The No. 25 Mustangs carry their first-ever national ranking as an NCAA Division II program into the first game back from the holiday break and the last game of 2012 when they hit the road to face Eastern New Mexico.
Midwestern State (7-2, 2-1) is coming off a 72-53 loss at Central Oklahoma on Dec. 19, snapping a three-game win streak. Eastern New Mexico (1-10, 0-3) is coming off its first win of the year on Dec. 19, a 66-45 triumph over Brigham Young-Hawaii in a tournament in Anchorage, Alaska.
Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. Texas time on Monday at Greyhound Arena in Portales, N.M.
WHERE TO FIND THE GAME
100.9 BOB-FM - The broadcast features the play-by-play voice of two-time Lone Star Conference Broadcaster of the Year Bill Powers. The Taco Casa Pregame Show begins at 2:45 pm.
On the Web - BOB-FM's audio broadcast simulcasts on bobradio.fm. LINK
Live Stats - Live stats are available courtesy of the Central Oklahomas Media Relations office. LINK
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State is looking to match its best 10-game start in the program's NCAA Division II era against the Zias. They are doing this while playing the second of five straight road games .
The Mustangs received their first-ever national ranking as a Division II program on Dec. 18, when MSU was tabbed No. 25 in the WBCA's USA Today Sports Division II Coaches Poll.
The Mustangs are paced by the powerful duo of junior Kirsti Degelia and sophomore Andrea Carter.
Degelia leads the Mustangs offensively. The honorable mention All-Lone Star Conference performer a season ago is a junior from Denton, Texas/Krum who's third in the LSC in scoring with 15.1 points a game, and averages 3.2 assists a contest while grabbing 4.7 rebounds a game.
Carter, who has won the LSC Defensive Player of the Week award twice this year and the LSC Offensive Player of the Week award once, has posted five double-doubles in nine games this season. The sophomore from Angleton is second on the team and eighth in the LSC with a 13.4 scoring average. She leads the squad, is second in the LSC and fifth nationally with 11.4 rebounds and is third in the conference with 2.4 steals a contest.
Sophomore Shatoia Gober of Waco, Texas/Midway contributes 10.7 points a contest to go with her 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals an outing. She is also shooting 50.6 percent from the floor (39-of-77).
Sophomore Diana Jones of Hewitt, Texas/Midway is averaging 8.0 points a game, adds 3.8 assists an outing. She has nailed 10-of-26 three point attempts (.385) to go with her 2.2 steals a contest.
MSU is averaging 72.3 points with 41.0 rebounds a game. The Mustangs allow opponents 62.7 points a contest.
ABOUT THE ZIAS
Eastern New Mexico snapped out of a season opening funk with its win over BYU-Hawaii.
The Zias of coach Lindsey Wilson are at 1-9 on the season, and has been idle since Dec. 19, the same as Midwestern. The MSU contest is just the Zias third game at home this season.
ENMU is paced by senior guard Hannah Altheide of El Paso, Texas/Chapin. She is the leader of the squad averaging just 6.6 points a game to go with 2.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 2.3 assists a contest.
Sophomore guard Ashlee Pierson of Clovis, N.M., averages 6.1 points an outing and leads the team with 2.1 steals a game.
Junior guard Alexa Candelaria of El Paso, Texas/Hanks, scores 5.1 points a game, while sophomore forward Jasmine Johnson of DeSoto, Texas leads the team with 5.4 rebounds to go with her 4.6 points per appearance.
The Zias average just 48.4 points a game, while allowing just 68.2.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State faces Eastern New Mexico for the 35th time when the Mustangs meet the Zias for the final game of the year 2012.
The Midwestern State leads the series 19-15, but trails ENMU 9-8 in Portales.
Midwestern is 11-7 against the Zias at Ligon Coliseum, with no games on neutral floors.
MSU has won the last four games in the series and six of the last eight.
The Mustangs claimed a 64-55 win at Ligon Coliseum in the final regular season game last year on Feb. 25, 2012, and won 70-67 in overtime in the last meeting at Portales on Jan. 14, 2012.
-- MSUMustangs.com --
