Midwestern State vs. Tarleton State
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 | 5:30 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (2-11, 1-2 LSC); Tarleton State (8-6, 2-2 LSC)
Tickets: MSUMustangs.com
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com
Video: MSUMustangs.tv
Streaming Audio: MSUMustangs.tv
Radio: 95.5 ESPN Wichita Falls
 

FOR STARTERS
After snapping a nine-game losing skid with a 61-55 victory Saturday over Eastern New Mexico, Midwestern State looks to carry that momentum into Wednesday's rivalry matchup against Tarleton State at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
– Midwestern State made its return to Ligon Coliseum a memorable one Saturday with its first Lone Star Conference victory of the season in the win over the Greyhounds to improve to 2-11 overall and 1-2 in the LSC
– Saturday's contest was the first at home for the Mustangs in 46 days after six games across Texas, Arkansas and Nevada, last playing inside Ligon Coliseum on Nov. 24
– Junior post Jennifer Sissel put together a career night with her first double-double while wearing the Maroon and Gold, totaling a career-high 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists vs. ENMU
– Sophomore guard Whitney Taylor chipped in 11 points and a team-high three steals as the Mustangs forced ENMU into 24 turnovers with 10 steals
– MSU had its second-best shooting performance of the season, knocking down 40.7 percent (24-of-59) from the floor
 
SCOUTING THE TEXANNS
– Tarleton State comes in with an 8-6 overall record and 2-2 mark in the Lone Star Conference after wins over Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville last week
– Junior guard Bailey Wipff leads the Tarleton offense with 14.4 points per game, netting double figures in the last five games to rank second in the LSC in scoring
– Wipff has knocked down 38 three-pointers this season for 32nd in the nation, connecting on 46.3 percent (38-of-62) from long range to rank 19th
– Junior forward Ikpeaki Iwobi joins Wipff in double figures with 10.1 points per game while leading the TexAnns with 8.9 rebounds
– Wipff also leads Tarleton with 1.93 steals per game while senior guard Morgan Ashmore is dishing out a team-high 3.5 assists per game
– Tarleton ranks in the top-20 nationally with a 76.6 free-throw shooting percentage (200-of-261) with Wipff pacing the squad at 90.6 percent (29-of-32)
– Head coach Misty Wilson led the TexAnns to a 17-10 record in her first season in 2014-15 after 12 seasons as the program's top assistant coach

INSIDE THE SERIES
– Midwestern State leads the all-time series over Tarleton State, 34-30, dating back to the 1975-76 season
– MSU dominated the series through the mid-2000's before the TexAnns reeled off 14-straight wins from 2005-06 through 2011-12
– The Mustangs have won five of the last eight matchups, splitting the series last season with each team picking up a win at home
– MSU is 18-11 against the TexAnns inside Ligon Coliseum

A LOOK AT THE MUSTANGS
– The Mustangs are beginning to find some offensive flow, averaging 64.5 points per game over the last two games to boost their season average to 52.9 points
– Junior post Jennifer Sissel (16.0 ppg), freshman forward Kendriana Washington (11 ppg) and sophomore guard Whitney Taylor (10.5 ppg) all averaged double figures in two games last week for the Mustangs
– Sissel (20 vs. ENMU, 12 at WT) and Taylor (11 vs. ENMU, 10 at WT) each notched double digits in both games for MSU while Washington recorded a team-high 14 points against No. 1 West Texas A&M while adding eight points against the Greyhounds
– Junior guard Jacquar Westbrooks is averaging 12.0 points since Nov. 28, scoring in double figures in five of the last seven games including a career-high 22 points at Texas Woman's (Jan. 2)
– Offensively, Westbrooks leads the Mustangs with 7.9 points per game while Taylor is close behind with 7.8 points
– Washington has been the leader on the defensive end for the Mustangs through the first half of the season with an average of 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game

MUSTANGS THIRD IN LSC PRESEASON POLL
– Midwestern State was tabbed third in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's coaches, sports information directors and media representatives
– The Mustangs totaled 157 points behind preseason favorite West Texas A&M (220) and Texas Woman's (171)
– West Texas A&M collected 23 of the 25 first place votes while Texas Woman's and Cameron each tallied one vote
– The Mustangs went 12-4 to earn the No. 2 seed in the LSC postseason tournament last season
 
THE JOHNSON ERA
– Noel Johnson is in her eighth season at the helm of the Mustangs women's basketball program in 2015-16
– Johnson has led MSU to a 115-95 record (.548) with four-straight winning seasons and three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances
– During Johnson's tenure, the Mustangs claimed their first NCAA Tournament wins in 2013 with victories over rival Tarleton State and Metro State (Colo.) before falling to No. 4 Colorado Mesa in the regional final
– That season, Johnson guided the Maroon and Gold to a 26-6 record, the second-most wins in school history, and a Lone Star Conference Championship, the first in 12 seasons
– 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
 
LOOKING AHEAD
– Midwestern State is back on the road Saturday for a 4 p.m. tipoff against Texas A&M-Commerce at the A&M-Commerce Field House