Independent file photo SMSU’s Kenny Byers looks to score around a Northern State University defender during their game on Feb. 8. The Mustangs will face the Wolves today in the NSIC Tournament.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball team (8-20) opens first round play in the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament tonight playing at Northern State University (22-6) with tip-off set for 6 p.m. at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, S.D.

•SMSU is the No. 8 seed from the South Division, while NSU is the No. 1 seed from the North Division and the overall NSIC regular season champion.

•The winner of today’s game will advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday to face either St. Cloud State or Augustana at 12 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

•The semifinals will be on Monday afternoon with the championship game on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

•SMSU and NSU played in Marshall on Feb. 8 with NSU earning a 74-66 victory. NSU closed the game with an 11-3 run in the final 3:07 of the game to snap a 63-63 tie.

Broadcast info

•Today’s game will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik providing play-by-play.

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

SMSU all-time in the NSIC Tournament

•Since the NSIC Tournament started in 2000, SMSU is 26-17 all-time with two championships (2012 & 2017).

•SMSU has advanced to the semifinals 12 times and have played in eight championship games (2001, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019).

•The Mustangs are 10-2 at home, 2-7 on the road and 14-8 in neutral site tournament games.

Mustang tip-off

tidbits

•SMSU’s home victory over Wayne State last Friday night snapped a seven-game home losing streak. It was the longest streak since losing 14 straight during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.

•SMSU opponents made the same or made more 3-point field goals than SMSU in 11 straight games, but last weekend the Mustangs made more 3-pointers in both games versus Wayne State (8-3) and Augustana (13-9).

•In the last nine games, redshirt freshman Jake Phipps is second on the team in scoring with 12.1 ppg and is tied for first with 5.3 rpg. He is shooting 65 percent (45 of 69) during the nine-game stretch.

•The Mustangs closed the regular season last weekend splitting a pair of home games, defeating Wayne State, 78-61, before losing to Augustana, 77-73.

•In Friday’s win over WSC, in which SMSU never trailed, Jake Phipps led the team with 18 points, while Grant Kramer scored a career-high 17 points with five 3-pointers. SMSU finished with a 42-28 rebound advantage.

•In Saturday’s loss, SMSU held a 12-point lead with four minutes remaining, but AU rallied with a 19-3 run to close the game and stun SMSU.

•Kramer tied a career-high with 17 points and made five 3-pointers for the second straight game, while Kenny Byers and Phipps each scored 14 points.

•SMSU made a season-high 13 3-pointers and shot a season-high 68 percent from 3-point range in the loss to AU.

•Junior Kenny Byers leads the team in scoring (16.6), rebounding (7.0), assists (88), steals (41) and has recorded a team-high eight double-doubles.

•Junior Nick Dufault, who missed two games in early January with an injury, has connected on a team-high 55 3-pointers and is second on the squad in scoring (10.8). He ranks ninth in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (40.9) and 12th in program history with 148 3-point field goals made. He needs 14 more 3-pointers to move into ninth all-time.

•Freshman Cliff McCray ranks third on the team in scoring (8.9) and second with 52 assists.

•Junior Weston Baker Magrath has a team-high 56 blocked shots setting a program single-season record. He surpassed the previous record of 55 set by Mark Ornatek (1979-80) in last Saturday’s loss to Augustana.

•For the season, SMSU is shooting 45 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range, 68 percent from the free throw line and is plus-0.7 in rebound margin. SMSU is averaging 66 points per game, while opponents are averaging 69 points per game.

Series history vs. Northern State

•SMSU and Northern State meet for the 98th time with NSU leading 66-31 in series that started in 1972-73.

•Today will be the 10th meeting in the NSIC Tournament with NSU holding a 6-3 advantage, including defeating SMSU in the previous two championship games in Sioux Falls. NSU won 72-68 last season and 81-75 in 2018.

•NSU has won the last four games in the series overall and six of the last seven. SMSU’s lone victory came in Aberdeen on Jan. 27, 2018.

•NSU has won 10 the last 13 meetings overall since the 2014-15 season.

•NSU leads 36-10 in games played in Aberdeen, which includes a victory in the last game on Feb. 9, 2019.

•NSU has defeated SMSU twice (2005 and 2016) in the NSIC Tournament in Aberdeen.

•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 8-11 all-time versus NSU.

Scouting

Northern State

•The Wolves (22-6) won five straight games to close the regular season and captured the NSIC overall championship with an 18-4 record.

•Senior guard Parker Fox leads the team averaging 20 ppg and also is averaging a team-high 9 rpg. He is shooting 60 percent from the field and ranks 14 in Division II with 225 field goals made. He also ranks 11th in blocked shots (2.2).

•Sophomore guard Mason Stark is scoring 14.9 ppg with 55 3-pointers and is shooting 57.7 percent from the field and 57.9 percent from 3-point range.

•NSU is shooting 50 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range, 70 percent from the free throw line and is plus-1.8 in rebound margin.

•NSU is scoring 81 points per game, while opponents are averaging 70 per game.

•Saul Phillips is in his first season as head coach. He served as head coach at North Dakota State (2007-14) and Ohio University (2014-19) before arriving at NSU.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications