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Elite Eight: MSU vs. Bellarmine

Men's Basketball MSU Sports Information

Game Day: Mustangs take on No. 2 Bellarmine to open Elite Eight play

Setting the Stage
Midwestern State opens the 2011 Elite Eight with a national quarterfinal matchup with No. 2 Bellarmine Wednesday morning at MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass.

The Mustangs are the lone returning program from last season's Elite Eight in a field loaded by lower seeds.

The MSU/Bellarmine contest leads off the games of the Elite Eight beginning at 11 a.m. (Central Time) and will be followed in the first session by a pair of No. 1 seeds in Minnesota State-Mankato and Alabama-Huntsville at 1:30 p.m.

The late session features a load of lower seeds with the top-ranked team in the last NABC Top 25. No. 1 West Liberty takes on 7th-seeded Anderson (S.C.) at 5 p.m. followed by matchup of two No. 7 seeds in BYU-Hawaii and Bloomfield at 7:30 p.m.

The winners of the early session games battle in the the first semifinal at 5 p.m. on Thursday followed by the victors of the two late session contests at 7:30 p.m.

The championship game is set for noon on Saturday.

All times are Central.

Where to Find the Game
  • 100.9 BOB FM - The broadcast features the play-by-play voice of two-time Lone Star Conference Broadcaster of the Year Bill Powers.
  • On the Web - The game will be streamed through two outlets: 
         Limited: BOB-FM     Unlimited: Stretch Internet 
  • Live Video - The game will streamed free of charge courtesy of NCAA.com  Link
  • Live Stats - Live stats are available courtesy of NCAA.com  Link
  • NCAA Divison II Championship Interactive Bracket - Link

About the Mustangs
Midwestern State steadily built confidence in a late season run which included taking take down the top three seeds in descending order last week at the South Central Regional in Edmond, Okla.

The Mustangs opened the tournament with a convincing 64-51 win over No. 19 Tarleton State before beating back No. 9 Missouri Southern 75-52 and outlasting No. 4 Central Oklahoma in the regional finals, 73-66.

Senior guard Chris Hagan was named Most Oustanding Player of the South Central Regional after averaging 18.7 points per game. The 5-9 Houston product leads the region in scoring at 21.3 points per game, but failed to garner any mention in either the NABC (Coaches) or Daktronics (Sports Information Directors) All-America teams.

Junior guard Michael Loyd, who averages 12.7 points a game, also gained all-tournament honors after pouring in 25 points in the Mustangs' 75-52 win over No. 4 Missouri Southern.

Midwestern State was held without a field goal over the final 8 minutes of its South Central final win over Central Oklahoma, but connected on 18-of-24 (75 percent) during the stretch to better its season team average of 62.8 percent.

Bellarmine represents the Mustangs' 11th nationally ranked opponent this season.

About the Knights
Bellarmine (30-2) ranks amongst the nation's Top 10 in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal and have won 22 of their last 23 coming into their first ever Elite Eight.

The Knights are led by Daktronics third-team All-American Jeremy Kendle, who averages 16.8 points per game agamst while connecting on 47.1 percent from the field including 41 3-pointers.

Kendle is just one of five Knights averaging better than 10 points a game including sophomore guard Chris Dowe (13.3 points), senior guard Justin Benedetti (13.0 points, 5.2 rebounds), junior guard Braydon Hobbs (12.9 points, 6.7 assists) and junior forward Luke Sprague (10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds).

Bellarmine averages 84.1 points per game while shooting 52.3 percent from the field, while allowing 69.9 points per contest.

About the Series
Midwestern State and Bellarmine (Ky.) meet for the second time on the hardwood Wednesday morning in the opening round of the Elite Eight at MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass.

MSU owns a 1-0 lead in the series winning the only meeting of the series by a 86-74 margin on Dec. 21, 1998 at the Hoop 'n Surf Classic in Hilo, Hawaii on Dec. 21, 1998.

The then-Indians improved to 12-1 on the season as Charlie Bennett and Terrence Thomas scored 13 and 12 points, respectively.

MSU went on to advance to and host the South Central Regionals in its first NCAA Division II postseason appearance later that season.

The Mustangs have compiled a 9-5 record in now their sixth NCAA II Tournament appearance and are 32-21 all time in NAIA and NCAA II postseason showings.
  
-- MSUMustangs.com --
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Players Mentioned

Chris Hagan

#1 Chris Hagan

G
5' 9"
Senior
Michael Loyd

#10 Michael Loyd

G
6' 1"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Chris Hagan

#1 Chris Hagan

5' 9"
Senior
G
Michael Loyd

#10 Michael Loyd

6' 1"
Junior
G