TIPOFF
Midwestern State returns to Wichita Falls for the first of two Lone Star Conference contests as the Mustangs play host to the Zias of Eastern New Mexico. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

Midwestern State vs. Eastern New Mexico
Saturday, Jan. 11 | 4:00 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (9-5, 1-2); Eastern New Mexico (3-7, 1-0)
Live Video: MSUMustangs.com
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com

SCOUTING THE ZIAS
Eastern New Mexico enters the game at 3-7 overall and 1-0 in Lone Star Conference action after beating Cameron 70-61 at Greyhound Arena in Portales.  Coach Josh Prock is in his first season for the Zias who are led by senior post Jasmine Johnson of DeSoto, Texas with 10.5 points per game (17th in the LSC) and 5.6 rebounds (14th in the LSC), while shooting a team best 44.7 percent from the floor (38-of-85). Junior forward Tori Tucker of Portales, N.M./Floyd adds 10.3 points (20th in the LSC) and leads the team with 6.7 rebounds (sixth), while hitting 1.8 treys a game.  Senior forward Nelsha Peterson, sister of Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson, chips in 10.0 points and 6.0 boards (21st and 13th in the LSC respectively).  Sophomore guard Jordyn Cooper of Texico, N.M. provides 8.6 points and 3.6 rebounds an outing while connecting on 1.7 3-pointers a game. ENMU is averaging 64.4 points a contest, while allowing opponents 72.8 points a game.

ABOUT THE SERIES
This is the 39th meeting between Midwestern State and Eastern New Mexico, with MSU holding a 21-17 series lead.  MSU is 12-7 at Ligon Coliseum, ENMU is 10-8 at Greyhound Arena, while the Mustangs are 1-0 at a neutral site. MSU won two of the three matchups last season.  MSU won 67-52 on Feb. 9, 2013 at Ligon Coliseum and on March 6, 2013 85-70 in the opening round of the Lone Star Conference Tournament in Allen, Texas.  ENMU snapped a four-game winning streak by MSU on Dec. 31, 2012 by taking a 70-62 triumph at Greyhound Arena in Portales.

LAST TIME OUT VS. ENMU
The Mustangs used a 11-0 run after going down 4-2 early to grab a lead and never look back as Midwestern State won its first LSC Tournament game since 2003 with an 85-70 win over Eastern New Mexico. The Mustangs led by double digits the entire second half. MSU was led by Dianna Jones who scored a career-high 27 points with four rebounds, six assists and two steals. Kirsti Degelia chalked up 22 points, with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Andrea Carter recorded 15 points with seven rebounds and three steals. Shatoia Gober double-doubled with 10 points and 10 rebounds. MSU shot 44.8 percent from the floor, connecting on 30 field goals of 67 attempts, and hitting 3-of-15 3-pointers (20.0 percent). They also buried 22-of-27 from the foul line (81.5 percent).

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State is at 9-5 on the season, 1-2 in Lone Star Conference action. 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 15.0 points and 9.1 rebounds to rank third in the LSC in both categories with 1.8 steals (sixth in the LSC) and 0.5 blocks per game. Junior guard Dianna Jones adds 10.6 points a game to go with her 4.4 assists (second in the LSC), 1.7 steals (eighth in the LSC) and 1.36 assist-turnover ratio (third in the LSC). Senior guard Kirsti Degelia adds 10.4 points with 1.2 three-pointers a game, to go with 3.2 assists (fifth in the LSC) and 1.4 steals. Junior guard Shatoia Gober chalks up 7.9 points a contest, as she pulls down 5.3 rebounds with 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals. MSU averages 70.9 points a contest, while allowing 68.0.

LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs never held a lead as No. 7 West Texas A&M picked up a 71-54 victory over MSU at the First United Bank Center.  The Mustangs kept it close until a 7-2 run a third of the way into the second half gave WT a double-digit lead that would not be challenged.  The Mustangs shot just 37.1 percent from the floor (23-of-62) including 1-of-13 from the 3-point arc (7.7 percent).  Andrea Carter led MSU with 15 points and nine rebounds with four steals, while Taylor Dowd equaled her season-high with 12 points.  Midwestern outrebounded West Texas A&M 37-30.

MSU UNDER NOEL JOHNSON
Noel Johnson is 81-70 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 the next three weeks. The Mustangs are currently not receiving votes in the poll.

THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
With the losses at Texas A&M-Commerce and West Texas A&M, the Mustangs have lost consecutive games for the second time this season.  The Mustangs did that twice last season on the way to a regional final appearance … By allowing 71 points to West Texas A&M, MSU has given up 70 or more points in seven contests this season.  This comes after holding two opponents under 60 points and four straight under 70 … Midwestern has had long-range shooting woes over the last two contests.  MSU has connected on just 2-of-36 (5.5 percent) from the 3-point arc … The Mustangs are 18-3 in Lone Star Conference games at Ligon Coliseum since the start of the 2011-12 season and have won three straight LSC contests at home dating back to last season … Midwestern outrebounded West Texas A&M by seven boards, marking just the fourth time WT had been out boarded (Seattle Pacific, Emporia State, Arkansas-Fort Smith), the first time in Canyon … This is the seventh home game for the Mustangs this season, with MSU winning five straight … Junior Andrea Carter of Angleton, Texas just missed a fourth straight double-double with her 15 points and nine rebounds against West Texas A&M … Carter continues to rank third in the LSC in rebounding with 9.1 boards a game and is also third in the conference in scoring with 15.0 points a contest … Carter moved into ninth in career rebounds with her performance at WT.  Carter currently has 617 career boards and passed Monica Miller (1991-95) with 613.  She needs 13 boards to pass Emily Dill (1990-94) in eighth with 629 … Junior Taylor Dowd of Valley View, Texas equaled her season-high with 12 points against West Texas A&M, matching her point total from the win at Ouachita Baptist … Senior Kirsti Degelia of Denton, Texas/Krum has joined the MSU career Top 10 in scoring, becoming the 10th player in MSU women's history to score 1200 career points.  Degelia currently has 1,211 points and needs 38 points to pass Shannon Boase (1995-99) in ninth with 1,248 points … Degelia is 19th in the LSC in scoring at 10.4 points per contest, while ranking fifth in assists with 3.2 a game … Junior Dianna Jones of Hewitt, Texas/Midway is second in the LSC in assists with 4.4 per outing, while ranking third in assist/turnover ratio at 1.72 and eighth in steals with 1.71 per outing …
  

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