Midwestern State vs. Cameron
Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 | 4 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (4-13, 3-4 LSC); Cameron (11-6, 5-3 LSC)
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com
Video: Mustangs Digital Network (PPV)
Streaming Audio: Mustangs Digital Network (Free)
Radio: ESPN 95.5
 
Midwestern State vs. #RV Texas Woman's
Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016 | 4 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (4-13, 3-4 LSC); Texas Woman's (16-5, 6-3 LSC)
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com
Video: Mustangs Digital Network (PPV)
Streaming Audio: Mustangs Digital Network (Free)
Radio: ESPN 95.5
 
FOR STARTERS
Midwestern State returns to D.L. Ligon Coliseum for a two-game homestand Saturday and Sunday when the Mustangs host Cameron and Texas Woman's in Lone Star Conference action. The Mustangs resume the Red River Rivalry in a 4 p.m. Saturday contest against Cameron before concluding the weekend with a 4 p.m. tipoff against Texas Woman's.
 
PROMOTIONS
– With a Midwestern State win Saturday, fans can redeem their ticket stub at Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers for a buy one, get one combo meal within 24 hours of the game
– Midwestern State welcomes members of the 82nd Training Wing from Sheppard Air Force Base Saturday as part of Military Appreciation Night. All armed forces members will be admitted free with proper ID

LAST TIME OUT
– Sophomore guards Whitney Taylor (21) and Krishawn Crockett (20) each notched new career highs in scoring but Angelo State put together a late 10-0 first quarter run to control the momentum the rest of the way in an 85-68 victory Saturday at the Junell Center in San Angelo
– Taylor reached double figures just 5:27 into the game, knocking down a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the arc
– She finished the day 6-of-13 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line
– Crockett scored 12 of her 20 points in the third quarter, shooting 9-of-16 for the afternoon while matching a career-best two blocks
– The Rambelles shot 50.7 percent (34-of-67) from the floor while holding the Mustangs to 37.9 percent shooting (25-of-66)
– ASU held a 40-22 advantage in the paint and 18-4 edge in second chance points  
 
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
– Cameron comes into D.L. Ligon Coliseum on a three-game win streak following Wednesday's 75-69 victory over Texas Woman's to improve to 11-6 overall and 5-3 in LSC play for fourth place
– The Aggies are one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, ranking 11th with 8.9 triples per game and 18th with 152 total threes this season
– Cameron shoots the three ball at a 36.2 percentage (152-420) for 32nd in the country
– Senior guard Brandi Leal has connected on 55 three-pointers on a 43.3 percentage (55-of-127) to lead Cameron, ranking 12th nationally with 3.2 per game and 29th in percentage
– Leal also ranks second for Cameron with 11.6 points per game
– Junior guard Dayla Threatt leads the Aggies with 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game for third and fifth in the LSC, respectively
– Junior guard Charron Montgomery has added to the scoring for the Aggies this season with 9.8 points while averaging 3.0 assists to lead the team and rank seventh in the LSC
– Senior forward DJ Vallier has been a strong presence down low for Cameron, averaging 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game for sixth in the conference
– Tom Webb is in his eighth season with the Cameron women's basketball program with an 87-118 (.424) record
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
– Midwestern State holds a 43-24 advantage in the series over Cameron dating back to the 1975-76 season
– The Mustangs are winners of the last eight contests and have claimed victories in 13 of the last 14 meetings since  Nov. 15, 2006
– MSU has been impressive at home against the Aggies with a 25-6 record inside Ligon Coliseum
– The Mustangs have come up on the losing end at home just twice in the 21st century with the last home loss to the Aggies coming on Dec. 5, 2005
 
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
– Texas Woman's is 16-5 on the season and 6-3 in conference play for third place in the LSC
– The Pioneers received five votes in this week's USA TODAY Sports Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll
– TWU comes into the weekend having lost its last two games to Angelo State (81-78) and Cameron (75-69)
– The Pioneers have been one of the top defensive teams in the nation this season, leading the conference in field goal percentage defense (32.5), three-point defense (21.8), rebounds per game (44.5) and blocks per game (5.6)
– TWU leads the nation in three-point defense while ranking second in total blocks (118), fourth in field goal percentage defense, fifth in total rebounds (935) and eighth in blocks per game
– The Pioneers have also been aggressors on the offensive end, ranking eighth nationally with 474 free-throw attempts and 13th with 319 made free throws
– Junior post Erin Maxwell has been the top player for TWU this season with a team-best 12.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game
– Maxwell leads the country with 69 total blocks and is third in blocks per game
– Senior guard Kenesha Saygo is also averaging double figures with 10.8 points per game
– Freshman guard Kara Mitchell leads the Pioneers with 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals while adding 9.5 points for third on the team
– Head coach Beth Jillson is in her ninth season with a 133-112 (.543) career mark with the Pioneers
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
– Midwestern State is 34-22 in the all-time series against Texas Woman's
– TWU earned a 71-45 decision in the LSC opener Jan. 2 in Denton
– The Pioneers have won three of the last four meetings including a 66-65 win in Denton on Jan. 19, 2014 and a 57-55 victory in Wichita Falls on Jan. 18, 2015
– MSU is 15-9 against the Pioneers in Ligon Coliseum and has claimed four of the last five meetings
 
A LOOK AT THE MUSTANGS
– Midwestern State is 4-13 overall and 3-4 in the LSC to tie for fifth place in the conference standings
– Junior forward Jennifer Sissel (12.1 ppg) and sophomore guard Whitney Taylor (12.1 ppg) have created an inside-outside for punch for the Mustangs in conference play as both are averaging double figures in scoring to lead MSU
– In LSC action, Sissel has scored in double figures four times with three double-doubles to her name
– The Wichita Falls native ranks near the top of the LSC with 8.0 rebounds per game (2nd), 32.4 minutes (4th) and 44.6 shooting (6th) in conference play
– Taylor has been hot from long range during LSC play, shooting 40 percent (10-of-25) from behind the arc to rank ninth in the conference with 1.4 triples per game
– The Melissa native has notched double figures in scoring in six-straight games dating back to Jan. 6, and leads the Mustangs with nine double-digit performances this season
– Taylor has also been a frequent visitor to the charity stripe in league play, going 27-of-34 to rank fifth with a 79.4 percentage from the line
– Following her 17-rebound performance in a win over Texas A&M-Kingsville last week, senior forward Katie Brown propelled herself to eighth in the LSC with 6.7 rebounds per game in conference play
– On the season, Taylor climbed to 10 points per game after her career-best 21-point outing against Angelo State last weekend to rank 15th in the LSC in scoring while leading the league with a 79.6 free-throw percentage (39-of-49)
– Sissel has been the Mustangs' top rebounder on the year with 5.6 rebounds per game, good enough for eighth in the conference
 
MSU SCHEDULE AMONG TOUGHEST IN NCAA DIVISION II
– Midwestern knew it faced an early season challenge with a young squad and a competitive non-conference schedule that featured four teams that were coming off NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015
– MSU's 10 non-conference opponents have not disappointed with a combined record of 112-61 (.647) as of Jan. 27
– The always competitive Lone Star Conference has added to the strength of MSU's schedule this season with nationally-ranked West Texas A&M and Texas Woman's, who is receiving votes in the national poll
– MSU's schedule is currently ranked the second-toughest in NCAA Division II behind California State, Dominguez Hills with opponents combining for a 189-112 mark (.628)

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 117-97 record (.547) 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 next looks for a regular season sweep over rival Tarleton State in a 5:30 p.m. tipoff Wednesday at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville