KINGSVILLE, Texas -- Midwestern State makes its final road trip of the regular season with a trip to South Texas for a critical matchup with Texas A&M-Kingsville on Thursday night. On Saturday afternoon, the Mustangs meet Texas A&M International in Laredo.

Midwestern State (12-13, 10-9) is sitting ninth in the LSC standings a game behind West Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Kingsville and UT Permian Basin. The top eight teams compete in the Lone Star Conference Basketball Championship on March 6-9 at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.

The Mustangs have five conference losses by a total of 10 points, but MSU pulled out a close victory against Angelo State in their last game.

Zarria Carter and Kerbie Cash combined to score 50 points. Carter finished with 29, and Cash poured in 21 points. Calyssa Sevier was 3-for-3 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter and made a crucial steal in the final minutes to thwart an Angelo State comeback. Sevier finished with 11 points, and Trinidi King scored 10 for the Mustangs.

Carter garnered Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. Carter averaged 24.5 points and 10 rebounds in the two games at D.L. Ligon Coliseum last week.

Carter leads the conference in scoring (20.8 ppg), rebounding (11.0 rpg) and steals (2.4 spg). She has the second-best field goal percentage (54.2%). Carter is 201-of-371 from the field, and no one in the conference has converted more field goals or put up more shots than the 6-1 senior from Mansfield, Texas.

Carter is the 11th-leading rebounder in the country and the eighth-leading scorer. Carter leads the league with 15 double-doubles this season, and only two players in NCAA Division II have more double-doubles — Emily Chmiel of East Stroudsburg and Alisha Little of Colorado State-Pueblo.

Carter is 118-of-162 (72.8%). from the free-throw line. She has made the second-most free throws and has the most attempts in the LSC. She has the ninth-best free-throw percentage in the conference.

Cash, a 6-2 freshman from Wylie, Texas, is the ninth-leading rebounder in the LSC with 7.4 boards per game, and she is the 11th leading scorer in the league with 13.5 points per game. In conference games, she averages 15.1 points and 8.2 rebounds.

Cash has also been productive at the free-throw line, hitting 98-of-137 (72.8%). She has the fourth-most made free throws in the LSC and the third-most attempts. Her free-throw percentage is 13th in the league.

The Mustangs have the most free-throw attempts per game in the conference with 21.7 and are shooting 69.4 percent (377-of-543) from the free-throw line as a team. The Mustangs have the second-most made free throws in the LSC with 15.1 per game.

Midwestern State is second in the league with 41.8 rebounds per game, which is 27th in the nation, and MSU is grabbing 15.1 offensive rebounds per game, which leads the conference and is 20th among NCAA Division II programs.

The Mustangs are scoring 64.2 points per game and holding their opponents to 63.9 points per game.

Carisa Cortez is dishing out 3.3 assists per game, which is fifth in the conference.

Midwestern State is forcing the fifth-most turnovers in the conference at 18.2 per game, and the Stangs are second in the league with 10.3 steals per game.

Carter leads the LSC with 59 total steals. Calyssa Sevier is seventh in the conference with 43 steals. Cash is 12th with 40 steals, and Emillia Steele is 18th in the league with 35 steals.

The Mustangs are holding opponents to 39.6 percent shooting from the field, which is ninth-best in the LSC. Opponents are only shooting 27.5 percent from 3-point range, which is the fourth-best 3-point percentage defense in the LSC.

Midwestern State is blocking 2.3 shots per game, and Carter is averaging 0.84 blocks per game, which is seventh in the league.

TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE

Midwestern State leads the all-time series with Texas A&M-Kingsville, 29-22, but has lost the last four meetings with the Javelinas, who won last year's encounter at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, 64-52, outscoring the Mustangs in the fourth quarter, 20-6. Carter had 12 points and 14 rebounds in the loss for Midwestern State.

Texas A&M-Kingsville is 13-13 all-time when hosting Midwestern State, which has lost its last three visits to the Steinke Center, including an 82-72 loss two years ago, when Jayde Tschritter hit seven 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 25 points for the Javelinas.

Texas A&M-Kingsville enters the game with a 15-10 overall record, and the Javelinas are 11-8 in conference play. TAMUK had a five-game winning streak snapped with a 61-54 loss at UT Tyler last week, and the Javelinas are coming off a 61-52 loss at Texas Woman's.

The Javelinas boast the sixth-best field goal percentage defense in the LSC, holding opponents to 37.1 percent shooting from the field. TAMUK has the fourth-best scoring defense in the league as it is only allowing 54.3 points per game, which is 14th-best among NCAA Division II programs.
Shelby Ray is the leading scorer for the Javelinas with 11.1 points per game for the Javelinas, who are only scoring 59.3 points per game as a team.

Ray is also the leading rebounder for the Javelinas with 5.9 boards per game, while Kaycee Groves is pulling down 5.1 rebounds per game. TAMUK is 13th in the conference with 31.7 rebounds per game.

Abby Bala, who scores 8.8 points per game, is averaging 3.2 assists, which is sixth-most in the conference. Aina Maynou is ninth in the league with three assists per game.

Janessa Payne is the biggest threat from 3-point range for the Javelinas. Payne is 48-of-114 from beyond the arc and third in the conference at 42.1 percent from long distance.

TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL

Texas A&M International leads the all-time series with Midwestern State, 4-3, and has won the last three meetings, including a 76-68 victory at D.L. Ligon Coliseum last season.

Raiana Brown led TAMIU with 24 points on 12-of-16 shooting and also grabbed 10 rebounds in the victory. Samiyah Worrell hit 5-of-9 shots from 3-point range and finished with 24 points. Worrell also dished out six assists in the victory. Malea Jackson poured in 12 points for the Dustdevils, who outrebounded the Mustangs, 46-30.

Carter had 18 points and 11 rebounds in the loss last season.

Midwestern State has lost both visits to the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Center. The Mustangs lost in overtime two years ago, 88-85, as the Dustdevils overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter and scored the first six points of the overtime period.

Texas A&M International enter the week with a 5-20 overall record, and the Dustdevils are 4-15 in conference play.

TAMIU is hosting Lubbock Christian on Thursday night and has a six-game losing streak following a 62-43 loss at UT Tyler on Saturday.

Josie Igherighe is the leading scorer for the Dustdevils with 12.2 points per game, and Trinity Chears is scoring 12 points per game for TAMIU, which is 13th in the conference with 58.7 points per game.

Igherighe is also the leading rebounder for TAMIU with seven boards per game, and the Dustdevils are 14th in the league with 31.2 rebounds per game.

The Dustdevils are getting 21.7 points per game from their reserves, which is fifth-best bench scoring in the LSC.

Janiya Murphy has 36 steals to lead TAMIU, which is averaging the fourth-most steals per game in the league with 9.4, and the Dustdevils are forcing the third-most turnovers in the conference with 18.6 turnovers forced per game.

Midwestern State plays its final home game against Lubbock Christian on Feb. 27. Tipoff at D.L. Ligon Coliseum is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.