2/6/2010 Game Day: Mustangs gunning to snap skid against Tarleton State
Junior forward Aqueelah Watkins led MSU with 14 points and nine rebounds Wednesday night at Tarleton State. (Photo by Keith Owens/KO Photo) |
Midwestern State plays host to Tarleton State in a Lone Star Conference South Division contest Saturday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Where to find the game- 100.9 BOB FM - The broadcast features the play-by-play voice of former Lone Star Conference Broadcaster of the Year Bill Powers. The Taco Casa Pregame Show begins at 5:45 p.m.
- On the Web - BOB FM's audio broadcast simulcasts on bobradio.fm and on MSUMustangs.com.
- Live Stats - Live stats are available free of charge courtesy of MSUMustangs.com.
For the recordMidwestern State faces a big climb in its effort to advance to the Lone Star Conference Championships for the first time since 2002. The Mustangs must make up four games after suffering a sweep the first time through South Division play. MSU is currently seventh with an 0-6 mark and trails the top four teams including West Texas A&M (5-1), Tarleton State (4-2), Texas A&M-Kingsville (4-2) and Abilene Christian (4-2). Those four teams would advance to Bartlesville if the conference postseason tournament commenced today. Midwestern will also effort to snap out of a six-game skid which is the program's longest since the Mustangs dropped eight straight games at the end of the 2007-08 season. About the opponentTarleton State has been unbeatable on the floor at Wisdom Gym where they have posted 11-straight wins with a defeat this season. But the TexAnns have struggled outside of Stephenville. Tarleton possesses a 4-4 record on hostile floors and dropped three of its last four road contests which includes defeats to Texas-Permian Basin, West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Kingsville. The TexAnns boast six players with averages of better than seven points per game with four of those tallying double figures. Junior post Brittnie Haley lead the TexAnns at 11.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and is just one of two solid inside presences for TSU. Senior post JoAnne Jones also averages 11.2 points and has collected 5.6 caroms a contest. Haley and Jones have combined for 53 blocks on the defensive end. Sophomore point guard Shelby Adamson directs the Tarleton attack with four assists per game while scoring 11.2 points a game. The Rockwall product leads the TexAnn attack during LSC South play with 14.8 points while shooting 63.6 percent from the floor. The TexAnns also possess a trio of outstanding perimeter options in sophomore forward Morgan Stehling, junior guard Sonya Sundberg and sophomore forward Tori Skarke. Stehling scores 10.4 points a game while shooting 31.0 percent (22-of-71) from the 3-point arc, while Sundberg has connected on 44.6 percent from 3-point range (25-of-56) while scoring 7.5 points per game. Skarke is a 34.9 percent 3-point marksman (29-of-83) while netting 7.1 points a contest. Tarleton State scores 75.3 points a game and allow 53.5 for a +21.9-point scoring margin. Who's hotJunior forwards Aqueelah Watkins and Nolisha Markham combined to score 25 of Midwestern's 47 points Wednesday night at Tarleton State Watkins dropped in a team-high 14 points and narrowly missed her fourth double-double of the season with nine rebounds. It was the Lincoln, Neb. native's first double-figure outing since tallying her seventh-straight 10-plus point effort with 12 points and eight rebounds on Jan. 23 at Eastern New Mexico. Markham connected on 11-of-14 free throws to finish with 11 points and five rebounds Wednesday night against TexAnns. It was just the third time in the last eight games in which MSU's leading scoring has notched at least 10 points. Sophomore guard Karissa Lang hit her fourth 3-pointer of the season and had a career-best three steals Wednesday night against Tarleton. About the seriesMidwestern State meets Tarleton State for the 52nd time on the hardwood Saturday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Mustangs hold a 29-22 advantage in the series, but Tarleton has won the last nine games in the series dating back to the 2004-05 season. MSU's last win against the TexAnns came by an 80-74 count on Jan. 6, 2005 in Wichita Falls. The Mustangs are 12-12 all time at Wisdom Gym and 16-7 against Tarleton at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. | 
