INSIDE THE LANE
Midwestern State takes on defending South Central Region champion Metro State Tuesday night for the right to advance to the Elight Eight.

The Mustangs are looking for their fourth trip in the last five seasons, while the Roadrunners are gunning for their fourth consecutive Elite Eight trip.

The Mustangs are 3-1 in South Central Region title games and are 15-8 in NCAA Division II tournament games which include appearances in 1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Metro State eliminated the Mustangs in the semifinal round last season in a game also played at the Auraria Event Center in Denver.
 

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Midwestern State vs. Metro State
Tuesday, March 18 | 8 p.m. (Central Time)
Auraria Event Center | Denver, Colo.
Records: Midwestern State (24-7); Metro State (30-1)
Live Video: GoMetroState.com  
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com 
Live Stats: GoMetroState.com  
NCAA Division II Interactive Bracket  
South Central Region Tournament Central  
Game Notes  

ABOUT THE ROADRUNNERS
- Metro State has appeared in seven Elite Eights claiming two national championships (2000, 2002) with two runner-up finishes (1999, 2013).
- Metro State has run of 27-straight wins since suffering its lone loss of the season at Western Washington by a 72-69 count on Nov. 30.
- The Roadrunners have won 23 consecutive games at the Auraria Event Center since dropping a 70-69 decision to Colorado State-Pueblo on March 1, 2013. Metro State has won 34 of its last 35 games on its home floor since the start of the 2012-13 campaign.
- MSUD is paced by Daktronics South Central Region Player of the Year Brandon Jefferson. The 5-9 guard from Flower Mound, Texas ranks 17th in NCAA Division II at 21.7 points per game and is fourth in the nation in both 3-point percentage (47.4) and free throw percentage (92.5).
- Junior guard Mitch McCarron, a 6-3 guard from Brisbane, Australia, scores 16.1 points per game while pulling down 7.4 board per contest.
- Junior center Nicholas Kay, a 6-9 center from Tamworth, Australia, adds 15.9  points and 7.4 rebounds a game.
- The Metro State roster features five players from Australia, another from Mexico, two from Texas, one from California and four native Coloradans.

ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State and Metro State meet for the third time on the hardwood Tuesday night in the NCAA Division II South Central Region championship game at the Auraria Event Center in Denver.
- The teams split the previous two meetings as MSU edged the Roadrunners 77-76 on Nov. 13, 1999 at the Disney Classic in Orlando, Fla. Metro State went on to claim its first national championship that season.
- Metro State claimed a 66-60 win over Midwestern State last season in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional in Denver. The loss snapped a 10-game winning streak for the Mustangs in regional postseason play.

LAST TIME OUT (vs. Metro State)
- Senior guard Kevin Grayer scored a team-high 16 points while junior forward Eddie D'Haiti added 12 points and eight rebounds in a 66-60 loss to Metro State in the South Central Region semifinals on March 17 in Denver.
- The Mustangs jumped out to a 20-7 lead midway through the first half, then trailed 33-28 at the half.
- Demetrius Miller and Jonathan Morse led the Roadrunners with 18 and 16 points respectively while Mitch McCarron had 13 points and six rebounds.
- MSUD junior guard Brandon Jefferson shot 2-of-7 from the field to finish with eight points.
 

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ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
- Midwestern State is 3-1 in regional championship games claiming wins over Central Missouri in 2010, Central Oklahoma in 2011 and Arkansas Tech in 2012. MSU fell to Missouri Southern in the 2000 regional title game in Joplin.
- The Mustangs have won 13 of their last 14 games after losing consecutive games to Tarleton State and Angelo State in mid-January.
- The Mustangs are 7-5 against nationally ranked team with Nelson Haggerty at the helm including a 3-3 mark against Top 5 ranked opposition.
- MSU has never faced a team ranked No. 1 in the nation.
- Daktronics All-South Central Region second-teamer Monzaigo Williams paces the Mustangs averaging 15.5 points , 4.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. The 6-foot point guard shoots 46 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from 3-point range.
- Junior forward Xavier Blackburn erupted for his seventh double-double of the season with 25 points and 14 rebounds in MSU's opening round win over Arkansas-Fort Smith.
- Senior guard JaMichael Rivers has provided a lift during regional play averaging 15 points a game in wins over Arkansas-Fort Smith and Tarleton State. He cam into postseason play scoring 7.1 ponits a game. Rivers was a USA Today Preseason Division II All American.

LAST TIME OUT (vs. Tarleton State)
- Midwestern State eliminated No. 3-ranked Tarleton State from postseason contention for the third time in five years taking a 74-68 win.
- All 12 players to take the floor scored points for the Mustangs, who didn't have a player hit double figures into the final five minutes of the game.
- The Mustangs dominated the glass by a 49-31 margin including 22 offensive board which contributed to 17 second-chance points.
- MSU has limited its last seven opponents to a 40-percent or less field goal percentage after limiting Tarleton State to a 37.7 percent shooting night.

SOUTH CENTRAL TIDBITS
- Midwestern State is making its ninth appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Mustangs are one of only six teams to qualify for NCAA II postseason play for each of the last six seasons -- and one of only two from the South Central Region.
- Midwestern State is making its ninth overall appearance in the NCAA Division II postseason which also includes appearances in 1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011. 2012 and 2013.
- MSU earns its third at-large berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament just as in 2011 (Elite Eight) and 2013 (region semifinalists).
- The Mustangs earned automatic bids as LSC Postseason tournament champs in 1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
- It's the second time the Mustangs play out of the No. 3 position. The first time, MSU advanced to the regional semifinals in 2007 in Warrensburg, Mo.
- Midwestern State is 37-24 all time in national tournament which includes a 21-16 mark in 15 NAIA appearances and a 16-8 mark in nine NCAA showings.
- The Mustangs (2010, 2011, 2012) matched Southeast Missouri State (1988, 1989, 1990) as the only teams to advance out of the South Central Region in three consecutive seasons.
- The Mustangs are 2-5 in teams advancing to the NCAA Division II tournament this season. MSU is 1-2 against Tarleton State and 1-0 against Northwest Missouri State. Midwestern suffered setbacks against Harding (Ark.), Arkansas Tech and California State, San Bernardino this season.

LONE STAR CONFERENCE TIDBITS
- Midwestern State claimed the Lone Star Conference championship for the sixth time in the last eight seasons (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) after claiming back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000.
- Midwestern State's six LSC championships in an 8-year stretch match the most any team has won in the 83-year history of the league. Only Stephen F. Austin, who won six consecutive championships from 1932-37 shares the feat with the Mustangs.
- The Mustangs became the first team since Central Oklahoma (1991-93) to win three straight Lone Star Conference championships and the eighth team in league history to accomplish the achievement joining Stephen F. Austin (1932-37, 70-72), Southwest Texas State (1950-52), East Texas State (1953-55), Lamar (1961-63), Abilene Christian (1985-87) and Central Oklahoma (1991-93).
- Midwestern State claimed its 70th Lone Star Conference victory since the start of the 2008-09 season on March 1 at Cameron. The Mustangs are a cool 70-18 (.795) during the time span which includes three Elite Eights (2010, 2011, 2012) and five Lone Star Conference titles (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) over the last six seasons. Tarleton State is second with a 65-23 mark (.739).
- Midwestern State owns the highest all-time winning percentage in Lone Star Conference postseason history with a 25-8 mark (.758) over 13 appearances. The Mustangs are 11-3 in opening round games including wins in their last seven first round contests. MSU boasts a 8-3 record in the semifinal rounds and is 6-2 in the postseason championship round.
- The Mustangs have won 17 of their last 20 LSC Postseason Tournament games dating back to the 2007 tourney.

MUSTANGS TIDBITS
- Midwestern State claimed its 20th win in the regular season finale at Cameron. The Mustangs have now won 20 games in each of the last six seasons It's the second longest 20-win season streak in school history as Midwestern won at least 20 games in eight consecutive seasons under the legendary Dr. Gerald Stockton from 1973-81. The Mustangs boast a cumulative 154-39 mark over the last six seasons.
- The Mustangs boast the best record (156-39/.800) of any 4-year scholarship program in the State of Texas since the start of the 2008-09 season and its 156 wins are more than any other 4-year program in the Lone Star State. MSU is also the only scholarship program to win at least 20 games in each of the last six seasons.
- Nelson Haggerty has won more games in his first three seasons as head coach than any other mentor in the storied history of Midwestern State basketball. Haggerty is 75-20 (.789) in his first three campaigns bettering the 53 wins set by Dallas Clynch (1952-55) and Jeff Ray (1994-97). Haggerty led the Mustangs to their third consecutive NCAA II South Central Region championship last season winning the school's sixth and now seventh Lone Star Conference title along the way. Haggerty was a part of five Elite Eight runs over a six-year period while serving as an assistant at Central Missouri (2007, 2009) before moving to MSU as Grant McCasland's top assistant (2010, 2011). He then guided the Mustangs back to the Elite Eight in his first season at the helm in 2011-12.
- Midwestern State's season-best 11-game winning streak snapped in the LSC Postseason Tournament finals against Tarleton State. The streak is tied for the 17th longest in school history. It is the longest since the Mustangs won 13 games at the start of the 2011-12 season. It is the fifth winning streak of at least 10 games since the start of the 2009-10 season.
- Midwestern State ranks 8th in NCAA Division in total rebounds (1299.0) and is 13th in rebound margin (+7.8). Both of those numbers top the Lone Star Conference as the Mustangs also lead the league in offensive rebounds (14.7 per game) -- 14th in NCAA II, offensive rebound percentage (.386) and defensive rebound percentage (.718). MSU has out-rebounded 21 of its last 24 opponents by an average of 8.6 rebounds a game. The Mustangs have controlled the rebounding edge in 25 out of 31 games this season and are 18-7 when posting a positive rebound margin. MSU scores 14.6 points per game on second chances and allows 10.0.
- 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 14-0 in games it shoots 45 percent or better posting a season-high percentage of 52.5 against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

WITH A WIN, MIDWESTERN STATE WOULD...
... advance to the Elite Eight for fourth time in last five years.
... face the winner of the South Central Region (Delta State or Tuskegee) on 3/26 in Evansville, Ind.
... improve to 25-7 on the season.
... improve to 16-5 (.762) in nine NCAA II South Central Region appearances.
... improve to 37-24 (.607) all time in national postseason play -- 21-16 in NAIA and 16-8 in NCAA D2.
... improve to 4-1 all time in NCAA D2 South Central Region championship games.
... improve to 2-1 all time against Metro State.
... improve to 9-2 on the road this season.
... improve to 2-3 all time on the road in NCAA postseason tournament games.
... improve to 76-20 (.792) overall under head coach Nelson Haggerty.
... improve to 157-39 (.801) since the start of the 2008-09 season.

WITH A LOSS, MIDWESTERN STATE WOULD...
... end the season with a 24-8 record -- Sixth straight 20-win campaign.
... fall to 15-6 (.714) in nine NCAA II South Central Region appearances.
... fall to 36-25 (.590) all time in national postseason play -- 21-16 in NAIA and 15-9 in NCAA D2.
... fall to 3-2 all tim ein NCAA D2 South Central Region championship games.
... fall to 1-2 all time against Metro State.
... fall to 8-3 on the road this season.
... fall to 1-4 all time on the road in NCAA postseason tournament games.
... fall to 75-21 (.781) overall under head coach Nelson Haggerty.
... fall to 156-40 (.796) since the start of the 2008-09 season.

LOOKING AHEAD
With a win, Midwestern State advances to its fourth NCAA Division II Elite Eight and would play the winner of the South Region title game between Delta State and Tuskegee on March 26 in Ford Arena in Evansville, Ind.