WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State returns to its home floor on Thursday for a Lone Star Conference clash with Western New Mexico. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
 

MIDWESTERN STATE (3-10, 1-6) vs. WESTERN NEW MEXICO (3-7, 1-5)

Thursday, Jan. 5 | 5:30 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas

Series History | Midwestern State leads, 12-3

LAST MEETING | Shawnisay Miller scored 14 points and pulled down six rebounds as Midwestern State defeated Western New Mexico last season at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, 70-57. Midwestern State had five players score in double figures, including Sheridan Bostic, who was 3 of 6 from 3-point range and finished with 12 points and six rebounds for MSU in the triumph. Midwestern State raced out to a 21-10 lead in the first quarter and led by as many as 17 points en route to the victory. Markayla Johnson recorded three of the seven blocks for MSU and also grabbed a season-high seven rebounds.

LAST TIME OUT | Lubbock Christian extended its home court winning streak to 111 games taking a 74-63 victory over Midwestern State Sunday afternoon at Rip Griffin Center. Lubbock Christian scored the last nine points of the first half to take control of a tight game. Sophomore Grace Foster fueled the run with a jump shot and a pair of free throws, while freshman guard Taylor Thomas penetrated for a pair of layups to give the Lady Chaps a 35-26 at halftime. Lubbock Christian led by as many as 14 points in the second half. Freshman Dyamon Griggs notched her third collegiate double-double scoring 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting while grabbing a season-high 13 rebounds in 22 minutes. Senior Jordan Mathis scored 12 points and snagged six rebounds in 24 minutes off of the bench. It was her fourth double-figure scoring performance of the season. Junior Kennedi Green scored nine points, dished out five assists, and made three steals. Midwestern State scored 15 second-chance points on 17 offensive rebounds. The Mustangs controlled the rebounding edge for the eighth time in 11 games this season.

TRACKING THE MSU MUSTANGS | Midwestern State is 2-4 at home this season… Mustangs have won back-to-back home games…Christopher Reay is in his third full season as the head coach at MSU and is 32-36 (.471), including the final 10 games of the 2019-20 season…Mustangs are 22-9 at home under Reay (.710)…Midwestern State has lost its last three conference games since defeating St. Mary's, 82-81 in double overtime…MSU is fifth in the conference with 70.3 points per game and 16th in scoring defense, allowing 76.5 points per game…-6.2 scoring margin is 13th in the conference… MSU is shooting 38.1 percent from field which is 13th in the LSC…Natalie Stice is scoring 12.2 points per game and is 58 of 165 (.352) from the field this season…Stice is fifth in the conference in attempts from the field and 11th in field goals…MSU is 10th in the league with 12.2 assists per game…Midwestern State opponents are shooting 42.2 percent, which is 15th in the conference…MSU is 65 of 220 from beyond the arc (.295) and 10th in the LSC in 3-point percentage…Mustangs are 13th in the league with five made 3-pointers per game and 12th in the conference with 16.9 attempts per game…Stice and Sheridan Bostic each have 22 made 3-pointers and rank 11th in the LSC…Opponents are shooting 33.2 percent from 3-point distance, which is 15th in the conference…Midwestern State is 231 of 322 at the free-throw line (.717)…MSU is second in the league and fifth in the nation with 17.77 made free throws per game...Mustangs are third in the conference and sixth in the nation with 24.77 free throws attempted per game… Dyamon Griggs, averaging 12.2 points per game, is 47 of 67 from the free-throw line…Griggs is fourth in the LSC and 41st in the nation in free-throw attempts…Griggs is sixth in the conference and 57th in the nation in made free throws…MSU is fifth in the LSC and 54th in the nation with 41.15 rebounds per game…Mustangs are second in the league and 26th in the nation with 15.4 offensive rebounds per game…+2.7 is 10th-best rebounding margin in the conference…Mandy Withey is fifth in the LSC and 64th in the nation with 8.7 rebounds per game…Withey is third in the league with 2.8 offensive rebounds per game…Griggs is 12th in the LSC with 2.3 offensive rebounds per game…MSU is 13th in the LSC with 20.8 turnovers per game…Mustangs are forcing 16.92 turnovers, which is ninth in the conference…-3.92 turnover margin is 14th in the LSC…Midwestern State is grabbing 7.5 steals per game —10th in the LSC…MSU is 16th in the conference, committing 23.8 fouls per game…Midwestern State leads the conference and is eighth in the nation with 5.1 blocks per game… Withey is second in the conference with 20 blocks (24th in the nation) and 1.54 blocks per game (30th in the nation)…Yasmine Sifaoui is ninth in the LSC with 14 total blocks and 11th in the league with 1.08 blocks per game…

SCOUTING WESTERN NEW MEXICO | Western New Mexico is 0-4 on the road this season and has lost its last 15 road games…Mustangs last road victory was at Park University Gilbert (AZ), 80-49, on Jan. 24, 2021…Western New Mexico snapped a five-game losing streak with a 69-66 victory over UT Permian Basin…Josh Pace is in his third season as the head coach at Western New Mexico and is 10-28 (.263)…WNMU is scoring 63.6 points per game, which is 13th in the LSC…Mustangs are ninth in the conference, allowing 62.6 points per game…+1.0 scoring margin in 12th in the league…Opponents are shooting 36.8 percent against the Mustangs, fifth in the conference…Sydney Wright is leading scorer with 12.4 points per game for WNMU…WNMU is ninth in the conference with 18.5 3-point attempts per game….Mustangs make 5.4 3-pointers per game, which is 11th in the conference…Western New Mexico shoots 29.1 percent from beyond the arc, which is 12th in the LSC...Wright is 23 of 68 from 3-point range (.338)…Wright is fifth in the conference in 3-point percentage and 3-point attempts…Wright is sixth in the LSC in made 3-pointers…Wright is fourth in the conference with 2.3 3-pointers made…Wright is 27 of 34 from the free-throw line (.794) and is 13th in the LSC in free-throw percentage…WNMU is 116 of 178 at the free-throw line (.652) and is 13th in the conference in free-throw percentage…WNMU is sixth in the league with 40.82 rebounds per game and seventh in the conference with 12.3 offensive rebounds per game…Susi Namoa is the leading rebounder for the Mustangs with 7.8 rebounds per game...WNMU is 14th in the LSC with 20.9 turnovers per game…Mustangs force 15.91 turnovers, which is 12th in the LSC…-5.00 turnover margin is 15th in the LSC…WNMU commits 17.6 fouls per game, which is seventh in the league…Mustangs are 12th in the conference with 6.9 steals per game….

UP NEXT | Midwestern State concludes the two-game homestand on Saturday afternoon as Eastern New Mexico visits the Mustangs. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.