TIPOFF
Midwestern State hits the road west to Canyon to face the seventh ranked West Texas A&M Lady Buffs in Lone Star Conference action. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at the First United Bank Center.

Midwestern State vs. West Texas A&M
Wednesday, Jan. 8 | 5:30 p.m.
First United Bank Center | Canyon, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (9-4, 1-1); West Texas A&M (9-1, 0-0)
Live Video: GoBuffsGo.com
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com
Live Stats: GoBuffsGo.com

SCOUTING THE LADY BUFFS
West Texas A&M enters the game ranked seventh in the WBCA's USA Today Sports Division II Coaches Poll with a record of 9-1. It is the first Lone Star Conference game for WT this season and is the first game they've played since winning at Seattle Pacific 74-65 on Dec. 21, 2013.  Coach Mark Kellogg is in his first season on the bench of the Lady Buffs who are led by senior forward Devin Griffin of Lubbock, Texas/Coronado who is tied for third in the Lone Star Conference in scoring with Andrea Carter at 15.0 points a game and is seventh in the LSC rebounding with 6.6 rebounds a game, while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor (52-of-101). Junior forward Chontiquah White of Dallas, Texas/Life School Oak Cliff adds 14.0 points (fifth in the LSC) and 6.4 rebounds (10th).  Senior guard Casey Land of Canyon, Texas chips in 11.4 points and averages 2.0 3-point field goals a game with 2.6 assists and 2.2 steals (fourth in the LSC), while junior forward Lacee Logan of Sudan, Texas provides 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds an outing. WTAMU is averaging 79.9 points a contest, while allowing opponents 59.3 points a game.

ABOUT THE SERIES
This is the 57th meeting between Midwestern State and West Texas A&M with WT holding a 40-16 series lead. MSU trails in the series 4-22 in Canyon, including a 2-9 record at the First United Bank Center.  MSU trail 9-17 at Ligon Coliseum, but leads the series 1-0 on neutral floors and in unknown locations 2-1. MSU the last three meetings, all last season, including a 58-55 win on Feb. 6, 2013 in Canyon and the 85-83 triumph in overtime to claim the Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship in Allen.

FIRST UNITED BANK HIGHWAY 287 CHALLENGE CUP
Midwestern State and West Texas A&M tipped off the beginning of an institutional competition between the two schools earlier this fall in a series known as the First United Bank Highway 287 Challenge Cup. The point-based competition tracks head-to-head matchups and conference championship results in 10 sports with each school accumulating points toward the overall series championship. West Texas A&M holds a narrow 6-5 edge in the series heading into Wednesday night's basketball doubleheader in Canyon. Each of Midwestern's five points have come on the soccer pitch with three in women's soccer and two on the men's side. West Texas A&M has claimed two volleyball victories, earned two points for Cross Country and two more for its 19-12 win on the gridiron.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. WT
The Mustangs won their second Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship in school history when Dianna Jones' runner dropped throught the net as time expired in overtime for an 85-83 win over West Texas A&M. MSU trailed by 14 points with 13:55 to play, but started chipping away at the WT advantage. A 10-2 MSU run keyed a late MSU comeback that helped tie the game with 1:57 to play. Neither team scored again in regulation, and WT overcame an early MSU lead for an 83-80 advantage with 23 seconds left. Jones hit a 3 with 17 seconds left, then following a WT turnover with six seconds left, drove the lane to get the game winner. The tournament MVP, Jones scored nine of her 23 points in the final two minutes of regulation and the overtime (all but two of MSU's points in that period), to go wither her four boards and a steal. Kirsti Degelia posted 19 points with four assists and two steals, while Shatoia Gober double-doubled with 14 points and 10 rebounds with two steals.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State is at 9-4 on the season, 1-1 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 1.6 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. Junior guard Dianna Jones adds 11.7 points a game to go with her 4.5 assists (third in the LSC), 1.8 steals (seventh in the LSC) and 1.93 assist-turnover ratio (second in the LSC). Senior guard Kirsti Degelia adds 10.4 points with 1.2 three-pointers a game, to go with 3.4 assists (fifth in the LSC) and 1.3 steals. Junior guard Shatoia Gober chalks up 8.3 points a contest, as she pulls down 5.3 rebounds with 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals. MSU averages 72.2 points a contest, while allowing 67.8.

LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs had their six-game winning streak snapped by Texas A&M-Commerce 71-64 in overtime.  The Mustangs shot a season-low 29.3 percent from the floor (24-of-82) and a woeful 5.0 percent (1-of-20) from the 3-point arc.  The Mustangs saw their seven-point second half lead evaporate with two minutes to play in regulation and had opportunities to win in regulation.  In the overtime, A&M-C went on a 10-2 run in the final three minutes to close out the Mustangs and snap a six-game losing skid to MSU.  Dianna Jones led Midwestern with 17 points, while Andrea Carter added her sixth double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.  MSU was also outrebounded by the Lions 59-to-44.

MSU UNDER NOEL JOHNSON
Noel Johnson is 81-69 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...
Midwestern State is facing a top 10 team for the second time this season.  MSU fell at then No. 4 Emporia State 77-55 on Nov. 23 ... The Mustangs 71-64 overtime loss at Texas A&M-Commerce snapped a six-game winning streak for MSU and was the first loss to the Lions since Dec. 17, 2008 when A&M-Commerce beat MSU 79-72 in Wichita Falls … A&M-C's 71 points marked just the fourth time this season MSU has allowed an opponent 70 or more points, with MSU 2-2 in those games … It was also the fourth time MSU has scored less than 70 points, again sporting a 2-2 record when doing so … MSU connected on just 29.3 percent of its shots (24-of-82) against A&M-C … The Mustangs were 1-of-20 from the 3-point arc against the Lions (5.0 percent), attempting the most 3-point shots while only connecting on one in the Noel Johnson era.  MSU has not made a three in a game three times in the Johnson era, but took a maximum of 10 attempts … MSU opened the week by beating Texas Woman's 70-59 at home in Ligon Coliseum … 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  … MSU had outrebounded six straight opponents before losing the board war to A&M-Commerce (59-44).  Still the Mustangs are outrebounding their opponents for the season … Junior forward Andrea Carter of Angleton, Texas recorded her fifth and sixth double-double of the season during the week with her 12 points/13 rebounds against TWU and her 15 points/13 rebounds at A&M-C … Carter has recorded three consecutive double-doubles and was a rebound shy at Texas-Permian Basin from having five consecutive double-doubles … Carter's 13 rebounds over the last two games are season highs in board work for her and MSU … Carter is still third in scoring (15.0) and rebounding (9.1) in the LSC, while ranking sixth in field goal percentage (54.4 percent, 74-of-136), fourth in blocked shots (0.5 per game), 10th in steals (1.6 per game) and 11th in free throw percentage (73.7 percent, 42-of-57) … Junior Dianna Jones of Hewitt, Texas/Midway, is second in the LSC in assist/turnover ratio (1.90) and is third in assists (4.54 per game).  Jones is seventh in the league in steals (1.77 per game), ninth in free throw percentage (76.8 percent, 53-of-69) and 13th in the scoring (11.2 ppg) …Senior Kirsti Degelia of Denton, Texas/Krum is fifth in the LSC in assists (3.38 per game), fifth in assist/turnover ration (1.52), 10th in 3-point percentage (35.6 percent, 16-of-45), 11th in 3-pointers per game (1.2), 13th in steals (1.46 per game) and 18th in scoring (10.4 ppg) …
  

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