Midwestern State (7-4, 4-1) at UT Permian Basin (4-9, 2-2)
Lone Star Conference game
Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 | 2 p.m.
Falcon Dome | Odessa, Texas
Live Stats:Â UTPBFalcons.com |
Radio:Â ESPN 95.5 FM |
Audio:Â Mustangs Digital Network |
Video:Â UTPBFalcons.com
Â
MUSTANGS NOTES
- Midwestern State's Noel Johnson became the program's all-time leader claiming her 133rd career coaching victory with a 72-66 win at Texas A&M-Kingsville on Dec. 19th.
- The Mustangs (7-4) are off to their best start since going 13-1 at the beginning of the 2014-15 season.
- MSU has lost back-to-back games for the first time this season after seeing its four-game winning streak snapped on Dec. 30 against Southern Nazarene (70-66). This week the Mustangs fell on the road to second-ranked West Texas A&M (64-46).
- Midwestern State dropped its first road game of the season on Thursday against West Texas A&M. The Mustangs are 3-1 on the road this season.
- MSU is third in the Lone Star Conference grabbing 15.5 offensive rebounds per game resulting in 11.9 second chance points per game.
- Additionally, Midwestern State is third in total rebounds, grabbing 43.5 caroms per game and have won the rebound battle in seven of their 11 games this season.
- Midwestern posts assists on 63.2 percent of its made field goals (151-of-239) ranking fourth in the LSC with 13.7 assists per game.
- The Mustangs are third in the LSC in 3-point field goal defense allowing the opposition to 25.5 percent from the arc. Thursday, MSU held the Lady Buffs to a season-low 15.0 percent from deep and allowing just three makes on the night.
- Senior guard Whitney Taylor leads MSU and ranks 17th in the LSC in scoring at 10.9 points per game. The Melissa, Texas native shoots 32.1 percent from the field while ranking fourth in the LSC with 2.0 made triples per game.
- Taylor is third on MSU's all-time 3-point makes list with 131 career 3s. She needs two 3-pointers to move past Andrea Buben (132 3s/2006-10) into second place. Former teammate Lisa Hampton (154 3s/2011-15) remains at the top of the chart.
- Taylor was held below double figures for the second-straight time in the last six games. Prior to the game against Southern Nazarene, Taylor had scored in double-figures in four-straight games, averaging 14.5 points per game, shooting 37.8 percent from the field and an even 40 percent from deep. In the last two games, the senior is averaging 6.0 points per game and has shot 23.5 percent and 12.5 percent from deep.
- Taylor earned LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors after pouring in a season-high 18 points with four triples while going 6-of-8 from the line in a 73-64 win at Angelo State on Dec. 7th.
- Senior forward Micheline Mercelita is second on the team scoring 9.7 points a game and leads the club with 6.9 boards a game ranking 10th in the LSC.
- Mercelita has scored in double-figures in each of the last four games, including a pair of double-doubles. The senior is averaging 13.5 points per game over that stretch with eight rebounds per game.
- Mercelita boasts a trio of double-doubles this season after her performance against Southern Nazarene with 20 points and 10 rebounds. She's gone for 15 points and 10 rebounds against Oklahoma Christian (11/11) and 13 points and 10 rebounds at Texas A&M-Kingsville (12/19).
- Senior guard Kristin Rydell has come alive over the last five games pouring in 10.0 points on 18-of-43 shooting from the field (41.8 percent) with eight 3-pointers. The run includes a season-high 16-point effort at Texas A&M-Kingsville (12/19) which followed a 9-point, 8-board performance against Texas A&M-Commerce (12/2) and a 10-point showing at Angelo State (12/7).
- Rydell is third on the team scoring 7.4 points per game while pulling down 3.4 boards in 22.0 minutes per game.
- Senior guard Jasmine Richardson has scored at least five points in seven of her last eight games including a campaign-high of 11 points at Angelo State (12/7). She is fourth on the team scoring 6.1 points per game to go along with 2.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per game.
- Richardson is seventh in the Lone Star Conference with the 2.8 assists per game.
- Sophomore Liz Cathcart scored eight points and pulled down seven rebounds in 24 minutes her last time out at Angelo State. She is averaging 5.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17 minutes a game this season. She has missed the last five games due to injury.
- 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 sixth on the team in scoring at 5.5 points while also pulling down 4.2 rebounds per game.
- 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.
- Reynolds is coming off a breakout performance against West Texas A&M, leading the team with 11 points on 57.1 percent shooting while grabbing six rebounds in the setback.
- Junior forward Chelsea Adams is seventh on the team in scoring with 5.4 points to go along with 4.0 rebounds per game. She scored a season-high 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting with a 3-poitner in MSU's win over Tarleton State on Dec. 2nd.
- Seven players carry averages of 5.0 points or better through the season's first 11 games including Taylor (10.9), Mercelita (9.7), Rydell (7.4), Richardson (6.1), Cathcart (5.9), Reynolds (5.5) and Adams (5.4)
- Noel Johnson is in her 10th season at the helm of the MSU women's basketball program with an overall record of 133-128 (.509). 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.
Â
VERSUS UT PERMIAN BASIN
- Midwestern State and UT Permian Basin meet for the eighth time overall and third-time as conference foes on the hardwood Saturday afternoon at the Falcon Dome.
- MSU leads the overall series 6-1 which dates back to the 2006 season with the lone setback coming at D.L. Ligon Coliseum last season on Jan. 7 (82-78).
- The last win in the series by the Mustangs came on Feb. 9, 2017 in a 86-65 contest in Odessa.
- Midwestern State is 2-0 all-time against UTPB in games played in Odessa.
- The Falcons are 4-9 on the season, 2-2 in Lone Star Conference play and 1-4 at the Falcon Dome.
- Junior forward Khali Pippins-Tryon leads UTPB in scoring with 11.6 points per game, but has not played since Dec. 9.
- Senior guard Sierra LaGrande is second on the team with 9.3 points per game. She has been the top three-point threat for the Falcons with 29 treys on 38.2 percent.
- Junior guard Kayla Bretherton is the only player on the Falcons to have started all 13 games on the season. She ranks third on the team with 8.8 points per game.
 Â
-- MSUMustangs.com --
