Midwestern State (14-12)
at UT Tyler (17-8)

Tuesday, March 1 – 5:15 p.m.
Louise Herrington Patriot Center (Tyler, Texas)
All-Time Series | MSU leads 5-2

TYLER, Texas -- Midwestern State begins play in the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament Tuesday night against UT Tyler. The No. 7-seeded Patriots host the No. 10-seeded Mustangs at Louise Herrington Patriot Center. Tipoff is set for 5:15 p.m.
 
The game is set for broadcast via video streaming on the LSC Digital Network at MSUMustangs.com/streaming. All video streams on the LSC Digital Network are also available on Over-The-Top (OTT) apps on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku by searching "LSC Digital Network."

LSC POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT

Midwestern State qualified for 10 of the last 11 LSC Postseason Tournaments and is making its 14th overall appearance. The Mustangs claimed two LSC tournament titles in 2001 and 2013. Midwestern State is searching for its first LSC Postseason Tournament win since 2015.

Tuesday, March 1, 2022 (on campus sites) – First Round
No. 12 UAFS at No. 5 Lubbock Christian, Lubbock
No. 11 Eastern New Mexico at No. 6 Cameron
No. 10 Midwestern State at No. 7 UT Tyler
No. 9 Texas A&M International at No. 8 Texas A&M-Kingsville

Friday, March 4, 2022, (Comerica Center, Frisco, Texas) – Quarterfinals
Game 1: No. 3 Texas A&M-Commerce vs. CU/ENM winner, 12 p.m.
Game 2: No. 2 Texas Woman's vs. MSU/UTT winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 1 West Texas A&M vs. TAMUK/TAMIU winner, 6 p.m.
Game 4: No. 4 Angelo State vs. LCU/UAFS winner, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 5, 2022 (Comerica Center, Frisco, Texas) – Semifinals
Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 6 p.m.
Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 6, 2022 (Comerica Center, Frisco, Texas) – Finals
Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 3:30 p.m.,

BLOCKED

Midwestern State continues to lead the Lone Star Conference with 139 blocked shots, which ranks ninth in Division II. The Mustangs' average of 5.3 blocks per game also leads the league and sits sixth in the NCAA. MSU's opponents average 2.6 blocks. Midwestern State is 10-4 when it has five or more blocks. The Mustangs broke the single-game program record with 14 blocks against Texas A&M International on Feb. 19, beating their previous record of 10 against Texas A&M-Commerce on Dec. 16, 2021.

TOP FIVE SHOOTING

MSU ranks in the top five of the conference for its shooting from the floor. The team's 40.7 field goal percentage is fifth in the Lone Star Conference. Jordan Mathis shoots 56.4 percent from the field to lead the team. Midwestern State is 12-5 when it shoots at 38 percent or better. The best performance was against St. Edward's, when the Mustangs went 27-of-52 (.519) from the floor (1/6). The Mustangs' 32.7 three-point percentage is fifth in the LSC and 69th in the NCAA. Morgan Lenahan's 40.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc leads the team. MSU was 6-of-10 (.600) from beyond the arc at Lubbock Christian on Feb. 3 for the highest 3-point percentage of the season.

MUSTANG STARTING FIVE

Lenahan is the leading scorer for the Mustangs with a conference seventh-highest 14.7 points. The senior clinched 31 points versus UT Permian Basin (1/15) for her highest output on the year. Lenahan tallied 12 points in the first meeting versus UTT and 20 in the second. On the season, she shoots 38 percent from the field and a team-second best 79 percent at the line. The guard is good for 43-of-106 from behind the arc. She averages 5.5 rebounds with a season-high nine boards against Oklahoma Christian (12/02). Haddonfield, N.J., native has 84 assists and eight blocks. Lenahan leads the Mustangs with 45 steals in 26 starts.

Frances King averages 12.8 points per game with a career-high 25 points posted against Texas Wesleyan (11/28). 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 124 total assists lead the league while sitting 24th in Division II. Her average of 4.8 assists also tops the Lone Star Conference and ranks 28th in the NCAA. King shoots 38 percent from the floor and 24 percent from behind the arc. Her 81.5 percent free throw shooting sits sixth in the LSC while her 106 free throws made lead the conference (40th in DII). The Rockdale, Texas, product averages 4.2 rebounds and adds 42 steals, with a career-high of six against Texas Woman's (1/20).

Hannah Reynolds leads Midwestern State in rebounding with 6.9 per game. She's tallied ten rebounds or more in five games this season. The senior's 67 total blocks rank third in the LSC and 15th in Division II. She averages 2.68 blocks per game, which leads the league and sits tenth in the NCAA. Reynolds is the school's all-time leading blocker with 222 blocks. The forward beat the program's single game record for blocks, which she previously held at eight against Texas A&M-Commerce on Jan. 3, 2019. Versus Texas A&M International, Reynolds notched ten blocks to overcome her previous record. She also recently joined MSU's 1,000-point club against LCU and currently holds 1,095 career points. She averages 11.5 points. Reynolds tied a career-high 24 points against St. Mary's on Jan. 8.  She shoots a conference third-best 47 percent from the field and 62 percent from the line. The Prosper, Texas, product adds 26 assists and 19 steals.

Shawnisay Millar is one of three players to start all 26 games for the Mustangs. The junior averages 7.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Her best performance of the year was at Eastern New Mexico where she inked 15 points and nine rebounds. On the season, the forward shoots 47 percent from the field and 32 percent from behind the arc. At the line, she is good for 66 percent. The Prestonpans, Scotland, native adds 10 blocks and seven steals.

Markayla Johnson rounds out the starting five for MSU. The sophomore averages 4.4 points and three rebounds. She shoots 38 percent from the floor and 27 percent from behind the arc. The guard knocked down 12-of-24 attempts from the free throw line (50 percent). 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 the team's second-highest 17 blocks and 28 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 29-25 (.537). 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 PATRIOTS

UT Tyler went 17-8 on the season and 10-5 in LSC play. The team leads the conference with a 45.4 field goal percent and a 34 percent field goal defense. They have held teams to an average of 58 points, the second lowest in the league.

Liah Davis leads the Patriots with 13.7 points per game. Her 55 field goal percent is first in the Lone Star and 27th in the NCAA. She shoots 62 percent from the line. The center ranks in the top five of the conference with her 8.2 average rebounds. She also averages six defensive boards for UTT. The graduate senior leads the team with 27 blocks and adds 32 assists and 21 steals.

Lovisa Hevinder tops the LSC with a 42.3 percent from behind the arc. The freshman averages ten points and four rebounds in 16 starts on the season. She is good for 42 percent from the field and 71 percent at the line. The forward has 35 assists and 26 steals.

Kelsey Crouse is fifth in the Lone Star Conference with a 1.55 assist turnover ratio. The redshirt senior has a team-best 82 assists in 21 starts. She averages 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds. The guard shoots 40 percent from the field and 23 percent from behind the arc. Crouse is 72 percent from behind the line and has 25 steals for UT Tyler.

Montse Gutierrez and Destini Whitehead round out the UTT's five, starting all but one game between the two. Gutierrez leads the team with 41 steals while averaging 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds. Whitehead is second on the team with 10.9 points per game. The guard adds 32 steals and 59 assists.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Midwestern State and UT Tyler play for the eighth time on the hardwood Tuesday night at Louis Herrington Patriot Center. The Mustangs lead the series which dates back to the 2018-19 season, 5-2. MSU won the first five games between the programs, but UT Tyler swept the series this season. The Patriots beat MSU 55-50 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Dec. 13, then rolled to an 86-60 win in Tyler on Jan. 2. The Patriots are making their first LSC Postseason Tournament appearance in their first year of eligibility as a full member of a NCAA Division II.

UP NEXT

With a win, Midwestern State advances to play No. 2-seeded Texas Woman's in the quarterfinal round of the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament Friday afternoon Comerica Center in Frisco. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m.