Midwestern State can clinch a spot in next week's Lone Star Conference Championship in Bartlesville, Okla. with a win over Abilene Christian or if Tarleton State defeats Angelo State at Junell Center in San Angelo.
A loss could put the two-time defending LSC champion Mustangs in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2008. That would only happen if MSU loses to ACU, Eastern New Mexico beats West Texas A&M and Angelo State defeats Tarleton State. All of that must happen.
The Mustangs would clinch the No. 2 with a win and if Eastern New Mexico defeats West Texas A&M Saturday night in Portales or the No. 3 seed with win and a WT victory.
Senior guard Chris Hagan bounced back from a season-low six points to splash in nine 3-pointers on his way to 36 points Wednesday night against Angelo State.
The performance was the most prolific for an MSU scorer since Robert Harris ripped Texas A&M-Commerce for 37 points on Jan. 23, 1987 and the sixth most for a Midwestern player since D.L. Ligon Coliseum opened in 1968 as Tony Forch (40, 37), Ron Taylor (37), Henry Crawford (37), Harris and Isaac Devore (36) have scored as many points in a game under the dome.
Hagan also set the school single game record earlier this season when he poured in 50 points against Cameron in Lawton. The 36-point effort against Angelo State was his fifth game of 30-or-more points at MSU but first at Ligon Coliseum.
Hagan leads the Lone star Conference and is 11th in NCAA Division II with a scoring average of 22.2 points per game.
Hagan became the eighth two-year player in MSU history to mass 1,000 points and stands fifth on the all-time two-year scorers' list behind Tony Forch (1,391), Henry Crawford (1,320), Nolan Richardson (1,103) and Chuck Hall (1,060) with 1,058 points.
