Midwestern State vs. Colorado State-Pueblo
Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 | 3 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (2-1); Colorado State-Pueblo (3-0)
Video: MSUMustangs.com 
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Audio: MSUMustangs.com 
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com 
 
ON THE COURT
Midwestern State seeks to avenge its lone loss of the season Sunday afternoon against Colorado State-Pueblo at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE THUNDERWOLVES
- Colorado State-Pueblo improved to 3-0 with a sound 109-81 win over Eastern New Mexico Tuesday night Massari Arena in Pueblo.
- The Thunderwolves own double-digit results in each of their first three wins and are averaging 97.3 points per game.
- Colorado State-Pueblo defeated West Texas A&M and Midwestern State -- both by 13 -- last weekend at the Al Kaly Shriners Classic in Pueblo.
- CSU-P makes their first trip out of Pueblo this season swinging through Texas to take on West Texas A&M Saturday in Canyon before arriving in The Falls on Sunday.
- Senior center Tyrone Marshall, junior forward Bronson Moton and junior guard Rico Spikes all average 17 points a game while shooting better than 60-percent from the field.
- Freshman guard Josh Smith pitches in 9.7 points per game while senior guard Jed Knafelc, junior guard Odessa Lear and sophomore forward Stevan Radakovic score 8.7 points a contest.
- Ralph Turner is 46-39 (.541) in now his fourth season as head coach at Colorado State-Pueblo. He owns a 408-190 (.682) career mark including a 15-year stay at Union (Tenn.) where he twice won 30 games while leading the Bulldogs to 10 NAIA National Tournament showings and two trips to the quarterfinal round (1999, 2007).
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State meets Colorado State-Pueblo for the fourth time on the hardwood Sunday at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
- CSU-P leads the all-time series by a 2-1 margin as the Thunderwolves have claimed the last two meetings including a 72-69 win on Nov. 17, 2012 and an 89-76 victory last weekend in Pueblo.
- The Mustangs claimed the result in the first meeting by a 70-56 count on Nov. 19, 2011.
- Sunday's meeting will be the first between the programs in Wichita Falls.
 
MUSTANGS NOTEBOOK
- Midwestern State rolled to an 86-65 win over Oklahoma Science and Arts in its home opener Wednesday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
- Junior forward Khapri Alston (Chicago, Ill. / Thornwood HS (Northeast CC (Neb.))) erupted for a season-high 19 points against USAO going 8-of-13 from the field while snagging five rebounds.
- Junior guard Bretson McNeal (Minneapolis, Minn. / DeLaSalle HS (North Dakota State Science)) scored 12 of his 14 points prior to halftime before leaving the game midway through the second half against USAO. He dished out a season-high five assists in 20 minutes of play.
- McNeal leads the Mustangs at 19.3 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field. He has connected for at least two 3-pointers in each game this season while hitting at a 40-percent clip from the arc.
- Junior guard Hershell Grant (Washington, D.C. / Roosevelt HS (Clarendon College)) equaled a season high with 12 points in his first start of the season Wednesday night against USAO. He went 4-of-9 from the field while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out four assists with two steals in a campaign-high 31 minutes.
- Senior Derrell Gibbs (Wichita Falls, Texas / Burkburnett HS) delivered a solid all-around performance with six points, six rebounds and six assists while committing zero turnovers in 27 minutes while primarily playing the point guard position Wednesday against USAO. Gibbs needed 15 minutes to foul out for just the second time in 89 career games last weekend against Colorado State-Pueblo.
- Redshirt-freshman guard Devante Pullum (Little Elm, Texas / Little Elm HS) went for a season-high seven points and dished out four assists in 12 minutes off of the bench Wednesday against USAO.
 
THE HAGGERTY ERA
- Nelson Haggerty enters his fourth season at the helm for Midwestern State as one of the top young coaches in college basketball.
- Haggerty boasts a 77-22 mark (.778) leading the Mustangs to Lone Star Conference championships in each of his three seasons as head coach.
- Haggerty earned NABC South Central Region and Lone Star Conference coach of the year honors in his rookie season of 2011-12 piloting the Mustangs to their third consecutive Elite Eight showing.
- With Haggerty on the bench (including two seasons as top assistant), MSU has advanced to three Elite Eights (2010, 2011, 2012) and to the NCAA Division II postseason five consecutive years.
 
DOME MAGIC
- Midwestern State boasts a 543-128 all time mark (.809) in the 46-year history of D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
- MSU won 70 consecutive games under the dome from Jan. 5, 1973 to Jan. 24, 1977 then peeled off 41 straight victories from Nov. 18, 2008 to Feb. 16, 2011.
- The Mustangs are 37-4 (.902) at Ligon Coliseum during Nelson Haggerty's tenure at the helm (2011-present).
- Midwestern's current home winning streak is six games dating back to an 83-81 loss to Tarleton State on Jan. 15, 2014.
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State plays host to Henderson State (Ark.) Tuesday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. or 20 minutes following the conclusion of the women's game against Oklahoma Panhandle State which tips at 5:30 p.m.