TIPOFF
Midwestern State opens Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament quarterfinal play Wednesday afternoon against Texas A&M-Kingsville. Tipoff at the Allen Event Center is set for 2:30 p.m.
 

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Midwestern State vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville
Wednesday, March 5 | 2:30 p.m.
Allen Event Center | Allen, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (20-6); Texas A&M-Kingsville (8-18)
Live Video: CSNHouston.com  
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com  
Live Stats: LoneStarConference.org 
Game Notes (PDF)
 
SCOUTING THE JAVELINAS
Texas A&M-Kingsville heads into the postseason on a four-game slide and the Hoggies has lost six of their last seven. Senior guard Rashad Basey returned from a three-game absence to score 9 points in 25 minutes in Saturday's 53-41 loss to Angelo State. Basey leads the Hoggies in scoring at 16.5 points to go along with 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Junior guard Ronald Scott is the only other TAMUK player averaging in double figures scoring 11.0 points per game while dishing out a team 3.8 assist a contest. Junior forward Jordan Jahr gives the Javelinas a solid inside-out option at 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds a game. Junior guard Ta'Quan McDew (8.8 points, 2.9 rebounds), junior forward Irvin Hollinger (8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds) and junior guard Adonis Bailey (7.9 points, 3.1 rebounds).Texas A&M-Kingsville ranks last (8th) in the LSC in scoring at 68.2 points per game and are seventh in scoring defense allowing 75.7 points.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Kingsville meet for the 41st time on the hardwood Wednesday afternoon at the Allen Event Center. The Mustangs own a commanding 29-11 edge in the series which dates back to the 1976-77 season. MSU has won the last 13 meetings between the programs with the Javelinas last win coming by a 78-63 count on Feb. 16, 2008 in Kingsville. Midwestern has claimed the last three meetings by 20-or-more points while 10 of the 13 wins have come by double figure margins. MSU also claimed the only postseason meeting between the programs taking a 76-62 decision in the LSC semifinals on March 7, 2009 in Bartlesville, Okla.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE
Midwestern State buried four consecutive 3-point field goals out of the halftime break -- two by Eddie D'Haiti and one each by Monzaigo Williams and Xavier Blackburn -- to break open a seven-point game at halftime on the way to an 83-60 win at Texas A&M-Kingsville on Feb. 22. Blackburn matched a career high with 24 points and pulled down six rebounds including a pair of 3-pointers, while D'Haiti splashed three treys on his way to a career-best 21 points. The Mustangs shot 52.5 percent from the floor, while limiting to TAMUK to a 34.5-percent shooting day. Adonis Bailey paced the Hoggies with 16 points, while Ronald Scott finished with 11 points and four assists.
 

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ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State extended its season-best winning streak to nine games with a 74-71 win over Cameron Saturday night in Lawton. The Mustangs are let by All-Lone Star Conference first-team selection Monzaigo Williams. The senior guard from Palmdale, Calif. ranks fifth in the league in scoring at 16.2 points per game, fifth in assists per game (4.4), seventh in free throw percentage (.773), fifth in steals per game (1.7), sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (.425), sixth in 3-pointers per game 2.0) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8). Junior forward Xavier Blackburn earned second-team and all-defensive team honors after scoring 14.0 points and leading the LSC during league play with 9.1 rebounds a game. The Verdunville, La. native has scored 10-or-more points in each of his last five games including matching career-highs of 24 points against Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville. Blackburn boasts six double-doubles this season. Senior forward Eddie D'Haiti has come on strong during conference play averaging 10.3 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 60.4 percent from the field and 51.4 percent from 3-point range. Senior guard DeJuan Plummer provides scoring punch off of the bench averaging 10.0 points per game for the season. Senior guard Cam Adderley (8.1 points, 5.0 rebounds), senior guard JaMichael Rivers (6.7 points, 1.7 rebounds) and junior guard Derrell Gibbs (3.9 points, 4.0 rebounds) add scoring punch for the Mustangs.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Midwestern State blitzed the nets at a 52.1-percent clip but still had to hold off a late Cameron charge to claim a 74-71 win Saturday night at Aggie Gym. The Mustangs sealed the game by hitting 15-of-16 from the charity stripe and survived Will Cook's open look at a 3-pointer from the corner in the closing seconds. Junior forward Xavier Blackburn paced the Mustangs with 18 points and narrowly missed his seventh double-double of the season with nine rebounds, while senior guard Cam Adderley went for 17 points and four rebounds. Cameron's Craig Foster led all scorers with 25 points splashing in five 3-pointers.
 
MSU UNDER NELSON HAGGERTY
Nelson Haggerty is in his third year as head coach of the Mustangs. He boasts a 71-19 mark (.789) 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.
 
HAGGERTY AMAZING THROUGH FIRST THREE 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 71-19 (.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.
 
IT'S AN MSU TRADITION
- 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).
 
MSU IN THE LONE STAR CONFERENCE POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT
Midwestern State owns the highest all-time winning percentage in Lone Star Conference postseason history with a 23-7 mark (.767) over 13 appearances. The Mustangs are 10-3 in opening round games including wins in their last six first round contests. MSU boasts a 7-3 record in the semifinal rounds and is a perfect 6-1 in the postseason championship round. The Mustangs have won 15 of their last 17 LSC Postseason Tournament games dating back to the 2007 tourney.
 
ABOUT THE STREAK
A win over Texas A&M-Kingsville would give Midwestern State a 10-game winning streak for the 19th time in school history. The streak is the longest since the Mustangs won 13 games at the start of the 2011-12 season. It would be the fifth winning streak of at least 10 games since the start of the 2009-10 season.
 
MSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Midwestern State returned to the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Top 25 this week at No. 24. The Mustangs carried a national ranking for the first five weeks of the season reaching as high as No. 6 before dropping out on Dec. 3. MSU has earned a national ranking at some point during each of the last five seasons.
 
MSU 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. The final regional rankings are set for release on March 5, while the national tournament selection show is set for Sunday.
 
HITTING THE GLASS
Midwestern State ranks 38th in NCAA Division in total rebounds (1086.0) and is 14th in rebound margin (+7.9). Both of those numbers top the Lone Star Conference as the Mustangs also lead the league in offensive rebounds (14.7 per game) -- 13th in NCAA II, offensive rebound percentage (.387) and defensive rebound percentage (.719). MSU has out-rebounded 18 of its last 20 opponents by an average of 9.3 rebounds a game. The Mustangs have controlled the rebounding edge in 21 out of 26 games this season and are 16-5 when posting a positive rebound margin. MSU scores 14.9 points per game on second chances and allows 10.0.
 
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 12-0 in games it shoots 45 percent or better posting a season-high percentage of 52.5 against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
BEST IN TEXAS
The Mustangs boast the best record (152-38/.800) of any 4-year scholarship program in the State of Texas since the start of the 2008-09 season and its 152 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.
 
MIDWESTERN STATE WINS 20... TAKE SIX
Midwestern State claimed its 20th win in the regular season finale Saturday 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 130-30 mark over the last six seasons.
 
MUSTANGS PLACE TWO ON ALL-LONE STAR CONFERENCE SQUAD
Midwestern State senior guard Monzaigo Williams (16.2 points, 4.4 assists) was the lone first-team member for the Mustangs, who claimed their third-straight Lone Star Conference championship. Junior forward Xavier Blackburn (11.4 points, 7.6 rebounds) garnered second-team honors. Blackburn was also named to the inaugural all-defensive team.
 
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 (3.3 points, 3.5 rebounds), Abiodun Adegoke (2.9 points, 3.7 rebounds) and DeVaughn Jones (2.3 points, 2.0 rebounds) combine for a very productive 29.0 minutes per game. MSU's key depth supplements the tandem of Eddie D'Haiti and Xavier Blackburn at the rate of 8.5 points and 9.2 rebounds a game as a trio while shooting 57.0 percent (77-of-135).
 
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...
... advance to the LSC Postseason semifinals Friday against Angelo State/Cameron winner.
... improve to 21-6 on the season.
... improve to 24-7 (.774) all time in the LSC Postseason Tournament.
... improve to 11-3 all time in LSC Postseason Tournament opening round games.
... extend its winning streak to 10 games -- last lost 83-68 on Jan. 22, 2014 at Angelo State.
... win its eighth straight LSC Postseason Tournament opening round game.
... improve to 30-11 all time against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
... win 14th-straight game against the Javelinas -- last lost 78-63 on Feb. 16, 2008 in Kingsville.
... improve to 4-2 on neutral floors this season.
... improve to 72-19 (.791) overall under head coach Nelson Haggerty.
... improve to 153-38 (.801) since the start of the 2008-09 season.
 
WITH A LOSS, MIDWESTERN STATE WOULD...
... fall to 20-7 on the season.
... fall to 23-8 (.742) all time in the LSC Postseason Tournament.
... fall to 10-4 all time in LSC Postseason Tournament opening round games.
... lose for first time since falling 83-68 on Jan. 22, 2014 at Angelo State -- 9 games.
... lose in LSC Postseason Tournament first round for first time since 2004 (TSU, 93-87) -- 7 games.
... fall to 29-12 all time against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
... lose first game to Javelinas since falling 78-63 on Feb. 16, 2008 in Kingsville -- 14 games.
... fall to 3-3 on neutral floors this season.
... fall to 71-20 (.780) overall under head coach Nelson Haggerty.
... fall to 152-39 (.796) since the start of the 2008-09 season.
 
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...
Midwestern State held off Cameron 74-71 to claim its ninth consecutive win and a share of its eighth Lone Star Conference championship... The Mustangs became the first team since Central Oklahoma (1991, 1992, 1993) to win three consecutive Lone Star Conference men's basketball titles... MSU has claimed five of the last six league championships and six of the last eight dating back to the 2006-07 season... The six LSC titles match Stephen F. Austin for the most over an eight-year stretch in conference history. SFA claimed six consecutive titles from 1932-37... MSU has won conference championships in consecutive seasons four times (1999-00, 2009-10, 2012-13, 2013-14)... Midwestern State extended its current winning streak to nine games with Saturday's win at Cameron. It's the longest streak since the Mustangs claimed 13 consecutive wins from the start of the 2011-12 season... MSU has claimed 20 wins for the sixth consecutive season which is the longest run of 20-win campaigns since Midwestern posted eight straight 20-victory ledgers from 1973-81 under the legendary coach Dr. Gerald Stockton... Junior forward Xavier Blackburn finishes LSC play averaging 14.0 points (9th in LSC) and topped the league pulling down 9.1 boards per game... Senior guard Monzaigo Williams scored fewer than 10 points in each of last two outings, but dished out five assists while directing the MSU attack to its top two team shooting performances of the season against Texas A&M-Kingsville (52.5 percent) and Cameron (52.1 percent)... Senior forward Eddie D'Haiti scored four points before fouling out 13 minutes Saturday at Cameron... Junior forward Xavier Blackburn scored 10-or-points in his fifth consecutive game finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds... Blackburn is shooting 66.7 percent (28-of-42) from the field over the last five games while scoring 17.8 points and pulling down 9.4 rebounds per game... Senior guard Cam Adderley connected on 5-of-7 shots from the field and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line to finish with 17 points and four rebounds Saturday against Cameron... Cameron became the first opponent to out-rebound the Mustangs (31-27) since West Florida (41-39) performed the task on Dec. 21... Ironically, the Mustangs are 4-1 in games they have been out-rebounded this season...
 
LOOKING AHEAD
With a win, Midwestern State moves on to face the winner of the Angelo State/Cameron matchup in the semifinal round Friday afternoon at 2:30. The Rams and Aggies square off Thursday afternoon.