Midwestern State vs. West Texas A&M
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015 | 5:30 p.m.
First United Bank Center | Canyon, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (18-3, 9-2); West Texas A&M (18-2, 9-1)
Video: GoBuffsGo.com 
Radio: ESPN 95.5
Audio: MSUMustangs.com  
Live Stats: GoBuffsGo.com 
 
ON THE COURT
Midwestern State and West Texas A&M battle for the outright Lone Star Conference lead Wednesday night at First United Bank Center. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
SCOUTING THE LADY BUFFS
- West Texas A&M rolled to its ninth straight win by blasting Texas A&M-Kingsville 81-57 Saturday night at First United Bank Center and not lost since dropping a 77-64 decision to Midwestern State on Jan. 7, 2015.
- The Lady Buffs extended their home court winning streak to 10 games with the win over Texas A&M-Kingsville after falling to Texas-Permian Basin in the season opener.
- WT is 28-1 at home since Midwestern State beat the Lady Buffs 58-55 on Feb. 6, 2013.
- West Texas A&M leads NCAA Division II in field goal percentage (48.9) and ranks eighth in scoring offense pouring in 79.9 points per game.
- The Lady Buffs also rank seventh nationally dishing out 18.0 assists per contest and are 17th in rebound margin at +7.7.
- Senior forward Chontiquah White ranks second in the LSC in scoring at 17.1 points per game and is third in rebounding pulling down 8.6 boards per game.
- White has scored in double figures in 18 of 20 outings this season. She went for 20 points and nine rebounds in just 15 minutes last time out against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
- Sophomore guard Sasha Watson scores 12.8 points while shooting 60.4 percent from the field. She also leads the team dishing out 4.1 assists per game.
- Watson erupted for a season-high 23 points earlier this season at Midwestern State.
- Junior guard Michaela Neuhaus (8.9 points, 2.9 assists), junior guard Danielle Logan (8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds), senior guard Ariel Robertson (8.6 points, 5.0 rebounds), junior guard Madison McLain (8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds) and senior forward Haylee Oliver (5.9 points, 3.3 rebounds) all average better than five points a game for the Lady Buffs.
- West Texas A&M's Mark Kellogg is 50-5 (.909) in his second season in Canyon. He boasts an overall 238-64 mark (.788) in 10 seasons as a collegiate head coach which also includes a seven-year stay at Fort Lewis (173-46/2005-12) and one year at Northwest Missouri State (15-13/2012-13).
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State and West Texas A&M meet for the 61st time on the hardwood Wednesday night at First United Bank Center.
- West Texas A&M holds a 43-17 advantage in the overall series which dates back to the 1976-77 season.
- Midwestern State holds a slight 6-5 edge since the start of the 2010-11 season.
- The Mustangs are 4-23 all time against the Lady Buffs in Canyon, but claimed a 58-55 victory on Feb. 6, 2013 at First United Bank Center. It was their first victory in Canyon since claiming two consecutive wins during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.
- Midwestern State is 0-27 against nationally ranked teams on the road since joining NCAA Division II prior to the 1996-97 season.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. WEST TEXAS A&M
- Midwestern State claimed its first win over a Top 10 ranked NCAA Division II squad beating No. 3-ranked West Texas A&M 77-64 on Jan. 7, 2015 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
- It was MSU's first win over a nationally ranked opponent since beating No. 11-ranked Washburn (Kan.) 68-53 on Nov. 19, 2011 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
- Each of Midwestern's five starters scored in double figures led by senior forward Andrea Carter with 17 points and nine rebounds.
- Sophomore guard Sasha Watson paced West Texas A&M with 23 points and four steals while going 11-of-14 from the charity stripe.
 
MUSTANGS NOTEBOOK
- Midwestern State extended its winning streak to five games with Lone Star Conference victories over Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce.
- The Mustangs are off to the best start in school history through 21 games at 18-3... MSU is unbeaten when it scores 60-or-more points this season.
- Thirteen of the Mustangs' 18 wins this season have been by 10-or-more points.
- MSU connected on 12 3-pointers Saturday at Texas A&M-Commerce which are the most since hitting 13 against Cameron on Jan. 15, 2004 and tied for the third most in a single game in program history.
- Seven different Mustangs connected on 3-pointers against Texas A&M-Commerce as MSU hit 12-of-23 from the arc (.522).
- The Mustangs assisted on 21 of 28 made field goals Saturday at Texas A&M-Commerce which was the most since MSU recorded 22 assists against Oklahoma Panhandle State earlier this season.
- Senior guard Janae McJunkins (Wagoner, Okla. / Wagoner HS (Murray State)) averaged 5 points and 4.5 assists while turning the ball over one time in 42 minutes in MSU's two wins last week.
- Senior guard Lisa Hampton (Kennedale, Texas / Nolan Catholic HS) became MSU's all-time leader in made 3-pointers last week against Tarleton State then piled on four more against Texas A&M-Commerce. She now has 137 career made 3-pointers.
- Hampton averaged 14 points and connected for seven triples in wins over Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce last week.
- Junior guard Kathryn Odom (Allen, Texas / Lovejoy HS (Southern Arkansas)) splashed in a season-high 10 points including a pair of 3-pointers Saturday against Texas A&M-Commerce.
- Odom has scored 15 of her 16 points this season in her last three outings.
- Senior forward Andrea Carter (Angleton, Texas / Angleton HS) notched her ninth double-double of the season Wednesday night against Tarleton State.
- Carter sports averages of 14.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals a game over her last 10 outings while shooting 54.5 percent from the field.
- With 1,365 career points, Carter needs 32 points to pass Lounette Adkins (1,395 points 1978-79, 80-81, 93-95) and Kirsti Degelia (1,396 from 2010-14) to move into sixth place on MSU's all-time scoring list.
- Sophomore forward Jennifer Sissel (Wichita Falls, Texas / Rider HS) erupted for a season-high six points -- all in the first half -- Wednesday against Tarleton State.
- Senior forward Taylor Dowd (Valley View, Texas / Valley View HS) scored 12 points in 12 minutes Saturday against Texas A&M-Commerce. It was her third double-figure scoring performance of the season.
- Senior guard Shatoia Gober (Waco, Texas / Midway HS) scored eight points and matched a season-high with seven assists Wednesday against Tarleton State.
- Gober shot 6-for-7 from the floor to finish with 13 points and six rebounds Saturday at Texas A&M-Commerce.
- Senior forward Shambreka Jones (Mesquite, Texas / Poteet HS (Charleston Southern)) blocked four shots last week and now has 44 blocked shots this season which as the fifth most in program history behind Rulinda Vogtsberger (56 blocks/1979-80), Monica Miller (49 blocks/1994-95), Dorcas Perkins (46 blocks/2003-04) and Jel-Ani Armstrong (46 blocks/2003-04).
- Senior guard Dianna Jones (Hewitt, Texas / Midway HS) failed to score in double figures for the first time since the season opener Saturday at Texas A&M-Commerce, but did dish out seven assists.
- Jones needs three assists to move past Lisa Meurer (339 assists from 1977-81) into fourth place on the program's all-time assists list.
 
THE HIGHWAY 287 CHALLENGE CUP SERIES
- Midwestern State and West Texas A&M began the series heading into last season with the Buffs claiming the first season by a 13-12 margin.
- The Mustangs hold a 7-5 edge thus far in 2014-15.
 
THE JOHNSON ERA
- Noel Johnson is in her seventh season at the helm of the Midwestern State basketball program.
- Johnson boasts a 108-80 record (.574) 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 plays host to Eastern New Mexico Saturday afternoon at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.