Independent file photo SMSU’s Weston Baker Magrath dribbles the ball during their game against Minot State University on Sunday. SMSU will face Upper Iowa University this weekend.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball team (2-2, 0-0 NSIC) will open Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play this Friday and Saturday with games at Upper Iowa University (2-2, 0-2 NSIC) in Fayette, Iowa.

•Friday’s game is set to begin at 6 p.m., while Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start with both games inside Dorman Memorial Gymnasium on the campus of UIU.

•It will be the first two conference games for SMSU after playing Minot State four times the first two weekends of the season. SMSU’s NSIC opening games scheduled last weekend versus Winona State were canceled.

•UIU opened the season on Jan. 2-3 with two wins over St. Cloud State, but opened NSIC play last weekend with a pair of road losses to Sioux Falls.

Broadcast info

•Both games are tentatively scheduled to be broadcast 105.1 FM KARL or 101.7 FM KMHL.

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

Series history

versus Upper Iowa

•SMSU and Upper Iowa meet for the 32nd time with SMSU leading 21-10 in a match-up that started in 1979-80.

•UIU won both games last season, 80-77 in Marshall and 63-55 in Fayette.

•SMSU leads 8-5 in games played in Fayette, including two of the last three meetings.

•SMSU had won five straight in the series prior to last season’s two victories by UIU.

•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 13-9 all-time versus UIU.

Scouting

Upper Iowa

•Upper Iowa is 2-2 overall, 0-2 NSIC, following a pair of losses last weekend at Sioux Falls, 68-55 and 87-76. The Peacocks were picked to finish fifth in the NSIC South preseason coaches’ poll.

•Junior guard Lucas Duax is averaging 18.3 ppg with nine 3-pointers to pace the Peacocks.

•Senior guard Jareese Williams averages a team-high 6.0 rpg and is scoring 16.3 ppg.

•Senior guard Joe Smoldt has connected on a team-high 13 3-pointers and is scoring 13.8 ppg.

•UIU is shooting 44 percent from the field, 39 percent from 3-point range, 84 percent from the free throw line and is minus-11.5 in rebound margin.

•UIU is averaging 87 points per game, while opponents averaging 86.3 ppg.

•Head coach Brooks McKowen is in his eighth season at UIU with a record of 110-91. He led the Peacocks to the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

•McKowen was an assistant coach at SMSU from 2011-13.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications