Midwestern State vs. Texas A&M-Commerce
Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016 | 4 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (4-16, 3-7 LSC); Texas A&M-Commerce (12-10, 5-5 LSC)
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com
Video: Mustangs Digital Network (PPV)
Streaming Audio: Mustangs Digital Network (Free)
Radio: ESPN 95.5

FOR STARTERS
Midwestern State begins a two-game homestand Saturday when the Mustangs welcome Texas A&M-Commerce to D.L. Ligon Coliseum for a 4 p.m. contest.
 
PINK OUT GAME
Midwestern State will don pink jerseys Saturday in its Pink Out Game during the annual Play 4 Kay Week, an initiative to fight breast cancer in honor of the late North Carolina State women's basketball coach Kay Yow. The Mustangs will also auction off a signed ball and sell Pink Out shirts. All proceeds go to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

LAST TIME OUT
– Midwestern State dropped a 63-49 road contest to rival Tarleton State Wednesday night in Stephenville
– The TexAnns took advantage of their trips to the free-throw line, shooting 20-of-29 while the Mustangs managed just 5-of-14 shooting
– TSU also held a 44-29 advantage on the boards, limiting the Mustangs to just four second chance points
– Sophomore guard Whitney Taylor matched a career-high 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting for her ninth-straight game in double figures
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
– Texas A&M-Commerce comes in with a 12-10 overall record and 5-5 mark in the Lone Star Conference to sit in a tie for fifth place
– The Lions are coming off a pair of home wins over two of the top four teams in the league in Cameron (53-47) and Texas Woman's (88-78)
– A&M-C sports three players averaging double figures with sophomore forward Artaejah Gay (10.9 ppg), junior guard Shomari Harris (10.4 ppg) and sophomore guard Princess Davis (10.0 ppg)
– Senior forward Amari Jones ranks second in the LSC in rebounding with 8.3 boards per game while Harris is fourth in the league with 3.3 assists per game
– Jason Burton is in his second season leading the Lions women's basketball program after a 14-14 record in 2014-15
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
– Midwestern State has dominated the series with Texas A&M-Commerce, owning a 42-19 record against the Lions since the 1976-77 season
– MSU has won 10 of the last 12 meetings with the Lions earning a win earlier this season (75-53) in Commerce and pulling out an overtime victory (71-64) back on Jan. 4, 2014 at home
– The Mustangs are 27-6 against the Lions inside Ligon Coliseum, having won the last five at home in the series
– Under head coach Noel Johnson, the Mustangs are 10-3 against the Lions
 
A LOOK AT THE MUSTANGS
– After dropping its last four games, Midwestern State now sits at 4-16 and 3-7 in the LSC for eighth in the league standings
– Sophomore guard Whitney Taylor has been a consistent contributor for the Mustangs, having now reached double figures in scoring in nine-straight games and 12 times this season
– The Melissa native is averaging a team-high 10.9 points per game, shooting 39.3 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from behind the arc
– Taylor currently ranks 12th in the LSC in scoring while coming in sixth in free-throw percentage (71.9) and minutes played (28.8)
– Junior forward Jennifer Sissel has helped create an inside-outside punch for the Mustangs alongside Taylor, ranking second in scoring with 7.6 points while leading MSU with 5.5 boards for 11th in the conference
– In league play, Sissel ranks sixth in rebounding with 7.0 rebounds per game while Taylor comes in at eighth with 13.1 points per game
– Sophomore guard Krishawn Crockett has also stepped up lately for the Mustangs with three double-digit scoring performances in the last six games for 7.1 points per game
 
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 128-71 (.643) as of Feb. 5
– 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 Cal Poly Pomona with opponents combining for a 226-135 mark (.626) this season

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 117-100 record (.539) 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 hosts West Texas A&M in its second Pink Out Game of the year Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum