SPECIAL TO THE FLASH
TarletonSports.com
(February 6, 2016) — Tarleton State visits Cameron in Lawton, Oklahoma in Lone Star Conference basketball action Saturday. The Texans are Aggies are part of a dead heat with six teams within 1.5 games of the league lead on the men’s side. One game separates fourth place Cameron from fifth place Tarleton on the women’s side.
Games Saturday tip off at 2 and 4 p.m. – women first – at Aggie Gym. Full previews from Nathan Bural and Ryan Cox of Tarleton Athletics Communications are included below.
Follow @theflashsports for live updates on Twitter. TheFlashToday.com will have complete post game coverage following each contest.
Tarleton women (11-9, 5-5) at Cameron (12-7, 6-4), 2 p.m. Saturday:
LAST TIME OUT
Tarleton had three players top double figures in scoring, led by Tiara Tatum‘s career-high 13 points as the TexAnns defeated rival Midwestern State 63-49 at Wisdom Gym.
THE OPPONENT: CAMERON
Cameron comes into Saturday’s game with a 12-7 record overall and sits in fourth in the Lone Star Conference with a 6-4 record. The Aggies lost its last game to Texas A&M-Commerce and is 6-3 at Aggie Gym this season, including having won two straight at home. Cameron has three players averaging double figures and are led by Dayla Threatt’s 13.2 points per game.
THE SERIES: CAMERON
Saturday marks the 29th meeting with Cameron in the modern era of TexAnn basketball with Cameron leading the all-time series 15-13. Cameron has won six straight against Tarleton since the TexAnns won seven straight from 2006-2013. However, four of the six losses have been decided by five points or less. Tarleton has the edge playing at Cameron, leading the series 7-6.
THREE STRAIGHT WOULD BE GREAT
Tarleton is aiming for its third straight Lone Star Conference win, which would be its longest conference winning streak since January 2015 when the TexAnns won three in a row.
DIFFERENCE IS ON DEFENSE
The TexAnns limited Midwestern State to 49 points in Wednesday’s 14-point win, their lowest total in Lone Star Conference play this season and the second lowest total all year (47 vs. Concordia-Irvine). In Tarleton’s five LSC wins, the TexAnns have held opponents to an average of 56.8 points. In their five LSC losses, Tarleton is allowing opponents to score 70 points per game.
150 IN WISDOM
After defeating Midwestern State, Misty Wilson won her 150th home game as a Tarleton assistant and head coach in 14 total seasons.
DOING WORK FROM DOWNTOWN
Entering Saturday’s game, Bailey Wipff has 48 3-pointers on the season. With two more, she will become the 12th TexAnn in school history to connect on 50 triples in a single season and the first since Brianna Bledsoe (51) in 2013-14. Wipff is also shooting 42 percent from behind the arc this season, which ranks 10th all time.
PUT THEM AT THE FREE-THROW LINE
Morgan Ashmore and Bailey Wipff are almost automatic from the free-throw line this season and both currently ranked in the top 6 in single-season history. Ashmore is shooting 89 percent (41-of-46) from the free-throw line, which ranks third all time. Wipff is right behind at 86 percent (50-of-58), ranking sixth in TexAnn history. Peyton Adamson holds the top two spots at 90 and 92 percent.
RECORD WHEN THE TEXANNS…
– 7-0 when Tarleton has 15 or less turnovers.
– 8-1 when Tarleton holds opponents under 60 points.
– 11-2 when Tarleton shoots at least 36 percent from the floor.
– 8-2 when Tarleton shoots at least 33 percent on 3-pointers.
– 8-2 when Tarleton has at least 13 assists.
– 8-2 when Tarleton has at least 39 rebounds.
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will head to San Angelo to take on Angelo State on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 5:30 p.m.
Tarleton men (16-5, 5-3) at Cameron (13-8, 6-3), 4 p.m. Saturday:
LAST TIME OUT
Tarleton defeated No. 11 Midwestern State 66-65 on Michael Hardge‘s game-winning layup with 3 seconds left.
THE OPPONENT: CAMERON
Cameron comes in with a 13-8 record overall and tied atop the Lone Star Conference standings with a 6-3 mark. The Aggies are 5-1 at home this season and have won two straight in Aggie Gym. Cameron has already matched last season’s win total when they went 13-15.
THE SERIES: CAMERON
In the Lonn Reisman era (1988), Tarleton is 25-8 against CU and 26-11 all time since the series began in 1972. Tarleton won the last meeting 71-61, which gave Reisman 600 career wins at Tarleton. The Texans have won the last five meetings and the last two games at Cameron. Two of the last four games have been decided by 3 points or less.
TARLETON THROUGH 21 GAMES
Tarleton is 16-5 this season, which compared to past seasons, might seem like an down year. But Tarleton is right at its average number of wins. Over the last six seasons, Tarleton is averaging 17.7 wins to 3.3 losses through its first 21 games.
TEXANS ON THE ROAD
Tarleton is 1-2 on the road this season. In the last 7 seasons, Tarleton has only 1 losing record on the road (2-8, ’12-’13). In that span, Tarleton is 35-23 on the road since 2009 and 31-17 on the road against LSC teams.
CLIMBING UP THE RECORD CHART
4-year Texan Michael Hardge, who has 298 career assists, passed Marcus Jacobs for 7th all time. Hardge needs 12 assists to pass Tracy Guy for 6th place. Hardge’s 109 steals rank 9th all time and needs 5 steals to pass Jim Moreno for 8th all time.
SINGLE-SEASON SWATS
Xavier Smith has 43 blocks in his first season with Tarleton. The junior forward ranks 15th on the single-season blocks list and is 5 blocks from passing Tarleton Hall of Famer Jeffrey McFadden. Vincent Bridgewater holds the record with 81.
MALCOLM MAKING HIS MARK
Malcolm Hamilton has 19 career double-digit scoring games. When Hamilton scores 10 points, Tarleton is 17-2 all time. When Hamilton scores at least 12 points, Tarleton is 17-1 and 5-0 when the senior guard tops 20 points.
MILESTONE WATCH
– Michael Hardge needs 30 points for 850 in his career.
– EJ Reed needs 8 points for 700 in his career.
– Malcolm Hamilton needs 13 points for 500 in his career.
– Charles Hill needs 19 points for 300 in his career.
– Michael Hardge needs 2 assists for 300 in his career.
– EJ Reed needs 10 rebound for 300 in his career.
– Malcolm Hamilton needs 8 rebounds for 250 in his career.
– Jakob Damstra needs 5 points for 100 in his career.
ELITE COMPANY
Michael Hardge leads the LSC in assists at 4.9 per game. Hardge would join Chuck Guy (6.1 in 13-14) and Chris Reisman (6.08 in 00-01) as the only Texans to do so since 2000. Hardge is also 2nd in the LSC in steals at 1.7 per game. Hardge would become the first Texan to lead the LSC in steals since the LSC stats became available in 1999.
MAGIC NUMBER 5
Michael Hardge has 25 career games of at least 5 assists. Tarleton is 22-3 when Hardge records 5 assists in a game.
WHEN THE TEXANS…
When Tarleton dishes out at least 14 assists, they are 9-1 on the year. Tarleton is 10-0 when they shoot at least 45 percent from the floor. The Texans are 10-0 when they have less than 15 turnovers.
DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORERS
Tarleton has four players averaging at least 10 points per game in EJ Reed (18.4), Charles Hill (13.4),Michael Hardge (11.0) and Malcolm Hamilton (10.6). It’s the first time since 2010-11 that the Texans have four double-digit scorers when Devon Hills (13.0), Effran Bryant (12.1), Corin Henry (11.8) and Jeremiah Wilson (10.8) did so.
CLIMBING THE ALL-TIME WINS LIST
Reisman comes into the game with 605 wins. Reisman became the 6th active Division II head coach with 600 career wins and the 16th Division II coach to win 600 games in a career. Reisman passed Dave Boots (Ausburg, 603 wins) for 15th on the all-time wins list. Reisman needs 14 wins to pass Tom Smith (Mo. Western State) for 14th all time.
NCAA TEAM STAT LEADERS
– 3rd in NCAA in rebound margin (9.2)
– 7th in NCAA in scoring defense (64.0)
– 7th in NCAA in scoring margin (15.2)
– 9th in NCAA in opponent field goal % (39.3)
– EJ Reed is 22nd in double-doubles (9)
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will travel to Angelo State to take on the Rams at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
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