CAMERON VS. MIDWESTERN STATE
Friday, Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 12 at 3 p.m.
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Game Notes
LAWTON -- The Cameron University women's basketball team is set to tip-off the 2020-21 campaign against their Red River Rival Midwestern State, hosting them for a pair of contests on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.
ATTENDANCE AND COVERAGE:
Cameron University President John McArthur announced last week that their would be no spectators allowed at the December basketball games in the Aggie Gym. That decision affects just the two meetings against Midwestern State on Dec. 11 and 12. The decision about attendance at Cameron for the remainder of the basketball season will be decided at a later day. Fans can watch the games via the Lone Star Conference Digital Network either online or any smart device that allows OTT apps (Roku, Amazon Fire-TV, etc.). The conference is offering all basketball games via PPV through a $10 24-hour pass.
STARTING 5:
1. Due to the new scheduling format for the 2020-21 basketball season, Cameron and Midwestern State are competing in different divisions for the first time since the league expanded; CU is in the North Division with Oklahoma Christian, UAFS, Texas Woman's, and A&M-Commerce and MSU is in the West.
2. Cameron enters the new season on the heels of a record-breaking 2019-20 campaign where they set conference marks for three pointers made, attempted, and per game average, and
Emma Andrews has reloaded with plenty of weapons for her fifth season as CU's head coach.
3. The Aggies return one of the best players in the LSC from a year ago,
Maighan Hedge, a junior who ranked second in the conference with 19.6 points per game during the 2019-20 campaign and is just 11 points shy of 1,000 for her career at CU.
4. Unlike CU, the Mustangs have already competed in three exhibitions this fall, falling to Sam Houston State, Abilene Christian, and New Mexico, with the closest matchup coming against the Lobos where they responded from a 25-6 first period to post just a nine point deficit in the remaining three (68-59)
5. MSU is under the direction of second-year head coach Christopher Rey, who will benefit from top returners Kityana Diaz, Hannah Reynolds, and Shawnisay Millar in his first full season at the helm.
ABOUT THE AGGIES:
Cameron surpassed expectations last season, going from being picked 14th in the LSC's preseason poll to being the ninth seed in the conference tournament at the end of the year, before they lost in the first round to St. Mary's 84-71. Coach Andrews is hoping that happens again this year, as CU was voted seventh in the 2020 edition of the preseason rankings and returns four starters and eight letter-winners from last year's squad.
Most of the Aggies' success last season game with possession of the ball, as they ranked third in the league in scoring (72.4) and broke a trio of LSC and school team three-point records. CU's struggles came on the defensive end, where they ranked last in the conference in scoring defense, giving up 78.3 points per game to their opponents. Eleven of their 13 wins came when they led at halftime and when they out-rebounded their opponents.
Cameron's roster features a number of talented young guards, led by the All-LSC performer Hedge. Despite her production, Coach Andrews is having to replace her second and third leading scorers from a year ago, and is looking for sophomore
Stephanie Peterson and others to step and fill those roles; Peterson averaged 7.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists during her freshman campaign. CU is looking for seniors
Jazmin Luster and
Logan Collyer to fill those leadership roles for CU, and for junior
Whitney Outon and
Michaela James to take those next steps up after both starting over 15 games for CU last season.
CHASING HISTORY:
Last year,
Maighan Hedge put together one of the better individual seasons in Cameron women's basketball history. Not only was she named first team All-South Central Region and first team All-LSC, but was also the first CU women's basketball player to score over 500 points in a season (569) since 1991. Her season ranks fourth on the Cameron all-time single season scoring list. Hedge now has 989 points in her two-year career and needs just 11 to become the 12th member of the Aggie women's basketball 1,000 Point Club.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS:
Midwestern State had a solid season a year ago, finishing 11-16 overall and 9-13 in conference play. That record earned them the 11th seed in the LSC tournament, where they lost to Angelo State in the first round 81-70. The Mustangs enter the new season slated to finish in ninth place in head coach Christopher Reay's first full-year at the helm. Reay is having to replace his top two scorers from a year ago, but also returns senior post player Hannah Reynolds, who averaged 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks for MSU last season. Also back for the Mustangs are 6-foot forward Shawnisay Millar (6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 2019-20) and senior Kityana Diaz (6.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in 2019-20). In MSU's last exhibition against New Mexico, Millar had 13 points on 4-10 shooting, while Reynolds and Diaz combines for 14 points and five rebounds. Midwestern lost all three of their exhibitions by at least 25 points, falling to Sam Houston State (104-61), Abilene Christian (91-48), and then New Mexico (93-65).
AGAINST MSU:
Despite finishing ahead of them in both the conference and divisional standings last season, the Aggies had a hard time taming the Mustangs in their two meetings in mid-January. In the first of the two matchups, CU held a 44-32 at the half in Wichita Falls, Texas. Cameron scored just 12 points in the third period and then was out-scored 28-21 in the final frame to fall 84-77. Hedge led CU with 28 points, making 11-11 from the foul line, while MSU's seniors, who have since graduated, combined for 45 points. Three days later, the two teams met up in the Aggie Gym and this time it was Cameron who was trailing at the half, 30-28. They then scored 30 points in the third quarter to take a two-point lead, but the Mustangs responded by out-scoring them 26-19 in the fourth to escape with the 82-77 road victory. Hedge was again stellar, scoring 32 points and going 12-13 from the charity stripe, while Diaz and Millar helped out the Mustang cause with 13 and 10 points respectively. In the two games against MSU, CU's guard averaged 30 points and was 23-24 from the free throw line.
WHO HAS NEXT:
Next on the schedule for the Black and Gold is a trip to Odessa, Texas for a pair of battles with UT Permian Basin. The two games are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. UTPB has announced that only guests on the team's pass lists will be allowed in the arena for the final two games of 2020.
