TIPOFF
Midwestern State hits the hardwood for the first time in two weeks as they come back from the finals break to face East Central (Okla.). Tip off is set for 4:00 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

Midwestern State vs. East Central
Saturday, Dec. 14 | 4:00 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (5-3); East Central (5-3)
Live Video: None
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
East Central comes into the game at Ligon Coliseum sporting a 5-3 record, 1-3 in the Great American Conference. Interim head coach Emily Holombek's Tigers are led by senior guard senior forward Alycea Price of Houston, Texas/Lamar who's averaging 10.9 points and 8.1 rebounds a game. She is one of five Tigers who average 9.0 points or better a game. Senior forward Ashley Robinson of Tulsa, Okla./Sapulpa adds 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds a game, while hitting 1.9 3-point field goals a game and blocking 1.0 shots a contest. Junior guard Erin Walling, a hometown girl from Ada, Okla., adds 9.9 points with 5.5 rebounds, while junior forward Dilan Webster adds 9.1 points with 5.3 rebounds and 0.9 blocks. Junior center Ashleigh Kelman-Poto chips in 9.0 points and leads the team with 8.3 rebounds an outing. ECU is averaging 66.2 points a contest, while allowing opponents 61.8 points a game.

ABOUT THE SERIES
This is the 25th meeting between Midwestern State and East Central with MSU holding a 15-9 series lead. MSU sports an 11-3 advantage in the series at Ligon Coliseum, a 4-6 advantage in Ada, and a 1-0 neutral court advantage. MSU has won five of the last six meetings against the Tigers and 10 of the last 12 contests, including a 94-87 overtime win in Ada on Nov. 22, 2011. The last ECU win in the series came in Ada on Dec. 14, 2009 when the Tigers won 71-58 over the Mustangs, while the last ECU win at Ligon Coliseum occured on Nov. 23, 1999 with a 58-56 win.

LAST TIME OUT VS. ECU
After allowing a nine-point second half lead evaporate, the Mustangs used an 11-3 run in the final 2:26 of regulation to force a tie, then never trailed in the overtime to defeat East Central 94-87 on Nov. 22, 2011. Kirsti Degelia canned three 3-pointers on her way to equaling teammate Cierra Thompson's 22 points to lead MSU. Thompson double-doubled with 10 rebounds. Diana Jones added 16 points for the Mustangs, while Jazman Patterson had seven and led the team with 13 boards. ECU was paced by Lindsay McCown's 21 points, and got 15 points from Taylor Fischer. Dilan Webster posted 11 points with 15 rebounds as Jourdan Clark scored 11 points as well.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State is at 5-3 on the season. Coach Noel Johnson's Mustangs started the season at number 10, but early season troubles have scuttled the ranking. The Mustangs are led by All-America junior forward Andrea Carter who is averaging 14.9 points and 7.8 rebounds with 2.0 steals and 0.9 assists per game. Junior guard Dianna Jones adds 11.5 points a game to go with her 4.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.59 assist-turnover ratio. Senior guard Kirsti Degelia adds 9.9 points with 1.1 three-pointers a game, to go with 3.8 assists and 1.1 steals. Junior guard Shatoia Gober chalks up 8.8 points a contest, as she pulls down 5.6 rebounds with 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals, while junior guard Lisa Hampton chips in 6.8 points, hitting 1.4 treys a contest. MSU averages 73.4 points a contest, while allowing 70.9.

LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs won their second straight with an 84-74 triumph at Ouachita Baptist (Ark.). MSU went on a 9-2 run to start the second half and held the Tigers without a field goal for the first six minutes of the second frame in building a lead they would not relinquish. Andrea Carter collected her second double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds to go with two blocked shots and a steal. Taylor Dowd popped for 12 points, while Dianna Jones had 11 points with six assists. Shatoia Gober just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, as Kirsti Degelia recorded 10 points with six assists. MSU shot a season-best 53.8 percent from the floor (28-of-52), including 6-of-11 from the 3-point arc (54.5 percent). MSU also was 22-of-27 from the line (81.5 percent) while outrebounding OBU 43-23.

MSU UNDER NOEL JOHNSON
Noel Johnson is 77-68 in her sixth year as the head coach of the Mustangs. She was the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year in 2012 after turning the program around with a 19-8 season, then earned the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Small College Coach of the Year award for leading MSU to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 with a 26-6 record and the Lone Star Conference Championship.

MSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Midwestern State started the season at number 10 in the WBCA's USA Today Sports Division II Top 25, but early losses dropped them to the first team receiving votes for three weeks. This week's poll marks the first time they didn't receive a vote this year.

THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
Thanks to the ice storm last weekend and finals this week, the Mustangs haven't played since beating Ouachita Baptist on Sunday, Dec. 1 ... The Mustangs tallied their second highest scoring game of the year in the 84-74 win at Ouachita Baptist...The Mustangs had their best shooting performance of the season, canning 53.8 percent from the floor (28-of-52)...It was also the best 3-point shooting performance, as MSU went 6-of-11, a 54.5 percentage…After being out rebounded in five games this season, the Mustangs board work in Arkadelphia proved to be the best so far this season as Midwestern outrebounded Ouachita Baptist 43-23, recording season highs in total rebounds (43), fewest opponent rebounds (23) and rebound margin (+20)...It is the first time this season MSU has outrebounded opponents in consecutive games (MSU out boarded McMurry 37-30)...MSU is still being out rebounded by an average of 1.7 boards a game (33.0 to 34.8). MSU hasn't been outrebounded in a season since the 2007-08 campaign…MSU's defense has paced the Mustangs on a +3.3 turnover margin (13.6 giveaways per game to 16.9 takeaways)…Midwestern recorded five double-digit scorers against Ouachita, the first time that's happened this season for MSU...Junior Andrea Carter of Angleton, Texas, posted her second double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 boards at OBU. She tallied 18 double-doubles last season...Shatoia Gober just missed a double-double for a third time in four games with 10 points and a season-high nine rebounds at Ouachita...
  

-- MSUMustangs.com --