Tarleton welcomes McMurry with Dublin Night, Blackout Night

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By BRAD KEITH

TheFlashToday.com

Sport: STEPHENVILLE (January 28, 2015) — Tarleton State takes a mid-week break from Lone Star Conference play and welcomes McMurry to Wisdom Gym for a doubleheader Wednesday evening.

The TexAnns tip off the action at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Texans at 7:30. It’s blackout night and Dublin night, with all Dubliners being admitted free with proof of address, such as a driver’s license or state issued ID.

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The Texans (16-2) moved up three spots to their to No. 12 in this week’s National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II rankings. Tarleton has won three straight and is 44-5 dating back to the start of last season.

TaShawn Mabry became Tarleton’s leading scorer on the season following 54 points in two games last week. He had 31 on 13-19 shooting at Eastern New Mexico Saturday after he and Mo Lee combined to score Tarleton’s final 25 points against West Texas A&M last Wednesday.

Reigning Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week TaShawn Mabry looks to remain hot when the Texans host McMurry Wednesday night. || Photo courtesy NATHAN BURAL/Tarleton
Reigning Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week TaShawn Mabry looks to remain hot when the Texans host McMurry Wednesday night. || Photo courtesy NATHAN BURAL/Tarleton

Tarleton won both those games, and Mabry was named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week. His Saturday explosion made him just the 17th player to score more than 30 points in Tarleton’s 27 seasons under head coach Lonn Reisman.

Mabry averages 12.9 points, Lee 12.2 and Michael Hardge 11.8 to lead the Texans, who have eight players averaging at least 5.4.

The Tarleton women (10-5) are paced by senior guard Kathy Thomas with 14.3 points per game and sophomore forward Ikpeaku Iwobi at 12.3. Iwobi has been especially explosive of late with five double-doubles in Tarleton’s last six games. She averages 8.7 rebounds this season.

Sophomore forward Ikpeaku Iwobi has five double-doubles in Tarleton's last six games entering Wednesday's non-conference contest against McMurry. || Photo courtesy NATHAN BURAL/Tarleton
Sophomore forward Ikpeaku Iwobi has five double-doubles in Tarleton’s last six games entering Wednesday’s non-conference contest against McMurry. || Photo courtesy NATHAN BURAL/Tarleton

Karli Moore averages 8.1 Raven McGrath 7.9 and Bailey Wipff 7.8. Wipff had a perfect shooting performance during the first half of a win at Eastern New Mexico Saturday, going 6-6 from the floor including 3-3 from the arc for 15 points before intermission. The junior guard finished with 21.

McMurry’s women (2-17) are fresh off a 109-75 road loss to a Arlington Baptist College team that Tarleton dominated 86-60 in December. The TexAnns hold an overwhelming 32-3 series advantage.

The McMurry men’s team (5-9) is fresh off a 78-49 loss to Texas A&M-Commerce, who both Tarleton teams visit on Saturday. The Warhawks have other common opponents with the Texans – they have lost 104-48 and 101-48 to Angelo State, 77-49 to Midwestern State and 72-55 to Lubbock Christian. The Texans fell at ASU 78-60 and at home to Midwestern 78-76, but defeated Lubbock Christian 65-61.

Tarleton’s men have won their last six meetings against McMurry 9-3 against the Warhawks under Reisman.

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