No. 3 Midwestern State opens 2010 NCAA Division II Elite Eight play against No. 16 St. Cloud State Wednesday morning at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass.

Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. Central Time.

The victor faces the winner of the No. 2 Indiana (Pa.)/Valdosta State (Ga.) quarterfinal contest which begins at 1:30 p.m.

Where to find the game

• 100.9 BOB FM - The broadcast features the play-by-play voice of former Lone Star Conference Broadcaster of the Year Bill Powers. The Taco Casa Pregame Show begins at 10:45 a.m.
• On the Web - BOB FM's audio broadcast simulcasts on bobradio.com and on MSUMustangs.com.
• Video Streaming - Wednesday's quarterfinal games are available on video streaming free of charge through NCAA.com.
• Live Stats - Live stats are available courtesy of NCAA Division II Elite Eight host institution, American International.

How they got here

Midwestern State broke through to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the first time in school history in their fifth appearance in the South Central Regional.

The Mustangs rolled to consecutive double-digit wins over Incarnate Word (91-74) and Tarleton State (74-64) in the opening two rounds before surviving No. 7 Central Missouri 60-59 in the regional final.

Midwestern is now 6-4 in five NCAA Division II postseason appearances.

St. Cloud State (Minn.) claimed a Central Region championship as the No. 4 seed.

The Huskies defeated Metro State (Colo.) 82-77 before upending top-seed and host Minnesota State-Mankato 82-71.

St. Cloud State then survived Augustana (S.D.) 84-75 in overtime to advance to it second Elite Eight in school history.

The Huskies fell in the quarterfinal round in the 1987 Elite Eight to Delta State (Miss.) (78-73).

About the Huskies

No. 16 St. Cloud State comes into the Elite Eight as champions of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference having six-straight postseason games after falling to Winona State (Minn.) in its regular season finale.

The Huskies (28-5) have 15 of their last 16 games.

St. Cloud State is paced by NSIC Player of the Year Matt Schneck, who has also earned NSIC Tournament MVP and NCAA II Central Regional Most Outstanding Player during the postseason.

Schneck, who is coming off of a 19-point, 19-rebound performance in SCSU's regional final win over Augustana (N.D.), averages 18.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.

First-team All-NSIC point guard Taylor Witt is the Huskies' top perimeter option.

The 6-2 junior from Morris, Minn. scores 15.9 points and dishes out 4.9 assists per game, while 6-1 sophomore guard Brett Putz is SCSU's 3-point marksman having knocked down 41.3 percent (69-for-167) from the arc.

The Huskies hit the glass hard where they have outrebounded the opposition by 5.4 boards a game.

St. Cloud State averages 78.9 points a game and allows 68.4.

Quick Shots

- MSU is 48-1 over the last two seasons when it leads at halftime.
- MSU is 32-1 over the last two seasons when it scores 80 points.
- MSU is 46-4 over the last two seasons when it holds the opposition to less than 80 points.
- MSU is 40-1 over the last two seasons when it leads in field goal percentage.

Feels like the first time

Midwestern State is on the verge of many firsts as the Mustangs roll into Springfield for its inaugural Elite Eight appearance.

It will also be the first time the Mustangs play in the State of Massachusetts and MSU has only faced one team in the field - Cal Poly Pomona - just one time.

Midwestern defeated the Bronchos 76-74 on Dec. 28, 1978 in Boise, Idaho as Tony Forch (14 points) and Kyle Williams (13 points) combined for 27 points.

None of the participants in this year's Elite Eight have ever won an NCAA Division II men's basketball national championship.

MSU no stranger to the national quarterfinals

Midwestern State may be making its premiere appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, but MSU is no stranger to deep runs in national tournaments.

Midwestern will be making its eighth showing in quarterfinal round as it was one of the final eight teams standing seven times in the NAIA tournament (1956, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1993, 1994).

MSU advanced to the Final Four on four occasions (1975, 1979, 1993, 1994) and was a national finalist in 1975 when Midwestern fell to Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 65-54 in Kansas City.

Put it in neutral

Midwestern State has fared very well on a neutral court over the past two seasons.

The Mustangs touched off a 10-game winning streak with a pair of wins over Northwest Missouri and Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) at the 2008 River City Classic in San Antonio.

The wins also tipped off a current 11-game run of success on neutral surfaces which includes six wins in the Lone Star Conference Championship in Bartlesville, Okla.

MSU last loss on a neutral court came to Texas A&M International 70-66 in overtime on Nov. 17, 2007 at the St. Edward's Shootout at the Recreation and Convocation Center in Austin, Texas.

Mustangs win! Mustangs win!

Midwestern State clinched its third 30-win campaign in school history and matched the 1973-74 squad for the most wins in a single season with its 60-59 win over No. 7 Central Missouri in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional final.

The 1974-75 team rolled to a 31-6 record while advancing to the NAIA national championship game. The 1973-74 squad went 30-7 and advanced to the NAIA Final Four.

No matter the outcome at the Elite Eight, the Mustangs will enjoy the best season in terms of winning percentage in school history.

MSU's .939 winning percentage matches Indiana (Pa.) as the best this season in NCAA Division II.

The teams could meet in the semifinal round on Thursday.

Mustangs tough in first half

Midwestern State limited No. 7 Central Missouri to 19 points in the first half in the NCAA II South Central Regional finals on March 16, 2009.

It was the seventh time the Mustangs have held the opposition to 20 points or less in the opening half this season which includes Jarvis Christian (16), Southeastern Oklahoma (10), Dallas Christian (17), Eastern New Mexico (18) and Tarleton State twice (14, 20).

When MSU held Southeastern Oklahoma to 10 first-half points on Dec. 12, 2009 at Bloomer Sullivan Arena in Durant, it was the fewest points the Mustangs had allowed in a half since Austin College scored 8 points in the first half and 10 in the second in a stall game on Feb. 6, 1968. MSU won 28-18.

MSU in the LSC Championships

Midwestern State owns the highest winning percentage in Lone Star Conference postseason tournament games by peeling off a 17-5 (.773) in 10 tournament appearances.

The Mustangs claimed its fifth LSC championship in its 10th appearance in the LSC Championships last week. Only West Texas A&M has claimed more tournament titles with six in 18 showings.

MSU has won its last nine games in the LSC Championships claiming titles in 2007, 2009 and 2010. The Mustangs missed the tournament in 2008.

Godwin part of three LSC champs

Senior forward Michael Godwin became a member of his third Lone Star Conference championship team after Midwestern claimed three wins last week at Bruin Field House.

Godwin was a true freshman when the Mustangs defeated Southeastern Oklahoma 89-80 for the league title in 2007 and a junior last season when MSU took Southwestern Oklahoma 66-60 in the championship game last season.

Central Oklahoma was the last team to win three titles in four seasons (1995, 1997, 1998), but no player was a member of the Bronchos for each of the titles.

Abilene Christian won three-straight titles from 1985-87, but a search of the through the LSC career basketball championship statistics yielded no player making appearances for the Wildcats in each of the three postseason appearances.

Godwin is first individual player to claim three LSC postseason championships.

MSU's historic start

Midwestern State became just the seventh team in the 77-year history of the Lone Star Conference to win its first 14 games of the season.

The start, which was the best in school history, was the third longest streak amongst the league's current membership as West Texas A&M and Northeastern State opened the season with 15-straight wins during the 1997-98 and 2001-02 seasons, respectively.

The 1951-52 Texas State and 1969-70 Stephen F. Austin squads rode 29-0 records before falling in the NAIA national semifinals, while Sam Houston State peeled of 27-straight wins in 1972-73 for an NAIA national tournament berth while the Bearkats were 16-0 in 1936-37.

Quick starts

Midwestern State clinched the best start in school history with a 98-57 win over Dallas Christian on Jan. 2, 2010 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

It was the third time an MSU team won at least 10 games from the start of the season - 1973-74 and 1999-00.

The 1973-74 started the season with 12-straight wins and finished with a 30-7 mark. The team advanced to the NAIA national semifinals.

The 1999-00 squad began the season with 11-straight victories before finishing the season at 27-5. The team became MSU's first Lone Star Conference champion and played host to the NCAA Division II South Central Region which was also the first time the program advanced to the NCAA Division II postseason.

Fastest to 20 wins

Midwestern State's victory over Tarleton State on Feb. 3 in Stephenville gave the Mustangs 20 wins in a season quicker than any other team in school history.

MSU needed 22 games to amass 20 victories in 1964-65, 1973-74 and 1998-99.

MSU in the national rankings

Midwestern State surged to the highest ranking in program history as it was ranked No. 3 in the final regular season poll of the 2009-10 season released March 9.

MSU has been ranked in each of the last 14 reporting periods which also is the longest any team in program history has toted a national ranking.

The Mustangs have been ranked amongst the top 10 for each of the last six weeks.

Midwestern, which reached its highest ranking at No. 5 in 1998-99, owns a 72-16 all-time record as a ranked team.

This is our house. This is our home. We never lose when we play in our dome!

Midwestern extended its second longest winning streak at D.L. Ligon Coliseum to 29 games with a 60-59 win over No. 7 Central Missouri in the 2010 South Central Regional final.

The Mustangs last lost on the floor at Gerald Stockton Court against Dallas Baptist by a score of 88-83 on Nov. 15, 2008. MSU won its last 13 home games last season before winning each of its 16 games at Ligon Coliseum in 2009-10.

The streak is the fourth longest active streak in NCAA Division II.

Dome Magic

The term "Dome Magic" was coined back in the 1970s by then-Times Record News Sports Editor Ted Buss when Midwestern State showed a penchant for pulling out improbable victories on its home floor.

What resulted was a legendary winning streak of 70 games at D.L. Ligon Coliseum which began with an 84-68 win over Lubbock Christian on Jan. 5, 1973 and ended with an 82-80 loss to Oklahoma Christian on Jan. 31, 1977 - span of just over four years or 1,478 days.

MSU has enjoyed seven undefeated seasons under the dome including three-straight from 1973-76. It was also perfect at home in 1985-86, 1992-93, 1999-00 and this season.

Midwestern State is Best in Texas

The Mustangs posted an impressive 30-3 mark during the calendar year of 2009 which was unmatched among all four-year basketball playing institutions in the Great State of Texas.

MSU rolled off an 18-3 mark during the spring semester of the 2008-09 season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional for the second time in three seasons before opening the 2009-10 campaign with 12-straight wins before New Year's Eve.

The .909 winning percentage was by far and away the best in the Lone Star State in 2009.

Sweeping Texans is an indicator

The Mustangs earned their fourth sweep of Tarleton State in the eight seasons in which the teams competed in the same Lone Star Conference division since the league adopted the format for the 1997-98 season.

MSU gained regular season sweeps in 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2007-08 and this season. The Mustangs and Texans split in three of the seasons, while Tarleton swept in 2005-06.

Midwestern is 11-5 against the Texans during the eight common division seasons.

The Mustangs have gone on to win conference championships each season they swept the Texans.

McCasland mastering the opposition

Midwestern State first-year coach Grant McCasland ripped through the NJCAA ranks with a 143-32 (.817) record through six season at Midland College where he led the Chaps to a national championship in 2007 and a national runner-up finish in 2009.

The Lone Star Conference has never seen a coach get off to a better start to a career as a four-year collegiate head coach.

McCasland won his first 14 games and currently has the Mustangs ranked No. 3 in the NABC/NCAA Division II Poll.

Interestingly, only three coaches have experienced as hot of a start at the NCAA Division I level.

Indiana State's Bill Hodges rode the legendary Larry Bird to a 33-0 start before Sycamores fell in the national championship game against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Hodges was named coach only four days before the start of the season when Bob King suffered a brain aneurysm.

Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon got off to an 18-0 start in 2003-04 after taking over for Ben Howland, who left to accept the head coaching position at UCLA.

North Carolina's Bill Guthridge rolled off 17-straight wins in his long-awaited coaching debut in 1997-98 after serving as an assistant for 30 seasons under legendary coach Dean Smith. Guthridge was named national coach of the year.

It is not known how many Division II coaches have won the first 13 games of their four-year college coaching careers, but first-year Southern Indiana coach Rodney Watson led the Screamin' Eagles to a 23-0 start this season.

Quick notes

• Chris Hagan's floater from the right block with 58 seconds remaining lifted the Mustangs to a 60-59 win over Central Missouri in the NCAA II South Central Regional final.
• Melvin Clark hit consecutive 3-pointers as part of Midwestern State's monster first half as the Mustangs led Tarleton State 47-14 on Feb. 3, 2010 at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville.
• Michael Godwin delivered his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds to key the Mustangs to a 71-56 win over Tarleton State in the NCAA II South Central semifinals.
• Chris Williams contributed 27 big minutes in wins over Tarleton State and Central Missouri in the South Central Regionals. He had played just two minutes over the previous five games.
• Aboubakar Wandji has appeared in 14 games this season and netted a season-high six points against Jarvis Christian on Nov. 30, 2009.
• Adrian Van Buren connected on three 3-pointers to finish with nine points against Incarnate Word in the NCAA II South Central quarterfinals. "Scoob" missed nine games with a knee injury before returning against Angelo State in the regular season finale.
• Marcus Wright has appeared in three games this season.
• Jason Ebie is the first player in MSU history to notch double-doubles in points/assists and points/steals.
• Anthony Moore had string of 32-straight starts snapped when he missed the NCAA II South Central Region finals due to illness. He has been an LSC Championship all-tournament performer in each of the past two seasons.
• Jon Trilli appeared in each of MSU's three games in the NCAA II South Central Regional.
• Charlie Logan posted career-highs with 19 points and 15 rebounds in MSU's LSC championship win on March 6, 2010 over Tarleton State. The lanky junior has 49 dunks this season.
• Craig Green garnered Most Outstanding Player honors at the NCAA II South Central Regionals after scoring 28 points in the semifinals against Tarleton State and 24 points against Central Missouri in the finals.
• Rashad Austin has recorded at least three blocks in seven games this season.