TIPOFF
Midwestern State heads north of the border to close the regular season with the second matchup of the Red River Rivalry against Cameron. Tipoff against the Aggies is set for 4 p.m. at the Aggie Gym in Lawton, Okla.
Midwestern State vs. Cameron
Saturday, March 1 | 4 p.m.
Aggie Gym | Lawton, Okla.
Records: Midwestern State (16-10, 8-7); Cameron (13-12, 5-10)
Live Video: CameronAggies.com
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com
Live Stats: CameronAggies.com
On the Air: 95.5 ESPN Wichita Falls
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
Cameron holds a 13-12 overall record, and is 5-10 in Lone Star Conference play after winning at Angelo State last Saturday 63-59. The Aggies are tied for sixth in the LSC and hold a major tie breaker with their 69-64 win over Tarleton State in Stephenville on Jan. 18. Coach Tom Webb's Aggies are led by junior guard Jazzmine Robinson of Las Vegas, Nev./Mojave, who averages 12.2 points (ninth in the LSC), to go with 6.1 rebounds (10th in the LSC) and 1.3 steals a game. Senior guard Chelsea Stamp of Crowley, Texas, adds 10.1 points (19th in the LSC) and leads the LSC with her 2.8 3-pointers a game, hitting 45.5 percent from the arc (third in the LSC). Senior guard Ali Brown of Chattanooga, Okla., adds 9.7 points (21st in the LSC) and averages 5.9 rebounds a contest, while senior forward Christina Caddy of Lawton, Okla./High chips in 9.5 points a game (24th in the LSC) and leads the team with 6.9 boards a contest (fifth in the LSC). CU is averaging 70.1 points a contest, while allowing opponents 64.6 points a game.
ABOUT THE SERIES
One of the longest series in Midwestern State history, MSU meets Cameron for the 65th time when the Red River Rivalry heads to Lawton on Saturday. Midwestern State leads the series 42- 22. Midwestern narrowly leads the series in Lawton 15-14, but holds a decisive 24-6 record against the Aggies at Ligon Coliseum. MSU is 1-0 on neutral floors and is tied with CU 2-2 in games where the site is unknown. The Mustangs have won nine of the last 10 meetings with the Aggies, thanks to the 70-69 win on Feb. 1, 2014 at Ligon Coliseum. MSU also claimed a 69-49 win at Ligon on Jan. 26, 2013 and a 65-52 triumph at Lawton on Jan. 23, 2013. The lone CU victory since 2005 was a 67-51 decision in Lawton on Dec. 13, 2010.
LAST TIME OUT VS. CU
The Mustangs jumped out to a 16-point first half lead against Cameron, then let the Aggies erase that to claim a five point lead with 2:25 to go in the game. But it was a Diana Jones left-handed layup with 1.0 seconds to play that gave Midwestern State a 70-69 triumph in the Red River Rivalry. Andrea Carter scored 20 points with eight rebounds, while Kirsti Degelia chalked up 18 points with five assists, three steals and a blocked shot. Jones tallied 13 points with three assists as well. The Mustangs shot 42.6 percent from the floor (26-of-61), including 4-of-14 from the arc and shot 73.7 percent from the foul line (14-of-19). MSU held Cameron to just 33.9 percent from the floor (20-of-59), but that included 9-of-13 from the arc (69.2 percent). The Aggies also outrebounded MSU 40-34.
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State is 16-10 on the season, alone in fourth in the Lone Star Conference at 8-7. Coach Noel Johnson's Mustangs are led by junior All-America forward Andrea Carter who is second in the LSC averaging 16.0 points and third in the conference with 9.0 rebounds, to go with 2.0 steals and shooting 53.2 percent (fifth in the LSC in both). Senior guard Kirsti Degelia adds 11.2 points (11th in the LSC) with 1.3 three-pointers a game (14th in the LSC), to go with 3.1 assists (eighth in the LSC) and 1.2 steals. Junior guard Dianna Jones adds 10.1 points a game (19th in the LSC) to go with her LSC leading 4.8 assists and 1.89 assist-turnover ratio and her 1.4 steals (11th in the LSC). Junior guard Shatoia Gober chalks up 6.9 points a contest, as she pulls down 4.7 rebounds (20th in the LSC) with 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals. MSU averages 72.0 points a contest, while allowing 67.4.
LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs struggled for most of the game in South Texas and were upset by Texas A&M-Kingsville 83-77. MSU grabbed an early lead, but lost the lead to the Javelinas. The duo battled through five lead changes and four ties to show TAMUK up 36-35 at halftime. But the Javelinas roared out of the gate in the second half with a 9-2 run and never trailed again. TAMUK built its lead up to 18 with 4:28 to play before Midwestern closed the game on an 18-6 run to pull within six at the buzzer. Andrea Carter matched her career-high with 25 points to go with eight rebounds and three assists, while Lisa Hampton buried 5-of-8 from the 3-point arc for 15 points. Janae McJunkins came off the bench to score 11 as well. The Mustangs shot 44.6 percent from the floor (25-of-56), that included 7-of-22 from the arc (31.8 percent), and 20-of-29 (69.0 percent) from the foul line. TAMUK connected on 57.7 percent from the floor (30-of-52), with 5-of-10 (50.0 percent) from the arc and 18-of-24 (75.0 percent) from the charity stripe. MSU outrebounded TAMUK 32-31.
MSU UNDER NOEL JOHNSON
Noel Johnson is 88-75 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 second NCAA Division II South Central Regional Rankings of the season were issued on Wednesday with Midwestern State dropping to eighth in the important rankings that determine the tournament field. Colorado Mesa moved to the top ranking, with West Texas A&M second, Tarleton State third, and Colorado State-Pueblo fourth. Texas A&M International is fifth, with Texas Woman's sixth, St. Mary's seventh and MSU eighth. Regis (Colo.) moved to ninth, with Fort Lewis (Colo.) falling to 10th. There is one more Wednesday ranking issued next week before the NCAA Tournament selections are made on March 9th. The postseason tournament winners of the Lone Star Conference, Heartland Conference and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference are automatic qualifiers with the five at-large bids selected from the regional rankings.
LONE STAR CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
The Mustangs are the number four seed in the Lone Star Conference Tournament in Allen and will play number five seed Angelo State on Thursday, March 6 at 6 p.m., even if MSU falls to CU and ASU beats Texas A&M-Kingsville Saturday because the Mustangs have swept the Belles in the season series. West Texas A&M has clinched the top seed in the tournament and will play the eighth seed on Wednesday, March 5 at 6 p.m. The winners of those two games would meet in a semifinal on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. The tournament championship game is set for Saturday, March 8 at 3 p.m. On the other side of the bracket, the number two seed Tarleton State faces the number seven seed on Wednesday at noon, while the number three seed Texas Woman's meets the number six seed on Thursday at noon, with the winners meeting in a semifinal on Friday at noon.
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
The Mustangs dropped an 83-77 decision at Texas A&M-Kingsville, marking the first non-overtime contest in which they've allowed 80 or more points since beating Southern Nazarene 89-80 on Nov. 15, 2013 … By allowing 83 points, it was 10th time that a team has posted more than 70 on MSU and the fourth time an MSU opponent has scored 80-plus. MSU is 3-7 when allowing 70 points or more, and 1-3 when opponents get 80 or higher … The loss was the first non-overtime loss for the Mustangs in since the 66-65 loss to Texas Woman's on Jan. 19, 2014 … The Mustangs did outrebound the Javelinas 32-31, to record the fifth straight contest MSU has had the advantage on the glass. MSU is 10-3 when having a rebounding advantage (two losses to WT, one to TAMUK), 4-5 when being outrebounded by opponents and 2-2 when both teams have an equal number of rebounds … Senior Kirsti Degelia of Denton, Texas/Krum continues to add to her career scoring total as she has amassed 1,356 points – seventh all-time at MSU. She is 39 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 322 career assists passing Mandy Clueley (1994-98) with 315 in sixth. She is three away tying and four from passing from Glenda Washington (1981-86) in fifth with 325 … Degelia is eighth in MSU career 3-point field goals made with 107 and needs one to tie for seventh at 108 with Lynn Buckmaster (1992-94) and J.J. Anderson (1997-2001) … Degelia is 13th on the MSU career steal's list with 150 … Junior forward Andrea Carter of Angleton, Texas is second in the Lone Star Conference in scoring, third in rebounding and fifth in steals, averaging 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals a game. She is also fifth in field goal percentage (53.2 percent), eighth in free throw percentage (75.0 percent) and 12th in blocked shots (0.4) … Carter became the 19th MSU woman to score 1000 points with her 25 points at Texas A&M-Kingsville. She is now 18th in MSU career scoring with 1,008 points passing Savannah Carver (2008-12) with 1,002 … Carter is seventh on the MSU career rebound chart with 723 and needs eight boards to tie Shannon Boase (1995-99) in sixth with 731 … Carter is 11th in career steals at MSU, with 172 and needs three 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 1.89 assist/turnover ratio. Jones is third in the LSC with a 80.4 free throw percentage (82-of-102) and 11th in steals (1.5 per game) … Jones is 11th in MSU career assists with 245 and is 11 from joining the career top 10 by matching Lindy Lombard (1998-02) with 256 …
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