TIPOFF
Midwestern State travels for Lone Star Conference play for the first time in 2014 as they visit Texas A&M-Commerce. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. at A&M-Commerce Field House. It's the first conference doubleheader with the MSU men for the season.
Midwestern State vs. Texas A&M-Commerce
Saturday, Jan. 4 | 2:00 p.m.
A&M-C Field House | Commerce, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (9-3, 1-0); Texas A&M-Commerce (1-9, 0-1)
Live Video: None
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com
Live Stats: LionAthletics.com
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Texas Woman's enters the game with a 1-9 record, 0-1 in Lone Star Conference play after losing a heartbreaking 55-54 contest against Angelo State on Thursday in Commerce. Coach Nicole Anderson's Lions are led by senior forward Breanna Harris of Mansfield, Texas/Summit who is second in the Lone Star Conference in scoring and rebounding with 17.0 points and 10.7 rebounds a game, while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor (63-of-116). Senior guard Danielle Dixon of Arlington, Texas/High adds 10.2 points and 3.1 rebounds with 1.3 steals a game. Junior guard Devin Oliver of Rowlett, Texas chips in 8.8 points and 3.2 boards a game, while Senior center Abigail Leaupepe-Tele of San Diego, Calif./Morse provides 7.6 points and 4.8 rebounds an outing. A&M-C is averaging 66.2 points a contest, while allowing opponents 80.8 points a game.
ABOUT THE SERIES
This is the 56th meeting between Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce with MSU holding a 38-17 series lead. MSU sports a 14-11 advantage in the series at A&M-C Field House in Commerce, and a 20-5 advantage at Ligon Coliseum. MSU has a 1-0 record on a neutral floor and a 3-1 record against the Lions where the site was not recorded. MSU has won the last six meetings against the Lions, including a 70-62 win in Ligon Coliseum on Feb. 20, 2013.
LAST TIME OUT VS. A&M-C
The Mustangs overcame a 12-point first half deficit keyed by a Kirsti Degelia 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer as MSU defeated A&M-Commerce 70-62 at Ligon Coliseum on Feb. 20, 2013. Degelia led MSU with 16 points and five assists, while Shatoia Gober also scored 16 points going 5-of-7 from the floor. Andrea Carter recorded a double-double with 11 points to go with 12 rebounds and five steals. Dianna Jones tallied 11 points as well. Breanna Harris led the Lions with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Danielle Dixon chipped in 15 oints with four steals.
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State is at 9-3 on the season, 1-0 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 8.8 rebounds with 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. Junior guard Dianna Jones adds 10.7 points a game to go with her 4.7 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.93 assist-turnover ratio. Senior guard Kirsti Degelia adds 10.9 points with 1.3 three-pointers a game, to go with 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals. Junior guard Shatoia Gober chalks up 8.2 points a contest, as she pulls down 5.4 rebounds with 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals, while junior guard Lisa Hampton chips in 5.3 points, hitting 1.1 treys a contest. MSU averages 72.9 points a contest, while allowing 67.5.
LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs claimed their sixth straight win with a 70-59 triumph over Texas Woman's to open the Lone Star Conference season. Sophomore Nicole Smallwood came off the bench with 13 points, hitting 4-of-7 from the floor, including 3-of-6 from the 3-point arc to lead the way. Junior Andrea Carter collected her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and a season-high 13 rebounds as she hit 5-of-7 from the floor in 23 minutes. MSU overcame a six-point deficit midway through the first half by going on a 17-4 run and never looking back. MSU shot 48.0 percent from the floor (24-of-50), while shooting 52 percent in the second half. The Mustangs outrebounded the Pioneers 32-30.
MSU UNDER NOEL JOHNSON
Noel Johnson is 81-68 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 second time they didn't receive a vote this year.
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
Midwestern State has won six straight contests, marking the third consecutive season the Mustangs have posted a streak that long … MSU opened the Lone Star Conference season with a win for the third time in the six years of the Noel Johnson era … The Mustangs are 19-2 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 … The 59 points allowed to Texas Woman's marked the fourth time this season MSU has held an opponent to less than 60 points and did it in consecutive games … MSU has held seven of its opponents to less than 70 as well … After allowing opponents to outrebound them in four straight games out of the first six, the Mustangs have outrebounded their next six opponents to hold a +1.7 rebounding margin on the year … Midwestern leads the LSC in fewest turnovers per game at 14.9 and is third in the conference in turnover margin, getting 2.50 more takeaways than giveaways … Junior All-American Andrea Carter of Angleton, Texas chalked up her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and a season-high 13 rebounds against Texas Woman's … she's averaging 15.0 points and 8.8 rebounds a game that is third in the LSC in both scoring and rebounding, while ranking eighth in steals with 1.7 per outing … Junior Dianna Jones of Hewitt, Texas/Midway ranks third in the LSC in assists with 4.7 per game, leads the LSC with a 1.93 assist/turnover ratio and is seventh in the league with 1.8 steals per game and is 16th in scoring at 10.7 points per contest … Senior Kirsti Degelia of Denton, Texas/Krum is 13th in the LSC in scoring with 10.9 points per game, is fifth in the LSC with 3.5 assists and a 1.56 assist/turnover ratio ...
-- MSUMustangs.com --
