Independent file photo SMSU’s Erin Baxter drives around a screen during their game against the University of Sioux Falls on Dec. 21. The Mustangs will face Concordia-St. Paul and MSU Mankato this weekend.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State University women’s basketball team (6-7, 1-7 NSIC) opens the 2020 calendar year on Friday and Saturday, with a match-up of NSIC South Division opponents.

•SMSU will face Concordia-St. Paul (8-6, 5-3 NSIC) on Friday night with a 5:35 p.m. tip-off, and will take on Minnesota State (9-3, 6-2 NSIC) on Saturday with a game time slated for 4 p.m., both in the R/A Facility.

•SMSU snapped a five-game skid with a 60-55 victory over Augustana on Friday night. SMSU went 1-1 on the weekend after a 79-62 loss to Wayne State last Saturday to close weekend play.

•SMSU dropped both match-ups earlier this season versus this weekend’s opponents with a 76-60 loss to Minnesota State and a 82-79 loss in overtime to Concordia-St. Paul.

Broadcast info

•Friday’s game will be broadcast live regionally on Midco Sports Network with David Brown and Brad Newitt.

•Friday’s game will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL, while Saturday’s will be on 94.7 FM KKCK with Ryan Rohlik providing play-by-play.

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

SMSU quick hits

•SMSU is in its 51st of women’s collegiate basketball and has amassed 600 all-time victories, reaching this accolade with the victory over Augustana on Jan. 3.

•SMSU broke a five-game losing streak with a victory over Augustana to open the new year.

•True freshman Madison Gehloff had a breakaway performance in the victory over Augie with her first career 20-point game. Gehloff led the team in both scoring and rebounding with 20 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

•Junior guard Meleah Reinhart is leading the Mustangs in scoring with 15.6 ppg and is 70 of 81 from the free throw line.

•Junior center Abuk Akoi leads the team in rebounding with 8.4 rpg. Akoi became the first Mustang this season to record a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds at Concordia-St. Paul on Dec. 7.

•Sophomore guard Jenna Borchers has connected on a team-high 27 3-pointers and leads the team in assists with 27.

•Senior forward Caleigh Rodning has missed the last seven games with an injury.

•SMSU is averaging 68 ppg, while opponents are averaging 67 ppg.

•SMSU is shooting 36 percent from the field, 30 percent from the 3-point line, and 82 percent the free-throw line and has a plus-1.5 rebounding margin.

Mustangs in the

SMSU record book

•Senior Caleigh Rodning ranks second in free throws made with 386 and is 23 from tying Andrea Schreier (1997-2001) for the all-time record of 409. She also ranks fourth in free throw pct. (83.6) and sixth in free throws attempts (464). Rodning is also five rebounds shy of becoming the 11th in player in team history to record 600 rebounds.

•Junior Abuk Akoi is fifth in team history with 115 blocked shots.

•Junior Meleah Reinhart ranks seventh in free throw pct. (78.6).

•Junior Erin Baxter ranks sixth in free-throw percentage (81.1).

•Sophomore Jenna Borchers ranks fifth in three-point percentage (38.0).

Series history vs.

Concordia-St. Paul

•This is the 58th meeting in series history, dating back to the 1974-75 season.

•SMSU trails the all-time series 41-16 and is 8-16 for games played in Marshall.

•CSP has a 16-game winning streak which started on Feb. 10, 2012, and was extended by a 82-79 overtime victory in the match-up earlier this season on Dec. 7 in St. Paul.

•SMSU’s last victory came on Dec. 10, 2011, 60-55, in Marshall.

•CSP has won 31 of the last 32 games since the 2004-05 season and 37 of the last 39 since the 2002-03 season.

•SMSU head coach Tom Webb is 0-7 all-time versus Concordia-St. Paul.

Series history vs.

Minnesota State

•This is the 62nd meeting in series history, dating back to the 1970-71 season.

•SMSU trails the all-time series 42-19 and trail 16-10 in games played in Marshall.

•SMSU snapped a 23-game losing streak versus MSU a season ago and earned its first-ever season sweep.

•SMSU dropped the match-up earlier this season with a 76-60 loss in Mankato on Dec. 6.

•SMSU head coach Tom Webb is 2-5 all-time versus Minnesota State.

Scouting

Concordia-St. Paul

•Concordia-St. Paul is 8-6 overall, 5-3 NSIC, after a weekend sweep over UMary and Minot State.

•Junior forward Sidney Wentland is scoring 15.4 ppg with a team-high 48-of-68 from the free throw line.

•Junior guard Danielle Schaub is averaging 12.1 ppg with a team-high 30 3-pointers.

•Wentland also leads in rebounding with 5.1 rpg.

•Amanda Johnson is in her fourth season as head coach and holds a 70-51 overall record.

•CSP is shooting 41 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3-point range and 73 percent from the free throw line.

•CSP is averaging 74 points per game, while opponents average 72 points per game. CSP has a minus-1.6 rebounding margin.

Scouting

Minnesota State

•Minnesota State is 9-3 overall, 6-2 NSIC, after advancing its winning streak to three games with a weekend sweep over Minot State and UMary.

•Senior guard Kirstin Klitzke leads the team in scoring at 11.5 ppg and leads the team with 16 3-pointers.

•Junior forward Rachel Schumski is averaging 8.9 ppg and leads the team in rebounding with 6.2 rpg.

•Emily Thiesse is in her eighth season as head coach with a 212-125 overall record.

•MSU is shooting 41 percent from the field, 32 percent from 3-point range and 67 percent from the free throw line.

•MSU is averaging 80 points per game, while opponents average 68 points per game. MSU has a plus-1.8 rebounding margin.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications