TIPOFF
Midwestern State has a rematch with No. 21 Tarleton State on Wednesday as they start working through the second round of Lone Star Conference opponents. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville.
Midwestern State vs. Tarleton State
Wednesday, Feb. 5 | 6:00 p.m.
Wisdom Gym | Stephenville, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (13-7, 5-4); Tarleton State (15-4, 6-3)
Live Pay-Per-View Video: TarletonSports.com
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com
Live Stats: TarletonSports.com
SCOUTING THE TEXANNS
No. 21 Tarleton State enters the game at 15-4 overall and 6-3 in Lone Star Conference action after losing to Texas Woman's 64-59 on Monday night. Coach Ronnie Hearne's TexAnns are led by senior All-America center Kiara Wright of Pittsburg, Texas, who led Division II in field goal percentage at 67.7 prior to Monday's game, leads the LSC with 20.6 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals a game. Senior guard Brianna Bledsoe of Stephenville, Texas adds 12.7 points (sixth in the LSC) and 4.5 rebounds, while hitting 1.8 treys a game (fourth in the LSC) and leading the league in free throw percentage (50-of-59, 84.7). Junior guard Kathy Thomas of Flint, Mich./Hamady, a transfer from the University of Iowa, adds 11.0 points (12th in the LSC) and 2.8 boards to go with her 1.7 treys an outing (eighth in the LSC) and 3.4 assists (fifth in the LSC). Tarleton is averaging 78.0 points a contest, while allowing opponents 61.2 points a game.
ABOUT THE SERIES
This is the 62nd meeting between Midwestern State and Tarleton State, with MSU holding a 33-28 series lead. MSU is 13-14 in Stephenville, 17-11 at Ligon Coliseum, 2-0 on neutral floors and 1-3 at unknown sites against the TexAnns. The TexAnns snapped a four-game MSU win streak over Tarleton with the 57-51 win on Jan. 15, 2013 at Ligon Coliseum. MSU had defeated TSU 91-78 on March 15, 2013 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Grand Junction, Colo., and won 100-83 on March 8, 2013 in the semifinals of the Lone Star Conference Tournament in Allen, Texas. MSU downed the TexAnns 71-63 in Stephenville on Feb. 23, 2013 and won 78-71 in overtime at Ligon Coliseum on Jan. 12, 2013. The MSU four-game win streak followed a 14-game Tarleton State win streak in the series. An eight-game MSU win streak preceded the Tarleton streak.
LAST TIME OUT VS. TSU
The Mustangs started the game on a 10-0 run against the TexAnns, eventually building a 13-point first half lead before Tarleton State responded in the second half to claim a 57-51 win at Ligon Coliseum. MSU pulled back within two with two minutes to play, but the Mustangs failed to convert scoring opportunites to tie the game. MSU forced to foul, sent TSU to the line where the TexAnns went 4-for-4 in the lat 25 seconds to seal the game. Kirsti Degelia was the only MSU player in double-figures with 12 points, while Shatoia Gober added nine points with five rebounds. Tarleton's Kiara Wright posted 15 points with 15 rebounds, while Brianna Bledsoe added 14 points.
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State is 13-7 on the season, 5-4 in Lone Star Conference action. Coach Noel Johnson's Mustangs are led by junior All-America forward Andrea Carter who is averaging 14.9 points and 8.7 rebounds to rank third in the LSC in both categories, to go with 2.1 steals (fourth in the LSC), and shooting 52.8 percent (sixth in the LSC). Senior guard Kirsti Degelia adds 11.2 points (11th in the LSC) with 1.3 three-pointers a game (13th in the LSC), to go with 2.9 assists (12th in the LSC) and 1.3 steals (11th in the LSC). Junior guard Dianna Jones adds 10.2 points a game (16th in the LSC) to go with her 4.8 assists (second in the LSC), 1.5 steals (ninth in the LSC) and her LSC leading 1.94 assist-turnover ratio. 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 70.1 points a contest, while allowing 65.5.
LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs jumped out to a 16-point first half lead, 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.
MSU UNDER NOEL JOHNSON
Noel Johnson is 85-72 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.
DEGELIA TABBED AS LSC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior Kirsti Degelia was honored for her strong play last week by the Lone Star Conference who named her the LSC Offensive Player of the Week. Degelia led MSU to a 70-69 Lone Star Conference triumph over Cameron in the Red River Rivalry in the Mustangs only game of the week. The 5-8 senior guard from Denton, Texas/Krum, scored 18 points with five assists leading to 11 more points. She shot 7-of-11 from the floor (63.6 percent), 1-3 from the 3-point arc and 3-of-3 from the free throw line. She also recorded two rebounds, three steals and one blocked shot.
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
The Mustangs have won three straight contests for the first time not only in 2014, but the first time since a six-game winning streak earlier this season … The Mustangs got the win on a driving layup from Diana Jones with one second left for MSU's first one-point triumph of the season … MSU held Cameron to just 33.9 percent shooting from the floor (20-of-59), marking the second straight contest and fourth in the last six games that the Mustangs have held their opponents below 40.0 percent from the floor … Midwestern has limited opponents' scoring over the last six games, holding their opponents to an average of 59.7 points over the span … The Mustangs have held 10 of their last 12 opponents under 70 points, with those two each scoring 71 … MSU continues to do well at the free throw line the last six games, going 95-of-121 for a 78.5 percentage, with three games over 80 percent … MSU was outrebounded by Cameron 40-34, marking the sixth straight game where MSU was either behind or tied on the boards. MSU is now 4-4 when being outrebounded by opponents and 2-2 when both teams have an equal number of rebounds. The Mustangs are 7-1 when having a rebounding advantage … Junior forward Andrea Carter of Angleton, Texas is once again third in the Lone Star Conference in scoring and rebounding and fourth in steals, averaging 14.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals a game. She also ranks fifth in field goal percentage (52.8 percent), sixth in free throw percentage (73.9 percent) and 11th in blocked shots (0.4) … Carter is eighth at MSU in career rebounds with 663 she needs five boards to pass Rulinda Vogtsberger (1978-81) with 666 in seventh … Carter is also 12th in career steals at MSU, with 163 and needs four more to pass Jennifer Butler (1994-99) with 166 in 11th … Senior Kirsti Degelia of Denton, Texas/Krum is seventh on MSU's career scoring list with 1,290 points and needs just 10 points to join the 1300 point club. She is 105 points away from Lounette Adkins Decker (1978-79, 80-81, 93-95) with 1,395 points in sixth … Degelia also ranks eighth at MSU win 301 career assists and needs three more to pass J.J. Anderson (1997-2001) with 303 in seventh … Degelia is 15th on the MSU career steal's list with 146 and needs two to pass the 147 of J.J. Anderson (1997-2001) and Stacey Staten (2004-08) … Junior Diana Jones leads the Lone Star Conference with a 1.94 assist/turnover ratio and is second in the LSC with 4.8 assists per game. Jones is fourth in the LSC with a 77.1 free throw percentage (64-of-83) and ninth in steals (1.5 per game) …
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