Midwestern State vs. Tarleton State
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 | 5:30 p.m.
Wisdom Gym | Stephenville, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (13-1, 4-0); Tarleton State (8-3, 2-1)
Video: TarletonSports.com 
Radio: ESPN 95.5
Audio: MSUMustangs.com 
Live Stats: TarletonSports.com 

ON THE COURT
Midwestern State takes on rival Tarleton State in a Lone Star Conference battle Wednesday night at Wisdom Gym. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

SCOUTING THE TEXANNS
- Tarleton State improved to 2-1 in Lone Star Conference play by claiming back-to-back 10-point victories over Angelo State (81-71) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (67-57).
- The TexAnns are 4-1 at Wisdom Gym this season with their only loss coming to St. Mary's (Texas) (56-53) on Nov. 15 during the TexAnns Tipoff Classic.
- Senior guard Kathy Thomas paces the Texanns' attack averaging 13.1 points per game. The Fling, Mich. native and Iowa transfer has scored in double figures in each of her last eight games including a season-high of 25 points against Lubbock Christian.
- Sophomore forward Ikpeaku Iwobi averages 11.9 points per game while pulling down a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game. Iwobi is coming off of her third double-double of the season going for 15 points and 11 rebounds Saturday against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
- Senior forward Karli Moore pitches in 9.5 points and tracks down 5.3 rebounds per game while junior guard Raven McGrath adds 8.2 points to go along with 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game.
- Misty Wilson is in her first season at the helm of the Tarleton State women's basketball program after serving as an assistant coach to Ronnie Hearne for each of the past 12 seasons. She was also a four-year letter winner at TSU.

ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State and Tarleton State meet for the 63rd time on the hardwood Wednesday night at Wisdom Gym.
- MSU owns a 33-29 edge in the series which dates back to the 1975-76 season, the TexAnns are 15-13 against the Mustangs in games played in Stephenville.
- Tarleton State swept the season series in 2013-14.
- Midwestern snapped a 14-game losing streak against the TexAnns by beating TSU four times on the way to the 2013 South Central Region title game.

MUSTANGS NOTEBOOK
- Midwestern State extended its winning streak to 12 games which ranks as the second longest streak in program history. MSU won 15 consecutive games from Jan. 5-Feb. 14, 1994.
- The Mustangs are off to the best start in program history at 13-1 bettering the 12-2 mark set at the beginning of the 1989-90 season.
- Midwestern State also took down its highest ranked opponent in the USA Today Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches' Association Top 25 with a 77-64 victory over No. 3 West Texas A&M Wednesday night in D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The previously highest ranked victim was No. 11-ranked Washburn (Kan.) by a 68-53 margin on Nov. 19, 2011 -- also at Ligon Coliseum.
- The Mustangs are 7-52 against ranked opposition since the start of the 1996-97 season. MSU was 0-20 against Top 10 opponents prior to Wednesday night and is now 2-33 against teams ranked in the Top 25 since the start of the 2004-05 season.
- MSU tops the LSC in scoring defense (58.7 points per game), scoring margin (+12.4), rebounding margin (+6.8) and blocked shots per game (4.36).
- The Mustangs also lead the LSC in team free throw percentage at .767.
- Senior forward Andrea Carter (Angleton, Texas / Angleton HS) has scored in double figures in each of her last three games averaging 15 points on 16-of-26 shooting (.615).
- Carter ranks seventh in the LSC in scoring (12.6 ppg) and tops the league in rebounding (10.0 rpg).
- Senior guard Shatoia Gober (Waco, Texas / Midway HS) averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in wins over West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico while shooting 10-of-15 from the field (75 percent).
- Senior forward Shambreka Jones (Mesquite, Texas / Poteet HS (Charleston Southern)) has scored in double figures in each of her last six games. She is averaging 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 72 percent from the free throw line.
- Senior guard Dianna Jones (Hewitt, Texas / Midway HS) extended her double-figure scoring streak to 13 consecutive games by scoring 10 points in each game last week against West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico.
- Senior guard Lisa Hampton (Kennedale, Texas / Nolan Catholic HS) knocked down four 3-pointers in wins over West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico last week and now has 120 career made 3-pointers. She trails only Andrea Buben (132 3s from 2006-10) and Kristin Ramsey (125 3s from 2000-04) on MSU's all-time 3-pointers list.
- Freshman forward Whitney Taylor (Melissa, Texas / Melissa HS) scored her first collegiate points hitting a layup and consecutive 3-pointers to finish with eight points Sunday at Eastern New Mexico.

THE JOHNSON ERA
- Noel Johnson is in her seventh season at the helm of the Midwestern State basketball program.
- Johnson boasts a 103-78 record (.569) while leading the Mustangs to the NCAA Division II postseason in each of the last two seasons including a trip to the South Central Region finals in 2013.
- Johnson reached milestone victory No. 100 with a 61-47 win over Texas Woman's University on Jan. 1, 2015 in Denton.
- Midwestern claimed its first NCAA postseason tournament wins taking down Tarleton State and Metro State (Colo.) in 2013 before falling to No. 4 Colorado Mesa in the regional final.
- Johnson led the Mustangs to its first Lone Star Conference championship in 12 seasons claiming the 2012-13 title.
- Johnson garnered Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2012 before earning Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' Small College Coach of the Year accolades in 2013.

UP NEXT
Midwestern State takes on Texas Woman's University Sunday afternoon at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m.