’s (2010-14) 396. He also ranks first in team history in assists average, fourth in free throw pct. and fouth in free throws made.

•Ryan Bruggeman failed to score 10 or more points for the first time this season in Saturday’s win versus BSU.

•Taylor Schafer ranks 10th in team history with 144 3-pointers. •Carter Kirk ranks first in school history in field goal pct. (58.5), fourth in rebounds (718) and has moved into 14th in field goals made (437).

•SMSU has shot 50 percent or higher in six of its last eight games and eight times overall this season. A season ago, SMSU shot 50 percent or higher in 15 games.

•SMSU has made eight or more 3-pointers in seven of its last eight games.

•SMSU tied a season-high with 14 3-pointers (including 11 in the second half) in the win at Upper Iowa on Jan. 6.

•SMSU has committed nine or less turnovers in six games.

•SMSU’s 116 points versus Crown College on Nov. 21 was the second highest point total in school history.

•SMSU made 33 free throws in the win over Northern Michigan on Nov. 18. It was the first time SMSU made more than 30 in a game since connecting on 33 versus Wayne State on Dec. 7, 2013.

SCOUTING

CONCORDIA-

ST. PAUL

•CSP is 3-14 overall, 2-9 NSIC, and is currently seventh place in the NSIC South standings, but has won two of its last five games.

•CSP split a pair of road games last weekend, beating U-Mary, 70-66, before losing to Minot State, 80-67.

•Bryndan Matthews leads the team averaging 16 ppg with nine 3-pointers and also paces the club with 7.4 rpg.

•Avan Ward is scoring 15.3 ppg with a team-leading 42 3-pointers.

•Tad Brown is averaging 8.6 ppg and is second on the team with 4.6 rpg.

•CSP is shooting 45 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range, 70 percent from the free throw line and is plus-3.1 in rebound margin.

•CSP is scoring 68 points per game, while opponents are averaging 78 per game.

•Joey James is in his fourth season as head coach with a record of 41-66. He was the head coach at South Dakota in 2013-14, finishing with a 12-18 record.

SCOUTING

MINNESOTA STATE

•MSU is 13-4 overall, 9-2 NSIC, and is currently in first place in the NSIC South standings.

•MSU, which hosts Sioux Falls on Friday, lost at Minot State in overtime last Friday, 91-83, before defeating U-Mary on Saturday, 80-64.

•Charlie Brown is averaging a team-high 15.5 ppg with 23 3-pointers and a team-high 59 assists.

•Kevin Krieger is scoring 15 ppg and collecting 6.0 rpg.

•Cameron Kirskey is averaging 12.2 ppg with a team-high 20 blocked shots.

•MSU is shooting 49 percent from the field, 43 percent from 3-point range, 77 percent from the free throw line and is plus-2.6 in rebound margin.

•MSU is scoring 83 points per game, while opponents are averaging 75 per game.

•Matt Margenthaler is in his 17th season with a record of 364-147. MSU has qualified for the NCAA tournament in 11 of the last 13 seasons.

Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications