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The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (9-4, 5-3 NSIC) continues road play this Friday and Saturday with the first of eight straight games versus NSIC North Division foes.
SMSU will take on the University of Mary (7-5, 3-5 NSIC) on Friday night with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m. at the McDowell Center on the campus of UMary in Bismarck, N.D.
SMSU will conclude the weekend on Saturday with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off at Minot State University (7-5, 4-4 NSIC) inside the MSU Dome in Minot, N.D. MSU will host Sioux Falls on Friday night before taking on SMSU.
SMSU is a combined 43-27 versus NSIC North Division teams in conference play since divisions were introduced prior to the 2012-13 season.
SMSU, which has won four straight and five of its last six, returns home on Jan. 13 versus MSU Moorhead to open a four-game homestand.
SMSU's last five-game winning streak occurred last season when SMSU opened the season 5-1.
SMSU head coach Bigler
Brad Bigler, the all-time wins leader in program history, is in his 14th season as head coach. He has an overall record of 214-169, including 143-132 in NSIC play.
The 2012-13 and 2016-17 NSIC Coach of the Year, Bigler has led SMSU to seven winning seasons, including one 28-win season, one 25-win season and two 19-win seasons.
SMSU won NSIC Tournament titles in 2012 and 2017 and won back-to-back NSIC South Division championships in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
SMSU has played in five NSIC Tournament championship games during his tenure (2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019).
SMSU's 11th head coach, Bigler spent six seasons (2003-09) as an assistant coach at SMSU, including the last three as associate head coach.
SMSU's 71 combined victories from 2016-19 was the best three-year stretch in program history.
Mustangs by the numbers
For the season, SMSU has three players averaging double figures in scoring. Sophomore Dunwa Omot leads the way at 15.5 ppg while connecting on a team-high 22 3-pointers with a team-leading 17 steals.
SMSU leads the NSIC (league games only) in scoring defense (62.4) and opponent field goal percentage (39.4%) and ranks last in scoring offense (63.4).
Junior Jake Phipps is scoring 10.4 ppg while shooting 55% from the field. He leads the team with 7.1 rebounds per game.
Senior Anthony Costello is averaging 11.6 ppg and has made 17 3-pointers.
Junior Cliff McCray is scoring 8.3 ppg and has dished out a team-leading 47 assists.
Freshman Mason Lund is tied for second on the team with 17 3-pointers and is averaging 7.7 ppg.
SMSU is shooting 47% from the field, 36% from 3-point range, 77% from the free throw line and is plus-0.4 in rebound margin.
The Mustangs are averaging 68 points per game, while opponents are averaging 62 ppg.
Mustang tip-off tidbits
Through Jan. 3, SMSU ranks sixth in Division II in fouls per game (12.8), 14th in scoring defense (61.5), 14th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.4), 18th in field goal percentage defense (39.1) and 25th in free throw percentage (77.8).
Jake Phipps ranks 67th in blocked shots (17).
SMSU has played outstanding defense in the second half in five of its last six games. The Mustangs held Winona State to 26.7 percent shooting and limited Upper Iowa to 27.3 percent shooting. In the win over Concordia-St. Paul, SMSU held CSP to 30.8 percent, while limiting Northland to 32.3 percent and Sioux Falls to 28.1 percent.
During SMSU's current four-game winning streak, sophomore Dunwa Omot is averaging 20.5 points per game while connecting on 31 of 52 field goals (59.6 percent), including 8-14 from 3-point range.
He has also made 12 of 13 free throw attempts and has dished out nine assists with seven steals and grabbed three rebounds.
Redshirt freshman Jakob Braaten returned the line-up last Saturday at Sioux Falls after missing three games due to an injury.
Phipps ranks fifth in team history in field goal pct. (56.3, 341-606) and is sixth in blocked shots (94).
Senior Anthony Costello has scored 929 career points in 92 combined games at Dakota State (2018-20) and SMSU (2021-23). He scored 551 points in 52 games at DSU and has scored 378 in 40 games at SMSU.
Omot ranks second in team history in 3-point field goal percentage (50.6, 79-156).
Omot's 56.6% 3-point field goal percentage last season set a program single-season record, while his 87.5% free throw percentage ranks seventh in team single-season history.
Phipps grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds at Wayne State on Dec. 3. He is the first SMSU player to grab 15 rebounds in a game since Kenny Byers had 15 at Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 14, 2019.
SMSU held Winona State to 46 points and 18 field goals, the lowest by an SMSU opponent in both categories this season.
Series history vs. UMary
SMSU and UMary meet for the 21st time with SMSU leading 16-4 in a series that started in 2005-06.
SMSU leads 5-3 in games played in Bismarck, but lost the last game played at UMary on Jan. 18, 2020.
SMSU, which won last season's lone meeting played in Marshall, has won five of the last six in the series since the 2016-17 season.
SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 10-4 all-time versus UMary.
Series history vs. Minot State
SMSU and MSU meet for the 15th time with SMSU holding a 12-2 advantage.
SMSU leads 6-1 in games played in Minot, including winning, 89-75, last season in the opening round of the NSIC Tournament.
Last season's regular season scheduled game in Marshall was ruled a 'no-contest' because of COVID protocols.
MSU's two victories in the series came during the opening two weekends of the shortened 2021 season when the teams split four games played in Minot and Marshall.
SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 12-2 all-time versus MSU.
SMSU earns fourth straight win
SMSU closed with a 24-12 run in the final eight minutes to rally and earn a big 64-54 road win over the University of Sioux Falls last Saturday.
Dunwa Omot led the Mustangs with a team-high 20 points, while Anthony Costello added 17 points with 15 coming in the second half. Omot connected on 8-11 from the field and was 4-4 from the foul line, while Costello finished 7-11 shooting with a team-high two 3-pointers.
The Mustangs shot 54% (26-48) from the field while making 5 of 11 3-pointers.
SMSU was red-hot in the second half, making 15 of 26 field goals (58%) with three 3-pointers.
The Cougars were limited to 33% (22-66) shooting including 8-34 from 3-point range. The SMSU defense was outstanding in the second half, limiting USF to just 28% shooting.
Scouting UMary
The Marauders are 7-5 overall, 3-5 NSIC, and is coming off a road split last weekend, losing to Bemidji State (77-67) before defeating Minnesota Crookston (80-76).
Junior transfer guard Zyon Smith is averaging a team-high 12.6 points with a team-high 25 3-pointers.
Senior guard Kam Warrens averages 12.5 ppg with 18 3-pointers and ranks second on the team in rebounding at 5.6 rpg.
UMary is shooting 44% from the field, 37% from 3-point range, 71% from the free throw line and is plus-1.0 in rebound margin.
UMary is averaging 74 points per game, while opponents are averaging 72 points per game.
Head coach Jack Nelson is in his second season at UMary with a record of 18-22. He was the associate head coach at the University of Sioux Falls for three seasons prior to UMary.
Scouting Minot State
The Beavers, 7-5 overall, 4-4 NSIC, will host Sioux Falls on Friday night.
MSU had its three-game winning streak snapped last Saturday with a road loss to Bemidji State (81-73).
Senior Cam'ron Dunfee is scoring a team-leading 14.3 ppg with a team-best 29 3-pointers.
Junior Khari Broadway averages 12.8 ppg with a team-high 16 steals.
MSU is shooting 47% from the field, 38% from 3-point range, 73% from the free throw line and is plus-2.6 in rebound margin.
MSU is averaging 78 points per game, while opponents are averaging 73 points per game.
Head coach Matt Murken is in his 11th season with a record of 136-149.
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.