MARSHALL, Minn. - Fourth-year head coach Mike Jewett and the Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team will begin preparation for the upcoming season on Thursday when they hold their first official practice of the 2009-10 season.

SMSU returns three starters and its top players in rebounds and assists from last season's 14-16 (6-14 NSIC) team.

Guard Tori Fink (North Fond du Lac, Wis.) is the Mustangs' top returning scorer.  The junior averaged 8.4 point per game and started 23 games last season.  Fellow guard Megan Stadler (Sioux Falls, S.D.) is also back.  The lone senior on this year's roster led SMSU with 4.6 assists per game last season and averaged 6.4 point per game as the team's starting point guard.

Also returning is junior center Laura Kramer (Fulda, Minn.), who was SMSU's top rebounder last year.  Kramer snagged 5.9 boards per game and also led the Mustangs with 31 blocks and shot a team-best 48.8 percent from the field.

Sophomore center Abby Kenealy (Farmington, Minn.), junior guard Heather Smith (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and sophomore guard Taylor Voss (Avon, Minn.) are also back.  Kenealy averaged 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last season, while Smith averaged 3.5 points per game.  Voss averaged 5.3 points per game in 2008-09 and was second on the team with 36 three-pointers and shot 35.3 percent from behind the arc.

Four newcomers, including a pair of freshman and a pair of junior college transfers, round out this year's 12-person roster.

The Mustangs will open the season at home on Nov. 20 and 21 when Truman (Mo.) and Hillsdale (Mich.) come to Marshall for the SMSU Classic.