Midwestern State (3-2, 0-0) vs. Tarleton State (3-2, 0-0)
Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017 | 5:30 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com | Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM | Audio/Video: Mustangs Digital Network
 
Midwestern State (3-2, 0-0) vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (3-3, 0-0)
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2017 | 2 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com | Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM | Audio/Video: Mustangs Digital Network
 
 
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• Midwestern State opens Lone Star Conference play with a pair of home games under the dome. The Mustangs take on rival Tarleton State on Thursday before playing host to Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday.
• The Mustangs have won their last two games at D.L. Ligon Coliseum after falling in the season opener to Colorado Mesa.
• MSU leads the Lone Star Conference grabbing 16.6 offensive rebounds per game resulting in 13.4 second chance points per game.
• The Mustangs are fourth in the league in rebound margin at +5.4 and have won the rebound battle in each of their last four games.
• Senior guard Whitney Taylor leads MSU scoring at 10.0 points per game. The Melissa, Texas native shoots 30.9 percent from the field ranking fourth in the LSC with 2.2 made triples per game.
• Taylor moved into fourth on MSU's all-time 3-point makes list by matching a career best with five 3-pointers on Nov. 11th against Oklahoma Christian. She now has 120 career 3s and trails Lisa Hampton (154 3s/2011-15), Andrea Buben (132 3s/2006-10) and Kristin Ramsey (125 3s/2000-04) at the top of MSU's made 3-point field goal list.
• Senior forward Micheline Mercelita is second on the team scoring 9.2 points a game with leading the club with 7.3 boards a game ranking seventh in the LSC. She notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Oklahoma Christian.
• Freshman forward Hannah Reynolds claimed Ashbrook Classic all-tournament team honors after averaging 11 points and 3.5 rebounds in her first two collegiate games. She is third on the team in scoring at 7.8 points per game and has picked up the pace in the rebounding department grabbing 7.3 caroms a contest over the last four games.
• Reynolds is the first MSU freshman since Shatoia Gober (to score in double figures in her first two collegiate games. Gober scored 10-or-more points in the first three games of the 2011-12 season.
• Sophomore Liz Cathcart enjoyed a solid weekend at the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic. The 6-foot forward from Spring Branch notched eight points and seven rebounds in a win over St. Mary's (Texas) on Friday before going for a season highs of 10 points and eight rebounds against No. 8 Lubbock Christian. She upped her season averages to 6.2 points and 5.2 boards per game.
• Nine players carry averages of 4.0 points or better through the season's first five games including Taylor (10.0), Mercelita (9.2), Reynolds (7.8), Cathcart (6.2), senior guard Kristin Rydell (5.8), senior guard Jasmine Richardson (5.2), senior forward Avery Queen (5.0), junior forward Chelsea Adams (4.4) and junior guard Chelcie Kizart (4.2).
• Noel Johnson enters her 10^th season at the helm of the MSU women's basketball program with an overall record of 129-126 (.506). Under Johnson's guidance, the Mustangs claimed the 2013 Lone Star Conference Championship advancing to the NCAA postseason three consecutive seasons from 2013-15.
• MSU was picked to finish ninth in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll of coaches, sports information directors and selected media.
• Midwestern State and Tarleton State meet for the 69^th time on the hardwood Thursday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
• The Mustangs own a 36-32 edge in the series which dates back to the 1975-76 season, but Tarleton has won the last three and six of the last eight. In fact, the TexAnns have won 20 of the last 26 since the start of the 2005-06 season. Of MSU's six wins during the stretch, four came during the Mustangs' South Central Regional finalist run in 2012-13.
• Tarleton State carries a 3-2 mark into Thursday night's contest, but the TexAnns have dropped two of the last three including an 80-60 loss to then-No. 23 Lubbock Christian (11/21) the last time out in Lubbock.
• Sophomore forward Mackenzie Hailey is fifth in the LSC in scoring with 14.4 points per game while pulling down 6.2 rebounds. The 2016-17 LSC Newcomer of the Year has scored in double figures in all five games this season and is coming off of a campaign high 19-point performance at Lubbock Christian.
• Junior guard McKinley Bolstad chips in 10.4 points per game and shoots 47.1 percent from the arc. The Texas State transfer has scored 10-or-more in three games including a season-high 18 against Regis (11/19).
• Junior forward Katie Webster, a transfer from Long Beach State, scores 9.6 points per game and pulls down 4.4 rebounds.
• Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce meet for the 65^th time on the hardwood Saturday afternoon at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
• MSU holds a commanding 42-22 edge in the series which dates back to the 1976-77 season, but the Lions have swept the last two season series (4 games).
• The Mustangs had won 10 of 11 games against the Lions from 2010-15.
• Texas A&M-Commerce had its two-game winning streak snapped in a 78-66 loss to Southeastern Oklahoma State on Nov. 26^th. The Lions play at Cameron Thursday night before heading to Wichita Falls on Saturday.
• Of A&M-Commerce's three loss two game to nationally ranked foes – Colorado State-Pueblo (55-52) and Lubbock Christian (74-39) – both of those games were at home.
• Senior forward Artaejah Gay paces the Lions in scoring with 13.2 points per game. The skilled big scores 17 points in A&M-C's three wins and 9.3 in the Lions' three losses.
• Senior guard Brianna Wise's scoring average of 12.5 points a game is fueled by monster performances against St. Edward's (25 points, 5 rebounds) and Metro State (24 points, 6 rebounds). In those games, Wise connected on 10-of-13 shots from the foul like against Metro State and was 8-for-9 on charity tosses against St. Edward's. She has taken four free throws in the other four games combined.
• Junior guard Princess Davis missed all of five games last season due to injury. She returned this season to average 10.7 points through A&M-Commerce's first six games including a three double-figure performances.
• Reigning LSC Freshman of the Year Jenna Price averages 9.2 points and a team-best 7.8 rebounds. The 6-foot forward is coming off of strong efforts against LeTourneau (12 points, 9 rebounds) and Southeastern Oklahoma State (17 points, 8 rebounds).