TIPOFF
Midwestern State competes in the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic this weekend in Las Vegas. The Mustangs take on West Florida Saturday before battling California State, San Bernardino on Sunday. Both games tip at 3 p.m. (Central Time).
 

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Midwestern State vs. West Florida
Saturday, Dec. 21 | 3 p.m.
South Point Arena | Las Vegas, Nev.
Records: Midwestern State (7-2); West Florida (0-6)
Live Video: Holiday Hoops Classic  
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com  
Live Stats: GoArgos.com  
 
SCOUTING THE ARGOS
West Florida rolls into South Central Holiday Hoops Classic still looking for its first win of the 2013-14 campaign. The Argos have suffered double-digit defeats in four of their six losses taking Gulf South Conference road losses at Valdosta State (Ga.) (80-70) and Lee (Tenn.) (82-76) within the last week. Senior guard Nate Johnson - a transfer from Division II Saint Leo (Fla.) - paces the Argo attack averaging a double-double with 14 points and 11.5 rebounds and is buoyed by senior forward Ellis Young (12.2 points, 3.5 rebounds) and junior guard/forward Terrence Townes (11.4 points, 3.2 rebounds). Sophomore guard Mario Stramaglia - a transfer from East Tennessee State - adds 9.0 points and a team-best 3.2 assists per game. Bob Stinnett is in his fifth year at the helm of the alma mater posting a 52-63 mark (.452).
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and West Florida meet for the first time on the hardwood Saturday afternoon at South Point Arena. In fact, West Florida will represent the Mustangs' first ever opponent from the Sunshine State.
 

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Midwestern State vs. California State, San Bernardino
Sunday, Dec. 22 | 3 p.m.
South Point Arena | Las Vegas, Nev.
Records: Midwestern State (7-2); California State, San Bernardino (5-1)
Live Video: Holiday Hoops Classic  
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com  
Live Stats: None
 
SCOUTING THE COYOTES
California State, San Bernardino has peeled off five consecutive wins after taking a 78-74 loss to Washburn (Kan.) in its season opener at the Doolittle Center in Las Vegas. The Coyotes will have the streak tested by taking on a pair of ranked foes in the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in No. 5 Western Washington on Saturday and 19th-ranked Midwestern State on Sunday. CSUSB boasts a deep roster which includes five Division I transfers including top scorer Kirby Gardner - a 6-2 transfer senior guard from Oklahoma State - who is averaging 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and 6-8 transfer senior forward Andrew Young from Texas A&M at 13.6 points and 5.0 rebounds a contest. Jordan Burris, a 6-7 senior transfer forward from Nevada, adds 11.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Senior guard Lacy Haddock, who transferred in from Division II Central Washington two seasons ago, is the Coyotes' top playmaker at 13.3 points, 5.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds a game. Jeff Oliver is in his 12th year as head coach at Cal State, San Bernardino boasting a 231-93 mark (.713) leading the Coyotes to nine NCAA II postseason appearances (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013). The Coyotes are currently receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Top 25.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and California State, San Bernardino meet for the first time on the hardwood Sunday afternoon at South Point Arena. This will be just the sixth time MSU will face a program based out of California. Midwestern posted wins against U.S. International (89-62 on 3/10/75 in Kansas City), Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (76-74 on 12/28/78 in Boise, Idaho) and Christian Heritage (84-65 on 3/6/97 in Fort Worth) while taking losses against San Diego State (95-58 on 12/6/90 in San Diego) and The Master's (98-94 on 3/7/97 in Fort Worth).
 

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ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State rebounded to claim a pair of home wins over Science & Arts (Okla.) (73-65) and Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) (73-51) after taking its first two setbacks of the season in the Arkansas Tech Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 29 and 30 to Harding (Ark.) (74-70) and Arkansas Tech (58-57). Senior guard Monzaigo Williams paces the Mustangs at 16.8 points a game while shooting 44.9 percent from the 3-point arc (22-of-49). Williams also dishes out a team-high 4.7 assists and snags 3.4 rebounds per game. Senior guard DeJuan Plummer provides instant offense off of the bench at 12.3 points per game while shooting the ball at a 41.3-percent clip from the floor. Senior forwards Eddie D'Haiti (8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds) and Derek Kaster (8.0 points, 5.1 rebounds) bolster MSU's interior game, while senior guard Cam Adderley (7.7 points, 5.0 rebounds) and junior swingman Xavier Blackburn (7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds) add toughness on the outside. Junior guard Derrell Gibbs (4.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and junior forward Tavarion Nix (3.9 points, 4.4 rebounds) have also seen action in each of the Mustangs' nine games this season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Senior guard Monzaigo Williams poured in 16 of his game-high 18 points in the first half while dishing out six assists and gabbing four rebounds to lead Midwestern State to a 73-51 win over Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) Tuesday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Senior guard DeJuan Plummer splashed in 12 points off of the bench to go along with 8 points each from reserve forward Tavarion Nix and Derek Kaster. The Mustangs broke open a tight game in the final five minutes of the first half to extend the lead to 10 by the break. MSU widened the margin throughout the second leading by as many as 28 points. All 14 players to see action scored for the Mustangs.
 
BEST IN TEXAS
Midwestern State has won more games than any other four-year program in the State of Texas since the start of the 2008-09 season. The Mustangs boasts a 139-34 mark (.803) during the stretch which includes five NCAA Division II postseason showings while advancing to the Elite Eight in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Midwestern also claimed Lone Star Conference championships in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.
 
A CLASSICAL KIND OF YEAR
Midwestern State competes in its fourth and final classic of the season this weekend at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas. The Mustangs are 4-2 over the previous two classics sweeping play at the SWOSU Classic in Weatherford, Okla. (Southwestern Oklahoma, East Central) and the Hillyard Tipoff Classic in St. Joseph, Mo. (Northwest Missouri, Missouri Western) before taking its only defeats of the season at the Arkansas Tech Thanksgiving Classic (Harding, Arkansas Tech).
 
PACIFICLY SPEAKING
Midwestern State plays its first games in program history within the Nevada state borders at the South Holiday Hoops Classic this weekend. It will be the first time an MSU team tipped off a game in the Pacific Time Zone since the then-Indians took a 95-58 loss to San Diego State at Peterson Gym on Dec. 6, 1990. MSU also played a trio of games in the Pacific Time Zone during the 1982-83 season -- all in one trip -- falling 96-81 at Washington (12/18/82), 83-57 to Idaho in Richland, Wash. (12/20/82) and 91-55 at Oregon State (12/21/82).
 
MSU UNDER NELSON HAGGERTY
Nelson Haggerty is in his third year as head coach of the Mustangs. He boasts a 58-15 mark (.795) 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 remained at No. 19 for the second consecutive reporting period in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches' Top 25 released earlier this week. The Mustangs have carried a national ranking for each of the six NABC polls this season reaching as high as No. 6. MSU has carried a national ranking at some point during each of the last five seasons.
 
IN THE LONE STAR CONFERENCE
Tarleton State remains the lone unbeaten squad out of the Lone Star Conference after rolling off an 8-0 start -- all within the comfy confines of Wisdom Gym in Stephenville. The Texans finally step away from the home court to face Central Washington and No. 6 Western Washington this weekend at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas. Texas A&M-Commerce boasts an 11-1 mark with its loss at NAIA Northwood (Texas), while Angelo State (10-1) tasted defeat for the first time this season 74-64 Thursday night at Arkansas Tech. West Texas A&M (6-4), Cameron (4-5), Eastern New Mexico (4-5) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (5-7) round out the standings.
 
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
Midwestern State boasts a 24-5 record in games prior to the Christmas Break during the Nelson Haggerty era (since the start of the 2011-12 season)... The Mustangs are 33-7 while carrying an NABC national ranking with Haggerty at the helm... MSU controlled a 40-28 second-half scoring advantage Tuesday against Ouachita Baptist after being outscored after intermission in its previous three games against Harding, Arkansas Tech and Science & Arts (Okla.)... The Mustangs limited the Ouachita Baptist to a paltry .280 shooting percentage -- the worst opponent shooting night against MSU this season... Midwestern has connected on 26-of-33 free throws (78.8 percent) over the past two games to raise its season percentage to 69.5 percent... MSU controlled a double-figure advantage on the glass for the second consecutive game out boarding OBU by a +14 margin. It's the third time this season the Mustangs have held at least that big of a rebounding advantage... Midwestern has out-rebounded its opponent in six of its nine games this season... Senior guard Monzaigo Williams tallied double figures in his 10th consecutive game finishing with a game-high 18 points Tuesday against Ouachita Baptist... Williams went 8-for-8 from the charity stripe after failing to get to the line in each of his previous two outings. He had attempted eight free throws in five games since going 11-for-14 against Northwest Missouri State... Williams hit two 3-pointers against OBU and has accounted for a trey in each of MSU's nine games this season connecting on at least two seven times... Senior guard DeJuan Plummer recorded his seventh game with at least 10 points off of the bench finishing with 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting Tuesday against Ouachita Baptist... Plummer has connected on a 3-pointer in each of his last six games... Junior guard Kevin Wagner recorded season highs with five points and four assists in 13 minutes Tuesday against Ouachita Baptist including his first 3-pointer of the campaign... Junior forward Tavarion Nix produced an 8-point, 5-rebound effort in just 10 minutes off of the bench Tuesday against OBU... Nix has hit on 8 of his last 10 shots from the field over the past two games... Junior guard Derrell Gibbs matched a season best with nine rebounds Tuesday night against Ouachita Baptist... Gibbs has committed just two turnovers in 239 minutes of court time this season... Senior forward Derek Kaster notched eight points and grabbed nine rebounds in 20 minutes while coming off of the bench for the first time this season Tuesday night against Ouachita Baptist... Tough-minded senior guard Cam Adderley is averaging 5.0 rebounds over his last three games while remaining solid on the defensive end despite suffering through a 3-for-19 shooting slump... Junior forward Abiodun Adegoke scored two points and snatched three rebounds in 11 minutes while making his first appearance of the season Tuesday night against Ouachita Baptist...
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Midwestern State enjoys a 10-day Christmas hiatus before playing host to Oklahoma Wesleyan on New Year's Day. The Mustangs open Lone Star Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 4 at Texas A&M-Commerce.