WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Midwestern State closes the regular season with an important South Central Regional contest with Texas A&M-Kingsville Saturday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
Catch all of the action live on 100.9 BOB FM in Wichita Falls or via live streaming audio on MSUMustangs.com.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. or 25 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game which begins at 6.
About the Mustangs
Midwestern State (20-6, 9-2) can clinch its first outright Lone Star Conference South Division title since 2000 with a victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville Saturday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
The Mustangs have clinched the No. 1 seed in the South by virtue of completing a season sweep of Angelo State Wednesday night at Junell Center. MSU could, however, slip into a threeway tie for the LSC South title with a loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville tonight and if Angelo State defeats Tarleton State in Stephenville.
In that scenario, MSU would have a 3-1 mark against TAMUK and ASU for the No. 1 seed, TAMUK would be No. 2 with a 2-2 mark and ASU would be third with a 1-3 tally.
In fact, the Mustangs' early plans for Bartlesville are set as they will open the LSC Championships against LSC North No. 4 seed Cameron at 8:30 p.m. next Thursday at Bruin Fieldhouse.
About the Javelinas
Texas A&M-Kingsville (18-8, 8-3) fights for a share of the Lone Star Conference South Division title and will clinch a No. 2 seed with a win over Midwestern State Saturday nigh at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
The Javelinas would slip to the No. 3 seed with a loss.
TAMUK is also fighting for its South Central Regional hopes as the Javelinas were sitting on the outside looking in at No. 9 in this week's rankings. The top eight teams advanced to the regionals which begin on campus sites on March 14.
The Javelinas have won three of their last four coming into tonight's tilt and are an impressive 8-3 away from the comfortable confines of the Steinke Center this season. TAMUK, however, is 3-2 on the road during LSC South Division play.
Look out for
There's no doubt Nolan Richardson is the key for Midwestern State.
The All-America candidate poured in a career-high 35 points to lead MSU to clinch at least a share of the LSC South Division title with a 90-77 win over Angelo State Wednesday night at Junell Center/Stephens Arena.
In notching his fifth 30-point performance of the season, the senior guard also produced his eighth-straight 20-point outing. Richardson is the first MSU player to accomplish that feat since former NAIA All-American Isaac Devore scored 20-or-more points in 10-straight games spanning the end of the 1973-74 campaign to the beginning of the 1974-75 season.
Need more history? Richardson has raised his scoring average to an even 21 points per game and is on pace to become the first MSU player since Robert Harris, another NAIA All-American, to average 20 points a game in a season. Harris scored 21.6 points a game in 1986-87.
Richardson needs just 25 points to become the 34th member of Midwestern's 1,000-point Club. He is just 14 points away from tallying 2,000 combined points between his three collegiate stops at Northern Okalhoma -Enid (533 points), Hutchinson Community College (478 points) and Midwestern (975 points).
Texas A&M-Kingsville is led by junior forward Robert Williams.
The 6-5, 210-pound transfer from Frank Phillips JC averages 12.6 points and seven points a contest while working the paint for a 50.2 field goal percentage.
Senior forward Clyde Johnson is the Hoggies best outside threat averaging 11.5 points and 1.5 3-pointers a contest.
The 6-5, 184-pound transfer from Brookhaven College has connected on 38.8 percent of efforts from beyond the arc this season, but is shooting just 33.3 percent from 3-point range during South Division play.
Johnson, however, buried six treys to lead TAMUK to a 76-72 win over Tarleton STate with a game-high 24 points Wednesday night in Kingsville.
Senior forward Anthony Jones picked up his play during LSC South play to average 11.4 points a game. The athletic 6-6, 205-pound transfer from the University of Houston scored 20 points against MSU the first time through divisional play.
Senior point guard Wendell Mulkey plays a pivotal role for the Javelinas by scoring 6.7 points and a deceiving 5.4 assists per game.
600th game under the dome
Saturday night's contest with Texas A&M-Kingsville marks the 600th MSU men's basketball game played at D.L. Ligon Coliseum where Midwestern has dominated play.
MSU has compiled a 476-123 mark (.795) in the facility which opened on Nov. 29, 1969 - some 40 years ago.
This is our house, this is our home. We never lose we play under our dome
Midwestern State streaked to 70-straight wins at D.L. Ligon Coliseum from Jan. 5, 1973 through Jan. 31, 1977.
After falling to Dallas Baptist in the season opener this season, the Mustangs have dominated play under the dome where they have won 12-straight contests.
The streak is the 10th longest active string in NCAA Division II. Findlay and current South Central Region No. 1 Southwest Baptist (Mo.) have won 29 consecutive home contests.
The current run is the longest active homecourt streak in the Lone Star Conference.
MSU, which is 5-0 against LSC South foes at Ligon Coliseum in 2008-09, can complete its first perfect homecourt run against the division since 1999-00 when Midwestern advanced to the South Central Region finals.
Ray notches 20 wins.... again
In his 12th season at the helm, Midwestern State coach Jeff Ray has posted four 20-win campaigns including two of the last three seasons.
The Mustangs have advanced to the NCAA Division II South Central Regionals in each of those seasons.
Ray also coached the women's program to consecutive 20-win campaigns in 1992-93 and 1993-94 when the Lady Indians also advanced to the NAIA National Tournament.
About the series
Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Kingsville will meet for the 29th time on the hardwood Saturday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
MSU owns a 17-11 advantage in the series, but the Javelinas have gotten the better of the Mustangs as of late.
Midwestern snapped three-game skid to Texas A&M-Kingsville with a 68-65 overtime win at Steinke Center earlier this season on Jan.17. The Javelinas had won five of the six previous meetings between the schools. The Mustangs will try for their first season sweep of the Javelinas since 2005.
MSU is 8-5 all time against the Javelinas at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, but Texas A&M-Kingsville has won in each of its last three trips to Wichita Falls.
On this date (Feb. 28)
1951 - Ronald Servies hits for 23 points to lead Midwestern to an 89-52 rout of Daniel Baker at Hardin Gym. Bobby Evans scores 13 and Bill Perrin adds 12.
1956 - O'Neal Weaver and Ray Schumann score more than 30 points each to lead Midwestern to a 108-80 win over Howard Payne in Brownwood. Weaver scores a game-high 32 and Schumann pours in 31 more to mark the only time in Midwestern history that two players score more than 30 points. Rogers Morgan adds 20 more while Cotton Fitzsimmons notches 17.
1958 - Charles Horton drops in a game-high 24 points while Bob Myers notches a double-double with 22 points and 18 rebounds to lead Midwestern to a 79-61 win over Wayland Baptist in the season finale at Hardin Gym. The Indians close the season at 10-18.
1966 - Earl Beechum goes for 30 points to lead Midwestern to an 84-75 win over Texas-Pan American to give the Indians an NAIA Distirict 8 title in front of 3,500 fans at Coyote Fieldhouse and a trip to the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City. MSU takes the district championship series two games to none.
1976 - Herbie Brisbane hits each of his 14 free-throw attempts to finish with 22 points while LeRoy Shaw scores 21 points and dishes out 10 assists to help Midwestern to an 81-71 win over Texas Southern at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Gary Blount adds 18 points and nine rebounds.
1985 - Robert Harris erupts for 32 points as Midwestern State routs Texas College 121-69 in the first round of the District 8 playoffs at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Greg Giddings adds 19 points and 11 assists while Robert Jordan notches a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
1991 - Bart Beasley scores 14 points while James Nelson and Kinsley Pegues add 13 each to help Midwestern to a 72-66 win over Howard Payne at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
2004 - Jovani Allen hits a 15-footer with three seconds remaining to lift Midwestern to a 67-66 win over Texas A&M-Commerce at the A&M-Commerce Fieldhouse. Marquette Wilkins leads the way with 17 points while Allen and Lechon Trammer score 10 points each.
Midwestern State is 8-0 all time on Feb. 28.
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