GAME DAY INFORMATION

When: Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015 | 7 p.m. (CST)

Where: Stephenville, Texas | Wisdom Gym

Series: Texans lead 36-8 | Streak: TSU, Won 5

Last Meeting: TSU 89, ENMU 64 on January 24, 2015 in Portales

FOLLOW THE ACTION

Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on KTRL 90.5 FM | Listen Live

Pregame Coverage: Pregame Show begins 15 minutes before tip off

Web Stream: TarletonSports.com

Social Media: Facebook | Twitter

Live Stats | Game Notes

THE GAME
In a game matching the two teams in the LSC with the longest streaks – a 10-game winning streak by Tarleton and a 12-game losing streak by Eastern New Mexico – the Texans will host Eastern New Mexico for a 7 p.m. contest in Wisdom Gym Saturday night.
 
THE BROADCAST
The game will have a live radio broadcast presented by the Tarleton Sports Network presented by North Texas Ford Dealers. The Voice of the Texans, Casey Hogan, will be back calling the play-by-play for Tarleton basketball this season. The broadcast can be heard on KTRL 90.5 FM in Stephenville and surrounding areas or online at TarletonSports.com/ListenLive. The pregame show will begin 15 minutes prior to tip-off.
 
THE OPPONENT
After starting the season 7-6 including two wins scoring more than 100 points - Eastern New Mexico defeated Oklahoma Panhandle State 102-94 and University of Texas-Permian Basin 102-99 -  the Greyhounds have struggled as a whole losing 12 consecutive games and owning the leagues worst scoring offense averaging 71.7 points per game, the leagues worst scoring defense giving up 86.0 points per game to opponents and the worst scoring margin in the LSC losing by an average of 14.3 points per contest.
 
THE SERIES
Tarleotn State and Eastern New Mexico began its senior-college era rilvary in 1964 and has since developed into a one-sided affair with Tarleton owning the all-time record of 35-8. Of the eight Tarleton losses to the greyhounds, six of them came in the first nine meetings until a Tarleton win on February 25, 1997 turned the tide in Tarleton's favor. That win started an 18 game winning streak over the next decade for Tarleton in the series. Since 2008, Tarleton has won 15 of the last 16. The run is 32 of the last 34 for the Texans since that Febuary win in '97.
 
LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
Sporting the No. 8 scoring defense in the nation by holding opponents to 61.6 points per game, Tarleton has made it a habit of limiting the leading scorer of each team that they face. Over the last seven games, the Texans have held the teams leading leading scorer coming into that game to a combined 7.4 points per game. Eastern's top scorer is John Gilliam who is currently ranked second in the LSC averaging 16.7 points per contest.
 
TARLETON IN NATIONAL POLLS
After starting the season ranked No. 12 in the nation, Tarleton State moved up nine total spots to No. 3 over the first 12 games of the season, and after going as low as 15 and moving back to 12, the Texans held last week at No. 11. This now marks the 31st consecutive week in which Tarleton has appeared in the national rankings since joining the polls on Nov. 19, 2013.
 
NABC HISTORY
Of the 99 weeks in the NABC rankings, Tarleton has spent 59 of those weeks in the top 10, 39 in the top 5 and eight weeks at No. 1.
 
RANKINGS BY THE MEDIA
The D2 Media Poll, sponsored by D2SIDA in its first year. Each region has two representatives. The Texans are No. 7 in the latest media-voted ranking.
 
SOUTH CENTRAL POWER
The South Central regional polls were released on Tuesday with Tarleton leading the way followed by LSC rival Angelo State in fourth, Midwestern State in fifth and Texas A&M-Commerce at No. 7.  Five of the top-six teams in the South Central Rankings are nationally ranked in the NABC top-25.
 
OFFENSIVE WOES AGAINST THE LSC
Over the last four conference road games the Greyhounds have failed to score more than the previous road game, scoring 81 in San Angelo against the Rams, 67 in Commerce against the Lions, 52 in Kingsville against the Javelinas and most recently scoring 42 in Wichita Falls against the Mustangs.
 
AMONG THE BEST OF THE DECADE
Tarleton State's Davene Carter and Michael Hardge are putting up numbers that have them among the best Texans to play for the Purple and White since the 2005-06 season:
• Carter is one of 10 players to top the 600-point marker over the past decade. With one (1) more points, he'll pass Devon Hills (628) for ninth most in the last 10 years.
• Hardge has passed Colman Furst for fifth most assists over the last decade with 166 and is 40 dimes shy of passing Effrin Bryant (205) for fourth most over that span.
• With 442 career rebounds, Carter has the third most boards for Tarleton in the past decade. Only John Davis (599) and Eric Williams (519) have more.
 
TOPS IN THE NATION
Tarleton State ranks among the nations best in multiple statistical categories, including:
• No. 6 in Won-Lost Percentage (91.3)
• No. 8 in Scoring Defense (61.6 ppg)
• No. 9 in 3-pt Defense (.302)
• No. 12 in Scoring Margin (14.9)
• No. 20 in FG Defense (.402)
• No. 21 in Total Blocks (108)
• No. 21 in Free Throws Made (434)
• No. 22 in 3-Pt Field-Goal Percentage (.400)
 
REISMAN MOVES UP ALL-TIME WINS LIST
After starting the season No. 26 on the all-time wins list for Division II Head Coaches, Lonn Reisman is now No. 21 on the all-time victory list passing Mike Sandifar of Oakland City College with 581 career wins.
 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
No. 11 Tarleton State will hit the road for the final time in the regular season Wednesday night as they venture to Abilene for a 7:30 p.m. tip off against McMurry in a one-game hiatus from Lone Star Conference action.