Midwestern State at Texas Tech
Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 | 2 p.m.
United Supermarkets Arena | Lubbock, Texas
Listen: Mustangs Digital Network
Live Stats: TexasTech.com

THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State concludes exhibition play Sunday as the Mustangs travel to Lubbock to face NCAA Division I Texas Tech at United Supermarkets Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
- Midwestern State fans making the trip to Lubbock will need to take note of a new clear bag policy in effect for all Texas Tech home events
- The policy limits the size and type of bags that may be brought into any Texas Tech venue
- Bags must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and not exceed 12" x 6" x 12"
- One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags (Ziploc bag or similar), small clutch bags (approximately the size of a hand) with or without a handle or strap can be taken into the venue with one of the clear plastic bags
- An exception will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection
- The following items will be prohibited from entering the facility – purses larger than a clutch bag, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, non-approved seat cushions and chairbacks, luggage of any kind, computer bags, camera bags, diaper bags or binocular cases
 
LAST TIME OUT
- Midwestern State traveled to No. 16/18 Oklahoma for its exhibition opener with the Sooners recording a 110-47 win at the Lloyd Noble Center Wednesday evening
- Sophomore guard Anni Scholl led the Mustangs with 11 points off the bench, going 3-for-3 from behind the arc in the first quarter to give the Mustangs a 21-20 lead after the opening period
- Junior post Avery Queen and junior guard Kristin Rydell each added eight points while junior guard Whitney Taylor recorded seven points for the Mustangs
  
MUSTANGS PICKED SEVENTH IN LSC PRESEASON POLL
- Midwestern State was tabbed seventh in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll with 145 points following an eighth-place finish in the league in 2015-16
- LSC regular season champ West Texas A&M was picked to finish first in the conference, receiving 16 of 30 first-place votes while totaling 312 points
- Conference tournament champion Angelo State was picked a close second behind the Lady Buffs with 311 points and 13 first-place votes
- Texas Woman's (257), Tarleton State (238) and Texas A&M-Commerce (207) rounded out the top five in the poll
- Cameron was tabbed sixth, receiving the remaining first-place vote with 156 points
- MSU and Eastern New Mexico were deadlocked at 145 points to tie for seventh in the poll, finishing ahead of UT Permian Basin (77), Western New Mexico (71) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (61)
 
2015-16 RECAP
- Carrying a youthful squad with 10 underclassmen on the 16-player roster last season, Midwestern State also faced a challenging schedule with five NCAA Tournament-qualifying teams and eventual Division II national champion Lubbock Christian on its 2015-16 slate
- The Mustangs schedule ranked the fifth-toughest in NCAA Division II last season behind Grand Valley State (Mich.), California State Dominguez Hills, Lubbock Christian and Bentley (Mass.)
- MSU concluded with a 5-22 record and 4-12 slate in the LSC to claim eighth in the league standings and punch a ticket to the conference postseason tournament for the fifth-straight season before a 63-44 loss to top-seeded West Texas A&M
- Sophomore guard Whitney Taylor earned All-LSC Honorable Mention accolades after leading the Mustangs with 12.5 points per game and 38 three-pointers with a 37.3 shooting clip from long range
 
A LOOK AT THE MUSTANGS
- Midwestern State returns its top-three scorers from last season in Taylor, junior guard Krishawn Crockett (8.4 ppg) and senior forward Jennifer Arbuckle (7.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
- Taylor (14.8 ppg) and Crockett (10.2 ppg) both averaged double figures in LSC play last season to lead the Mustangs
- Arbuckle, the lone senior on this year's squad, led the Mustangs on the glass last season while also ranking third on the team in scoring
- The Mustangs also return five letterwinners in junior guard Kristin Rydell (5.2 ppg, 37.7 3FG%) sophomore forward McKenna Villegas (2.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and sophomore guards Anni Scholl (1.8 ppg), Alyssa Jones (1.8 ppg) and Montoria Tripp (1.1 ppg)
- Midwestern will also look to receive contributions from redshirt freshmen Leanna James (Godley, Texas), Courtney Kerr (Paradise, Texas) and Liz Cathcart (Spring Branch, Texas)
- Rounding out the squad are five newcomers including four with collegiate experience
- Junior post Avery Queen (Boerne, Texas / Denver) and junior forward Micheline Mercelita (Edinburg, Texas / UT Rio Grande Valley) arrive in Wichita Falls after two seasons playing at the Division I level while junior guard Jasmine Richardson (Corpus Christi, Texas / Western Texas College) and junior forward Lauren Newman (El Paso, Texas / Odessa College) have two seasons of eligibility remaining after playing at the junior college level
- Guard Mica Schneider is the lone true freshman on this year's team, hailing from Boerne, Texas
 
THE JOHNSON ERA
- Noel Johnson begins her ninth season at the helm of the Midwestern State women's basketball program, leading the Mustangs to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2013-15
- Johnson has compiled a 118-106 career mark (.527) at MSU and is the third-winningest coach in program history behind Shannon Burks (132 wins, 1999-2008) and Kim Griffee (120 wins, 1984-92)
- In 2013, Johnson was named the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) Small College Coach of the Year after guiding the Mustangs to their first Lone Star Conference title in 11 years while advancing to the NCAA South Central Region finals with a 26-6 record
- Johnson earned LSC Coach of the Year accolades in 2012 after leading MSU to its first trip to the league's postseason tournament since 2003 with a 19-8 record and third-place finish in the LSC
 
SCOUTING THE LADY RAIDERS
- Texas Tech is coming off a 13-18 season and ninth-place finish in the Big 12 in 2015-16
- The Lady Raiders were picked seventh in the league's preseason poll, the highest preseason conference ranking for fourth-year head coach Candi Whitaker
- Texas Tech returns two starters and six letterwinners from last season's squad
- Senior guard Ivonne CookTaylor returns after leading TTU in scoring last season with 14.3 points per game
- Sophomore guard Japreece Dean also averaged double figures with 12.5 points and 3.3 assists per game while shooting a team-high 80.6 percentage from the charity stripe during her freshman campaign
 
THE SERIES
- Noel Johnson will lead the Mustangs against her alma mater for just the second time in exhibition play, falling to the Lady Raiders 77-62 in the 2012-13 exhibition opener in Lubbock
- Midwestern State has also faced Texas Tech just one time prior to Sunday's meeting
 
UP NEXT 
- Midwestern State opens the 2016-17 regular season next weekend inside D.L. Ligon Coliseum with the sixth annual Ashbrook Classic
- The Mustangs host Adams State (Colo.) in the season opener Friday at 7 p.m. before taking on Texas A&M International Saturday at 8 p.m. in the tournament finale