MEN'S SOCCER
No. 2-ranked Midwestern State became the first team since 2002 to run the table in the Lone Star Conference. The Mustangs won all nine matches in league play during the regular season to earn the No. 1 seed in the LSC Postseason Tournament, and MSU will be hosting the semifinals at Stang Park on Friday and the final on Sunday.
The semifinals kick off with second-seeded West Texas A&M facing third-seeded Dallas Baptist at 5 p.m. The Mustangs take the pitch for a 7:30 p.m. match against fifth-seeded Oklahoma Christian. The winners meet in the final at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
Midwestern State has a 15-match winning streak and is seeking a third consecutive LSC Postseason Tournament title. The Mustangs have won conference tournament titles seven times and have lifted the trophy at the LSC Postseason Tournament three times in the last four seasons.
Mere Escobar finished the regular season with 16 goals and 43 points to lead the conference in both categories. Escobar is tied for fourth in the nation in total goals scored among Division II players, and he is second in total points. The junior from Austin, Texas, has a league-leading 11 assists, which is tied for sixth-most in the country.
Maycol Reyes has earned 14 of his 19 points in the last five matches for MSU. Reyes had two goals and two assists in a 5-1 victory at Lubbock Christian on Oct. 18. The senior from Midlothian, Texas, assisted Escobar on the goal in a 1-0 win over Eastern New Mexico on Oct. 21. When MSU clinched the LSC regular season title with a 4-0 triumph against St. Edward's on Oct. 25, Reyes netted a hat trick. In the regular season finale on Nov. 1, Reyes assisted
Samuele Muroni for the first goal in a 2-0 win over St. Mary's.
Muroni also had a hat trick for the Mustangs during the regular season in a 6-3 win at Texas A&M International on Oct. 14. Muroni scored his third goal in the waning seconds of the match with a bicycle kick from 12 yards out.
Liam Pritchard has five goals and five assists and has at least one point in five of the last six games for the Mustangs.
The Mustangs lead the LSC and are fifth in the nation with 54 goals scored. The +43 goal differential is the best in the conference and fourth best in the country. MSU is scoring 3.00 goals per game and has a team goals against average of .611. The maroon & gold defense is the eighth-stingiest in the country.
Goalkeeper
Adam Braman leads the conference and is seventh in the nation with eight clean sheets and has three combined shutouts. Braman has played all but 48 minutes this season and has made all 40 saves for Midwestern State. The junior from Mercer Island, Washington, has the best goals against average in the conference and is 13th in the nation at 0.630. Braman's save percentage is .784, which is second-best in the LSC and 34th in the nation.
Midwestern State has two wins over Oklahoma Christian this season.
Liam Pritchard and
Jack Larkin accounted for a goal and an assist in the first meeting on Sept. 27 at Oklahoma City, where the Mustangs prevailed, 3-1. It was the only game during the regular season in which Escobar did not register a point.
In the conference matchup at Stang Park on Oct. 7, Escobar,
Dereck Espinal and
Josh Milla scored for the Mustangs, who outshot the Eagles, 17-7.
Midwestern State scored two goals in the second half to beat Oklahoma Christian, 2-0, in the final of the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament in San Antonio last year.
Midwestern State leads the all-time series with Oklahoma Christian, 22-2-1, and is 13-0-1 when hosting the Eagles, who have been outscored in the last three meetings, 8-1.
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Sunday, November 12
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WOMEN'S SOCCER
Allessandra Romano secured a berth in the LSC Postseason Tournament semifinals with a header off a
Lexi Beck corner kick in the final seconds of double-overtime at Texas Woman's, and the fourth-seeded Mustangs prevailed, 2-1, in the quarterfinal match on Monday.
The reward for MSU is playing top-seeded Dallas Baptist at Patriot Soccer Field on Friday evening at 5 p.m. Midwestern State has a four-match winning streak for the second time this season and improved to 10-4-5 for the season.
Beck and Romano connected on two corner kicks at TWU, and
Maya Warrior headed in a corner kick from
McKenna Jenkins to beat UT Tyler in the regular season finale, 1-0.
Romano, a junior transfer from Jacksonville State, is the fifth Mustang to record a brace in the conference tournament, and the first since Destinee Williamson scored twice in a 3-0 win over Eastern New Mexico during the quarterfinals of the 2016 LSC Postseason Tournament in Commerce, Texas.
Freshman goalkeeper
Allison Dellis made her postseason debut for the Mustangs and finished the night with eight saves. Dellis is 4-0-3 with a 0.77 goals against average and a .886 save percentage.
Dallas Baptist has a 16-game unbeaten streak and has shut out its last four opponents. The Patriots scored on four of five corner kicks in a 5-0 win over Texas A&M International to wrap up the regular season.
The Patriots defeated MSU for the seventh consecutive time in the series with a 3-1 victory at Stang Park on Oct. 22.
Cassidy Savoy scored her second goal of the season in the 49th minute to bring Midwestern State to within one goal after conceding twice in the first half.
Romano lifted a ball into the box as Savoy made a run toward goal in the center-forward channel. Savoy volleyed a one-timer past a leaping Carmen Lopez. The DBU goalkeeper reached up with her right hand, but Savoy was able to tuck the shot under the crossbar.
Dallas Baptist has won its last seven meetings with the Mustangs, who are 3-4-0 all-time at Patriot Soccer Field. The two schools met last year in the LSC Postseason Tournament final, and DBU prevailed, 4-1, outshooting MSU, 30-8, and possessing the ball for 62 percent of the match.
Friday's winner faces either Angelo State or St. Mary's in the championship match on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Friday, November 10
| Time |
Match |
Digital Media |
| 5 pm |
Midwestern State at #10 Dallas Baptist |
Watch | Live Stats |
Sunday, November 12
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
The
Brenita Jackson era at Midwestern State begins in earnest on Friday morning as UC – Colorado Springs visits the Mustangs for the opening game of the regular season at D. L. Ligon Coliseum. Tip-off is at 11:30 a.m.
The Mustangs traveled to Austin and played the Texas Longhorns in an exhibition game last week. MSU forced the Big XII powerhouse into 18 turnovers. Junior transfer
Nikki Green led the Mustangs with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers, while
Jaida Gomez, a freshman from Pflugerville, also connected on two triples to finish with 10 points. Senior
Makayla Coy also pitched in nine points.
Former Tarleton State head coach Misty Wilson is in her first season at UC Colorado Springs, and takes over a team that finished ninth in the RMAC last season. The Mountain Lions have eight players returning, including All-RMAC second-team performer Maison White, who averaged 14.4 points and 9.1 rebounds last season.
Amyah Moore Allen poured in 21 points and pulled down five rebounds for UCCS in an 80-72 loss to the Mustangs last season at Gallogly Events Center in Colorado Springs.
Eternity Jackson scored all nine of her points from the free-throw line, and
Maya Kendall scored seven points in the victory for the Mustangs.
Jackson, Kendall and
Markayla Johnson are among the five returning players for Midwestern State. Johnson had a block and two steals at Colorado Springs last year.
Kertisa Amos is one of six players that transferred to Midwestern State from Texas Wesleyan to be with Jackson, who was 52-13 in two seasons with the Rams.
Amos was a two-time NAIA All-American at Texas Wesleyan, where she became the 16th player in program history to score 1,000 points during her career. The 5-9 wing from Burleson, Texas, was named Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. The fifth-year senior started 60 games, averaging 17.1 points and 5.5 rebounds over two seasons with the Rams.
Zarria Carter is a 6-1 junior that also transferred from Texas Wesleyan. Carter averaged 13.9 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Rams last season.
Adams State will be at D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Saturday night at 6 p.m. to battle the new-look Mustangs. The Grizzlies dismantled MSU in Alamosa, Colorado, last season, 97-72. Adams State shot 53.6 percent for the game, scoring 37 points off 27 MSU turnovers.
Midwestern State leads the all-time series with the Grizzlies, 3-2, winning all three encounters at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
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Saturday, November 11
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MEN'S BASKETBALL
A long build up to the regular season culminates with a season-opening matchup against Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. The Mustangs tip-off the campaign at D.L. Ligon Coliseum after making a foreign summer tour. Midwestern State represented the United States in the BLIA Cup University Basketball Tournament in August.
The Mustangs won five games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, including an 87-84 victory over National Chengchi University of Taiwan in the championship game at Koahsiung Arena.
Pierre Sanders erupted for 28 points in the title game.
Midwestern State hosted East Texas Baptist in an exhibition game on Sunday. ETBU jumped out to a 39-27 lead with 3:36 to play in the first half, but the Mustangs came back to win the game, 83-67.
Junior guard
John Gaines led five Mustangs in double figures with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
Will Shepherd, a 6-8 junior transfer from Oakland, poured in 17 points, hitting 3-of-4 shots from 3-point range for the Mustangs, who finished 5-of-16 from beyond the arc.
Amaechi Chukwu, who averaged 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as a redshirt freshman two years ago, returned to the lineup after missing last season due to injury. The sophomore from Denton, Texas, finished with 12 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes.
Mason Gibson and
Bakari LaStrap both pitched in 11 points and each had five assists for Midwestern State, which shot 45 percent from the field overall. LaStrap, a junior transfer from IUPUI, had three of the eight steals for MSU.
Austin Lewis, a 6-8 junior transfer from Holy Cross, pulled down 10 boards to lead the Mustangs, who outrebounded the Tigers, 44-37.
Midwestern State is facing the Thunderwolves for the 11th time in program history. The series is tied, 5-5, and the Mustangs have won two of the three meetings at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
In the season opener last year, CSU – Pueblo opened the second half on a 16-3 run and extended a two-point advantage to a 47-33 lead five minutes into the second half. The Thunderwolves finished the game at Missari Arena with 10 layups and seven dunks en route to a 79-59 victory over MSU.
Gibson had 15 points on 4-of-5 shooting in his Midwestern State debut.
Matt Hammer is in his fifth season as the head coach at CSU – Pueblo and returns one starter with three other lettermen from last season's 12-16 team that just missed qualifying for the RMAC Tournament as they finished tied for 11th with an 8-14 league mark.
Makiah Morris is the team's leading returning scorer from last season as he averaged 10.4 points per game and shot 36 percent from the 3-point line. Brevin Walter transferred to CSU-Pueblo after scoring 1,264 points in his three seasons at South Dakota Mines, where he was a two-time All-RMAC selection for the Hardrockers.
Saturday night, the Mustangs will host UC Colorado Springs at 8 p.m. The Mountain Lions have won all three meetings with MSU, including a 72-68 victory in Colorado Springs last season.
UC Colorado Springs used an extended 19-1 run to turn a nine-point deficit into a 48-39 lead early in the second half.
Sanders finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and four steals to lead the Mustangs.
Justin Leslie begins his fifth season as the head coach at MSU. Leslie has a career record of 313-181 (.634). MSU finished last season with a 12-16 overall record and was 9-13 in the LSC. Midwestern State is 47-60 over the last four seasons.
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Saturday, November 11
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VOLLEYBALL
Midwestern State is on the road for its final two matches of the season. The Mustangs will say farewell to Arkansas – Fort Smith, which is leaving the LSC to join the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association after this season, and MSU closes out the campaign against Oklahoma Christian.
The Mustangs are 4-22 with a 1-13 record in the LSC, but MSU has lost eight consecutive matches since defeating Eastern New Mexico in straight sets.
Midwestern State is second in the conference with 17.68 digs per set, and
Taygon Jones leads the Mustangs with 4.32 digs per set.
Arkansas-Fort Smith leads the all-time series, 6-2, and has won the last three meetings, including a 25-23, 25-18, 25-20 victory in Wichita Falls last season. MSU split a pair of matches at Stubblefield Center in March of 2021. The Mustangs won a five-set match and lost in four sets the following day. MSU is 1-2 all-time at Fort Smith.
The Lions are fifth in the LSC with a 10-4 record in conference, and their overall record is 20-7. UAFS leads the conference with 18.92 digs per set.
Hannah Watkins is a 6-6 sophomore and hits .334 to lead the Lions. Caelyn Gunn, a 5-10 sophomore, is averaging 3.32 kills per set for the Lions.
Midwestern State is 4-2 in the all-time series with Oklahoma Christian.
Last year, the Mustangs earned a 3-1 victory over the Eagles at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
Sadie Portmann registered a match-high 15 kills to lead Midwestern State to a 25-16, 25-20, 13-25, 25-17 triumph. Jones had 18 digs in the victory.
Sophomore middle blocker Camryn McGough is hitting .334 for the Eagles, who are 13-14 with a 5-9 conference record. Giorgia Turri, a fifth-year senior from Italy, is averaging 3.19 kills per set this season.
This is the final week of the regular season and eight teams will advance to the LSC Postseason Tournament.
Friday, November 10
| Time |
Match |
Digital Media |
| 6 pm |
Midwestern State at Arkansas-Fort Smith |
Watch | Live Stats |
Saturday, November 11
| Time |
Match |
Digital Media |
| 2 pm |
Midwestern State at Oklahoma Christian |
Watch | Live Stats |
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FOOTBALL
Midwestern State will need to win its final regular season game to ensure a .500 season. Texas A&M – Kingsville visits Memorial Stadium for Military Appreciation Day and kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The Mustangs are coming off a 27-12 loss at Angelo State last week. MSU is 4-5 overall with a 3-4 record in conference play.
Devin Cross rushed for 134 yards against the Rams and is the second-leading rusher in the LSC with 774 yards on 131 carries. Cross scored his fifth rushing touchdown in San Angelo.
Jalen March is third in the LSC with 79.7 yards per game. March has 717 yards on 143 carries and has three rushing touchdowns for the Mustangs. March has caught two touchdown passes, and Cross has received one touchdown pass.
James Cooper has started six games at quarterback and appeared in eight contests. The redshirt freshman from Rockford, Illinois, has completed 53 percent of his passes for 535 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Sophomore wide receiver Justin White has caught 13 of his 15 passes over the last three games for the Mustangs. The product of Mesquite High School has 167 yards receiving and one touchdown this season. White has also rushed for 91 yards on five carries, including a 72-yard run in a 33-6 win at Western Oregon.
Sophomore tight end
Kelby Hickerson from Austin, Texas, caught his first career touchdown pass at Angelo State and has seven receptions for 64 yards this season.
The Midwestern State defense is third in the LSC with 19.9 points allowed per game and is allowing the fourth-fewest yards per game in the conference at 315.4 through nine games.
Maurice Perkins is the leading tackler for MSU with 48, and
Quinterrius Hargrave has 47 tackles for the Mustangs, who have 56 tackles for loss and 17 sacks this season. Jaylin Shaw has two of the six interceptions for MSU this season. The Mustangs have recovered 13 fumbles over nine games, and
Khristian Lee has three recoveries this season.
Michael Nash and
Javian Gipson-Holmes have each forced two fumbles.
Ritse Vaes of Midwestern State has been named the LSC Special Teams Player of the Week three times this season. Vaes has made his last eight field goal attempts, going 4-for-4 against both Western Oregon and Western New Mexico. Vaes is 13-of-18 this season with a long of 54 yards, which was a game-winner in the final seconds against Eastern New Mexico.
Midwestern State has won its last 12 meetings with Texas A&M – Kingsville, including a 41-37 victory last season at Javelina Stadium. MSU ran the ball five times for 99 yards en route to the game-winning touchdown with 1:37 remaining. TAMUK ran out of time with the ball at the Mustangs' 10-yard line.
The Javelinas are 6-3 this season with a 4-3 conference record following a 34-27 victory at Western Oregon. Quarterback Wade Freeman III completed 15-of-24 passes for 173 yards and four touchdowns in the victory.
Freeman has played in four games for the Javelinas and has completed 59-of-109 passes for 835 yards with seven interceptions and six touchdowns. Nate Dantley is the leading receiver for TAMUK with 28 receptions for 383 yards and two touchdowns. Jaylin Smith has caught four touchdown passes for the Javelinas this season.
Christian Anderson is leading the TAMUK ground attack with 466 yards on 111 carries (4.2 ypc), and CJ Odom has gained 391 yards (3.9 ypc) on 101 carries. Anderson has rushed for six touchdowns and Odom has run for one score. Roger Hagan, who has 201 yards on 57 carries has five rushing touchdowns for the Javelinas.
Texas A&M – Kingsville has the third-ranked defense in the LSC, allowing 298.1 yards per game, and the Javelinas are fourth in the league, allowing 20.7 points per game.
Jaylen Hackney leads the Javelinas with 50 tackles, including 27 solo stops, and three sacks. Khalid Walker has 49 tackles through nine games with 24 solo tackles. Amos Coleman has intercepted three passes for TAMUK this season. The Javelinas have recorded 22.5 sacks, led by Ezrah Thibodeaux's 3.5 sacks.
Javelinas place kicker Gilbert Garza kicked three field goals of 50-plus yards, including a 51-yard field goal vs. MSU last season. Garza is 7-of-10 on field goal attempts this season with a 53-yarder at Western New Mexico, where he was 3-for-3 in a 30-9 victory.
Midwestern State head coach
Bill Maskill is 173-78 (.696) in 24 seasons as a head coach, including two seasons at Southeast Missouri State. Maskill is 160-70 (.689) in his 22nd season at Midwestern State.
Saturday, November 11
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Following the Mustangs
LSC Digital Network
All games for the sports of football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and softball are available on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network. Single-event passes run $15, while monthly subscription for all games on the LSC Digital Network run $30. An annual pass for the LSC Digital Network costs $140. Live stats are provided free-of-charge on MSUMustangs.com.
Tickets
All tickets for home events must be purchased online at TICKET LINK.
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