Independent file photo SMSU’s Kaden Evans (left) looks to drive the lane during their alumni game on Oct. 19.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball team (1-3) will host its first two home games of the 2019-20 season facing NAIA Division II opponent Mayville State University (N.D.) (5-2) today before taking on NCAA Division III University of Minnesota Morris (1-3) on Friday.

•Both games will start at 7 p.m. inside the R/A Facility and are the first two of 13 regular season home games this season.

•Both matchups are regular season games for SMSU, but will count as an exhibition for both Mavyille State and Minnesota Morris. UMM hosted Presentation College on Tuesday before taking on SMSU.

Broadcast info

•Both games will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Anthony Rohlik providing play-by-play.

•Live stats, radio broadcast and video can be found at SMSUmustangs. com.

Series history vs. Mayville State

•SMSU and Mayville State meet for the 12th time today with Mavyille State leading 6-5 dating back to the 1968-69 season.

•The two teams played last season for the first time since the 1993-94 season with SMSU earning an 83-70 home victory on Nov. 14, 2018.

•The series is tied 4-4 in games played in Marshall.

•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 1-0 all-time versus Mayville State.

Series history vs.

Minnesota Morris

•SMSU and Minnesota Morris meet for the 79th time Friday with SMSU leading 41-37. The two schools were both members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference from 1969-2003.

•SMSU has won the previous 18 games with UMM’s last victory coming during the 1996-97 season.

•The teams last played on Nov. 20, 2010, in Marshall with SMSU earning an 87-65 victory. SMSU is 25-15 all-time in games played in Marshall.

•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 2-0 all-time versus Minnesota Morris.

Mustang tip-off

tidbits

•SMSU set a team record last season shooting 81.3 percent from the free throw line, but is shooting just 49 percent following four games this season.

•Junior Kenny Byers has recorded three double-doubles this season.

•Sophomore Grant Kramer scored a career-high 14 points with three 3-pointers in last Saturday’s loss to Northern Michigan. He also scored 13 points in Friday’s loss to Stonehill.

•SMSU has outrebounded its opponents twice through four games this season. Last season, SMSU outrebounded its opponent just twice in its last 21 games and finished last in the NSIC in rebound margin (-8.5).

•Redshirt freshman Brian Dayman made his first two career starts last weekend in Duluth. He grabbed a career-high nine rebounds in the loss to Stonehill.

•Junior Nick Dufault ranks fourth in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (43.2).

•SMSU is shooting 43 percent from the field, 39 percent from 3-point range, 50 percent from the free throw line and is plus-4.0 in rebound margin.

•SMSU is averaging 59 points per game, while opponents are averaging 64 points per game.

Scouting

Mayville State

•Mayville State is 5-2 and last played on Saturday earning a 119-56 victory over Oak Hills Christian College.

•The Comets have also played two exhibition games this season, losing 93-53 at North Dakota State, while also losing at Bemidji State, 100-60, last Friday.

•Mayville State, which finished 20-9 last season, was picked to finish fourth in the preseason North Star Athletic Association coaches’ poll.

•Mayville State won the NSAA Tournament last season and advanced to the NAIA Division II National Tournament for the second straight season.

•The Comets have five players averaging double figures in scoring.

•Junior guard Simon Ramirez is averaging 15.3 ppg and has connected on a team-high 25 3-pointers.

•Senior guard Rene Melendez is averaging 13.3 ppg with 15 3-pointers.

•Junior guard Jalen Valverde has dished out a team-high 29 assists and is scoring 10 ppg.

•Mayville State head coach Darren Tighe is in his third season with a record of 43-22.

•Mayville State is shooting 51 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range, 68 percent from the free throw line and is plus-13.7 in rebound margin.

•Mayville State is averaging 95 points per game, while opponents average 71 points per game.

Scouting

Minnesota Morris

•UMM is 1-3 on the season and hosted Presentation College on Tuesday night.

•The Cougars lost two games last weekend at the Wartburg College Tournament, losing to Cornell (Iowa) 94-90 and Iowa Wesleyan (84-83).

•UMM was picked to finish sixth in the nine team Upper Midwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches’ poll. The Cougars are coming off a 10-16 season in 2018-19.

•Junior guard James Pendleton is one of five Cougars scoring in double figures with 16 ppg.

•Freshman forward Jaret Johnson is scoring 12.5 ppg with seven 3-pointers.

•Head coach Paul Grove is in his 18th season at UMM with a record of 219-236. He was head coach at Mayville State from 1997-2002.

•UMM is shooting 46 percent from the field, 35 percent from 3-point range, 78 percent from the free throw line and is minus-5.5 in rebound margin.

•UMM is averaging 85 points per game, while opponents average 87 points per game.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications