Midwestern State at Angelo State

Thursday, Jan. 13 – 5:30 p.m.
Junell Center/Stephens Arena (San Angelo, Texas)
All-Time Series: ASU leads 38-32
 
SAN ANGELO, Texas -- After grabbing back-to-back wins, Midwestern State (7-5, 2-1 LSC) is set to face Angelo State (3-9, 0-1 LSC) in a road Lone Star Conference match. Junell Center and Stephens Arena hosts the showdown on Thursday, Jan. 13. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

SCOUTING THE RAMBELLES

Angelo State began the 2021-22 season with seven straight losses outside of conference play. The streak broke with back-to-back-to-back nonconference wins against St. Edward's, St. Mary's and Huston-Tillotson. The winning ride broke with the Rambelles' first LSC match, which turned to a 67-71 loss against St. Edward's on Dec. 31. Due to postponements for St. Mary's and UT Permian Basin, ASU has yet to play in the New Year.
 
Payton Brown is the leading scorer for Angelo State, averaging 10.3 points per game. The junior shoots 28 percent from the floor and 19 percent from range. Brown knocked down 18 of 22 shots from the free throw line for a team-best 81 percent. The guard also leads with 48 assists, ranking fourth in the Lone Star Conference and 74th in Division II. Her four helpers per game also sits fourth in the LSC and 67th in the NCAA. In 12 starts, Brown owns 22 steals and 4.2 average boards. The Lubbock, Texas, native averages 1.83 steals per game.
 
Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant creates 9.8 points per game for the Rambelles. The forward is 43 percent from the field, 23 percent from behind the arc and 46 percent at the charity stripe. McGhee-Pleasant averages 5.7 rebounds while making five blocks on the year. The sophomore owns 11 assists and 20 steals in 24 minutes per game. The Amarillo, Texas, native is one of three players to start all 12 games for Angelo State.
 
Madeline Stephens is the last Rambelle to start all the games on the season. She leads the team with 7.7 rebounds per game and her 5.8 average defensive boards ranks fourth in the conference. The guard averages 9.2 points and tops the team with 53 percent shooting from the floor. She is 20 of 25 from the line to gain 80 percent. The freshman is the top blocker for ASU, making nine stops. Stephens adds 9 steals and 18 assists. The Lubbock, Texas, native was named LSC Offensive Player of the Week on Dec. 13 after recording a double-double in the win versus St. Edward's.

BLOCKED UP

Midwestern State continues their blocking reign through 12 games. MSU ranks 20th in Division II and second in the conference with 60 stopped shots while the average of 5.0 per game sits 15th and first respectively. Hannah Reynolds posted one block in the team's win on Saturday. She totals 30 stops on the season to rank 12th in the NCAA and third in the LSC. The senior's 2.73 blocks per game sits sixth in the nation and first in the Lone Star. Reynolds continues her ownership of Midwestern State's all-time leading blocker with 185 career checks and a 1.8 average over 105 games. 

MUSTANG STARTING FIVE

Reynolds also holds a spot in the top three of scorers for MSU. The forward averages 10.2 points per game and collected a career-high 24 against St. Mary's on Saturday. She shoots about 47 percent from the field and 66 percent from the line. The graduate senior has only been to the free-throw line 15 times, but has knocked down 10 opportunities. Reynolds owns a team-best 6.5 average boards with 59 on the defensive end. Reynolds just missed the double-double mark against StMU with nine rebounds.

Morgan Lenahan is also a force for the Mustangs, averaging a team-leading 13.3 points per game. Versus the Rattlers, the graduate senior went five of six from the line and totaled 24 points. She added two steals. On the season, Lenahan shoots 35 percent from the field and has a conference fourth best 86 percent free throw shooting. This ranks 40th in Division II. The guard owns 6.3 average boards and leads the Mustangs with 25 steals. The Haddonfield, N.J., native posted a season-high 28 points and nine rebounds at Oklahoma Christian (12/02).
 
Frances King averages 13.2 points per game with a career-high 25 points posted against Texas Wesleyan (11/28). Against St. Mary's, King posted her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 16 assists. The sophomore set the single game record for assists and overtook Mindy Myer's 1994 record of 13 helpers. The guard's 5.2 helpers per game ranks first in the LSC and 18th in the NCAA while her 63 total also leads the conference and ranks 19th in DII. She shoots 35 percent from the floor and boasts 80 percent from the line. The Rockdale, Texas, native earns 3.6 boards per game and 18 total steals in 12 games.

Shawnisay Millar and Markayla Johnson round out the starting five for MSU. The forward grabbed four boards and four points in the win against the Rattlers. Millar averages 7.7 points per game and 4.4 rebounds. Johnson records about 4.2 average points and 2.6 boards. The sophomore registered 16 steals and 6 blocks in 11 starts for the 2021-22 season.

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 22-18 (.550). 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

MSU and ASU have a closely played series with Angelo State holding a 38-32 advantage over 44 years. Since first becoming conference foes in 1996, the Mustangs are 17-29 against the Rambelles. Midwestern State has won only seven times when traveling to San Angelo, the last in 2017. In the 2021 match-up between the two teams, MSU walked away with an 81-62 home victory. Morgan Lenahan dropped 29 points with Kityana Diaz and Shawnisay Millar following with ten points.

UP NEXT

Midwestern State routes to Odessa, Texas, for their last Lone Star Conference match of the week. The Mustangs face UT Permian Basin on Saturday, Jan. 15 at Falcon Dome. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.