TIPOFF
No. 6 Midwestern State takes part in its third classic of the year this weekend at the Arkansas Tech Thanksgiving Classic. The Mustangs take on a pair of 2013 NCAA Division II tournament squads taking on Harding (Ark.) Friday before taking on the home standing Wonder Boys Saturday afternoon at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville. Tipoff for both games is set for 4 p.m.
 

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Midwestern State vs. Harding (Ark.)
Friday, Nov. 29 | 4 p.m.
Tucker Coliseum | Russellville, Ark.
Records: Midwestern State (5-0); Harding (2-3)
Live Video: None
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com  
Live Stats: Athletics.ATU.edu 
 
SCOUTING THE BISON
Harding (Ark.) carried a No. 25 ranking in the NABC Division II Preseason Poll, but has yet to win off of its home floor this season. The Bison (2-3) have dropped three of their last four including losses to Northeastern State (72-66), Southern Nazarene (87-67) and Christian Brothers (85-76) -- all on the road. Harding owns home wins over Christian Brothers (70-66) and Champion Baptist (Ark.) (85-57). Senior forward Hayden Johnson leads a trio of Bison scoring in double figures with 16.2 points and 6.6 rebounds a game, while 6-4 sophomore guard Jacob Gibson (11.4 points, 4.0 rebounds) and 6-10 sophomore forward Andraz Kavas (10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds) add to the HU scoring punch. Senior guard Weston Jameson adds 9.6 points and 4.1 assists per game while sophomore guard Tony Cochran chips in 7.0 points a contest. The Bison score 74.6 points a game and allow 73.4.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and Harding meet for just the second time on the hardwood Friday afternoon at Tucker Coliseum. MSU claimed a win in the only other meeting between the programs taking a 77-54 win on Nov. 21, 1998 in Searcy.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. HARDING
Senior forward Richard Johnson led a group of four Midwestern State players in double figures with 15 points to lead the Indians to a 77-54 win over Harding (Ark.) on Nov. 21, 1998 at Rhodes Fieldhouse. Donald Hamilton connected on a pair of 3-pointers to add 14 points off of the bench while Charlie Bennett chipped in 11 points and eight rebounds and Terrence Thomas had 10 points and five assists as MSU improved to 5-0 on the season. Levern Floyd paced the Bison with 13 points.
 

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Midwestern State at Arkansas Tech
Saturday, Nov. 30 | 4 p.m.
Tucker Coliseum | Russellville, Ark.
Records: Midwestern State (5-0); Arkansas Tech (3-2)
Live Video: None
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com  
Live Stats: Athletics.ATU.edu 
 
SCOUTING THE WONDER BOYS
Arkansas Tech rebounded from a two-game skid to claim victories over Southern Nazarene (71-64) and Champion Baptist (103-44) to roll to 3-2 on the season. The Wonder Boys, who advanced to the NCAA Division II postseason for the fifth-straight time last season, opened the season with a convincing 99-63 win over Lincoln (Mo.) before dropping back-to-back contests at Southwest Baptist (96-89) and Mid-America Christian (89-88). Arkansas Tech relies on a diverse attack led by 6-8 junior forward Darrick Little (12.6 points, 5.6 rebounds) to score 90.0 points per game. Junior forward Marshawn Arnold adds 11.4 points and 4.2 rebounds a game and is joined in double figures by 6-5 junior guard Tyler Friedel (10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds), 6-4 junior guard Willie Rogers (10.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6-2 junior guard Clarence Willard (10.0 points, 3.4 rebounds 3.0 assists). Senior point man Bobby Hatchett adds 8.0 points and 4.5 assists per game.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and Arkansas Tech meet for the fifth time on the hardwood Saturday afternoon at Tucker Coliseum. The Wonder Boys own a 3-1 overall advantage in the series which dates back to the 1994-95 season. The programs have met three times in the postseason with ATU taking a 60-58 win in the 1995 NAIA National Tournament then claiming a 76-71 victory in the NAIA Southwest Independents playoffs in 1996. MSU claimed its lone win of the series taking a 77-61 victory in the NCAA Division II South Central Region finals in 2012 to advance to its third consecutive Elite Eight showing. Arkansas Tech claimed a 75-73 win in double overtime last season in Wichita Falls.  This will be the first meeting between the programs in Russellville.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. ARKANSAS TECH
Midwestern State rallied from a 10-point deficit with four minutes to play in regulation sending the game to overtime on a 3-pointer by Monzaigo Williams with five seconds to play before falling to Arkansas Tech 75-73 in double overtime on Dec. 15, 2012 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Bobby Hatchett poured in a game-high 22 points including a 14-of-18 effort from the charity stripe to pace the Wonder Boys while senior big man Will Paul chipped in 17 points and seven rebounds and Willie Kirkland added 16 points. All-America forward Corbin Thomas paced MSU with 20 points and 13 rebounds while Kevin Grayer came off of the bench to scored 15 points. Williams finished with 14 points of his own while dishing out six assists.
 

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ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
The Mustangs improved to 5-0 for the 14th time in school history after taking a 72-61 decision over Oklahoma City in its home opener Monday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. MSU is off to its best start since winning the first 13 games of the 2011-12 season. Senior point guard Monzaigo Williams leads the Mustangs averaging 18.2 points a game while dishing out 4.4 assists a game. Williams has been dialed in at the arc connecting for three treys a game at a 42.4 percent clip. Senior reserve guard DeJuan Plummer chips in 15.4 points a game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field. Senior guard Cam Adderley adds to the mix averaging 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds a contest while junior swingman Xavier Blackburn piles on 8.6 points and 4.8 boards a game. Senior forwards Derek Kaster (8.4 points, 5.6 rebounds) and Eddie D'Haiti (8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds) provide the inside muscle for the Mustangs. MSU scores 76.2 points per game and allows 64.6.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Senior forward Eddie D'Haiti and senior guard DeJuan Plummer dropped in 12 points each to lead Midwestern State to a 72-61 win over traditional NAIA powerhouse Oklahoma City 72-61 Monday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Mustangs broke open a tight game by scoring the first 10 points of the second half, then Monzaigo Williams scored eight of his 10 points highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers during another 10-0 MSU run late in the second half to secure the victory.
 
MSU UNDER NELSON HAGGERTY
Nelson Haggerty is in his third year as head coach of the Mustangs. He boasts a 56-13 mark (.812) while leading MSU to a pair of Lone Star Conference titles. The Mustangs advanced the Elite Eight in 2012 before falling to Metro State in the South Central Region finals last season. Haggerty served the previous two seasons as the top assistant at Midwestern as the Mustangs rolled to the Elite Eight in each of those campaigns.
 
MSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Midwestern State retained its No. 6 standing in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II Top 25 released earlier this week. The Mustangs rated 13th in the preseason then jumped ahead seven spots to No. 6 in the Nov. 19th release. The Mustangs have carried a national ranking in each of the last five seasons
 
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
Midwestern State is 111-25 all-time as a nationally ranked team... The Mustangs have carried a national ranking for 16 reporting periods over the past three seasons under the direction of Nelson Haggerty... MSU is 5-0 for the 14th time in school history and is off to its best start since the 2011-12 squad rolled off 13 consecutive wins from the start of the season... The Mustangs are 22-3 in games played before Christmas since the start of the Nelson Haggerty error in 2011-12... Midwestern boasts the best record of any four-year school in the State of Texas since the start of the 2008-09 season with a 137-32 record (.811)... Senior guard Monzaigo Williams ranks third in the Lone Star Conference in scoring at 18.2 points per game... Williams has scored in double figures in each of MSU's five games including a season high of 31 against Northwest Missouri State on Nov. 15... Williams has connected on at least two 3-pointers in four of MSU's five games... Senior forward Eddie D'Haiti has scored in double figures in each of his last two outings including an 11-point, 8-rebound effort at Missouri Western and a 12-point, 4-board performance against Oklahoma City... D'Haiti has hit 10 of his last 16 shots from the field to up his season shooting percentage to 55.2... Senior guard DeJuan Plummer has scored at least 12 points in each of MSU's five games -- all off of the bench... Plummer has connected at a 5-of-11 clip from the 3-point arc over his last two games... Junior guard Kevin Wagner placed a season-high 15 minutes Monday against Oklahoma City... Junior guard Derrell Gibbs scored six points and pulled down a campaign-best nine rebounds in a season-high 33 minutes Monday against Oklahoma City... Junior guard/forward Xavier Blackburn has scored eight points in each of his last two outings and grabbed five rebounds in four of five games for the Mustangs... Senior forward Derek Kaster has scored in double figures in each of his last three outings including a season-high 15-point effort against Northwest Missouri State... Senior guard Cam Adderley connected on 8 of his last 15 shots from the field (53.3 percent)... Adderley has accounted for at least five rebounds in each of his five starts this season... Junior forward DeVaughn Jones netted a season-best four points and pulled in five rebounds in seven minutes Monday night against Oklahoma City...