SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball Team (8-3, 3-2 NSIC), which has won seven-of-nine games, will face Southwest Minnesota State State (4-6, 1-4 NSIC) Sunday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m., at the Stewart Center. USF, which defeated Dakota State, 94-40, on Dec. 18 to close out its nonconference slate, stands 7-3 overall, 3-2 in the league.  

Following Christmas break, the Cougars will resume NSIC play ranked in the league's top-four in 10 statistical categories and lead in three (turnover margin, 8.91; turnover average, 11.5; and assist turnover ratio, 1.2). USF is fourth in scoring at 73.5 points per game while allowing 55.3 percent for fourth. In addition, USF is second in three-pointers per game at 8.6 and scoring margin at 18.3 ppg. At 3-2 in the South Division, USF is tied for second. Of note, USF head coach Travis Traphagen reached his 200th career win against Concordia-St. Paul on Dec. 7 in an 83-74 win at the Stewart Center. He now has 202 career wins.

USF leads all-time series with SMSU, 12-1
Led by freshman forward Krystal Carlson, who scored a career-high 20 points, USF rolled to a 69-51 road win over Southwest Minnesota State to open Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play at the R/A Facility on Dec. 1. In a match-up of travel partners, USF used double-digit scoring performances from Carlson and junior Kaely Hummel (12 points) to open the league schedule with a road win.  USF recorded its 11th straight win over the Mustangs. Carlson, who reached double-digits in points for a third time, hit 9-of-15 shots from the field and both of her free throws while grabbing four rebounds in her career-best 20-point performance. Hummel was 5-of-12 from the floor, had three rebounds and recorded a steal. USF, which forced 15 turnovers and had 10 steals, also had seven points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks from sophomore Anna Goodhope. Junior Guard Jessie Geer had eight points and a game-best and season-high five steals.

With the win, Sioux Falls has extended their series lead to 12-1 against SMSU. When USF joined the NSIC in 2012, the two programs began facing each other twice a season as travel partners and members of the league's South Division. USF has swept all but one season series, which was the first season they squared off. USF won the first matchup, a 77-66 decision in Marshall, Minn. on Dec. 1, 2012. The following contest was a 66-52 loss on the Cougars' home court on Jan. 15, 2013, but the next six years have been a string of commanding victories for USF. A 70-60 victory for Sioux Falls on Nov. 30, 2013, was the first of what is now 10 straight double-digit wins and has been the narrowest margin of victory for USF in that span. The largest came on Nov. 25, 2014 in Marshall, Minn., when USF toppled the Mustangs, 91-50, a 41-point margin. The Cougars are undefeated on the road, 7-0, against the Mustangs, and have a 5-1 home mark against SMSU.

USF's Hummel ranks seventh in the NSIC in scoring
Hummel ranks seventh in the league with 15.6 points per game and is second in free throw shooting at 90.0 percent with 27 made foul shots on 30 attempted. She also ranks third in the league with 2.5 made threes per game. Hummel owns a career-high 29 points against Minnesota Crookston on Jan. 13, 2018 at the Stewart Center. In USF's DII era, she ranks second with 148 made three-pointers and third in points with 875 points with 172 this season.

USF's all-time three-point shot leader is Laura Johnson with 259 from 2010-14 when she scored 1,402 points, which ranks fifth all-time. Taylor Varsho is USF's DII leader in points and three-pointers with 1,379 points (7th, all-time at USF), including 245 treys, from 2014-16.  USF's all-time points leader was Courtney Farrell with 2,433 points from 2002-05. She is the only USF player with 2000 points in her career.

SMSU brings 4-6 record into matchup
Directed by head coach Tom Webb, SMSU has opened the year at 4-6 with a 1-4 mark in league play.  The Mustangs rank eighth in the NSIC at 68.4 points per game but allow 70.3 for 14th in the league.  SMSU is led by Caleigh Rodning, who ranks seventh in the NSIC in scoring at 15.6 points per game. The Mustangs have lost three straight league games but own a 74-73 win over Minnesota State.

Syzmanski ranks second on USF in scoring
Mariah Szymanski, who was named second team All-NSIC a year ago, is second on the team in scoring at 8.4 points per game while shooting at a 36.6 percent clip. She also has accumulated 29 total rebounds (2.6 rpg), 23 assists and 12 steals on the season. She has totaled 22 career double-digit scoring games with 11 of 15 points or more and eight over 20 points. She set a school record with 43 points in a win over Concordia-St. Paul on Jan. 20, 2018. In that game she set a school record with nine made three-pointers in 10 attempts. In addition, she had a third record in the game with 14 made field goals in 20 attempts.

USF Individual Notes - Carlson has three double digit scoring games and Goodhope has team-high of 12 boards
Freshman Krystal Carlson, who has three double digit games with a career-best 20 points against SMSU on Dec. 1, 2018, is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 6.0 points. She has totaled 39 rebounds (3.5 per game), as well as four blocks this season.

Junior forward Gloria Mulumba, who is averaging 5.9 points per game, is fifth on the team in rebounding with 3.1 per game. Mulumba has two double digit scoring games with a career high of 17 points in a win over Concordia St. Paul on Dec. 7, 2018. In that game, she hit 8-of-11 field goals. She also has a career high of seven rebounds against Ouachita Baptist on Nov. 9 and five or more boards four times.

Sophomore forward Anna Goodhope is supplying 5.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game for USF. Goodhope, who prepped at Sioux Falls Washington, has one double-digit scoring game with 11 points against South Dakota Mines on Nov. 16. She has scored at least seven points in a game five times and has a career-best 12 rebounds in a win over Concordia St. Paul on Dec. 7 at the Stewart Center. 

Sophomore Lauren Sanders has also had an efficient start to the season, scoring 4.3 points per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field (16-for-33) and 56.0 percent from beyond the arc (14-for-25). Sanders has accumulated nine double-digit scoring games in her career.