Midwestern State at Texas A&M-Kingsville

Thursday, Feb. 17 – 5:30 p.m.
Steinke Center (Kingsville, Texas)
All-Time Series: MSU leads 29-19

KINGSVILLE, Texas. – As the regular season starts to wind down, Midwestern State's Thursday game at Texas A&M-Kingsville holds influence on their postseason sights. The Lone Star Conference match is at Steinke Center in Kingsville, Texas. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

BLOCKED

Midwestern State collected three blocks against Western New Mexico to push their total to 111 blocks on the year. This continues to lead the Lone Star Conference and ranks 15th in Division II. The team's average of five blocks per game also leads the league and sits 13thh in the NCAA. The Mustangs' opponents average 2.5 blocks. MSU is 11-5 when they have four or more blocks. The best performance was on Dec. 16 versus Texas A&M-Commerce when they picked up ten blocks.

TOP SIX

MSU ranks in the top six of the LSC in four other categories. The team ranks fifth in the conference with 429 free-throw attempts to sit 74thh in DII. Morgan Lenahan leads the Mustangs with 270 attempts at the line, ranking seventh in the Lone Star Conference. Midwestern State's 41.4 field-goal percentage is fifth best in the league. Jordan Mathis shoots 57 percent from the field to lead the team. The Mustangs' 32.6 three-pointer percentage is sixth in the LSC and 81stt in the NCAA. Lenahan's 42 percent conversion from behind the arc leads the team. MSU's 66.8 points per game average ranks sixth in the LSC with Lenahan leading with 324 total points.

MUSTANG STARTING FIVE

Morgan Lenahan is the leading scorer for the Mustangs with a conference seventh-highest 14.7 points. The senior had 13 points and five assists against Western New Mexico. Her best performance on the scoreboard was 31 points at UT Permian Basin. Lenahan is seventh in the LSC with 270 field goal attempts and tenth with 108 makes. She shoots 40 percent from the field and 80 percent from the line. The guard averages 5.8 rebounds and sits eighth in the Lone Star Conference with 5.1 defensive rebounds per game. The Haddonfield, N.J., native holds 70 assists and leads the team with 37 steals. Lenahan holds seven blocks in 22 starts.

Frances King averages 12.7 points per game with a career-high 25 points posted against Texas Wesleyan (11/28). She clinched her 15th double-digit game of the season with 11 points against Western New Mexico. The sophomore recently set the single-game record for assists against St. Mary's on Jan. 8. With her 13 assists, King overtook Mindy Myers' 1994 record of 13. The guard's 104 total assists lead the league while sitting 29th in Division II. Her average of 4.7 assists also tops the Lone Star Conference and ranks 29th in the NCAA. King is 39 percent from the floor and 22 percent from behind the arc. Her 82 percent free throw shooting sits fifth in the LSC and her 89 free throws made lead the conference. The Rockdale, Texas, product averages 3.7 rebounds and holds 35 steals.

Hannah Reynolds leads Midwestern State in rebounding with 6.5 per game. The senior's 50 total blocks rank third in the LSC and 17th in Division II. She averages 2.38 blocks per game, which sits second in the league and 15th in the NCAA. Reynolds is the school's all-time leading blocker with 205 blocks. The forward recently joined MSU's 1,000-point club against LCU and currently holds 1,049 points. She averages 10.4 points for the Mustangs. Reynolds tied a career-high 24 points against St. Mary's on Jan. 8. She shoots 46 percent from the field and 67 percent from the line. The Prosper, Texas, product adds 23 assists and 16 steals.

Shawnisay Millar has started all 22 games for the Mustangs. The junior averages 8.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Against Western New Mexico, she posted 14 points and six rebounds to lead the team. Millar turned in 50 percent shooting from the field and at the line. Her best performance was at Eastern New Mexico where she inked 15 points and nine rebounds. On the year, the forward shoots almost 50 percent from the field and 30 percent from behind the arc. At the line, she is good for 64 percent. The Prestonpans, Scotland, native adds nine blocks and six steals.

Markayla Johnson rounds out the starting five for MSU. The sophomore averages 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds. She shoots 38 percent from the floor and 28 percent from behind the arc. The guard knocked down 11-of-21 attempts from the free throw line. The team's defensive guru completed a career-high ten points against Texas A&M-Commerce on Jan. 23. Johnson recorded a career-high seven rebounds against Western New Mexico. The Huntsville, Texas, native has 15 blocks and 26 steals on the season.

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. 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 27-23 (.540). 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.

SCOUTING THE JAVELINAS

Texas A&M-Kingsville is currently 16-7 on the season and 9-3 in Lone Star Conference play. The Javelinas rank fourth in the conference with a 75 win percent after losing to Texas A&M-Commerce, UT Tyler and Angelo State. The team is currently 11-0 at home and has not lost at the Steinke Center since Feb. 6, 2021.
 
Defense is one of TAMUK's strongest skills as they hold opponents to 24.2 shooting from behind the line – the lowest of the league. This feat ranks seventh in the NCAA. The team is second in the LSC with the lowest opponent points per game at 57.2. This is 34th in Division II.
 
The Javelinas also excel in three-point shooting as they sit second in the Lone Star Conference and 44th in DII with 7.6 three pointers per game. Their percentage is 34.7. This ranks second in the LSC and 34th in the nation.
 
Georgia Ohiaeri is the only player to start all 23 game for TAMUK. The sophomore averages 7.8 points per game as she notched a season-high 17 points at UT Permian Basin. She was 7-of-12 from the field and added five rebounds. Ohiaeri grabs 4.2 rebounds per game. The 6'0" forward shoots 41 percent from the field and 62 percent from the line. She adds 14 assists and 21 steals.
 
Devon Williams leads the Javelinas with 28 blocks to rank fifth in the LSC. Her average of 4.1 blocks also sits fifth in the conference and 63rd in the nation. The freshman tallied two blocks in the win against UTPB and added three rebounds. Williams averages 4.4 rebounds in 23 appearances. The forward shoots a team-best 51 percent from the field is 13-of-28 from the line in her 22 starts. The Gonzales, Texas, product has 15 assists and 18 steals. Williams was LSC Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 3, in the program's first win over a top-ranked team (LCU).
 
Mia Rivers has also started 22 of 23 games for Texas A&M-Kingsville. The 5'6" guard is fourth in the conference with 95 assists and 46th in Division II. Her average of 4.1 assists ranks fifth in the Lone Star Conference and 63rd in the NCAA. Rivers' 1.42 assist to turnover ratio sits sixth in the LSC. She has a least two assists in every game this season and has a season-high of six assists in five games. The freshman averages 7.4 points with a season-high 14 points against Chadron State (11/12). Rivers shoots 36 percent from the field and 25 percent from behind the arc. She is 73 percent at the line and recorded a team-best 40 steals.
 
Kryslyn Jones finds seventh in the league with 39 made three-pointers. The guard shoots 38 percent behind the arc and averages 1.70 three pointers per game. Jones adds nine points per game and 3.3 rebounds. She collected 17 points against UTPB and a season-high 23 points against Texas A&M International (1/15). The sophomore shoots almost 40 percent from the floor and 81 percent at the line. Jones owns 44 assists and 36 steals for the Javelinas.
 
Brianna Pena is the final possible starter for TAMUK as she started 13 of 19 games. The junior notched five points and three rebounds in her start versus the Falcons. Pena averages 9.4 points and three rebounds. She dropped a season-best 20 points against Texas A&M-Commerce (1/27). The guard is good for 37 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from behind the arc. At the line, Pena is 27-of-40. She owns 50 assists and 20 steals on the year.

ABOUT THE SERIES

MSU controls the series against TAMUK at 29-19. In Lone Star Conference play, Midwestern State is 28-17 against Texas A&M-Kingsville. The two teams have not had any non-conference games since 2003. The Javelinas took a 54-50 win in Jan. 2020 when they came to Wichita Falls, Texas. Elizabeth Cathcart tallied ten points and eight rebounds while Mandy Withey added nine points for the Mustangs. MSU is 13-11 when playing at TAMUK. The last time they played in Kingsville, Texas, the Mustangs lost 67-71. Hannah Reynolds posted a double-double with ten points and 13 rebounds. Texas A&M-Kingsville's Brynae Thompson dropped 22 points, going 10-of-14 from the line. The last time the Mustangs won on the road against the Javelinas was in 2017 when Kristin Rydell led both teams with 16 points.

UP NEXT

Midwestern State returns to D.L. Ligon Coliseum for their final games of the 2021-22 regular season. The Mustangs host Arkansas Fort-Smith on Thursday, Feb. 24. The Ovarian Cancer Awareness game kicks-off at 5:30 p.m. MSU then faces Oklahoma Christian on Saturday, Feb. 26. The Senior Night game starts at 2 p.m.