Midwestern State in the Adams State Bankers Classic
Midwestern State vs. Colorado State-Pueblo
Friday, Nov. 8, 2013 | 4 p.m. Central
Plachy Hall | Alamosa, Colo.
Records: MSU 0-0, CSU-P 0-0
Radio: 95.5 ESPN
Audio Stream: ESPN-Midwestern State Sports Network
Live Stats: ASUGrizzlies.com

Midwestern State vs. Adams State
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013 | 7 p.m. Central
Plachy Hall | Alamosa, Colo.
Records: MSU 0-0, ASU 0-0
Radio: 95.5 ESPN
Audio Stream: ESPN-Midwestern State Sports Network
Live Stats: ASUGrizzlies.com

THE SCOOP
The 10th ranked Mustangs open the season on Friday at the Adams State Bankers Classic Conference Challenge when they face Colorado State-Pueblo. Midwestern State (26-6, 16-4 LSC in 2012-13), the Lone Star Conference champions in 2013, reached the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championship game (Sweet 16) before falling to No. 4 Colorado Mesa 69-65. CSU-Pueblo (18-9, 15-7 in RMAC in 2012-13) was fifth in the RMAC last season and fell in the RMAC quarterfinals at Fort Lewis 78-67. Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m. Central Friday at Plachy Hall in Alamosa, Colo.

MSU meets host Adams State on Saturday. Adams (9-17 last season, 6-16 in RMAC in 2012-13) meets Eastern New Mexico on Friday before playing MSU. Tipoff for that game is 7:00 p.m. Central Saturday at Plachy Hall.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The Colorado State-Pueblo Thunderwolves of Kip Drown return junior post Katie Nehf who averaged 7.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks last season and forward Paige Ramm 6.8 points and 3.2 rebounds. CSU-P averaged 64.0 points last year, while allowing 56.0.

The Adams State Grizzlies of first-year coach Rebecca Alvidrez return last season's leading scorer in post Kelly Hernandez who averaged 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, and senior post Tessie Pikula with 7.3 points and 5.0 boards. The Grizzlies averaged 54.5 points a game last year, while allowing 61.8 ppg.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
The Mustangs are looking to get back to the hardwood after reaching the NCAA II South Central Regional Championship game last season. MSU lost only one player from last season and is paced by senior Kirsti Degelia, an All-Region and All-Lone Star Conference performer in 2012-13, who led the team and was third in the Lone Star Conference with 16.4 points a game (71st in Division II) to go with 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists (third in the LSC). All-American junior Andrea Carter, a first-team All-LSC selection, LSC tri-Defensive Player of the Year and Daktronics All-Region was second in the LSC and 16th nationally in rebounding with 10.6 per game to go with her 13.4 points (eighth in the LSC) and 2.5 steals (second in the LSC, 63rd DII).

ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State trails Colorado State-Pueblo 0-1 in the series. Midwestern faced CSU-P on Nov. 24, 2006 in a classic at Metro State in Denver. The Thunderwolves won 62-56.

When MSU meets Adams State it will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs got behind early against the much taller Texas Longhorns in their only exhibition game and fell to UT 119-75 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. The Mustangs and Longhorns played everyone available in the only freebie that either squad would face on the season. MSU stayed within 20 for most of the contest until late when the Horns pulled away. Andrea Carter led the way for Midwestern with 15 points, but was held to just four rebounds. Shatoia Gober collected 10 points and led MSU with seven rebounds and three steals. Kirsti Degelia also scored 10 points, with a rebound, an assist and a steal. MSU shot 32.1 percent from the floor, connecting on 17 field goals on 53 attempts, and hitting just 4-of-17 3-pointers (23.5 percent). MSU buried 37-of-47 from the foul line (78.8 percent). Texas connected on 59.4 percent from the field (41-of-69), including 10-of-23 from the 3-point arc (43.5 percent) and connected on 27-of-38 (71.1 percent) from the free throw line.

MSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Midwestern State opens the season in a spot they have never been before ... ranked in the WBCA's USA Today Sports Division II Top 25. And not just in the top 25, but the Top 10. At number 10, MSU has its highest-ever ranking in the poll after climbing to 19th in the final poll of the season in 2012-13. MSU was ranked in the Top 25 three times last season. MSU made history on Dec. 18 when it was ranked 25th and entered the Division II Top 25 for the first time in school history and returned at 25 in the last poll before the NCAA Tournament. At season's end, the Mustangs received votes in 10 weeks of the poll for the first time in a season, bettering last season's record of five weeks. MSU has now received votes in the poll 18 times, 16 weeks since the 2011-12 season and getting votes in the Jan. 10, 2002 and Nov. 28, 2001 editions of the poll.
  

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