Midwestern State at Texas Woman's

Thursday, Jan. 20 – 6 p.m.
Kitty Magee Arena (Denton, Texas)
All-Time Series: MSU leads 40-26
 
DENTON, Texas -- In a mid-week nonconference game, Midwestern State (8-6, 3-2 LSC) and Texas Woman's (10-4, 3-1 LSC) face-off at Kitty Magee Arena on Thursday, Jan. 20. The LSC foes are set to tip-off at 6 p.m. in Denton, Texas.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS

In this week's D2SIDA South Central Region Poll, Texas Woman's was voted to the No. 8 spot. TWU went 1-1 in last week's Lone Star Conference play, ending a three-game winning streak. On Jan. 13, the Pioneers defeated UTPB by 44-37 and turned around to fall 83-66 to Angelo State. At the start of the LSC season, Texas Woman's had two games against UT Tyler and Texas A&M-Commerce postponed on Dec. 31 and Jan. 2. The team then went on to take back-to-back wins over St. Mary's and St. Edward's. The team ranks fourth in the conference standings with their 3-1 record. Sadie Moyer leads the Pioneers with 14.9 points per game, a conference seventh-best scoring record. The guard posted three games with 21 points against East Central, Oklahoma Christian, and St. Edward's. In Saturday's loss to Angelo State, Moyer landed 15 points, going four of six from the line. Moyer is seventh in the LSC with 176 field goal attempts, making 67 for 38 percent shooting. The junior shoots 36 percent from deep and earned an LSC second-best 88 percent from the line. This ranks 21st in the NCAA as she only missed seven free throws thus far. She also leads the conference with 36.5 minutes per game, a top 25 finish in Division II. Moyer tops TWU with 34 assists and has 24 steals in 14 games. The 2021 third-team All-LSC selection averages 2.9 boards and adds two blocks on the year.

Ashley Ingram is Texas Woman's top rebounder, averaging 5.9 boards per game. The forward is the only other player besides Moyer to average points in the double digits (11.9). She collected a career-high 22 points versus St. Mary's (1/06) and tagged her second 20-point game of the season. In the following match versus St. Edward's, Ingram picked up 18 points, hitting five of eight from the floor. These two performances earned her Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Jan. 10. Against Angelo State, the freshman was shy of a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. She was four of eight from the field and hit six of seven from the charity stripe. On the season Ingram shoots 47 percent from the floor and 81 percent from the line. The Bridgeport, Texas, native owns 12 blocks and 14 steals while dishing out 17 assists.

Brielle Woods is one of the starting point guards for TWU, making 12 starts in 13 appearances. She averages 7.9 points for the Pioneers, bringing in seven against Angelo State. The guard hit two of three from the floor and checked off both of her free throw attempts. She turned in a season-high 16 points against UT Tyler and added eight rebounds. Woods shoots 38 percent from the field and 34 percent from behind the arc. The junior is 25 of 27 from the line, hitting 92 percent. She records 3.2 boards for the team. Woods earned LSC Defensive Player of the Week after helping the Pioneers hold UAFS to 24 percent shooting. She was influential in the Lions' scoreless third quarter. She also grabbed five steals, seven rebounds, and 11 points in the match. Against Oklahoma Christian, the DeSoto, Texas, native assisted the team in beating OC by 19. She added one steal and three rebounds. Woods' team-best 28 steals rank ninth in the LSC while her average of 2.15 takes sits eighth in the conference. She collected 19 assists and one block on the year.

Keslyn King and Agang Tac round out the potential starting five for Texas Woman's. King averages 7.5 points and 3.4 rebounds while starting all 14 games. The guard shoots 31 percent from the floor and 21 percent from range. King adds 64 percent free-throw shooting. The junior owns 22 assists and 17 steals on the season. Tac puts up 6.5 points and 5.5 boards in her 12 starts. She leads the team with 31 offensive rebounds over 13 appearances. The senior is good for 43 percent shooting on the field and 46 from the line. Tac owns 11 assists and 12 steals. The forward's 14 blocks sit ninth in the Lone Star Conference while her average of 1.08 ranks seventh.

BLOCK UP

Midwestern State continues their blocking reign through 14 games in the 2021-22 season. MSU ranks 23rd in Division II and third in the conference with 67 stopped shots while the average of 4.8 per game sits 18th and first, respectively. Shawnisay Millar grabbed two stops while Hannah Reynolds posted one block in the Mustangs' win at UT Permian Basin. Reynolds totals 34 stops on the season to rank 10th in the NCAA and third in the LSC. The senior's 2.62 blocks per game sit 11th in the nation and second in the Lone Star. Reynolds continues her ownership of Midwestern State's all-time leading blocker. She totals 189 career checks and a 1.8 average over 107 games. 

MUSTANG STARTING FIVE

Reynolds also holds a spot in the top three of scorers for MSU. The forward averaged 9.8 points per game and collected a career-high 24 against St. Mary's on Jan. 8. She shoots about 46 percent from the field and 70 percent from the line. The graduate senior has only been to the free-throw line 17 times but has knocked down 12 opportunities. Reynolds owns a team-best 6.5 average boards with 67 on the defensive end. Against Angelo State, the Prosper, Texas, native was two of three from the floor and added six rebounds.

Morgan Lenahan is also a force for the Mustangs, averaging a team-leading 15.6 points per game, which is fifth-best for the conference. Versus the Falcons, the graduate senior hit 12 of 18 from the field and five of six from range to total a season-high 31 points. Lenahan shoots 40 percent from the field and has a conference fifth-best 86 percent free-throw shooting. This ranks 43rd in Division II. She is also right behind King with an LSC fifth-highest 55 made free throws. The guard owns 6.2 average boards and ranks eighth in the conference with 5.4 defensive rebounds per game. The Haddonfield, N.J., native leads the Mustangs with 26 steals and contributes 41 assists.

Frances King averages 12.6 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 on Jan. 8. The sophomore set the single-game record for assists and overtook Mindy Myer's 1994 record of 13 helpers. The guard's 5.3 helpers per game rank first in the LSC and 20th in the NCAA while her 74 total leads the conference and ranks 16th in DII. She shoots 35 percent from the floor and boasts 82 percent from the line to sit ninth in the Lone Star. The Rockdale, Texas, product earns 3.4 boards per game and 23 total steals in 14 games. Against UTPB, King claimed 11 points and eight assists while banking a career-high five steals.

Shawnisay Millar and Markayla Johnson round out the starting five for MSU. Millar grabbed two boards and four points versus UT Permian Basin. The forward averages 7.4 points per game and 4.2 rebounds. Johnson records about 4.1 average points and 2.7 boards. The sophomore registered 18 steals and 7 blocks in 13 starts for the 2021-22 season. The guard posted seven points and six boards in the match against the Falcons.

THE MAN IN CHARGE

Christopher Reay is in his second season at the helm of his alma mater. In the shortened COVID 2020-21 season, Reay guided the Mustangs to an 11-7 record. In his first year at the reins, the Mustangs went 11-5 in Lone Star Conference play. The team finished fifth in the standings and reached the quarterfinals in the postseason tournament. Also, 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 23-19 (.548). Reay served as the top assistant for 10 campaigns, guiding MSU to three consecutive NCAA Division II South Central Regionals from 2012-15. In that time, MSU claimed a Lone Star Conference regular and postseason tournament title in 2012-13. Reay competed two seasons at Midwestern State in 2006-07 and 2007-08. After transferring from SMU, he helped MSU to an LSC postseason tournament championship and a regional semifinal appearance in 2007.

ABOUT THE SERIES

MSU and TWU have a history spanning the last 40 years, in which the Mustangs have accrued a 40-26 advantage over the Pioneers. Since Midwestern State joined the Lone Star Conference in 1995, the team owns a 26-15 record against Texas Woman's in conference play. MSU even has a winning record when playing in Denton, going 22-11 since 1975. The Mustangs have played the last three matches on the road against TWU with the last home game held in 2019. In 2020, Midwestern State fell 68-59 to the Pioneers but claimed both games in 2021. On Jan. 22, Morgan Lenahan led with 13 points and five rebounds in the 67-51 victory. Hannah Reynolds added 12 points while Kityana Diaz grabbed six boards. The following day, the Mustangs outscored Texas Woman's 46-37 with Frances King posting 16 points.

UP NEXT

Midwestern State heads to Commerce, Texas, to face No. 6 Texas A&M-Commerce in a rescheduled game from Dec. 31. The Lone Star Conference battle kicks off at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 23. If you are unable to make it to Commerce Field House, a video stream and live stats will be available online.