WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State plays the second game of a four-game homestand on Saturday afternoon and hosts East Central in its final game before opening conference play. Tipoff at D.L. Ligon Coliseum is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Midwestern State (1-2) is coming off back-to-back losses after opening the campaign with an 82-33 victory over North Texas-Dallas. Southeastern Oklahoma State hit 9-of-11 shots from 3-point range in the first quarter and finished the game 13 of 17 from beyond the arc en route to a 97-59 victory over the Mustangs on Tuesday night.
Kerbie Cash scored 22 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had four steals in 24 minutes of action against the Savage Storm to lead the Mustangs. Veonce Powell and Calyssa Sevier each scored seven points in the loss as MSU struggled from the field, shooting 26.6 percent for the game.
Through its first three games, Midwestern State is shooting 31 percent from the floor and is 13 of 62 from 3-point range (20.3 %). The Mustangs are scoring 64.3 points per game while opponents have scored an average of 65 points. Opponents are shooting 44.1 percent from the field and have hit 21 of 49 shots from beyond the arc (42.9%).
Cash is the leading scorer for Midwestern State with 17 points per game, while Powell is pitching in 8.3 points per game. Ta'Leeyah Glynn is adding eight points per game for the Mustangs. Carisa Cortez and Katy Greathouse are both scoring 6.7 points game.
The Mustangs have a slight rebounding advantage through their first three games. Midwestern State is pulling down 42 boards per game, while opponents are averaging 41 rebounds per game.
Midwestern State is averaging 23 points off 25 turnovers per game, and four players have five steals apiece: Cash, Cortez, Sevier and Macie Upshaw.
Midwestern State leads the all-time series with East Central, 16-10, but the Tigers won the last meeting in November of 2022, 70-62, at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. East Central is making its 15th visit and has only recorded four victories under the dome.
East Central (3-0) has posted back-to-back wins over Lone Star Conference opponents. The Tigers won at Cameron last week, 70-63, and routed Oklahoma Christian 79-56 on Tuesday night as four players scored in double figures, led by Rylie Burnett's 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 4 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Eva Fernandez scored 17 points, while Jayden Weiberg hit 4 of 5 shots from 3-point range and finished with 12 points for the Tigers, who shot 50.5 percent from the field overall and hit 8 of 23 shots from long range (34.8%).
Burnett, a 5-9 freshman guard, is the leading scorer for the Tigers with 14 points per game and is 5 of 15 from 3-point distance this season. Fernandez, a 5-8 senior from Spain, is scoring 10.3 points per game, and 5-10 junior guard Ella Lavigne is scoring 10 points per game but did not play at Oklahoma Christian.
Katia Edelen, a 5-10 junior forward, is the leading rebounder for the Tigers with seven rebounds per game, and Lavigne is grabbing five rebounds a contest.
Fernandez has dished out 20 assists in three games and has six steals for the Tigers, who are averaging 67 points per game and winning by an average margin of 14 points.
The Tigers are shooting 38.3 percent from the floor and have hit 16 of 57 3-point shots (28.1%). East Central has a slight rebounding advantage through three games with 35 boards per game, while opponents have pulled down an average of 33.3 rebounds per game.
East Central is scoring nearly 16 points per game off an average of 21 turnovers per contest.
Midwestern State begins the conference campaign on Wednesday night as Angelo State visits the Mustangs for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
