RETURNING TO THE ROAD
The Tarleton Texans will return to Lone Star Conference South Division action on the road at Midwestern State on Monday, Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. in DL Ligon Coliseum. The game was rescheduled from earlier in the month due to the winter weather.
ON AIR
Texan fans can turn on the radio broadcast and listen to KSTV 93.1 FM.
Fans can also join the LIVE CHAT with Tarleton Athletics and watch LIVE STATS via the MSU website.
SOUTH TITLE
The Texans clinched at least a share of the LSC South Division title on Saturday with the win at Texas A&M-Kingsville. The title is the men's fourth division championship (2002, 003, 2004, 2006 and 2011).
OUTRIGHT TITLE
If the Texans can clinch a win in the final three regular season games, Tarleton will win the South Division title outright. MSU is the only team that could share the title with Tarleton if it wins its final three games and Tarleton doesn't win one more.
TWENTY-WIN SEASONS
The Texans have claimed 11 20-win seasons under head coach Lonn Reisman. If Tarleton gets one more win, Tarleton will have 12 total, including eight in the last 10 seasons, dating back to 2001-02.
TARLETON=BASKETBALL
Out of 275 NCAA Division II basketballs schools, the Tarleton Texans and TexAnns are one of just six schools that are on top of their respective conference standings. The Texans are atop the South Division men's standings while the TexAnns are atop their standings as well.
The other schools are Bentley, Drury, Bloomfield, Quincy and Arkansas Tech.
BASKETBALL 2
The two Tarleton teams are a combined 40-6 this season, and they have the best combined winning percentage in the South Central region (.866). Heading into the week, Central Oklahoma is second with an .792 percentage (38-10), followed by Missouri Southern with a .750 winning percentage this season (36-12).
NATIONAL RANKING
Tarleton returned to the national poll this week conducted by the National Basketball Coaches Association to No. 25 in the country. Tarleton has been absent from the poll since the Dec. 7 release when Tarleton was No. 17. Tarleton has gone 11-2 since being left off the next poll on Dec. 14.
NATIONAL RANKING 2
Tarleton is one of only two teams in the country with both their men's and women's basketball programs ranked in the Top 25. The men are No. 25 and the women are No. 19 (highest-ever ranking). The other is Arkansas Tech (men are No. 13; women are No. 5).
FINISHING STRONG
The Texans have finished strong in the second half of the LSC division play since the 2001-02 season. Tarleton is 41-13 in that span in the second half of division play, including a 9-3 record in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Tarleton has went 6-0 in 2002-03 and 5-1 five different times.
This season, the Texans are 4-0 so far in the second half for a total of 45-13.
ON THE ROAD
However, the Texans have struggled in their six road games so far, going 5-4.
Earlier this season, the Texans played four games in nine days, including three on the road. During that road trip, Tarleton traveled approximately 1,021 miles in seven days through Oklahoma and Texas.
The longest stretch, however, is when Tarleton went to Portales, N.M. last weekend, returns Saturday night, then went to Canyon last Tuesday and returned Wednesday night. The Texans traveled over 1,500 miles in that stretch.
DEFENSE, DEFENSE
The Tarleton defense is ranked No. 1 in the nation scoring defense, allowing opponents to score an average of 53.4 points per game heading into this week. Tarleton is No. 6 in the nation in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 37.9 percent from the field.
Thanks to the defense, Tarleton has the No. 4 scoring margin in the country with a plus-20.4 margin.
FORCING TURNOVERS
Tarleton is forcing lots of turnovers this season, but giving away less. The Texans are No. 4 in the nation in turnover margin with a 5.7 margin in favor of the purple and white.
Part of turnovers is taking the ball away, and the Texans are No. 40 in the country in doing so, averaging 8.8 steals per game.
REBOUND THAT BALL
Heading into this week, the Texans are No. 10 in the nation in rebound margin (7.6). The Texans have outrebounded every foe this season except Cameron, Texas A&M-Commerce, Abilene Christian and West Texas A&M.
Tarleton is outrebounding opponents by an average of 37.0 to 29.4.
LEADING THE TEXANS
Corin Henry leads the team with 13.0 points per outing. Carrington Tankson (9.5) and Devon Hills (7.8) are second and third, respectively. Wes Dipprey leads the team with 6.2 rebounds per game while Donta Smith is second with 4.2 boards per outing. Henry tops the squad with 40 steals and 96 assists.
PASS IT HERE
Corin Henry has 229 career assists heading into tonight's contest. He passed Todd McCormick (1993-97) at 215 assists (93 games) for No. 14 on the Texans all-time list in the game at Incarnate Word. Henry tied Chris Brown (1994-96, 33 games) at No. 13 with 221 against Eastern New Mexico on Feb. 12, and passed Jim Moreno (1988-92, 121 games) in the game at home against West Texas A&M. He needs one assist to tie LaShon Sheffield (230, 2004-06 in 68 games) for No. 12 and 32 to tie No. 11 Freddie Pierce (261, 1982-86, 94 games).
SOUTH PLAY
The Texans are led by Corin Henry with 13.6 points per game during South Division play followed by Carrington Tankson with 9.6 points per game apiece. Dipprey leads the team with 6.1 boards per game during South Division play as Tarleton is outrebounding foes 35.1 to 28.8 and outscoring them 64.1 to 52.5. Tarleton is averaging .455 from the floor, .372 from the arc and .667 from the charity stripe while holding opponents to .384, .305 and .605, respectively.
D-E-F-E-N-S-E
Tarleton is 11-2 this season when holding opponents to below .400 shooting percentage from the field.
OUTSCORING FOES
The Texans are outscoring foes 71.9 to 52.2. The Texans' biggest win of the season came against Arlington Baptist – 108-30 (78 points). The smallest margin of victory is four at home against Texas A&M-Commerce (70-66).
SHOOTING TEXANS
The Texans are averaging .455 from the floor, .372 from the arc and .667 from the charity stripe while holding opponents to .373 from the field, .320 from the arc and .637 from the line.
NOW ON SPECIAL
Tarleton is outscoring opponents in points off turnovers (22.0 to 11.8) and points in the paint (32.3 to 18.1).
OFF THE BENCH
Tarleton is averaging 31.2 points per game off of the bench this season as the Texans are outscoring opponents from the bench by 15.5 points per game (15.7 for opponents).
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
The Mustangs are 19-6 overall this season and are in second place in the LSC South Division with a 7-4 record. MSU is coming off a 68-56 loss at West Texas A&M on Saturday.
MSU has won 40 straight home games in DL Ligon Coliseum heading into Monday's contest.
The Mustangs are led by Chris Hagan with 22.3 points per game while Michael Loyd is second with 12.3 points per outing. Darrick Thomas is tops on the squad with 6.4 rebounds per contest while David Terrell is second with 5.6 boards per game.
MSU is averaging .500 from the field, .371 from the arc and .654 from the line while opponents are shooting .414 from the floor, .305 from the arc and .667 from the charity stripe. The Mustangs are outscoring opponents 78.4 to 64.4 and outrebounding them 36.8 to 30.3.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Midwestern State leads the all-time series that dates back to 1961, 37-19. The Mustangs took all four games from the Texans last season, including a 71-56 victory in the second round of the South Central Regional held in Wichita Falls. However, Tarleton returned to the win column on Feb. 5 when it took a 68-56 victory in Stephenville.
Under head coach Lonn Reisman, the Texans are 16-19 against the Mustangs, including an 8-10 mark in Wichita Falls.
LAST TIME UP
The Texans shot 50 percent from the floor on their way to the victory at home over the Mustangs on Feb. 5 – taking a 68-56 win in Stephenville. Carrington Tankson had 28 points to lead the team while Corin Henry poured in 10 more. Henry also led the team with six rebounds as Tarleton outrebounded the visitors 31-24.
MSU was led by David Terrell with 14 points while Chris Hagan (11), Deuce Nichols (10) and Darrick Thomas (10) all scored in double digits. The Mustangs' leading scorer, Charlie Logan, was held to just two points on the evening.
Tarleton averaged .500 from the floor, .385 from the arc (5-13) and .613 from the charity stripe (19-31) while MSU shot .489 from the field, .333 from the arc (5-15) and .583 from the line (7-12).
UP NEXT
The Texans will return home for the last home game of the season when Tarleton hosts Abilene Christian on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m.
COMING UP AT HOME
The Feb. 23 game at home against Abilene Christian is the annual Tarleton Athletics Cookout. It is also Dublin Night where all fans from Dublin will get in free with proof of residence. That will also be Senior Night where the Texans and TexAnns will honor the 2010-11 seniors.
