TIPOFF
Midwestern State welcomes Eastern New Mexico to D.L. Ligon Coliseum Saturday night in Lone Star Conference action. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. or 25 minutes following the conclusion of the women's contest which tips at 4.
 

---

Midwestern State vs. Eastern New Mexico
Saturday, Jan. 11 | 6 p.m.
Records: Midwestern State (10-4, 2-0 LSC); Eastern New Mexico (6-6, 0-1 LSC)
Live Video: MSUMustangs.com  
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com 
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com  
Season Stat Pack: PDF  
LSC Only Stat Pack: PDF  
Career Stat Pack: PDF  
All-Time Series: PDF  
 
SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS
Eastern New Mexico (6-6) had its third two-game winning streak of the season snapped Wednesday night against Cameron as the Aggies survived the 'Hounds 59-58 in Portales. The Greyhounds are led by a pair of 3-point marksmen in senior guards Rodney Blackmon and Rafael Love. Blackmon bombs in 3.5 treys per game at a 43.7-percent clip as he leads ENMU in scoring at 18.1 points per game while dishing out a team-high 3.8 assists per contest. Love buries 2.3 treys per game at a 45-percent clip while averaging 12.1 points and 4.5 rebounds a game. Eastern New Mexico is led on the interior by senior forward Cornelius Cammock (10.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, .526 field goal percentage) and senior guard Devone Davis (10.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists). Seniors Jordan Romero (14 3s) and Kyle Lantz (16 3s) help the Greyhounds, who boast a roster laden with nine seniors, average 9.7 3-pointers a game while shooting 38.5-percent from the arc as a team. ENMU averages 78.2 points per game and allows 68.7.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and Eastern New Mexico meet for the 40th time on the hardwood Saturday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Mustangs own a 24-15 edge in the series which dates back to the 1948-49 season and has won 12 of the last 13 matchups going back to the 2006-07 campaign with the Greyhounds' lone win coming by an 80-72 count on Jan. 14, 2012. Midwestern is 13-5 against the Greyhounds in games played at Ligon Coliseum and has claimed six straight under the dome. ENMU won consecutive games in Wichita Falls in the springs of 2006 and 2007.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. EASTERN NEW MEXICO
Midwestern State senior Kevin Grayer poured in a team-high 24 points to lead the Mustangs to an 83-72 win over Eastern New Mexico to complete a season sweep of the Greyhounds on Feb. 9, 2013. Senior forward Corbin Thomas added 19 points and seven rebounds as MSU pulled away to build a nine-point halftime advantage and coast to the victory while shooting 50.9 percent from the field. Rafael Love (26 points, 4 treys) and Rodney Blackmon (24 points, 3 treys) combined for 50 of ENMU's 72 points.
 

---

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State bounced back from its second two-game skid of the season to claim wins in its first two Lone Star Conference contests on the road. MSU improved to 10-6 overall and to 2-0 in league play with victories at Texas A&M-Commerce and West Texas A&M. Senior guard Monzaigo Williams paces the Midwestern State attack and ranks fourth in the LSC with 17.8 points per game. The Palmdale, Calif. native is shooting 48.9 percent from the field while connecting on 31-of-70 from the 3-point arc (44.3 percent). Senior guard DeJuan Plummer provides a potent scoring punch off of the bench notching 12.3 points a contest while shooting 40 percent from the field. Junior forward Xavier Blackburn has come on strong by scoring 13.2 points and grabbing 8.6 rebounds over the last five games to up his season averages to 9.4 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game. Senior forward Eddie D'Haiti (8.0 points, 4.6 rebounds), senior forward Derek Kaster (7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds) and senior guard Cam Adderley (7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds) add to MSU's scoring punch supported by juniors Derrell Gibbs (4.2 points, 3.4 rebounds) and Tavarion Nix (3.9 points, 4.1 rebounds). Midwestern State scores 74.2 points a game and allows 67.8.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Senior guard Monzaigo Williams burned West Texas A&M for five triples to finish with a game-high 27 points leading Midwestern State to a 76-70 win Wednesday night at First United Bank Center in Canyon. Williams connected on three consecutive treys late in the first half to help the Mustangs erase a 13-point first-half deficit to pull even with the Buffs just before intermission. Junior forward Xavier Blackburn added 16 points and seven rebounds for the Mustangs. Junior guard Drimir Ferguson paced West Texas A&M with 15 points and eight assists.
 
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 142-36 mark (.798) 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.
 
BLACKBURN IS PLAYER OF THE WEEK (1/6/14)
Midwestern State senior forward Xavier Blackburn garnered Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors for the week of Jan. 6 after averaging 16.0 points and 12.5 rebounds a game. The 6-4 forward from New Iberia, La. recorded his first double-double of the season finishing with 17 points and 16 rebounds against Oklahoma Wesleyan. The rebounds were the second most by an LSC player this season and the most for an MSU player since Corbin Thomas had 18 against Texas A&M-Commerce last February. Blackburn closed the week with a 15-point, 9-rebound effort at A&M-Commerce.
 
MUSTANGS HITTING THE GLASS
Midwestern State has won the battle on the boards in each of its last four games and in seven of the last eight and has out-boarded three opponents this season by 20-or-more rebounds. The Mustangs ranks second in the Lone Star Conference in rebounding margin at +7.2 per game with no one averaging more than 6.1 rebounds a game -- Xavier Blackburn. The Mustangs are also second in the league in offensive (.383) and defensive (.724) rebounding percentage.
 
MSU TAKES TWO STRAIGHT IN CANYON/AMARILLO
Midwestern State claimed its second consecutive victory for the first time in series history with a 76-70 win on Jan. 8. The Mustangs, who rolled to a 55-42 win over the Buffs last season at First United Bank Center, had one win in their first 10 tries at the facility. Midwestern State had never claimed consecutive wins on WT's home court in a series which dates back to the 1947-48 season.
 
MSU UNDER NELSON HAGGERTY
Nelson Haggerty is in his third year as head coach of the Mustangs. He boasts a 61-17 mark (.782) 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 NATIONAL RANKINGS
Midwestern State dropped out of the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Top 25 for the first time this season on Dec. 31, but recovered to receive votes in the latest edition released on Jan. 7. The Mustangs carried a ranking for the first six reporting periods 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
- No. 9 Tarleton State (12-0, 1-0) opened Lone Star Conference play with a convincing 80-54 win over Angelo State Wednesday night at Wisdom Gym. The Texans go on the road for the first time this season Saturday night at Texas A&M-Kingsville.
- Cameron (7-5, 1-0) edged Eastern New Mexico 59-58 in its LSC lid lifter Wednesday night in Portales for its third straight win. The Aggies play host to West Texas A&M Saturday in Lawton.
- Texas A&M-Commerce (12-2, 1-1) rebounded from an LSC opening home loss to Midwestern State by claiming a 68-66 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville Wednesday in Commerce. The Lions hit the road to take on Angelo State Saturday at the Junell Center/Stephens Arena.
- Angelo State (10-3, 0-1) suffered its third-straight regular season loss falling 80-54 Wednesday night at Tarleton State. The Rams play host to Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday and West Texas A&M next Wednesday.
- West Texas A&M (7-5, 0-1) suffered a 76-70 setback at home Wednesday to Midwestern State. The Buffs hit the road to play Cameron Saturday in Lawton.
- Eastern New Mexico (6-6, 0-1) saw its modest two-game win streak go by the boards with a 59-58 loss to Cameron Wednesday night in Portales. The 'Hounds hit the road to face Midwestern State Saturday then travel to Texas A&M-Kingsville next Wednesday.
- Texas A&M-Kingsville (5-8, 0-1) fell 68-66 at Texas A&M-Commerce Wednesday night after taking a two-game winning streak into the break. The Hoggies play host to unbeaten Tarleton State on Saturday before welcoming Eastern New Mexico next Wednesday.
 
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
Midwestern State opened Lone Star Conference play with consecutive roads for the third straight season. The Mustangs beat Texas A&M-Commerce (65-53) and Angelo State (65-51) in 2011-12 then upended Incarnate Word (74-69) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (67-64) in 2012-13 before defeating Texas A&M-Commerce and West Texas A&M this season... Midwestern State shot a season-best 50.8 percent from the field in Wednesday's 76-70 win at West Texas A&M... The Mustangs have shot 50-percent or better three times this season... MSU committed just 17 fouls Wednesday night at West Texas A&M. It was just this second time this season that the Mustangs were whistled for fewer than 20 fouls... The Mustangs recorded a season-high 20 assists Wednesday night at West Texas A&M while committing just seven turnovers... MSU has given away 10-or-fewer turnovers five times this season with a season low of six against Southwestern Oklahoma and West Florida... Senior guard Monzaigo Williams delivered his third 20-point effort of the season finishing with a game-high 27 points Wednesday night at West Texas A&M.... Williams has notched at least 10 points in each of his last 15 games dating back to last season... Williams buried five 3-pointers and has 2-or-more treys in eight games this season... Williams' 11 field goals marked a career-high... Foul difficulties limited senior forward Eddie D'Haiti to just 12 minutes Wednesday night at West Texas A&M, but he still managed seven points and five rebounds... Senior guard DeJuan Plummer was limited to a season-low six points at West Texas A&M, but dished out a campaign-high six assists... Junior forward Tavarion Nix netted six points and grabbed four rebounds in just 13 minutes at West Texas A&M... Junior guard Derrell Gibbs moved the ball for a season-high five assists without a turnover in 29 minutes Wednesday at West Texas A&M... Senior forward Xavier Blackburn scored in double figures for the third straight game finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds at West Texas A&M... Blackburn is averaging 13.2 points and 8.6 rebounds over his last five games... Senior forward Derek Kaster battled for eight points and three rebounds in 14 minutes of court time Wednesday at West Texas A&M...
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Midwestern State takes on rival Tarleton State Wednesday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.