TIPOFF
Midwestern State closes the regular season Saturday night in a Red River Rivalry clash with Cameron. Tipoff at Aggie Gym is set for 6 p.m.
 
The Mustangs can claim a share of their eighth Lone Star Conference title with a win over CU and if Texas A&M-Commerce upsets Tarleton State.
 

---

Midwestern State vs. Cameron
Saturday, March 1 | 6 p.m.
Aggie Gym | Lawton, Okla.
Records: Midwestern State (19-6, 11-2 LSC); Cameron (11-13, 5-8 LSC)
Live Video: CameronAggies.com  
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com  
Live Stats: CameronAggies.com 
Season Stat Pack: PDF 
LSC Only Stat Pack: PDF 
Career Stat Pack:  PDF  
 
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
Cameron had its modest two-game winning streak snapped with a 79-59 loss Saturday at Angelo State. The Aggies had recovered from a seven-game skid with wins over West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Kingsville after opening up league play with three straight wins.  CU is 3-3 on its home floor during LSC play and 7-5 at Aggie Gym this season. Seniors Will Cook (16.3 points, 6.0 rebounds) and Craig Foster (14.7 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds) lead a strong back court for the Aggies, but are the only two players averaging in double figures for the perimeter oriented Aggies. Junior guard Desmond Henry comes off of the bench to pitch in 7.6 points and 3.1 rebounds a game, while senior forward Aaron Thompson (5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds) and junior center Tank Mayberry (5.4 points, 4.1 rebounds) are the Aggies' top interior threats. Cameron scores 68.6 points per game and allows 69.8.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and Cameron meet for the 66th time on the hardwood Saturday at Aggie Gym. The Mustangs own a 42-23 edge in the series which dates back to the 1968-69 season and have won 11 of the last 12 games between the programs since the 2006-07 season with the Aggies lone victory coming by a 64-63 margin last season in Lawton. Cameron owns a 20-12 edge in games played between the programs at Aggie Gym, but the Mustangs have won three of the last four.
All Time Series: PDF  
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. CAMERON
Midwestern State stormed back from an 18-point deficit just before the half to edge Cameron 70-67 in overtime on Feb. 1 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Senior guard Monzaigo Williams poured in a game-high 22 points and dished out five assists , while JaMichael Rivers scored 10 of his 13 points after the final minute of regulation while Xavier Blackburn (11 points, 12 rebounds) and Cam Adderley (11 points, 7 rebounds) added solid all-around games for MSU. Guards Desmond Henry and Will Cook scored 16 and 13 points respectively to lead the Aggies, whose starters managed to combine for 26 points.
 

---

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State extended its current winning streak to eight games with an 83-60 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville Saturday at Steinke Center. It's the Mustangs longest winning streak since opening the 2011-12 season with 13 consecutive wins. Senior guard Monzaigo Williams continues to rank high on the Lone Star Conference leader boards in numerous categories as he is third in scoring (16.5 ppg), fifth in assists per game (4.4), seventh in free throw percentage (.774), fifth in steals per game (1.7), third in 3-point field goal percentage (.435), sixth in 3-pointers per game (2.0) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8). Junior forward Xavier Blackburn is coming off of consecutive career-best performances of 24 points against Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville. The 6-4 swingman upped his season averages to 11.2 points per game (18th in LSC) and 7.5 rebounds a game (4th in LSC), but Blackburn is faring much better during league play sporting averages of 13.7 points a game (10th in LSC) and 9.2 rebounds a contest (1st in LSC). Junior guard DeJuan Plummer adds 10.0 points per game off of the bench, while forward Eddie D'Haiti (9.5 points, 4.6 rebounds) has also been on fire during league play. The 6-8 senior is shooting 60.2 percent (2nd in LSC) from the floor during LSC play and is a dazzling 52.9 percent (2nd in LSC) from the 3-point arc to average 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game against Lone Star Conference competition. Senior guard Cam Adderley continues his strong play for the Mustangs averaging 7.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while senior guard JaMichael Rivers (7.0 points, 1.7 rebounds) is playing his way back into shape after missing the first 16 games of the season due to injury. Junior guard Derrell Gibbs adds 4.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in his 24 starts this season and gives up the ball once every 51.9 minutes of court time.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Midwestern State's forward combo of Xavier Blackburn and Eddie D'Haiti put on a show while leading the Mustangs to their 8th-straight win in an 83-60 rout of Texas A&M-Kingsville. Blackburn hit on 9-of-12 shots from the floor including a pair of 3-pointers to match a career-high with 24 points. D'Haiti was 9-of-10 from the floor three triples to score a career-high 21 points. Monzaigo Williams and DeVaughn Jones added seven points each as 12 different Mustangs found the scorebook. Adonis Bailey paced Texas A&M-Kingsville with 16 points.
 
MSU UNDER NELSON HAGGERTY
Nelson Haggerty is in his third year as head coach of the Mustangs. He boasts a 70-19 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.
 
HUNTING TITLE NO. 8
Midwestern State can claim a share of its eighth Lone Star Conference championship with a win over Cameron and if Texas A&M-Commerce upsets Tarleton State Saturday night. If that happens, both teams will finish the campaign with matching 12-2 marks during league play. It would also give the Mustangs their sixth conference championship over the last eight seasons.
 
HOW ABOUT THE TOP SEED?
Midwestern State can claim the No. 1 seed in next week's Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament only if all of the following occurs. First, the Mustangs must beat Cameron on Saturday. Second, Texas A&M-Commerce must best Tarleton State Saturday night at The Fieldhouse (Tipoff at 7 p.m.). Third, Texas A&M-Kingsville must beat Angelo State Saturday afternoon in Kingsville. Finally, the Mustangs would have to win the ensuing coin flip. If MSU goes in as the No. 1 seed, it would play Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. at the Allen Events Center. A No. 2 seed would mean a 2:30 p.m. start time.
 
MSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Midwestern State received 10 votes in this week's National Association of Basketball Coaches' Top 25 and is receiving votes for the second consecutive week. The Mustangs previously dropped out of the rankings on Dec. 31. MSU carried a ranking for the first six reporting periods reaching as high as No. 6. The Mustangs have carried a national ranking at some point during each of the last five seasons.
 
MUSTANGS IN THE REGIONAL RANKINGS
Midwestern State remained at No. 3 in the NCAA Division II South Central Region rankings released Wednesday afternoon. Tarleton State retained the top spot followed by Metro State (Colo.), MSU, Colorado Mines, Arkansas-Fort Smith, St. Mary's (Texas), Texas A&M International, Angelo State (Texas), Texas A&M-Commerce and Colorado-Colorado Springs. If the regional started today, the Mustangs would face St. Mary's in the opening round.
 
HITTING THE GLASS
Midwestern State ranks 20th in NCAA Division in total rebounds (1059.0) and is 10th in rebound margin (+8.4). Both of those numbers top the Lone Star Conference as the Mustangs also lead the league in offensive rebounds (15.0 per game) -- ninth in NCAA II, offensive rebound percentage (.391) and defensive rebound percentage (.722). MSU has out-rebounded 18 of its last 19 opponents by an average of 9.9 rebounds a game. The Mustangs have controlled the rebounding edge in 21 out of 25 games this season and are 16-5 when posting a positive rebound margin. MSU scores 15.0 points per game on second chances and allows 9.8.
 
SHOOTING 44
Midwestern State is 3-5 this season when the opposition shoots at least 44 percent as a team from the field. The Mustangs have allowed matching season highs of 50 percentage in losses to California State, San Bernardino (29-for-58), Tarleton State (28-for-56) and Angelo State (28-for-56). Harding (Ark.) was 46.2 percent from the field in a 74-70 setback for MSU while Oklahoma Wesleyan booked a 44.8 field goal percentage to beat the Mustangs 80-74. The Mustangs' three wins came against Texas A&M-Kingsville (83-62/44.1), Texas A&M-Commerce (75-63/44.4) and Angelo State (78-68/44.4). Midwestern is 11-0 in games it shoots 45 percent or better posting a season-high percentage of 52.5 against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
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 151-38 mark (.799) 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.
 
X-MAN GETS OFFENSIVE -- GETS FIFTH LSC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD (2/24/14)
Junior forward Xavier Blackburn put in matching career highs of 24 points in wins over Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville as Midwestern State pushed its season-best winning streak to eight games. He notched his sixth double-double of the season while scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to lead the Mustangs to a 78-68  win over Angelo State as he connected on 5-of-8 shots from the field with a 3-pointer to go along with a 13-of-14 effort from the charity stripe. Blackburn stayed hot by hitting 9-of-12 shots with two treys in an 83-60 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. For the week, Blackburn shot 70 percent from the field (14-of-20) with three 3-pointers and was 17-of-18 from the free throw line to average 24.0 points and 9.0 rebounds a game.
 
BLACKBURN COPS FOURTH LSC DEFENSIVE HONOR (2/17/14)
Midwestern State junior forward Xavier Blackburn notched his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds in a 74-63 win over West Texas A&M then followed with a 11 points, eight rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal in an 81-79 overtime victory at Eastern New Mexico. He averaged a double-double with 11.5 points and 10 rebounds a game to help MSU extend its season long winning streak to six games.
 
BLACKBURN EARNS THIRD LSC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD (2/10/14)
Junior forward Xavier Blackburn notched his fourth double-double of the season with 17 points and 14 rebounds to lead Midwestern State to a 77-75 win over No. 2 Tarleton State on Feb. 5 at Wisdom Gym. The put a close to the Texans' 18-0 start, its longest winning streak in school history and snapped a 20-game run of wins in Stephenville. The Mustangs held TSU to its second lowest shooting percentage of the season at .379.
 
X-MAN TAKES SECOND LSC DEFENDER OF THE HONOR (1/13/14)
Midwestern State junior forward Xavier Blackburn earned Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second straight week as the Mustangs rolled to victories over West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico. Blackburn snagged a game-high 11 rebounds with two blocks and a steal as the Mustangs limited Eastern New Mexico to a 19.3-percent shooting night on Jan. 11 which ranks as the second lowest opponent shooting percentage in school history. He scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a 67-60 win at West Texas A&M earlier in the week.
 
BLACKBURN TABBED DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (1/6/14)
Midwestern State junior 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.
 
WILLIAMS SPURS MSU PAST TARLETON TO TAKE SECOND LSC OFFENSIVE HONOR (2/10/14)
Senior guard Monzaigo Williams rose up to hit an 18-footer with 3.8 seconds remaining in overtime to provide the difference in Midwestern State's 77-75 win over Tarleton State on Feb. 5 at Wisdom Gym. The win snapped TSU's 18-game overall winning streak and sent the Texans to defeat at Wisdom Gym for the first time in 20 games. Williams connected on 7-fo-16 shots including three 3-pointers to lead the Mustangs with 18 points against the Texans. He then poured in a team-high 18 points and dished out nine assists to go along with four steals in a 75-63 win over Texas A&M-Commerce on Feb. 8 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
 
RED HOT Z TABBED OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (1/13/14)
Midwestern State senior guard Monzaigo Williams poured in a game-high 27 points with five 3-pointers to help the Mustangs' to their second straight win over West Texas A&M in Canyon on Jan. 8, 2014. It was the first time in series history MSU claimed consecutive wins on the Buffs' home floor. The Palmdale, Calif. product finished the week with a 13-point, 5-assist, 4-steal effort in just 26 minutes against Eastern New Mexico. For the week, Williams averaged 20 points while shooting 70 percent from the field (14-of-20) and 75 percent from 3-point land (6-of-8) while averaging 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists with five total steals.
 
THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER ON THE BENCH
Midwestern State's three-headed reserve combination of juniors Tavarion Nix (3.2 points, 3.6 rebounds), Abiodun Adegoke (2.9 points, 3.7 rebounds) and DeVaughn Jones (2.3 points, 2.0 rebounds) combine for a very productive 28.7 minutes per game. MSU's key depth supplements the tandem of Eddie D'Haiti and Xavier Blackburn at the rate of 8.4 points and 9.3 rebounds a game as a trio while shooting 56.5 percent (74-of-131).
 
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.
 
MORE ROAD HISTORY
For the first time in school history, Midwestern State claimed road wins over West Texas A&M in Canyon and Tarleton State in Stephenville during the same season.
 
WITH A WIN, MIDWESTERN STATE WOULD...
... claim a share of its eighth LSC combined with an A&M-C upset of Tarleton State.
... improve to 20-6 on the season.
... win 20 games for the sixth consecutive season -- the second longest in program history (1973-81 -- 8 season under Dr. Gerald Stockton).
... finish 12-2 in Lone Star Conference play -- fewest losses since 2009-10 team (10-2/LSC-S).
... improve to 8-2 on the road this season.
... win nine consecutive games for the first time since posting a 13-game winning streak from Nov. 11, 2011 to Jan. 11, 2012.
... improve to 43-23 all time against Cameron.
... improve to 13-20 all time against CU at Aggie Gym.
... win third straight game against Cameron -- last loss 1/23/13 (64-63) in Lawton.
... improve to 152-38 (.800) since the start of the 2008-09 season.
... improve to 71-19 (.789) under head coach Nelson Haggerty.
... improve to 10-8 on March 1.
 
WITH A LOSS, MIDWESTERN STATE WOULD...
... head into the LSC Postseason Tournament as the No. 2 seed and play at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Allen Event Center.
... fall to 19-7 on the season.
... fall to 11-3 in Lone Star Conference play.
... fall to 8-3 on the road this season.
... lose first game since falling 83-68 at Angelo State on Jan. 22 -- eight games.
... fall to 42-24 all time against Cameron.
... fall to 12-21 all time against CU at Aggie Gym.
... lose to Cameron for time since 1/23/13 (64-63 in Lawton) -- two games.
... fall to 151-39 (.795) since the start of the 2008-09 season.
... fall to 70-20 (.778) under head coach Nelson Haggerty.
... fall to 9-9 on March 1.
 
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
Midwestern State extended its season-best winning streak to eight games with wins over Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville last week to improve 19-6 on the season going to 11-2 in Lone Star Conference... The Mustangs can claim a share of their eighth LSC title with a win over Cameron on Saturday and if Texas A&M-Commerce defeats Tarleton State... The Mustangs can be the No. 1 seed if they beat Cameron, A&M-C beats Tarleton State, Texas A&M-Kingsville beats Angelo State and it wins a coin toss to determine the top seed... MSU will go into the LSC Postseason Tournament as no worse than the No. 2 seed... MSU's eight-game winning streak is the longest since winning the 13 games at the start of the 2011-12 season... The Mustangs carried the No. 3 ranking in the NCAA Division II South Central Region rankings last week and looking for their sixth consecutive postseason appearance... MSU can clinch its sixth consecutive 20-win season with a win at Cameron on Saturday which is the longest since Gerald Stockton posted eight-straight 20-win seasons from 1973-81... Midwestern claimed its 13th consecutive win over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday... The Mustangs have beaten the Hoggies by 20-or-more points in each of their last three meetings and in four of the last five... Midwestern has won four its last five games by 10-or-more points, but worked overtime to claim three victories during the eight-game winning streak... MSU has out-rebounded its last 15 opponents by an average margin of 10.2 boards a game... The Mustangs lead the league in rebounding margin (+8.4), offensive rebounds per game (15.0), defensive rebound percentage (.722) and offensive rebound percentage (.391)... Junior forward Xavier Blackburn matched a season high by scoring 24 points against Angelo State then again at Texas A&M-Kingsville last week... Blackburn recorded his sixth double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds Wednesday night against Angelo State... Blackburn is averaging 13.7 points and leading the LSC with 9.2 rebounds a game during league play... Senior guard Monzaigo Williams scored a season-low seven points, but dished out five assists Saturday at Texas A&M-Kingsville... Williams has scored in double figures in 23 of 25 games this season... Williams is shooting 52.2 percent from the field during LSC play... Senior forward Eddie D'Haiti poured in a career high scoring 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting with three treys Saturday at Texas A&M-Kingsville... D'Haiti is averaging 10.8 points per game while shooting 60.2 percent from the field and 52.9 percent from the arc during LSC play... Nelson Haggerty has won more games (70) in his first three seasons than any other coach in storied MSU basketball history...
 
LOOKING AHEAD
There is no doubt Midwestern State's next game will be Wednesday in the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament quarterfinals against either Texas A&M-Kingsville or West Texas A&M. If the Mustangs go in as the No. 1 seed, they will play at 8:30 p.m. at the Allen Event Center. If not, MSU will play at 2:30 p.m. as the No. 2 seed.