TIPOFF
Midwestern State hosts Angelo State for Senior Night activities in the Mustangs final home contest of the season. It's White Out at MSU and fans are encouraged to wear white to the game. Tipoff against the Rambelles is set for 5:30 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
Midwestern State vs. Angelo State
Wednesday, Feb. 19 | 5:30 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (15-9, 7-6); Angelo State (13-10, 7-6)
Live Video: MSUMustangs.com
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com
SCOUTING THE RAMBELLES
Angelo State enters the game at 13-10 overall and 7-6 in Lone Star Conference action, tied with MSU at fourth in the league standings, after losing at Texas Woman's 81-57 on last Saturday. First-year coach Cayla Petree's Belles are led by junior forward Hillari Adam of Wall, Texas, a transfer from Abilene Christian who is the Rambelles only double-digit scorer with 12.3 points (ninth in the LSC), to go with a team-leading 6.5 rebounds (seventh in the LSC) and 1.1 steals a game. Senior forward Rochelle Norris of Dallas, Texas/Skyline scores 8.8 points a contest (26th in the LSC) with 4.4 rebounds, while shooting 41.0 percent from the floor. Sophomore guard Amanda Weaver of Center Point, Texas adds 8.7 points (28th in the LSC) to go with 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and her 2.0 3-point field goals per game (fourth in the LSC). ASU is averaging 60.0 points a contest, while allowing opponents 59.4 points a game.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State takes on Angelo State for the 56th time when they meet at Ligon Coliseum on Wednesday. Angelo State holds a narrow 29-26 lead in the series dating back to the 1978-79 season. MSU leads 19-9 at Ligon Coliseum and on a neutral floor 1-0, while ASU holds a hefty 20-6 record over MSU in San Angelo, 11-2 at the Junell Center/Stephens Arena. However, the Mustangs have won the last two meetings in San Angelo. MSU chalked up a 67-63 victory on Jan. 22, 2014 at the Junell Center/Stephens Arena in the first meeting of the year. That was on top of last year's historic 69-59 victory on Jan. 5, 2013 and marked MSU's first victory over ASU in the Junell Center/Stephens Arena and Midwestern's first win in San Angelo since Jan. 23, 1997. However, Angelo State picked up the last meeting between the teams in Ligon Coliseum on Feb. 16, 2013, with a 54-48 win over the Mustangs.
LAST TIME OUT VS. ASU
The Mustangs saw ties at 2 and 4 before going on an 8-0 run and never trailed in the game, defeating Angelo State 67-63 at the Junell Center/Stephens Arena. The Mustangs built a 14-point second half lead, but withstood a 9-2 run by the Rambelles late to win the game. Andrea Carter collected her seventh double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds to go with five steals against the Belles. Kirsti Degelia hit three 3-pointers on her way to 13 points as well. Dianna Jones added eight points to go with her six assists. The Mustangs shot 41.1 percent from the floor (23-of-56), including 7-of-22 from the arc (31.8 percent) and shot 70.0 percent from the foul line (14-of-20), but were outrebounded by the Rambelles 36-33.
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State is 15-9 on the season, 7-6 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 15.8 points and third in the conference with 8.9 rebounds, to go with 2.0 steals and shooting 53.2 percent (fifth in the LSC in both). Senior guard Kirsti Degelia adds 11.4 points (11th in the LSC) with 1.3 three-pointers a game (13th in the LSC), to go with 3.1 assists (eighth in the LSC) and 1.3 steals. Junior guard Dianna Jones adds 10.0 points a game (19th in the LSC) to go with her LSC leading 4.8 assists and 1.91 assist-turnover ratio and 1.4 steals (11th in the LSC). Junior guard Shatoia Gober chalks up 7.2 points a contest, as she pulls down 4.9 rebounds (19th in the LSC) with 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals. MSU averages 71.9 points a contest, while allowing 67.1.
LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs came back from their third overtime loss of the season to grab a win on the road at Eastern New Mexico, but it wasn't easy. In fact the Mustangs only led 28.3 seconds of the game, but came away with a 71-69 victory over the Zias. Midwestern, who trailed by as much as 10 in the second half, were down six with 2:49 to play before launching a 10-2 run to close the game. Lynn Lumpkin-Boozer gave MSU it's first lead with 47.3 seconds left, but ENMU tied it on a Jazmine Johnson layup with 28.1 seconds to go at 69-all. MSU worked the clock before Andrea Carter found an opening to drive in for a layup with 4.6 seconds remaining for the game-winner. Carter collected her ninth double-double on the season in leading MSU with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Lumpkin-Boozer had a season-high with 12 points, while Lisa Hampton buried four 3-pointers for 12 points as well. The Mustangs shot 44.1 percent from the floor (26-of-59), including 6-of-16 from the arc (37.5 percent), but only 13-of-24 (54.2 percent) from the foul line. ENMU connected on 46.6 percent from the floor (27-of-58), with 8-of-22 (36.4 percent) from the arc and just 7-of-14 (50.0 percent) from the charity stripe. MSU outrebounded Eastern 43-30.
MSU UNDER NOEL JOHNSON
Noel Johnson is 87-74 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.
REGIONAL RANKINGS
The first NCAA Division II South Central Regional Rankings of the season will be issued on Wednesday afternoon prior to the game with Angelo State. It's the first of three regional rankings issued before the selection of the NCAA Division II Tournament field.
LIGON FINALE FOR SENIORS
The contest against Angelo State is the final game of the season for MSU under the Dome at D.L. Ligon Coliseum and will be the last contest at home for the Mustangs two seniors, Kirsti Degelia and Skyler Warrick. Degelia, from Denton, Texas/Krum, and Warrick, from Wellington, Texas, have played four seasons for the Mustangs. Both played as true freshmen and helped turn around the MSU program to post three consecutive winning seasons and a record of 70-39 during the four years.
WHITE OUT
It's a White Out for the final game at Ligon Coliseum this season as all fans are urged to wear white to the game in support of the Mustangs. The first 500 MSU Students to the game will be given special T-Shirts as well.
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
The Mustangs defeated Eastern New Mexico 71-69 on Saturday to collect their fifth win in the last seven games, with both losses in overtime … The Mustangs 87-77 loss to West Texas A&M in overtime last Wednesday marked three overtime losses 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 … 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 … The Mustangs outrebounded both West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico, marking the third straight contest MSU has bettered its opposition on the boards. The Mustangs are 9-2 when having a rebounding advantage (both losses to WT), 4-5 when being outrebounded by opponents and 2-2 when both teams have an equal number of rebounds … The Mustangs have held 12 of their last 16 opponents under 70 points, with 14 of the last 16 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 added to her career scoring total as she has amassed 1,339 points – seventh all-time at MSU. She is 56 points away from Lounette Adkins Decker (1978-79, 80-81, 93-95) with 1,395 points in sixth … Degelia moved to sixth at MSU with 316 career assists passing Mandy Clueley (1994-98) with 315 in sixth. She is nine away from Glenda Washington (1981-86) in fifth with 325 … Degelia is 13th on the MSU career steal's list with 150 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 15.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.0 steals a game. She is also fifth in field goal percentage (53.2 percent), eighth in free throw percentage (73.7 percent) and 11th in blocked shots (0.5) … Carter became the seventh player in MSU history to record 700 career rebounds with her 11 against Eastern New Mexico. She now has 704 and needs 27 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 4.8 assists per game and leads the league with a 1.91 assist/turnover ratio. Jones is fourth in the LSC with a 79.3 free throw percentage (73-of-92) 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 …
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