Independent file photo SMSU’s Meleah Reinhart drives past a Presentation defender during their game on Nov 16, 2019. SMSU will begin its season today vs. Minot State.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State University women’s basketball team opens the delayed 2020-21 regular season this Saturday and Sunday, with a pair of non-conference games inside the R/A Facility.

•SMSU and MISU open the season today with tip-off slated for 4 p.m., while Sunday’s game will begin at 2 p.m.

•Due to COVID-19 and Minnesota Department of Health guidelines, no spectators will be allowed inside the arena.

•SMSU and MISU are both members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, but due to a revised league schedule in 2021 due to COVID-19, the two games will be considered non-conference.

Broadcast info

•Both games will be broadcast on 101.7 FM/1400 AM KMHL with Ryan Rohlik providing play-by-play.

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

Series history vs. Minot State

•SMSU and Minot State meet for the 10th and 11th time this weekend with MISU leading 5-4.

•MISU leads 3-1 in games played in Marshall, including the last two games in 2018 and 2019.

•SMSU snapped a two-game losing streak in the series with an 85-61 road victory last season.

•The teams first met on Nov. 17, 2011, in Minot, N.D.

•SMSU head coach Tom Webb is 2-2 all-time versus MISU.

Season openers

•SMSU is 30-21 all-time in season openers, including a win last season versus East Central (Okla.) in Wichita, Kan.

•Last season’s victory snapped a five-game losing streak in season-opening games.

•This will be the first time SMSU has opened a season at home since Nov. 13, 2015.

New look NSIC schedule and

postseason

•Each NSIC team has 16 regular season games scheduled with 14 conference games versus teams within their division.

•The NSIC Sanford Tournament has been reduced to an eight-team tournament with the top four teams in each division advancing to the tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Scouting

Minot State

•Minot State was picked to finish seventh in the NSIC North Division preseason poll. The Beavers finished 7-20 overall, including 4-18 in NSIC play last season. MISU ended its 2019-20 season with a 83-52 loss at Sioux Falls in the first round of the NSIC Sanford Health Tournament.

•Senior guard Bethany Theodore is the team’s top returning scorer at 9.3 ppg. She also recorded 89 assists and led the team with 38 steals.

•Senior guard Calli Deisman averaged 8.7 points last season, and led the squad with 6.9 rpg.

•Junior forward transfer Amber Stevahn was named the team’s NSIC “Player to Watch” in 2020-21 after leading the nation in scoring last season at Bismarck State College.

•MISU shot 40 percent from the field, 31 percent from 3-point range, 77 percent from the free throw line and was plus-3.7 in rebound margin last season.

•MISU averaged 63 points per game last season, while opponents averaged 71 ppg.

•Head coach Mark Graupe is in his fourth season with a record of 34-49. He was head coach at Dickinson State (N.D.) for four seasons prior to taking over at Minot State.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications