BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – The Tarleton Texans are one win away from their second Lone Star Conference Championship Tournament victory in school history. Tarleton will play No. 6 Midwestern State on Saturday, March 6 at 7 p.m. for the title and the automatic bid for the South Central Regional tournament.
Tarleton is 23-6 overall after its 82-68 victory on Friday over West Texas A&M in the LSC tournament semifinals.
Tarleton's last trip to the conference finals was in 2006 when the Texans lost to West Texas A&M (92-85). Tarleton's lone tournament title was in 2004 when the Texans downed Northeastern State 69-61.
This season, the Texans are led by Devon Hills with 13.3 points per game while Effran Bryant (12.2), Corin Henry (11.7) and Jeremiah Wilson (10.5) are also averaging in double digits. Wilson leads the squad with 8.2 rebounds per game and 47 blocks while Donta Smith is second with 6.6 boards per outing. Henry tops the team with 125 assists and 50 steals.
Tarleton is averaging .440 from the floor, .354 from the arc and .673 from the charity stripe while opponents are shooting .379 from the field, .318 from the arc and .660 from the line. The Texans are outrebounding foes 37.7 to 32.5 and outscoring them 71.8 to 58.6.
In the LSC Tournament, Henry leads the team with 27.0 points per game while Bryant is averaging 18.0, Hills is averaging 12.5 and Wilson is adding 9.5 to lead the team. Wilson leads the team with 8.0 rebounds per game and Hills is second with 7.5.
The Texans are averaging .393 from the floor in the tournament, including .262 from the arc while shooting .710 from the stripe. Opponents are averaging .438 from the field, .286 from the arc and .667 from the line. Tarleton is outscoring opponents 82.5 to 72.0 and outrebounding them 40.5 to 36.5.
The Mustangs are 27-2 overall and were the No. 1 seed from the South Division. MSU has claimed six straight victories following a loss at West Texas A&M on Feb. 10 (68-58). The top seed is ranked No. 2 in the South Central Region, four spots ahead of No. 6 Tarleton in the regional poll. The Mustangs defeated Southwestern Oklahoma (77-65) and Northeastern State (74-64) in the first two round of the conference tournament.
Craig Green leads the squad with 16.5 points per game while Chris Hagan (13.8) and Jason Ebie (11.0) are also averaging in double digits. Anthony Moore has 6.0 rebounds per game to top the team.
MSU is averaging .473 from the field, .347 from the arc and .706 from the line while opponents are shooting .422 from the floor, .314 from the arc and .689 from the stripe. The Mustangs are outscoring foes 81.8 to 69.4 and outrebounding them 37.4 to 35.4.
The two teams met twice the regular season as MSU jumped ahead early in the first game at Stephenville, and despite a good comeback from the Texans in the second half, MSU was too far ahead and won 69-56. In the game in Wichita Falls, neither team led by more than four in the final minutes of the contest, and the Mustangs outlasted the Texans, 72-69. Since the Tarleton loss, both teams have gone 6-1.
MSU leads the all-time series that dates back to 1961, 35-18. However, under head coach Lonn Reisman, Tarleton trails just 17-16 after this year's two losses. The two teams have never met on a neutral floor during Reisman's 22-year tenure until Saturday.
The game will be broadcast on KSTV 93.1 FM and fans can watch the video and live stats via the Lone Star Conference Championship Tournament web site.
