TIPOFF
Midwestern State is out to avenge an earlier loss at Texas A&M-Commerce when they host the Lions on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum in Wichita Falls.
Midwestern State vs. Texas A&M-Commerce
Saturday, Feb. 8 | 4:00 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (13-8, 5-5); Texas A&M-Commerce (4-15, 3-7)
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Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Texas A&M-Commerce enters the game at 4-15 overall and 3-7 in Lone Star Conference action after beating Cameron 67-56 in Commerce on Wednesday to snap a four-game losing streak. Coach Nicole Anderson's Lions are led by senior forward Breanna Harris of Mansfield, Texas/Summit who is second in the Lone Star Conference in scoring and rebounding with 15.6 points and 10.6 rebounds a game, while shooting 57.5 percent from the floor (115-of-200) to rank second in the league as well. Junior guard Devin Oliver of Rowlett, Texas scores 10.3 points with 3.4 boards a game, while senior guard Danielle Dixon of Arlington, Texas/High adds 8.1 points and 3.3 rebounds. Junior forward La'Tisha Hearne of Richardson, Texas/High puts up 7.4 points with 6.1 rebounds, as senior center Abigail Leaupepe-Tele of San Diego, Calif./Morse provides 7.0 points and 5.8 rebounds an outing. A&M-C is averaging 67.0 points a contest, while allowing opponents 78.5 points a game.
ABOUT THE SERIES
This is the 57th meeting between Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce with MSU holding a 38-18 series lead. MSU holds a 20-5 advantage in the series at Ligon Coliseum and a 14-12 edge at A&M-C Field House in Commerce. MSU has a 1-0 record on a neutral floor and a 3-1 record against the Lions where the site was not recorded. A&M-Commerce snapped a six-game winning streak by MSU against the Lions with a 71-64 win at Commerce on Jan. 4, 2014. The Lions last win over MSU in Ligon Coliseum was a 79-72 decision on Dec. 17, 2008. MSU downed A&M-C 70-62 in Ligon Coliseum on Feb. 20, 2013.
LAST TIME OUT VS. TSU
The Mustangs let a seven point second half lead slip away as Texas A&M-Commerce upset MSU 71-64 in overtime at Commerce, to hand MSU its first LSC loss of the season. MSU got a Dianna Jones layup to tie the game in regulation with 24 seconds left, but similar shot at the buzzer slid off the rim to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, the Lions took advantage of MSU's poor shooting to grab a five-point cushion and never looked back. Jones led MSU with 17 points, while Andrea Carter double-doubled with 15 points and 13 rebounds. A&M-C's Breanna Harris scored 15 points with 20 rebounds as Devin Oliver and La'Tisha Hearne each scored 13 points. MSU suffered its poorest shooting game of the season, connecting on just 29.3 percent from the floor (24-of-82), including just 1-of-20 from the 3-point arc and shot 65.2 percent from the foul line (15-of-23). A&M-C connected on 44.3 percent from the floor (27-of-61).
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State is 13-8 on the season, 5-5 in Lone Star Conference action. Coach Noel Johnson's Mustangs are led by junior All-America forward Andrea Carter who is averaging 15.3 points and 8.9 rebounds to rank third in the LSC in both categories, to go with 2.0 steals (fourth in the LSC), and shooting 51.7 percent (sixth in the LSC). Senior guard Kirsti Degelia adds 11.2 points (11th in the LSC) with 1.3 three-pointers a game (12th in the LSC), to go with 2.9 assists (10th in the LSC) and 1.3 steals. Junior guard Dianna Jones adds 10.4 points a game (16th in the LSC) to go with her LSC leading 4.8 assists and 1.94 assist-turnover ratio and 1.5 steals (ninth in the LSC). Junior guard Shatoia Gober chalks up 7.1 points a contest, as she pulls down 4.8 rebounds with 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals. MSU averages 70.3 points a contest, while allowing 66.1.
LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs battled back from an eight-point deficit with 8:37 to play against Tarleton State before sending the contest into overtime. However, the TexAnns protected their home court in the extra frame sending MSU to a 78-75 loss. Andrea Carter scored a career-high 25 points and tied her season-high with 13 rebounds, while equaling her career-best with three blocked shots. Dianna Jones added 13 points with five rebounds and four assists, while Kirsti Degelia and Lisa Hampton each scored 11 for MSU. Tarleton's Kiara Wright posted 35 points with 21 rebounds in the contest. The Mustangs shot 39.1 percent from the floor (25-of-64), including 2-of-10 from the arc (20.0 percent), but shot 76.7 percent from the foul line (23-of-30). Tarleton connected on 44.8 percent from the floor (26-of-58), with 4-of-9 (44.4 percent) from the arc and 22-of-35 (62.9 percent) from the charity stripe. TSU outrebounded MSU 45-36.
MSU UNDER NOEL JOHNSON
Noel Johnson is 85-73 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.
MUSTANGS HONOR PLAY 4 KAY WEEK
Midwestern State joins other members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association in calling attention to breast cancer during Play 4 Kay Week, the initiative to fight breast cancer in honor of the late North Carolina State coach Kay Yow. The Mustangs will wear pink shooting shirts for this game with A&M-Commerce and against West Texas A&M and will also adorn other pink secondary apparel. A silent auction for those shooting shirts will begin on Saturday and conclude on Wednesday, along with a raffle for various gift packages with the proceeds going to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and local cancer fighting charities.
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
The Mustangs had their three-game win streak snapped on Wednesday night with the 78-75 overtime loss at Tarleton State … the tight game saw eight ties and 13 lead changes in the last 5:26 of regulation and in overtime … With the second overtime loss of the season, it marked the first time since the 2005-06 that MSU had lost multiple overtime games in a year. MSU lost three overtime games that season before gaining a win in the fourth … The Mustangs allowed Tarleton State to hit 44.8 percent from the floor (26-of-58), the eighth time this season a team has shot 44 percent or better. MSU is 1-7 when allowing that kind of shooting percentage … MSU allowed TSU's Kiara Wright 35 points, the most since Angelo State's Camille Perkins scored 35 against the Mustangs on Feb. 24, 2010 … Thanks to the overtime, Tarleton scored 78 points to snap the Mustangs streak of six straight games of holding opponents under 70 points … It was just the eighth time this season a team has scored more than 70 against MSU, with two games breaking the mark in overtime. MSU is 3-5 when allowing more than 70 points … Still, the Mustangs have held 10 of their last 13 opponents under 70, with 12 of the last 13 staying under 70 during the regulation 40 minutes … Midwestern has still limited opponents' scoring over the last seven games, holding their opponents to an average of 62.3 points over that span … MSU continues to do well at the free throw line the last seven games, going 118-of-151 for a 78.1 percentage, with three games over 80 percent … MSU was outrebounded by Tarleton 45-36, marking the seventh straight game where MSU was either behind or tied on the boards. MSU is now 4-5 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 … Senior Kirsti Degelia of Denton, Texas/Krum became just the seventh Midwestern State women's player to score 1,300 points, scoring 11 at Tarleton to amass 1,301 career points – seventh all-time. She is 94 points away from Lounette Adkins Decker (1978-79, 80-81, 93-95) with 1,395 points in sixth … Junior forward Andrea Carter of Angleton, Texas is third in the Lone Star Conference in scoring and rebounding and fourth in steals, averaging 15.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.0 steals a game. She also ranks sixth in field goal percentage (51.7 percent), sixth in free throw percentage (74.0 percent) and 11th in blocked shots (0.5) … Carter moved into seventh in career rebounds at MSU after her 13 boards against Tarleton State. She now has 676, passing Rulinda Vogtsberger (1978-81) with 666. Carter needs 55 boards to tie Shannon Boase (1995-99) in sixth with 731 … 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 … Degelia also ranks eighth at MSU win 302 career assists and needs one to tie and two 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 of Hewitt, Texas/Midway leads the Lone Star Conference with 4.8 assists per game and leads the league with a 1.94 assist/turnover ratio. Jones is fourth in the LSC with a 78.4 free throw percentage (69-of-88) and ninth in steals (1.5 per game) ...
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