Midwestern State at Tarleton State
Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 | 5:30 p.m.
Wisdom Gym | Stephenville, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (2-3, 0-0 LSC); Tarleton State (1-4, 0-0 LSC)
Live Stats: TarletonSports.com
Video: TarletonSports.com
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM 

Midwestern State at Texas A&M-Commerce
Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 | 2 p.m.
A&M-Commerce Field House | Commerce, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (2-3, 0-0 LSC); Texas A&M-Commerce (4-2, 0-0 LSC)
Live Stats: LionAthletics.com
Video: LionAthletics.com
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM 

THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State will look to snap a three-game losing skid this week as the Mustangs open up Lone Star Conference action on the road against rival Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
Midwestern State begins its LSC slate Thursday against the TexAnns with a 5:30 p.m. tipoff at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville. The Mustangs then close out a five-game road stretch Saturday when they take on A&M-Commerce in a 2 p.m. contest at the A&M-Commerce Field House in Commerce.

LAST TIME ON THE COURT
- Southern Nazarene used a 24-11 run and seven three-pointers in the second half to record an 89-82 win over Midwestern State Saturday in Bethany, Okla.
- Junior guard Whitney Taylor netted a season-high 19 points and seven rebounds while posting career bests of five assists, four steals and two blocks to lead the Mustangs
- The Crimson Storm knocked down 11-of-22 from behind the arc while shooting 18-of-21 from the charity stripe, pulling away from the Mustangs midway through the third quarter after a one-point game at halftime
- Freshman forward Liz Cathcart (11) and junior forward Micheline Mercelita (10) joined Taylor in double figures
- Midwestern State also fared well from the free-throw line, shooting 19-of-22 with Taylor going 7-of-7 and junior guard Jasmine Richardson shooting 6-of-6 from the line

 A LOOK AT THE MUSTANGS
- Midwestern State enters conference play with a 2-3 record on the season, averaging 67.4 points per game to rank fifth in the LSC
- The Mustangs are shooting a 38.6 percent clip from the field this season for fifth in the league while leading the LSC and ranking 21st nationally with a 38.9 percentage from behind the arc with 35 triples 
- Whitney Taylor leads the Mustangs with 12.0 points per game, reaching double figures in all but one game this season
- Taylor ties for the team lead with 10 three-pointers, shooting 35.7 percent from long range while leading the Mustangs with an 87.5 percent clip from the charity stripe for sixth in the LSC
- Junior guard Kristin Rydell is also averaging double figures with 10.2 points per game with 10 triples on 40 percent shooting from three-point range to rank sixth in the league
- Junior post Avery Queen is third for the Mustangs in scoring with 8.6 points while leading MSU with 1.2 blocks per game for fourth in the conference
- Micheline Mercelita comes off the bench to lead Midwestern with 4.8 rebounds per game, recording MSU's first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds against Newman on Nov. 20
- Liz Cathcart also provides a spark off the bench for the Mustangs, shooting a team-best 48.0 percent from the floor to average 6.8 points per game with a pair of double-figure scoring performances already this season
- Jasmine Richardson has led the Mustangs in steals in three games this season, averaging 1.8 swipes per game to rank ninth in the LSC
- Freshman point guard Leanna James comes off the bench to lead MSU with 3.4 assists per contest for seventh in the league, dishing out a season-high seven helpers in the season opener against Adams State on Nov. 11
 
THE JOHNSON ERA
- Noel Johnson begins her ninth season at the helm of the Midwestern State women's basketball program, leading the Mustangs to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2013-15
- Johnson has compiled a 120-109 career mark (.524) at MSU and is tied for second in career wins at Midwestern State with Kim Griffee (1984-92), trailing only Shannon Burks, who compiled 132 victories from 1999-2008
- In 2013, Johnson was named the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) Small College Coach of the Year after guiding the Mustangs to their first Lone Star Conference title in 11 years while advancing to the NCAA South Central Region finals with a 26-6 record
- Johnson earned LSC Coach of the Year accolades in 2012 after leading MSU to its first trip to the league's postseason tournament since 2003 with a 19-8 record and third-place finish in the LSC

SCOUTING THE TEXANNS
- Tarleton State's 1-4 start is its worst since the 1998-99 season
- The TexAnns defeated Western State (Colo.), 52-37, for their lone win this season while suffering setbacks to St. Mary's (twice), Missouri S&T and Colorado State-Pueblo
- Tarleton is averaging 54.2 points per game while allowing opponents to an average of 58.8 points
- Senior guard Bailey Wipff leads the TexAnns with 11.6 points per game while junior guard Tiara Tatum (10.4 ppg) and sophomore forward Mackenzie Hailey (10.0 ppg) also average double figures in starting roles for the TexAnns
- Hailey and senior forward Ikpeaku Iwobi each average 7.0 boards for the TexAnns while junior guard Baylee Peck dishes out 3.6 assists per game
- Misty Wilson is in her third season leading the TexAnns women's basketball program with a 35-25 record

INSIDE THE SERIES
- Midwestern State will square off against Tarleton State on the hardwood for the 67th time Thursday evening with the Mustangs leading the all-time series 36-30
- The Mustangs reeled off 30 wins in the series from 1975-2005 before Tarleton State won 14-straight contests from 2005-12
- Midwestern State has claimed six of the last 10 meetings with the teams splitting the series the last two seasons with wins at home
- The Mustangs are 15-16 in the series on the road but the TexAnns have won 10 of the last 11 in Stephenville with MSU's lone win coming on Feb. 23, 2013
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
- Texas A&M-Commerce comes in with a 4-2 record this season and will face Cameron in its LSC opener Thursday before taking on Midwestern State
- The Lions rank third in the LSC with 72.5 points per game but are allowing opponents to 71.3 a game
- A&M-Commerce is 23rd in the nation with a 77.3 percentage from the free-throw line, ranking 16th with 116 made free throws this season
- The Lions sport four players scoring in double figures, led by junior forward Artaejah Gay with 12.7 points per game
- Gay leads the LSC with 1.5 blocks and is shooting 88.2 percent from the free-throw line for third in the league
- Senior guard Khala Riley is averaging 11.5 points for second on the team while leading the Lions with 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game
- Junior forward Brianna Wise averages 10.8 points while pulling down 6.2 rebounds per game and leads the LSC with an 89.5 percentage at the charity stripe
- Senior guard Krystal Pickron is putting up 10.5 points while leading the Lions with seven triples and 28 free throws made this season
- Head coach Jason Burton is in his third season at A&M-Commerce with a 34-29 career record

INSIDE THE SERIES
- Midwestern State leads the all-time series, 42-20, against Texas A&M-Commerce dating back to 1976
- The Mustangs have won 10 of the last 13 meetings since 2010
- Texas A&M-Commerce swept the series last season with a 67-59 win in Wichita Falls and a 75-53 victory at Commerce
- Midwestern State is 16-13 inside the A&M-Commerce Field House, last defeating the Lions on the road with an 87-69 win on Feb. 7, 2015  
 
UP NEXT
- Midwestern State begins a five-game homestand Thursday, Dec. 8 when the Mustangs play host to nationally-ranked Angelo State at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.