Midwestern State vs No. 3/5 Texas A&M-Commerce
Thursday, Dec. 16 – 5:30 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum (Wichita Falls, Texas)
All-Time Series: MSU leads 44-28
 
WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State (5-3) welcomes undefeated No. 3/5 Texas A&M-Commerce (8-0) to D.L. Ligon Coliseum for the final game before Lone Star Conference play starts. The Thursday night match tips-off at 5:30 p.m.
 

SCOUTING THE LIONS

After narrowly escaping Texas Woman's on Monday by 63-60, Texas A&M-Commerce keeps their winning streak rolling. The Lions sit at 9-0 for the 2021-22 season, gaining four wins on the road. The team and Lubbock Christian sit tied in the D2SIDA South Central Regional rankings with 57 points each. TAMUC also ranks at No. 3 in the D2SIDA poll -- one of the highest rankings in program history -- and No. 5 in the WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association) poll.

Sophomore Dyani Robinson leads the Lions with 15.3 average points and adds 4.4 boards per game. The guard is 81stt in the NCAA and fourth in the Lone Star with 122 field goal attempts. She converted 48 shots to shoot almost 40 percent from the floor. Robinson is eighth in the LSC with an 83.6 free throw percent, going 31 of 37.

DesiRay Kernal is the top rebounder for Texas A&M-Commerce, earning 7.2 boards per game and a seventh rank in the LSC. The redshirt sophomore gained the game-winning lay-up for the Lions in their victory against TWU. She shoots 45.5 percent from the floor and 73.9 percent from the line. Kernal is 34 of 46 in free throws to rank ninth and seventh in the conference. Overall, the forward averages team second-best 11.9 points and leads with 11 steals.

Head Coach Jason Burton is in his eighth year at the helm of TAMUC. He is the all-time winningest coach in Lion history while holding the record for wins, conference wins and winning percentage. Burton helped the team to lead the Lone Star Conference in six major categories that also earn a top 20 rank in the nation. These include free throws made (164), rebound margin (12.2), rebounds per game (46.33), scoring offense (81.8), offensive rebounds per game (17.9) and scoring margin (19.6).
 

FROM THE LINE

Midwestern State excels on free throws, outshooting their opponents in five of eight games. They rank 92ndd in the NCAA and eighth in the Lone Star Conference with 166 attempts from the line. The team turned in 118 of the chances to sit 85thh in the nation and eighth for the conference in makes. Frances King is 36thh in Division II for her 40 free throw conversions out of a 48thh rank 50 attempts. She is fourth and third in the LSC in the respective categories. Morgan Lenahan also shines at the charity toss with a LSC-third highest 87.5 percent, which also ranks 46thh in DII. Her 35 makes are 69thh best in the NCAA and seventh in the LSC.

MSU posted a season-high 83.3 percent shooting from the foul line against Oklahoma Christian (12/02) and UT Tyler (12/13). The team's most makes came versus Texas Wesleyan (11/28) with 23 put away. King went 11-13 from the line against the Rams.
 

FENCES

Defensively, MSU does well holding the opposition outside of the three-point line on multiple fronts. Opponents only average 26.6 percent from behind the arc for a seventh place rank in the conference and 73rdd place in Division II for the Mustangs. The team is fourth in the Lone Star with 19.88 forced turnovers. Lenahan helps with the feat with her 2.38 steals per game. It also sits fourth in the LSC while ranking 73rdd in the NCAA. The senior's 19 total steals is sixth best in the conference. In addition, Lenahan picked up 48 defensive rebounds to rank fifth for 6.0 defensive boards per game.

On the offensive side of the game, Lenahan and King are the top two scorers for Midwestern State. King leads the team with 15.9 points per game and owns a LSC second-best 4.4 average assists. Her 35 total helpers rank fifth. Lenahan puts up 13.5 points while earning 21 assists on the season.
 

HOT ON THE BLOCK

Though the Mustangs only registered two blocks against UT Tyler on Monday, the team still reigns the category. MSU ranks 20thh in Division II and second in the conference with 40 stopped shots while the average of five per game sits 15thh and first respectively. Hannah Reynolds posted one of the two blocks against the Patriots to total 20 on the season. The senior's feat is 15thh in the NCAA and third in the LSC. Her 2.86 stops per game sit eighth in the nation and second in the Lone Star. Reynolds continues her ownership of Midwestern State's all-time leading blocker with 175 career checks and a 1.7 average over 101 games. The forward records 8.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.


HEAD COACH CHRISTOPHER REAY is in his second season at the helm of his alma mater. In the shortened COVID 2020-21 season and his first year at the reins, Reay guided the Mustangs to an 11-7 overall record while going 11-5 in Lone Star Conference play. The team finished fifth in the standings and reached the quarterfinals in the postseason tournament. In addition, Reay led MSU 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 19-16 (.543). Reay served as the top assistant for 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.
 

ABOUT THE SERIES

The MSU and TAMUC series has lasted 45 years with the two teams finding a 44-28 record as Midwestern State's advantage. The Mustangs and the Lions went 1-1 in the 2020-21 season with MSU taking the first game 85-82 on Jan. 10. This ended a five-game losing streak to Texas A&M-Commerce. Morgan Lenahan and Shawnisay Millar combined for 39 points and 12 rebounds in the home win. The Lions came back on Feb. 22 to take a 110-81 victory. Overall, MSU holds a 19-17 LSC record over TAMUC and are 25-9 when playing in Wichita Falls.

UP NEXT

Midwestern State kicks-off Lone Star Conference play with another look at Texas A&M-Commerce. This time, the Mustangs travel to Commerce, Texas, to face the Lions on their home court. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 31.