TIPOFF
Midwestern State returns to action Wednesday night as the Mustangs play host to Oklahoma Wesleyan at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
 

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Midwestern State vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan
Wednesday, Jan. 1 | 7 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (8-3); Oklahoma Wesleyan (9-5)
Live Video: None
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com  
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com 
 
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Oklahoma Wesleyan (9-5) claimed victories in its last two games heading into the Christmas Break. The Eagles face Midwestern State in an exhibition contests before hitting the road for four games beginning Saturday at Ottawa (Kan.). Junior guard Devin Harris, a 6-foot transfer from Connors State, leads the OKWU attack ranking amongst NAIA Division II leaders at 20.9 points (24th) and 5.4 assists per game (20th). The Eagles rank seventh nationally banging in 9.2 3-pointers a game while averaging 86.2 points as a team. Junior guard Tyler Woods drops in 15.6 points per game connecting on 39.3 percent from the arc (22-56) while senior guard Josh Young scores 14.0 points a contest while connecting on 38.4 percent from 3-point range (28-73) and sophomore guard/forward Steven Cooks adds 9.8 points per game hitting on 35.5 percent from 3-Land (22-62). Senior forward Phillip Jahn is Oklahoma Wesleyan's top inside threat averaging 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds a game.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and Oklahoma Wesleyan meet for the second time on the hardwood Wednesday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Mustangs claimed an 84-47 win in the only other meeting between the programs on Dec. 30, 2011 in Wichita Falls.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN
David Terrell and Anthony Harris scored 13 points each while Michael Loyd added 12 points and dished out six assists to lead Midwestern State to an 84-47 win over Oklahoma Wesleyan on Dec. 30, 2011. Darrick Thomas chipped in 11 points and grabbed six rebounds as the Mustangs improved to 11-0 in Nelson Haggerty's first season at the helm. Phillip Jahn had nine points to lead the Eagles.
 

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ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State split a pair of games at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic heading into the break. The Mustangs upended West Florida 86-70 before falling to a red-hot Cal State, San Bernardino side by an 85-65 count. The Mustangs carry an 8-3 mark into the spring semester easing into Lone Star Conference play against NAIA Division II Oklahoma Wesleyan Wednesday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum before opening league play Saturday at Texas A&M-Commerce. Senior guard Monzaigo Williams leads the Mustangs while ranking fourth in the Lone Star Conference averaging 17.4 points a game. He also rates fourth in the league with 4.5 assists a game. Fellow senior guard DeJuan Plummer scores 11.9 points a game off of the bench, while senior forward Eddie D'Haiti has emerged as the Mustangs' top threat on the block with 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds a game. Senior guard Cam Adderley (7.9 points, 4.9 rebounds), senior forward Derek Kaster (7.7 points, 5.1 rebounds) and junior forward Xavier Blackburn (7.6 points, 4.8 rebounds) add to a balanced scoring attack while junior guard Derrell Gibbs chips in 4.7 points and 3.8 rebounds a game.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Senior guard Monzaigo Williams erupted for a team-high 23 points while senior forward Eddie D'Haiti added 10 points and eight rebounds in an 85-65 setback to Cal State, San Bernardino in the finale of the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic on Dec. 22 in Las Vegas. The deficit was the largest for a Nelson Haggerty-coached MSU squad as the Mustangs slipped to 8-3 on the season. The Mustangs shot a season low 35.3 percent from the field. Jordan Burris poured in 24 points while connecting on four 3-pointers to lead the hot-shooting Coyotes who shot 50 percent from the field while hitting at an 11-for-21 clip (52.4 percent) from the 3-point line.
 
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 140-35 mark (.800) 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.
 
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
Midwestern State has won 48 consecutive games against non-NCAA Division I/II opponents and is 53-2 since making the jump to Division II prior to the 1996-97 season. The Mustangs are 40-0 against that competition at D.L. Ligon Coliseum and have not lost since dropping a 120-114 result at Texas Lutheran on Nov. 17, 1997. MSU also fell to The Master's (Calif.) in the NAIA Southwest Independents Regional as a dual member at the end of the 1996-97 season. MSU claimed home wins over Oklahoma City (72-61) and Science & Arts (Okla.) (73-65) earlier this season.
 
MSU UNDER NELSON HAGGERTY
Nelson Haggerty is in his third year as head coach of the Mustangs. He boasts a 59-16 mark (.787) 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 prior to the Christmas Break. 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 is off to a 10-0 start and is one of 15 remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II coming out of the break. The Texans rolled to wins over Central Washington (75-71) and No. 6-ranked Western Washington (86-69) at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas. TSU returns to action Saturday against South Dakota Mines.
- Texas A&M-Commerce (11-1) has won three straight since suffering its lone loss of the season at NAIA Northwood (Texas) (75-73). The Lions welcome Midwestern State to open LSC play Saturday in Commerce.
- Angelo State (10-2) rolled off 10 consecutive wins at the start of Chris Beard's tenure at the helm of the Rams before taking losses at Arkansas Tech (74-64) and Arkansas-Monticello (90-81) heading into the break. ASU opens league play next Wednesday at Tarleton State.
- West Texas A&M (6-4) had a three-game winning streak snapped at Pittsburg State (Kan.) on Dec. 18. Still, the Buffs have won six of their last eight. WT takes on Hillsdale Baptist (Okla.) Friday in Canyon before welcoming Midwestern State for its LSC lid lifter Wednesday night.
- Cameron (5-5) evened its pre-break mark by claiming an 89-53 win over Southwestern Adventist (Texas) on Dec. 21. The Aggies take on South Dakota Mines on Sunday before opening LSC play next Wednesday at Eastern New Mexico.
- Eastern New Mexico (4-5) looks to snap a two-game skid against Johnson Wales Thursday night in Rapid City, S.D. The Hounds open LSC play at home next Wednesday against Cameron.
- Texas A&M-Kingsville (5-7) snapped a three-game losing streak by claiming wins over Schreiner (Texas) and Texas Lutheran heading into the break. The Javelinas open LSC play next Wednesday at Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
Midwestern State has opened the spring semester with a win in each of its last 11 seasons with its last post-break return setback coming at St. Mary's (Texas) by a 79-66 count on Dec. 29, 2002... The Mustangs have won their last 48 games against non-NCAA Division I/II opponents with its last loss coming to Texas Lutheran on Nov. 17, 1997... MSU is 40-0 against non-NCAA Division I/II opponents at D.L. Ligon Coliseum since moving to Division II prior to the 1996-97 season... Midwestern has grabbed 40-or-more rebounds in three of its last four games and has topped the mark five times this season... MSU snagged a season-high 26 offensive rebounds the last time out against Cal State, San Bernardino... The Mustangs are 5-2 when holding a rebounding edge this season... Senior guard Monzaigo Williams poured in a team-high 23 points against Cal State, San Bernardino and has led the Mustangs in scoring seven times this season... The Mustangs are 5-2 when Williams leads the team in scoring this season... Williams has scored in double figures in each of his last 11 games dating back to last season... Williams' 20-point effort against CSUSB was his third as a member of the Mustangs and first since scoring a career-high 31 points earlier this season against Northwest Missouri State... Senior forward Eddie D'Haiti delivered his second-straight and sixth double-figure scoring effort of the season finishing with 10 points while matching a season-high with eight rebounds against Cal State, San Bernardino... D'Haiti set a career best collecting six offensive caroms against the Coyotes... Senior guard DeJuan Plummer scored eight points off the bench, but had his run of seven consecutive games with a 3-pointer snapped... Junior guard Derrell Gibbs finished with two points and four rebounds, but did not commit a turnover in 27 minutes against CSUSB. Gibbs has committed just three turnovers in 293 minutes this season -- an average of one per 97:40 of court time... Junior forward Xavier Blackburn knocked in five points and grabbed six rebounds in 23 minutes against Cal State, San Bernardino... Blackburn has started each of the last three games for MSU averaging 6.7 points and 4.3 rebounds... Senior forward Derek Kaster scored five points and grabbed five rebounds in 17 minutes off of the bench against CSUSB connecting on his fourth 3-pointer of the season... Sophomore guard Cory Bennett knocked down his second trey of the season and snagged a season-high two boards in two minutes against Cal State, San Bernardino...
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Midwestern State opens Lone Star Conference Saturday afternoon against Texas A&M-Commerce. The Mustangs and Lions tipoff at 4 p.m. at the A&M-Commerce Fieldhouse.