Independent file photo SMSU’s Caleigh Rodning drives past a Presentation defender during their game on Nov. 16. The Mustangs will face Concordia University (Ore.) and Western Oregon University this weekend.

MARSHALL – The Southwest Minnesota State University women’s basketball team (3-1, 0-1 NSIC) takes a break from Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play with two games versus NCAA opponents in the state of Oregon today and Saturday.

•SMSU will face Concordia University (Ore.) (1-5) today in Portland, Ore., with tip-off set for at 6 p.m. (CST) at LCEF Court.

•On Saturday, SMSU will take Western Oregon University (2-2) in Monmouth, Ore., at 4 p.m. (CST) inside the PE Building.

•Both Concordia and Western Oregon are members of the 11-team Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). Concordia was picked to finish sixth, while Western Oregon was picked 10th in the preseason GNAC coaches’ poll.

Broadcast info

•Live stats and video for both games can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

Series history vs. this weekend’s opponents

•This is the first time in program history that SMSU will face either Concordia (Ore.) or Western Oregon.

•In fact, SMSU has only played two current members of the GNAC in program history. SMSU won at Alaska Fairbanks on Dec. 16, 2006, before losing at Alaska Anchorage on Dec. 17, 2006.

SMSU quick hits

•The 2019-20 season is the 51st of women’s collegiate basketball at SMSU and has amassed 597 all-time victories.

•SMSU started the season 3-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 season. SMSU suffered its first loss of the season last Wednesday in its conference opener at NSIC South Division favorite, Sioux Falls, 100-77.

•Junior guard Meleah Reinhart is leading the Mustangs in scoring with 17.3 ppg and has made 18 of 19 from the free throw line. She is also shooting a team-high 52 percent from the field.

•Senior forward Caleigh Rodning leads the team in rebounding with 8.3 rpg. Rodning ranks 12th in team history with 595 rebounds and is sixth in team history in rebound average (7.4).

•Sophomore guard Jenna Borchers has connected on a team-high 11 3-pointers.

•SMSU is averaging 74 ppg, while opponents are averaging 62 ppg.

•SMSU is shooting 37 percent from the field, 31 percent from the 3-point line, and 82 percent the free-throw line and has a plus-1.3 rebounding margin.

Mustangs in the

SMSU record book

•Senior Caleigh Rodning ranks third in free throws made with 371 and is 38 from tying Andrea Schreier (1997-2001) for the all-time record of 409. She also ranks third in free throw pct. (83.6) and eighth in free throws attempts (444). Rodning is also five rebounds shy of becoming the 11th in player in team history to record 600 rebounds.

•Junior Abuk Akoi is eighth in team history with 91 blocked shots.

•Junior Meleah Reinhart ranks seventh in free throw pct. (78.8).

SMSU receives votes for D2SIDA regional poll

•SMSU received votes in this week’s D2SIDA Central Region poll released on Tuesday.

•SMSU was ranked eighth in the first regional poll released on Nov. 19.

•Each of the eight regions has six representatives from D2SIDA that coordinate the regional committee, with a regional poll that will be released every Tuesday during the regular season.

•The D2SIDA weekly rankings are independent of the official NCAA Regional Rankings that will be released towards the end of the regular season and determine the NCAA Tournament teams.

Scouting Concordia (Ore.)

•Concordia is 1-5 on the season and will play its first home game of the season on Friday. CU split two games last weekend, defeating Regis (Colo.), 76-65, before losing to Colorado School of Mines, 69-57, on Saturday.

•The Cavaliers finished 16-13 overall last season and tied for fifth in the GNAC at 11-9.

•Junior guard Olivia Vezaldenos had connected on 20 3-pointers and leads the team in scoring at 14.8 ppg.

•Freshman guard Dorcas Wu is averaging a team-high 5.5 rpg and ranks second on the team with 10 ppg.

•Sean Kelly is in his sixth season as head coach and holds a 61-86 record.

•CU is shooting 39 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 58 percent from the free throw line.

•CU is averaging 62 points per game, while opponents average 67 points per game.

Scouting

Western Oregon

•Western Oregon is 2-2 on the season following a split last weekend, winning at Sonoma State (Calif.), 60-52, on Friday, before losing to Chico State (Calif.) on Saturday, 50-46.

•The Wolves finished the 2018-19 season 8-18 overall and tied for ninth in the GNAC at 5-15.

•Senior forward Shariah Green had connected on six 3-pointers and leads the team in scoring (11.5) and rebounding (5.5).

•Junior guard Keyonna Jones is averaging 9.8 ppg.

•Holli Howard-Carpenter is in her seventh season as head coach and holds a 47-118 record.

•WOU is shooting 36 percent from the field, 30 percent from 3-point range and 73 percent from the free throw line.

•WOU is averaging 59 points per game, while opponents average 56 points per game.

NCAA rankings

•In the latest Division II statistics (Nov. 25), SMSU ranks ninth in free-throw percentage, 21st in blocked shots per game and 46th in 3-point field goals per game.

•Meleah Reinhart ranks 19th in free throw pct.

•Jenna Borchers ranks 19th in 3-point field goal pct.

•Abuk Akoi ranks 28th in blocked shots per game.

NSIC rankings

•In the NSIC statistics (all games), SMSU ranks second in free throw percentage, second in blocked shots.

•Meleah Reinhart ranks fifth in scoring, second in free throw pct. and eighth in field goal pct.

•Caleigh Rodning is fifth in rebounding and eighth in free throw pct.

•Jenna Borchers ranks first in 3-point field pct. and 12th in scoring.

•Abuk Akoi is tied for first in blocked shots.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications