TIPOFF
Midwestern State visits Eastern New Mexico on Saturday seeking to rebound from its third Lone Star Conference overtime loss of the season. Tipoff against the Zias is set for 5:00 p.m. Texas Time at Greyhound Arena in Portales, N.M.
Midwestern State vs. Eastern New Mexico
Saturday, Feb. 15 | 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Greyhound Arena | Portales, N.M.
Records: Midwestern State (14-9, 6-6); Eastern New Mexico (6-14, 4-7)
Live Video: None
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com
Live Stats: GoEasternAthletics.com
SCOUTING THE ZIAS
Eastern New Mexico enters the game at 6-14 overall and 4-7 in Lone Star Conference action after losing at Cameron 76-63 on Wednesday. Coach Josh Prock is in his first season for the Zias who are led by senior post Jasmine Johnson of DeSoto, Texas with 10.3 points per game (17th in the LSC) and 5.9 rebounds (16th in the LSC), while shooting a team best 44.9 percent from the floor (75-of-167). Junior forward Tori Tucker of Portales, N.M./Floyd adds 9.9 points (20th in the LSC) and leads the team with 6.5 rebounds (sixth in the LSC), while hitting 1.7 treys a game (seventh in the LSC). Senior forward Nelsha Peterson, sister of Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson, chips in 9.3 points and 5.0 boards (24th and 18th in the LSC respectively). Sophomore guard Jordyn Cooper of Texico, N.M. provides 9.2 points and 3.4 rebounds an outing while connecting on 2.0 3-pointers a game (third in the LSC). ENMU is averaging 63.6 points a contest, while allowing opponents 73.3 points a game.
ABOUT THE SERIES
This is the 40th meeting between Midwestern State and Eastern New Mexico, with MSU holding a 22-17 series lead. ENMU is 10-8 at Greyhound Arena, while the Mustangs are 13-7 at Ligon Coliseum and, 1-0 at a neutral site. MSU has won three straight and seven of the last eight matchups with the Zias. MSU won 75-44 at Ligon Coliseum on Jan. 11, 2014 in the first meeting of this season. The Mustangs also 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 snapped a two-game losing skid with a resounding 75-44 trouncing of Eastern New Mexico. MSU allowed ENMU the first field goal of the game, then ripped off a 12-0 run and never looked back. The 31-point winning margin was the third-largest victory margin by MSU in the Noel Johnson era. Kirsti Degelia scored 18 points with six rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Lisa Hampton also scored 18 points, connecting on four 3-pointers with three assists as well. Andrea Carter played only 22 minutes in scoring 13 points with seven boards, a block and four steals. The Mustangs shot 43.9 percent from the floor (25-of-57), including 7-of-18 from the arc (38.9 percent) and were even on the boards with the Zias 38-38.
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State is 14-9 on the season, 6-6 in Lone Star Conference action. Coach Noel Johnson's Mustangs are led by junior All-America forward Andrea Carter who is second in the LSC averaging 15.6 points and third in the conference with 8.8 rebounds, to go with 2.0 steals and shooting 52.5 percent (fifth in the LSC in both). Senior guard Kirsti Degelia adds 11.7 points (11th in the LSC) with 1.3 three-pointers a game (12th in the LSC), to go with 3.0 assists (10th in the LSC) and 1.4 steals. Junior guard Dianna Jones adds 10.1 points a game (18th in the LSC) to go with her LSC leading 4.9 assists and 1.89 assist-turnover ratio and 1.4 steals (12th in the LSC). Junior guard Shatoia Gober chalks up 7.3 points a contest, as she pulls down 5.0 rebounds (19th in the LSC) with 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals. MSU averages 71.9 points a contest, while allowing 67.0.
LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs stretched No. 5 West Texas A&M as far as they could, sending the contest to overtime before falling to the Lady Buffs 87-77. MSU overcame a six-point deficit with 3:04 to play by going on a 7-1 run to end regulation, capped by a Dianna Jones 3-pointer with 24 seconds in regulation to tie the game. MSU trailed by four until forced to foul with 37 seconds left when the Lady Buffs nailed all of their final six free throws. Andrea Carter led MSU with 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals, while Jones and Kirsti Degelia each scored 10 points. Jones also notched six assists. The Mustangs shot 48.3 percent from the floor (29-of-60), including 4-of-13 from the arc (30.8 percent), and were nearly perfect from the foul line, hitting 15-of-16 (93.8 percent). WT connected on 47.2 percent from the floor (25-of-53), with 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) from the arc and 29-of-40 (72.5 percent) from the charity stripe. MSU outrebounded West Texas A&M by six, 35-29.
MSU UNDER NOEL JOHNSON
Noel Johnson is 86-74 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 Mustangs 87-77 loss to West Texas A&M in overtime, MSU has dropped three overtime games this season, the first time that's happened since the 2005-06 campaign when MSU dropped three OT contests before winning one … The 2005-06 campaign was also the last one that MSU lost more than one overtime contest in a season before this year … Even with the loss, MSU has claimed victory in four of the last six games, with both losses coming in extra time … WT's 87 points is the most allowed by Midwestern this season, marking the ninth time that a team has posted more than 70 on MSU and just the third time an MSU opponent has scored 80-plus. MSU is 3-6 when allowing 70 points or more, and 1-2 when opponents get 80 or higher ... MSU posted the sixth-best single-game free throw performance in school history against WT, hitting 15-of-16 from the charity stripe -- 93.8 percent … For the second time this season, Midwestern State outrebounded West Texas A&M, producing six more boards than the Lady Buffs 35-29. It's the second straight game MSU has out-boarded its opponent. The Mustangs are 8-2 when having a rebounding advantage (both losses to West Texas A&M), 4-5 when being outrebounded by opponents and 2-2 when both teams have an equal number of rebounds … The Mustangs have held 11 of their last 15 opponents under 70 points, with 13 of the last 15 staying under 70 during the regulation 40 minutes … The loss to No. 5 West Texas A&M is the fifth time the Mustangs faced a WBCA/USA Today Sports Top 25 team this season, going 0-5 with two of the losses in overtime … Senior Kirsti Degelia of Denton, Texas/Krum, just the seventh Midwestern State women's player to score career 1,300 points, added to her total as she has amassed 1,336 career points – seventh all-time. She is 59 points away from Lounette Adkins Decker (1978-79, 80-81, 93-95) with 1,395 points in sixth … Degelia is seventh at MSU with 311 career assists. She needs four to reach and five to pass Mandy Clueley (1994-98) with 315 in sixth … Degelia is 13th on the MSU career steal's list with 149 passing the 147 of J.J. Anderson (1997-2001) and Stacey Staten (2004-08) … Junior forward Andrea Carter of Angleton, Texas is second in the Lone Star Conference in scoring, third in rebounding and fifth in steals, averaging 15.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals a game. She is also fifth in field goal percentage (52.5 percent), seventh in free throw percentage (75.5 percent) and 11th in blocked shots (0.5) … Carter remains seventh in career rebounds at MSU after her eight boards against WT. She now has 693 and needs 38 boards to tie Shannon Boase (1995-99) in sixth with 731 … Carter moved into 11th in career steals at MSU, with 168 passing Jennifer Butler (1994-99) with 166. Carter needs seven more to join the career top 10 at MSU by equaling the 175 of Alanna Albrecht (1986-90) in 10th … Junior Diana Jones of Hewitt, Texas/Midway leads the Lone Star Conference with 4.9 assists per game and leads the league with a 1.89 assist/turnover ratio. Jones is fourth in the LSC with a 78.9 free throw percentage (71-of-90) and 12th in steals (1.4 per game) … Jones is 12th in MSU career assists with 232 and needs two more to pass Meosha Walker (2002-04) with 233 in 11th … Junior Shambreka Jones of Mesquite, Texas/Poteet tied the MSU single-game record for blocked shots when she swatted seven against A&M-Commerce. She now has 10 on the season and is ranked 12th in the LSC averaging 0.5 per game …
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