SMSU takes nearly two week break before returning to NSIC play at USF on Dec. 31
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The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (8-4, 4-3 NSIC) will have 12 days off before returning to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Saturday, Dec. 31, with a road game versus the University of Sioux Falls. Game time is slated for 3 p.m. inside the Stewart Center on the campus of USF.
The two teams will be meeting for the second time this season with SMSU earning a 73-65 win in Marshall in the NSIC opener on Nov. 22.
SMSU, which has won four of its last five games, will also play at UMary (Jan. 6) and Minot State (Jan. 7) before returning home on Jan. 13 versus MSU Moorhead to open a four-game homestand.
USF has won seven of its last eight games and sits tied atop the NSIC South standings with Wayne State.
Broadcast Info
All games will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik providing play-by-play.
Live stats, radio and video broadcasts of all games can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.
Mustangs by the numbers
For the season, SMSU has three players averaging double figures in scoring with sophomore Dunwa Omot leading the way at 15.2 ppg while connecting on 22 3-pointers with 16 steals.
Junior Jake Phipps is scoring 10.6 ppg, while shooting 55 percent and leads the team averaging 7.3 rebounds per game
Senior Anthony Costello is averaging 11.2 ppg and has made 15 3-pointers.
Junior Cliff McCray is scoring 8.4 ppg and has dished out a team-leading 46 assists.
Freshman Mason Lund is second on the team lead with 16 3-pointers and is averaging 8.1 ppg.
SMSU is shooting 46 percent from the field, 35 percent from 3-point range, 78 percent from the free throw line and is plus-1.4 in rebound margin. The Mustangs are averaging 68 points per game, while opponents are averaging 62 ppg.
Series History Versus Sioux Falls
SMSU and USF meet for the 41st time on Saturday with SMSU leading 24-16 in a series that started in 1968-69.
SMSU has won nine of the 16 games since the 2015-16 season, including 73-65 earlier this season in Marshall.
The teams split a pair of games last season with SMSU winning, 70-69 in Sioux Falls, before USF earned a 72-71 overtime victory in Marshall.
USF leads the series 12-6 in games played in Sioux Falls, but have split the last six played inside the Stewart Center.
SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 12-10 all-time versus Sioux Falls.
Smsu VS. Usf Earlier this season
SMSU defeated USF, 73-65, in Marshall on Nov. 22.
Anthony Costello led four Mustangs in double figures with 15 points, while grabbing six rebounds. Jake Phipps recorded his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Cliff McCray scored 13 points and Dunwa Omot added 12 points.
SMSU closed the game shooting 42 percent (22 of 53), including 3 of 13 from 3-point range, while USF shot 38 percent (21 of 56) from the field and made just 6 of 27 from 3-point range.
SMSU committed just eight turnovers and held a 38-34 rebound advantage.
Matt Cartwright scored 20 points for the Cougars.
Smsu closes Break With Three Straight Wins
SMSU closed its pre-Christmas schedule earning NSIC victories over Concordia-St. Paul (67-63) and Minnesota State (62-58), before defeating Northland (81-48) in a non-conference game.
Dunwa Omot averaged 20.7 points with eight 3-pointers in the three wins, while Jake Phipps averaged 12.3 ppg and shot 65 percent (13 of 20) from the field.
SMSU closed the three games shooting 47 percent from the field with 21 3-pointers, while committing just 24 turnovers.
Cliff McCray scored the eventual game-winning field goal in the final minute of both close wins over CSP and MSU.
Scouting Sioux Falls
USF is one of the hottest teams in the NSIC since losing at SMSU on Nov. 22 having won seven of its last eight games and is 10-3 overall, 5-2 NSIC.
Senior Matt Cartwright, a second-year transfer from Augustana, is averaging a team-high 22 points with 49 3-pointers. He is second on the team in rebounding with 5.2 per game. Cartwright led the Cougars in a win over Concordia-St. Paul on Dec. 17 with 33 points on 12 of 14 shooting with seven 3-pointers.
Junior Jack Thompson averages 10.9 ppg with 12 3-pointers and has dished out a team-high 54 assists.
USF is shooting 45 percent from the field, 36 percent from 3-point range, 75 percent from the free throw line and is plus-5.0 in rebound margin.
USF is averaging 74 points per game, while opponents are averaging 67 points per game.
Head coach Chris Johnson is in his 15th season at USF with a record of 246-174. He was also head coach at Culver-Stockton for one season (2004-05).
NSIC South VS. NSIC North
SMSU is a combined 43-27 versus North Division teams in conference play since divisions were introduced prior to the 2012-13 season.
SMSU finished with 3-3 mark versus NSIC North Division teams in 2021-22.
SMSU recorded a 3-5 record versus the NSIC North Division in 2019-20; 5-3 in 2018-19; 7-1 in 2017-18; 6-2 in 2016-17; 3-5 in 2015-16; 5-3 in 2014-15; 5-3 in 2013-14; and 6-2 in 2012-13.
Through nine seasons of conference play, the NSIC South holds a 325-237 advantage over NSIC North teams since divisions were formed in 2012-13.
The 2018-19 season is the only year in which the North has held an advantage versus the South.
Season Openers
SMSU is 30-26 all-time in season openers having won nine of its last 17 and 17 of its last 26 season lid-lifters following this season's victory at Rogers State.
SMSU has opened the season on the road seven times in the last eight seasons.
Smsu in the NCAA tournament
SMSU has made five NCAA Tournament appearances (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018) since moving to Division II in 1995-96.
SMSU is 9-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament games appearing in three region championship games with region titles and Elite Eight appearances in both 2001 and 2009.
Smsu all-time in the NSIC
•The 2022-23 campaign marks the 54th season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
•SMSU has an all-time record of 391-433 in 824 conference games, finishing in the top half of the final standings 26 times in 53 seasons.
•SMSU has captured one regular season championship (2000-01) and two tournament championships (2012 and 2017).
•SMSU also won NSIC South Division titles in both 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Season openers
SMSU is 30-26 all-time in season openers having won nine of its last 17 and 17 of its last 26 season lid-lifters following this season's victory at Rogers State.
Mustang history
•SMSU is in its 56th season of men's basketball in 2022-23.
•SMSU has played 1,526 games compiling an all-time record of 705-821.
•SMSU has won two NSIC regular season championships (2001 & 2009), two NSIC South Division championships (2017 & 2018), two NSIC Tournament championships (2012, 2017), two NCAA Region championships (2001 & 2009) and has appeared in five NCAA Tournaments (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018).
•SMSU has recorded 25 winning seasons in program history with 18 coming in the last 25 years.