Starting Five - Storylines for the North Texas Game
1) The Lady Bears are receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches Poll, receiving 112 points in the Coaches and 18 in the AP Poll. MSU ended last season ranked 14th in the Coaches Poll.
2) Graduate transfer
Mariah White dropped 24 points in her Missouri State Lady Bears debut in the 2021-22 season opener at Little Rock. Her 24 points were the most in a MSU debut since transfer Gail Beck (24) on 11/18/80 vs. SEMO. White shot 9-of-15 (2-for-4 3FG) from the floor and 80 percent from the free throw line coming off the bench against the Trojans in her impressive Lady Bear debut.
3) Sixth-year senior and reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year
Brice Calip has played in 131 career games, which is tied with Lacey Boshe (2008-2012) for the MIssouri State program record. With playing time against North Texas, Calip will own the top spot in the MSU record book for career games played with 132. This week, Calip was also named to the 2022 Naismith Award Watch List.
4) Senior forward
Jasmine Franklin enters Sunday's contest against the Mean Green just 24 points shy of 1,000 career points, as she currently sits at No. 31 on the career scoring list with 976 points in her MSU career. Franklin also needs just two blocks to move into the No. 2 spot on the MSU all-time career blocks list. She owns 108 career blocks, which is currently good for No. 3 in program history.
5) Missouri State is 74-10 overall since Dec. 20, 2018, ranking seventh nationally in total wins since that date and fourth in win percentage (.881), trailing only Baylor, UConn and FGCU. Five teams ahead of the Lady Bears on the wins list have been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll over that span.
The Opponent
North Texas was chosen to finish tied for third in the Conference USA preseason coaches poll, behind Charlotte and Old Dominion.
The Mean Green finished 13-7 overall last season and currently sits at 2-0 to begin the 2021-22 season with victories over USAO and Howard. North Texas' lineup features Quincy Noble who was named the C-USA Preseason Co-Player of the Year. Noble averaged 17.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg as a sophomore last season.
North Texas has four players averaging 10+ points per game in two games so far this season (Quincy Noble, Jazion Jackson, Tommisha Lampkin and Amber Dixon).
Series History
Missouri State leads the all-time series against North Texas, 3-1. MSU holds a 2-0 series advantage at home against the Mean Green, but the series is tied 1-1 against UNT on the road.
The Lady Bears and North Texas will face off for the first time since the 2018-19 season, in which the Mean Green grabbed an 83-76 overtime victory in Denton.
