TIPOFF
Midwestern State closes play in the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic Sunday afternoon against Cal State, San Bernardino. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. (Central Time).

The Mustangs took an 86-70 decision over West Florida to open classic play.
 

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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 (8-2); 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 goes for its fourth straight win Sunday afternoon against Cal State, San Bernardino. The Mustangs opened the season with five-straight victories before taking a pair of losses at the Arkansas Tech Thanksgiving Classic. Senior guard Monzaigo Williams paces the Mustangs at 16.8 points a game while shooting 45.1 percent from the 3-point arc (23-of-51). Williams also dishes out a team-high 4.7 assists and snags 3.3 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 (8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds) and Derek Kaster (8.0 points, 5.1 rebounds) bolster MSU's interior game, while senior guard Cam Adderley (8.2 points, 5.1 rebounds) and junior swingman Xavier Blackburn (7.9 points, 4.7 rebounds) add toughness on the outside. Junior guard Derrell Gibbs (5.0 points, 3.8 rebounds) and junior forward Tavarion Nix (3.7 points, 4.6 rebounds) have also seen action in each of the Mustangs' nine games this season.

LAST TIME OUT
Midwestern State scored the first 11 points Saturday afternoon against West Florida en route to an 86-70 win to open play at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic. Senior guard Monzaigo Williams led a pack of five MSU players in double figures by dropping 17 points and dishing out five assists. Junior forward Xavier Blackburn finished with a season-high 13 points and pulled down five rebounds in 17 minutes, while senior guard Cam Adderley scored 11 of his 13 points in the opening half while grabbing six boards of his own. Senior guard DeJuan Plummer scored 12 points off of the bench while senior forward Eddie D'Haiti worked his way to a 7-of-10 effort from the charity stripe to finish with 11 points.

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 140-34 mark (.805) 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 59-15 mark (.797) 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 team in the Lone Star Conference after surviving Central Washington (4-5) by a 75-71 score Saturay at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas. The Texans face No. 6 Western Washington on Sunday. Texas A&M-Commerce heads into the break with an 11-1 mark riding a three-game win streak after defeating Henderson State (Ark.) 71-68 at home earlier this week. The Lions next tee it up against MSU on Sat., Jan. 4. Angelo State (10-2) arrives at the break carrying a two-game losing streak falling on the road to Arkansas Tech and Arkansas-Monticello. West Texas A&M (6-4, L1), Cameron (5-5, W1), Eastern New Mexico (4-5, L2) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (5-7, W2) round out LSC competitors.

THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
Midwestern State boasts a 25-5 record in games prior to the Christmas Break during the Nelson Haggerty era (since the start of the 2011-12 season)... The Mustangs are 34-7 while carrying an NABC national ranking with Haggerty at the helm... MSU claimed its fifth double-figure victory of the season Saturday against West Florida and second in a row after defeating Ouachita Baptist (73-51) by 22 earlier this week... The Mustangs scored a season-high 86 points in Saturday's win over West Florida. It was the third time this season that MSU has scored 80-or-more points... Midwestern has held its last two opponents to under 40-percent from the floor after accomplishing the feat just twice in its first eight games of the season... The Mustangs are shooting 74.6 percent from the charity stripe (44-of-59) over their last three games to raise its season percentage to .653... MSU matched a season low with six turnover Saturday against West Florida. The Mustangs have 10-or-fewer turnovers in four of 10 games this season... Senior guard Monzaigo Williams has scored 10-or-more points in each of his last 11 games dating back to last season... Williams has shot at least 45 percent from the field in six of 10 games this season... Williams has accounted for a 3-pointer in all of MSU's 10 games this season... Williams has recorded at least five assists in four straight games... Senior forward Eddie D'Haiti booked his fifth double-figure scoring night of the season finishing with 11 points Saturday against West Florida... D'Haiti's 7-for-10 effort from the charity stripe marked season highs in makes and attempts... Senior guard DeJuan Plummer tallied 12 points and has scored 10-or-more points in eight of 10 games this season -- all off of the bench... Plummer has a 3-pointer in seven consecutive games... Junior guard Kevin Wagner has dished out seven assists without recording a turnover in 31 minutes over the last three games for MSU... Junior forward Tavarion Nix grabbed six rebounds and has 5-or-more boards in each of his last three games grabbing 2.75 offensive caroms a contest over his last four outings... Junior guard Derrell Gibbs knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to finish with six points and five rebounds Saturday gainst West Florida... Gibbs has knocked down at least two treys in four games this season... Gibbs has committed just three turnovers in 266 minutes of floor time this season. That's one in every 88 2/3 minutes... Junor forward Xavier Blackburn splashed in a season-high 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting including a 3-pointer to go along with five rebounds in 17 minutes Saturday against West Florida... Senior forward Derek Kaster did not play Saturday against West Florida... Senior guard Cam Adderley broke out of a scoring slump with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting with a trey while grabbing six rebounds Saturday against West Florida... Adderley has accounted for at least five boards in eight of 10 games this season... Junior forward DeVaugh Jones notched season highs with six points and six rebounds in 20 minutes Saturday against West Florida...

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.