Midwestern State vs. West Texas A&M
Monday, Jan. 4, 2021
First United Bank Center | Canyon, Texas
Series: WT leads 55-19
Listen | Watch | Live Stats
 
CANYON, Texas -- Midwestern State goes for the season sweep of West Texas A&M Monday afternoon at the First United Bank Center. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m.
 
CROWD RESTRICTIONS
Attendance for Monday afternoon's game at First United Bank Center is limited to 10 percent capacity. Visiting fans are restricted to team pass list only.
 
EVENT COVERAGE
The game streams live on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network. A video stream is available at the cost of $10 for a daily pass at LoneStarConferenceNetwork/msu. A complimentary audio stream is also available at the same site.
 
SCHEDULE CHANGES
Midwestern State was originally slated to take on St. Edward's in a crossover series Saturday and Sunday at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, while West Texas A&M was ticketed to take on Western New Mexico in a non-conference matchup. Both series were wiped out due to COVID-19 concerns. The programs opted to move their LSC West Division series to the weekend. The Mustangs and Lady Buffs were originally scheduled to play the home-and-home series on Feb. 11 and 13.
 
REAY TAKES THE REINS
Christopher Reay is in the midst of his first full season at the helm of his alma mater. He guided the Mustangs to a 4-6 mark over the final 10 games in 2019-20 serving in an interim role following Noel Johnson's leave of absence to continue her fight against ovarian cancer. His career coaching record stands at 6-7 (.462) heading into weekend play. Reay served as the top assistant for the previous 10 campaigns playing a hand in guiding MSU to three consecutive NCAA Division II South Central Regionals from 2012-15 as MSU claimed a Lone Star Conference regular and postseason tournament titles in 2012-13. Reay competed two seasons at Midwestern State in 2006-07 and 2007-08 after transferring from SMU helping MSU to an LSC postseason tournament championship and a regional semifinal appearance in 2007.
 
CONTINUING THE LEGACY
Dianna Jones takes over as the top assistant at Midwestern State. Jones was a key cog in the Mustangs' three runs to the NCAA Division II South Central Regionals and for MSU's Lone Star Conference championship squad in 2012-13. She earned first-team All-LSC honors as a senior after gaining honorable mention as a junior. She was the league's freshman of the year in 2012. Jones, who was a member of Waco Midway High's Class 4A title squad in 2009, served as an assistant coach at Temple College last season. She played professionally in Egypt, Mexico and El Salvador.
 
MUSTANGS TEAM NOTES
* Midwestern State improved to 29-15 (.659) in home openers after claiming an 87-80 win in double overtime Saturday against West Texas A&M.
* The Mustangs overcame a good shooting game by West Texas A&M (50.9 percent) by out-rebounding the Lady Buffs, 43-31. MSU is 2-0 when it wins the rebounding battles this season. The Mustangs are 5-1 with Christopher Reay as head coach when controlling the glass.
* Midwestern State has forced 50 turnovers over the last two games resulting in 48 points.
* Midwestern State connected on 5-of-17 3-point shots (29.4 percent) in Saturday's win over West Texas A&M. The Mustangs have shot less than 30 percent from the arc in 18 of its last 31 games dating back to the 2018-19 season finale against Tarleton State in the LSC Postseason Tournament.
* Midwestern State ranks sixth in the Lone Star Conference and 23rd in NCAA Division II limiting the opposition to a 30.8 percent success rate from beyond the arc. This is nothing new for the Mustangs, who limited the opposition to a 27.9 percent in 2019-20, 30.2 percent in 2018-19 and 29.1 percent in 2017-18.
 
MUSTANGS INDIVIDUAL NOTES
* Senior guard Morgan Lenahan erupted for a career-high 25 points on 6-of-16 shooting with three 3-pointers while going 10-of-12 from the charity stripe in Saturday's win over West Texas A&M. She connected on 10-of-12 of her shots from the free throw line. Lenahan's previous career high came as a member of the Wagner Seahawks scoring 23 points against Fairleigh Dickinson on Jan. 6, 2018.
* Junior forward Haevyn Risley knocked down 7-of-8 shots on her way to a career-high 14 points while grabbing six rebounds and swiping three steals against West Texas A&M. She ranks seventh in the Lone Star Conference with 7.3 rebounds per game.
* Sophomore forward Mandy Withey delivered her first collegiate double-double going for career highs of 12 points and 10 rebounds with two blocks and pair of steals in 21 minutes against West Texas A&M. Withey zoomed to 11th in the LSC with a 6.3 rebounds per game average while starting in place of the injured Hannah Reynolds.
* Senior guard Kityana Diaz matched a career highs with four steals Saturday against West Texas A&M. It is her second consecutive game with four thefts. She ranks ninth in the LSC with 2.7 steals per game.
* Sophomore guard Frances King delivered five crucial free throws in the closing minute of the second overtime to seal a win over West Texas A&M. She finished with nine points and five assists in 28 minutes of court time. King rates second in the LSC averaging five assists per game.
 
ABOUT THE LADY BUFFS
West Texas A&M was picked to finish second in the 2020-21 Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll. The Lady Buffs received 15 first-place votes and 551 total points which was two fewer points than Lubbock Christian, who also received 15 first-place votes. WT closed the 2019-20 season with a 27-6 overall record including a 19-3 run through league play. The Lady Buffs opened the season with a sweep of UA Fort Smith on Dec. 19 and 20 at Stubblefield Center in Fort Smith, Ark. LSC Preseason Player of the Year Lexy Hightower leads the LSC scoring 20.7 points per game, while senior forward Abby Spurgin adds 10 points per game. Kristen Mattio owns a 141-30 record (.825) in her sixth season as head coach at West Texas A&M.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and West Texas A&M meet for the 75th time on the hardwood Monday afternoon at First United Bank Center. The Lady Buffs lead the overall series which dates back to the 1976-77 season by a 55-19 margin. WT has won 12 of the last 14 meetings between the programs dating back to the 2014-15 season with MSU claiming wins in Wichita Falls in each of the last two seasons. MSU goes for its first season sweep of WT since the 2012-13 season and just the third all time (2002-03). The Lady Buffs have won their last seven meetings against the Mustangs played at First United Bank Center with MSU's last win in Canyon coming on Feb. 6, 2013 (58-55).
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State takes on Western New Mexico on Jan. 10 and 11 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.