Midwestern State vs. Angelo State
Sunday, March 15, 2015 | 5 p.m.
Wisdom Gym | Stephenville, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (22-8); Angelo State (27-5)
Video: TarletonSports.com 
Radio: ESPN 95.5
Audio: MSUMustangs.com 
Live Stats: TarletonSports.com 

ON THE COURT
- Midwestern State battles Lone Star Conference foe Angelo State in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Sunday afternoon at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.
- The winner moves on to face either Tarleton State or Colorado-Colorado Springs in the championship game Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

SCOUTING THE RAMS
- Angelo State claimed its first ever NCAA Division II postseason win by claiming an 85-79 decision over Texas A&M-Commerce in the a rematch of last weekend's Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament championship game.
- The Rams won 16 consecutive games from Nov. 29 to Feb. 7. The streak was ended by Tarleton State 72-68 in Stephenville on Feb. 11. ASU has won six of nine games since.
- Angelo State ranks among national leaders in many statistical categories as the Rams are first in scoring margin (+21.5), third in field goal percentage (53.1 percent), fifth in field goal percentage defense (39.3 percent), sixth in total assists (548.0), 11th in assists per game (17.7), 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.47), 14th in turnover margin (+4.2) and 15th in 3-point percentage defense (31.4 percent).
- Senior guard Demario Mayfield leads a group of four one-year senior transfers scoring 15.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while shotting 49.6 percent from the field. He also dished out 4.0 assists per game.
- Mayfield, a transfer from Charlotte, opened NCAA tournament play with a 13-point, 7-rebound effort against Texas A&M-Commerce.
- Senior Chris Jones, a transfer from North Texas, scores 15.3 points per game to go along with an LSC-best 4.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds. He shoots 59.5 percent from the field and is 24th in NCAA Division II with 2.3 steals per game.
- Jones scored 12 points hitting a pair of 3-pointers in an opening round win over Texas A&M-Commerce.
- Senior guard Marsell Holden, a transfer from Morehead State, scores 14.6 points per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the arc knocking down 3.2 triples per game.
- Holden is coming off of back-to-back 22-point efforts against Texas A&M-Commerce hitting on 6-of-12 3-pointers in each game.
- Senior guard Raijon Kelly scores 10.1 points a game to go along with 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
- Kelly, a transfer from Samford, scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the opening round against Texas A&M-Commerce. He had scored a total of 14 points over his previous three outings.
- Chris Beard boasts a 46-15 record (.754) in his second season at the helm of the Angelo State men's basketball program. He is 63-20 (.759) in three seasons as a collegiate head coach which includes a 19-10 mark in one season at McMurry (2012-13).

ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State meets Angelo State for the 72nd time on the hardwood Sunday afternoon at Wisdom Gym.
- The Mustangs control a 45-26 edge in the series which dates back to the 1965-66 season.
- Angelo State swept the Mustangs during the regular season for the first time in program history this season and have won four of the last six meeting between the teams.
- This is just the second neutral site meeting between the program  with Midwestern claiming an 82-63 win over the Rams in the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament semifinals on March 7, 2014 in Allen.

MUSTANGS NOTEBOOK
- Midwestern State improved 7-0 in NCAA Division II South Central Regional games with a 58-56 win over Metropolitan State (Colo.).
- The Mustangs have won 20 games in each of the last seven seasons advancing to the NCAA postseason each year.
- The Mustangs advanced to the Elite Eight three times during the run (2010, 2011, 2012) winning five Lone Star Conference championships during the span.
- MSU continues to rank near the top of numerous NCAA Division II statistical categories as the Mustangs are fourth in 3-point field goal defense (30.2), seventh in rebound margin (+8.5), ninth in field goal percentage defense (39.6), ninth in total blocks (144.0), ninth in offensive rebounds per game (14.93) and 10th in blocked shots per game (5.0).
- Midwestern out-rebounded the opposition in 25 of 30  games this season, but has lost the battle on the boards in three of the last five begin out-rebounded by 10 in wins over Cameron in the season finale and Metro State (Colo.) in the opening round of the NCAA II Tournament. MSU is 2-3 when it loses the rebounding battle this season.
- Angelo State had the edge on the boards in each of its two meetings with the Mustangs this season.
- Junior guard Bretson McNeal (Minneapolis, Minn. / DeLaSalle HS (North Dakota State Science)), a first-team All-Lone Star Conference performer, paces the Mustangs in scoring at 15.9 points per game with 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the 3-point line.
- McNeal delivered his eighth consecutive double-figure effort Saturday against Metro State knocking five 3-pointers on his way to 19 points. It was his 15th game with at least three triples this season.
- McNeal knocked down five 3-pointers to boost his season total to 78. The total ranks as tied for the seventh most in a single season in program history matching Jay January (2004-05), Jovani Allen (2002-03) and Drew Coffman (2006-07).
- LSC Preseason Player of the Year Xavier Blackburn (Verdunville, La. / St. Thomas More HS (North Dakota State Science)) gained All-LSC honorable mention averaging 10.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
- Senior guard Derrell Gibbs (Wichita Falls, Texas / Burkburnett HS) was named to the LSC All-Defensive Team.
- Senior guard Kevin Wagner (Lubbock, Texas / Estacado HS (McLennan CC)) splashed in a season-high 14 points in MSU's opening round win over Metro State. It was his fifth double figure scoring effort of the season. He leads the team dishing out 3.7 assists per game and has notched five assists in 11 games this season with high of 10 against St. Gregory's (Okla.) on Dec. 21.
- Senior forward Tavarion Nix (Havelock, N.C. / Havelock HS (Redlands CC)) scored six points while playing 20 minutes for the first time since early January Saturday against Metro State.
- Senior guard Thad Rideau (Port Arthur, Texas / East Ascension HS (UAB)) has scored 10-or-more points in nine games off of the bench this season knocking down at least three 3-pointers on five occasions.
- Junior guard Hershell Grant (Washington, D.C. / Roosevelt HS (Clarendon College)) scored six points and grabbed six rebounds in 20 minutes off of the bench Saturday against Metro State. He scored 10-or-more points in the last four games of the regular season.
- Sophomore guard Pat Smith (Houston, Texas / Jones HS) has committed one turnover in his last 76 minutes of floor time.
- Senior forward Khapri Alston (Chicago, Ill. / Thornwood HS (Northeast CC (Neb.))) battled foul trouble to finish with four points and four rebounds in 14 minutes Saturday against Metro State. The game snapped a streak of four consecutive double-figure efforts including a season-high 19 points with seven rebounds against Cameron in the opening round of the LSC Postseason Tournament.

THE HAGGERTY ERA
- Nelson Haggerty is in his fourth season at the helm for Midwestern State as one of the top young coaches in college basketball.
- Haggerty boasts a 97-29 mark (.770) 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.

MUSTANGS IN THE NCAA DIVISION II POSTSEASON
- Midwestern State is making its 10th 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 seven season joining Seattle Pacific (11), Florida Southern (8), Metropolitan State-Denver (7), Bellarmine (7), Indiana (Pa.) (7).
- MSU is making its 10th overall appearance in the NCAA Division II postseason which also includes showings in 1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
- Midwestern earned its fourth at-large berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament just in 2011 (Elite Eight), 2013 (region semifinalist) and 2014 (region finalist).
- The Mustangs earned automatic bids as LSC Postseason Tournament champs in 1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
- Midwestern is 38-25 all time in national tournament games which includes a 21-16 mark in 15 NAIA appearances and a 17-9 mark in 10 NCAA showings.
- The No. 7 seed is the lowest seed for MSU in 10 NCAA tournament appearances. The Mustangs advanced to the Elite Eight playing out of the No. 6 seed in 2011. The Mustangs earned a No. 1 seed in 1999, 2010 and 2012, were No. 2 in 2000, No. 3 in 2007 and No. 4 in 2009 and 2013.
- Midwestern is 5-4 against teams making the NCAA Division II Tournament field this season as the Mustangs are 1-1 against host and top seed Tarleton State, 1-0 against No. 2-seed Metropolitan State (Colo.), 2-0 against No. 3 Texas A&M-Commerce, 0-2 against No. 6 Angelo State, 0-1 against No. 8 St. Mary's (Texas) and 1-0 versus Lynn (Fla.) - the No. 6 seed in the Southeast Region.
- MSU improved to 7-0 in NCAA Division II South Central Region first-round games with its 58-56 win over Metro State on Saturday.
- The Mustangs were one of four No. 7 seeds to claim opening round wins in the NCAA Division II Tournament joining Seattle Pacific (81-69 over BYU-Hawaii), Lewis (Ill.) (70-62 over Wisconsin-Parkside) and Slippery Rock (Pa.) (65-57 over Gannon (Pa.)).
- Midwestern is looking for its sixth South Central Region championship game appearance (2000, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014) and fifth in the last six seasons.