BARTLESVILLE, Okla. - Midwestern State battles Cameron in the quarterfinal round of the Lone Star Conference Championships Thursday night at Bruin Fieldhouse. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
The winner moves on to face the winner of the Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas A&M-Kingsville quarterfinal matchup Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Catch all of the action live on 100.9 BOB FM in Wichita Falls or via live streaming audio on MSUMustangs.com.
All games are also available free of charge via live video streaming on LoneStarConference.tv.
2009Â LSC Men's Basketball Championship Outlook
Bruin Fieldhouse
Bartlesville, Okla.
Thursday, March 5
Quarterfinals
Southwestern Oklahoma State vs. Angelo State, Noon
Tarleton State vs. Central Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m.
Texas A&M-Kingsville vs. Texas A&M-Commerce, 6 p.m.
Cameron vs. Midwestern State, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 7
Semifinals
Southwestern Oklahoma/Angelo State winner vs. Tarleton State/Central Oklahoma winner, Noon
Texas A&M-Kingsville/Texas A&M-Commerce winner vs. Cameron/Midwestern State winner, 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 8
Championship
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
Midwestern State in the LSC Tournament
Midwestern State will making its ninth appearance in the Lone Star Conference postseason and has come away with three league championships.
The Mustangs are 11-5 all time in the event, but are a tidy 10-2 in Jeff Ray's five trips to the tournament which includes championships in 1999, 2000 and 2007. Ironically, MSU has claimed two championships a year after the Mustangs missed the playoffs (1998 and 2006).
Midwestern is 5-3 all time in LSC Postseason Tournament first round, but is a perfect 5-0 with Jeff Ray on the bench.
The Mustangs are 8-2 against the tournament field this season with its lone losses coming to Central Oklahoma (92-78 on Nov. 25 in Edmond) and to Tarleton State (66-62 on Feb. 7 in Stephenville).
Mustangs Trends
Midwestern State (21-6) has won 18 of its last 20 games coming into the Lone Star Conference Tournament.
The Mustangs claimed their first outright LSC South Division title since 2000 by going 10-2 against the South Division. It marked MSU's best division record since it finished.
The Mustangs are second in the LSC in scoring offense at 80.3 points per game and are seventh in the league in scoring defense allowing 69.2 points a game.
MSU tops the conference in field goal percentage (48.4 percent) and 3-point percentage (40.3 percent) and are second in field goal percentage defense (41.4 percent). Midwestern is third in 3-point field goal percentage (31.0 percent).
Aggies Trends
Cameron (14-13) has won six of its last eight games as the Aggies earned their first tournament appearance since 1998.
The Aggies last are 2-5 over five LSC Tournament appearances with their last win coming against Texas A&M-Commerce in 1993.
Cameron is 11th in the LSC in scoring offense at 67.6 points per game and are sixth in the league in scoring defense allowing 68.8 points a game.
The Aggies are 12th in the league in field goal percentage (42.6 percent) and fifth in 3-point percentage (35.9 percent). Cameron is 11th in field goal percentage defense (44.5 percent) and is 14th in 3-point field goal percentage (37.4 percent).
Be on the look out for this Mustang
Five-time Lone Star Conference South Division Player of the Week Nolan Richardson tops not only the conference but is the NCAA Division II South Central Region's scoring leader at 20.7 points per game.
Richardson tallied a career-best 35 points aided by six 3-pointers to help the Mustangs clinch the No. 1 seed with a 90-77 win over No. 23 Angelo State last week on Feb. 25 in Junell Center/Stephens Arena.
He fought off the flu to score 13 points in a 80-59 runaway win over Texas A&M-Kingsville last Saturday to clinch MSU's first outright South Division title since 2000 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
Richardson needs just one point to notch 2,000 points in a collegiate career career which includes stops at Northern Oklahoma-Enid and Hutchinson (Kan.) Junior College pior to his arrival at MSU prior to his junior season in 2007-08. He needs just 12 points to become the 17th two-year player to score 1,000 points at Midwestern.
Richardson has posted at least 30 points in five games and has scored 20-or-more points 14 times this season.
This Aggie is Dangerous
Cameron has ridden the hot shooting stroke of Dave Smith to its first LSC Postseason Tournament berth in 11 seasons.
The 5-10 senior guard from Plainview average 19.1 points and 3.9 assists during LSC North Division play while averaging a league best 4.1 3-points makes a game. Smith has connected on 49-of-119 of his attempts from the arc for a 41.2 percent stroke.
Smith canned 10 3-pointers on his way to a season-high 34 points in the Aggies' 93-65 win over East Central in their season finale last Saturday in Ada.
It was his third 30-point game of the season as he has scored at least 20 points eight times this season.
Midwestern's last time out against the Aggies
Junior guard Craig Green used six 3-pointers to splash in a season-high 25 points to lead Midwestern State to an 85-56 rout of Cameron on Jan. 8 at Aggie Gym.
It was the Mustangs' seventh-straight win as they shot 54 percent overall from the field and 57.9 percent (11-of-19) from the 3-point arc while limiting the Aggies to a 3-of-18 performance (16.7 percent) from the 3-point arc.
Nolan Richardson was the only other MSU player in double figures with 19 points with six rebounds and six assists. Earl Rabb threatned a triple-double with nine points, eight assists, six rebounds and five steals.
Kallan Glasgow paced Cameron with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists while Terrance Welch had 13 points and four rebounds.
About the series
Midwestern State and Cameron will meet for the 57th time on the hardwood Thursday at Bruin Fieldhouse.
The Mustangs hold a 34-22 series edge in the Red River Rivalry and have claimed wins in each of the last three games against their closest competition in the Lone Star Conference.
This will mark the first time the schools have played at a neutral site and it will also be the postseason matchup of the series.
On this date (March 5)
1952 - West Texas A&M coach Gus Miller fumed, "Not only did I lose a game, but I lost the flip, too!" after the Buffs fell to Texas Tech in late February. By winning the flip, Midwestern earned the right to host the Buffs in an NAIB play-in game, who were dual NCAA (Border Conference) and NAIB members. The fuming Buffs overcame a hostile crowd at Hardin Gym and a 29-point performance by O'Neal Weaver for a 73-61 win over the Indians for the right to advance to the NAIB National Tournament.
1974 - LeRoy Shaw and Isaac Devore score 26 points each to lead Midwestern to an 86-82 win over Texas Southern in front of 5,500 fans at D.L. Ligon Coliseum as the Indians took a 2-1 NAIA District 8 Championship series win over the Jaguars.
1975 - Jesse King ensures a return trip to the NAIA National Tournament by pouring in 27 points to lead Midwestern to a 99-89 win over Bishop College at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Indians take the District 8 championship three games to two on their way to a national runner-up finish.
1979 - All-American Tony Forch scored 18 points, grabs nine rebounds and hands out six assists to help Midwestern to a 78-72 win over Texas Wesleyan in the first round of the NAIA District 8 playoffs at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
1980 - Lorenzo "Frog" Scott pours in 46 points to lead Paul Quinn to an 92-89 win over Midwestern State in the NAIA District 8 finals at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Cullen Mayfield paces MSU with 21 points while J.C. Eakin adds a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
1983 - Chuck Hall goes 11-for-13 from the field on his way to a 28-point, six-rebound performance to pace Midwestern to a 102-96 win over rival Wayland Baptist in the NAIA District 8 semifinals at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
1984 - Mike Mainer drops in 16 points to key a big second half for Midwestern as the Indians roll past Texas Wesleyan 65-56 in the NAIA District 8 finals to clinch a national tournament berth.
1988 - Paul Quinn blisters the nets at a 59.7-percent clip to pull away for a 114-95 win over Midwestern at the NAIA Distirict 8 finals in Dallas. Michael Rhinehart paces the Indians with 22 points while Edward Johnson scores 20 more.
1994 - Midwestern State rallies from a six-point halftime deficit to claim an 88-86 win over Houston Baptist in the NAIA Southwest Regionals in Brownwood. Bart Beasley completes an all-around game with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists while Jason Paty finishes with 18 points and six rebounds.
1996 - Jerry Perry and Damion McKinney combine for 11 3-pointers but Midwestern State falls 76-71 to Arkansas Tech in the NAIA Southwest Region Independents playoffs at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Perry hit six treys to finish with a game-high 23 points while McKinney connected on five 3s for 21 points.
1999 - Truman State spoils Midwestern's first NCAA Division II South Central Regional appearance as the Bulldogs ousted the Indians 81-68 in front of 5,186 fans at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Richard Johnson paces the Indians with 17 points and pulls down eight rebounds while Edgar Arteaga notches a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards.
Midwestern State is 6-5 all time in games played on March 5.
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