WARRENSBURG, Mo. - Midwestern State battles host Central Missouri for the right to advance to the NCAA Division II South Central Region finals tonight at the Multipurpose Building.
It's the second time in three years that the Mustangs have advanced to the regional semifinal round in its second trip to the UCM campus in as many years.
Midwestern claimed an opening round win in the 2007 South Central Regional by a 86-81 margin over West Texas A&M before falling 88-77 in the semifinals to Southeastern Oklahoma State in overtime.
Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
The other semifinal pits Southwest Baptist (Mo.) against Dallas Baptist. The Bearcats and Patriots are set to tip in the early game at 4 p.m.
The winners advance to play in Tuesday's regional final with that victor continuing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass.
MSU in national tournaments
Midwestern State is now 25-19 in 18 national tournament appearances.
MSU was 22-16 (.579) over 15 NAIA National Tournaments and is 3-3 (.500) in NCAA Division II postseasons since gaining the affiliation in 1995. Overall, Midwestern is 25-19 (.568) in 18 total appearances.
Midwestern advanced to four NAIA national semifinals (1975, 1979, 1993, 1994) including a national runner-up finish in 1975.
In NCAA Division II, the MSU's deepest playoff run came in 2000 when it advanced to the South Central Region Final against Missouri Southern in Joplin. Midwestern also made regional semifinal appearances in 1999 and 2007.
Midwestern is 3-4 (.429) in national postseason appearances under coach Jeff Ray including an NAIA National Tournament showing in 1995 before earning NCAA II South Central Regional berths in 1999, 2000 and 2007.
MSU in opening round games
With its 87-82 win over Incarnate Word Saturday night, Midwestern is now 11-5 (.688) all time in first rounds of national postseason tournament and have claimed wins in each of their last two openers including a 91-88 win over Northeastern State in 2000 and an 86-81 victory over West Texas A&M in 2007.
Mustangs seeds are deflating
Midwestern State carries its lowest seed into the South Central Regional this season.
MSU hosted in its first NCAA Division II postseason as the No. 1 seed in 1999 and was the No. 2 seed as regional finalists in Joplin, Mo. in 2000.
The Mustangs earned a No. 3 seed in 2007 and will their luck as a No. 4 seed this season.
Mustangs Trends
Midwestern State is the hottest team in the South Central Region having won nine-straight games on its way to a Lone Star Conference championship.
The Mustangs have won 22 of 24 games since starting the season with a 3-4 mark.
Central Missouri Trends
The Mules roll into the regional semifinal on a seven-game winning streak and have won 15 of their last 16 and 22 of their last 24 games.
Central Missouri's only losses over the last 24 games came at Nebraska-Omaha (81-71) on Feb. 18 and at Northwest Missouri (61-57) on Jan. 14.
The Mules have won their last 19 games in the Multipurpose Building.
Central Missouri has hosted an NCAA regional tournament eight times in its history and has advanced to the national tournament only twice from Warrensburg – 1984 and 2007.
Defense wins championships
Midwestern State may be 83rd in NCAA Division II in scoring defense allowing 68.5 points per game for the season, but the Mustangs turned up the defensive down the stretch.
But in the six games preceding Saturday night's opening round win over Incarnate Word, MSU was yielding 64.8 points per contest and enjoying a scoring margin of 17.5 points a game.
The Mustangs were holding the opposition to a paltry 36.7 overall field goal percentage including a measly 25.9 percent from the 3-point arc.
Incarnate Word exploited the MSU defense to shoot 57.4 percent as a team in the opening round. It was the fourth time this season the opposition shot better than 50 percent. Ironically, MSU claimed wins in three of the four games.
A rare meeting of the equine
Midwestern State and Central Missouri meet for just the third time on the hardwood Sunday night at the Multipurpose Building.
The teams have split the two previous matchups, but have never squared off in Warrensburg.
MSU All-American Robert Harris scored 22 points to pace MSU past Central Missouri 69-57 in the C.O. Morgan Classic at D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Jan. 4, 1988.
The Mustangs surrendered a nine-point lead with 4:51 to play to fall to the Mules 78-75 in the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 29, 2002. Marquette Wilkins had 20 points and dished out five assists while Kris Sivertsen had 17 points and seven rebounds.
Midwestern State against the MIAA
The Mustangs are 4-9 against the current MIAA membership since making the move to NCAA Division II at the beginning of the 1995-96 season.
MSU suffered setbacks to nine-straight MIAA opponents dating from a 119-89 loss at Fort Hays State on Nov. 29, 1997 to a 78-75 defeat at the hands of Central Missouri on Nov. 29, 2002.
Since, the Mustangs have reeled of wins if four out of five contests including two over Northwest Missouri State and one each over Pittsburg State and Emporia State.
Mustangs against ranked opposition
Midwestern State is 8-4 against nationally ranked opposition over the last three seasons and is 2-1 this season.
The Mustangs suffered a 92-78 setback then-No. 6 Central Oklahoma on Nov. 25 before taking wins over Ouachita Baptist (77-72/Dec. 21) and Angelo State (90-77/Feb. 25).
On this Date (March 15)
1956 - Cotton Fitzsimmons scores 24 points and Ray "Pops" Schumann drops in 20 more, but Midwestern falls to Texas Southern 85-82 in the quarterfinal round of the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City.
1967 - All-American Earl Beechum scores 19 points and pulls in seven rebounds while Herman Cofer notches 12 points of his own as Midwestern drops a 65-59 decision to Tennessee Wesleyan in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City.
1975 - Grand Canyon (Ariz.) defeats Midwestern State 65-54 in the NAIA national championship game in Kansas City. Isaac Devore nets a game-high 22 points and snags 13 rebounds while Jesse King scores 14. The second-place finish marks MSU best ever showing in 15 NAIA National Tournament appearances.
1979 - Kyle Williams pours in a game-high 22 points as Midwestern survives Marymount (Kan.) College 77-76 in overtime to advance to the NAIA Final Four in Kansas City. Rodney Hinkle notches a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards while All-American Tony Forch adds 12 more. Side note: Marymount College was coached by Ken Cochrane, who invented the Pop-a-Shot Electronic Basketball Game.
1984 - Mike Mainer scores 19 points and pulls in seven rebounds but Midwestern falls 73-60 to Chaminade (Hawaii) in the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament in front of 8,400 fans at Kansas City's Kemper Arena.
Midwestern State is 1-4 all time on March 15.
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-- MSUMustangs.com --
