Midwestern State vs. Tarleton State
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 | 7:30 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (13-1, 2-0); Tarleton State (13-2, 3-0)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Video: Mustangs Digital Network (PPV)  
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network (Free) 
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com 
 
ON THE COURT
Midwestern State and Tarleton State lock horns in a Top 10 battle to gain early control of the Lone Star Conference race Wednesday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
BEST START... Midwestern State can match its best start through 15 games with a win over Tarleton State. The Mustangs started the 2009-10 season with a 14-1 mark on the way to their first NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance.
MAKINGS OF A RIVALRY... Since Midwestern State and Tarleton State moved into same division in the Lone Star Conference starting the 2005-06 season, MSU won 15 of the 28 game played between the programs. Each team has won five times on the other's home floor during the stretch with the scoring margin favoring the Mustangs -- just barely -- by 1.6 points per game. The last seven meetings have been decided by six points or fewer which favors the Texans, who have won 10 of the 17 games played between the teams during that stretch decided by fewer than 10 points. Larger margins favor MSU with the Mustangs winning eight of the 11 games decided by 10 points or more.
FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT... The 2015-16 season was the first year since 2008-09 that Midwestern State and Tarleton State did not play at least three times in a season. In the five seasons from 2009-10 through 2013-14, the Mustangs and Texans played 18 times including five LSC tournament games and three times in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.
VISITORS ON A ROLL... The guests have won the last four meetings in the series and the teams have split the regular season series in each of the last four years.
GOING FOR 3-0 IN LSC PLAY... Midwestern State is looking to start 3-0 in Lone Star Conference play for the fifth consecutive season. MSU has tipped off conference play with three straight wins on six occasions since joining the league in 1996-97 and won the conference crown in four those years.
 
SCOUTING THE TEXANS
- Tarleton State rebounded from a 68-67 loss to Drury (Mo.) heading into the winter break to win its last four games including its first three LSC contests.
- The Texans are holding opponents to 58.3 points per game during Lone Star Conference play.
- Tarleton State ranks sixth in NCAA Division II in scoring defense holding the opposition to 63.1 points per game. The Texans are also seventh in field percentage defense (38.5 percent).
- The Texans have out-rebounded the opposition in 13 of 15 games this season and rate fourth in the nation in rebounding margin at +10.9 which is third behind Texas A&M-Commerce (+11.8) and Midwestern State (+11.4) in the LSC.
- Senior forward E.J. Reed leads the Lone Star Conference in scoring at 19.7 points per game posting eight double-doubles this season.
- Senior guard Charles Hill pitches in 12.8 points per game scoring in double figures 11 times this season including a campaign-best 24 against Adams State.
- Senior guard Malcolm Hamilton adds 11.9 points and 7.3 rebounds a game. He notched a season-high 24 points in last week's win over No. 4 Angelo State.
- Senior guard Michael Hardge scores 11.2 points and has scored in double figures nine times.
- Lonn Reisman boasts a 602-235 record (.717) in 28 seasons at the helm of the Tarleton State men's basketball program. Reisman is 24-26 against Midwestern State with 11 percent of his total losses coming to MSU.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State and Tarleton State meet for the 73rd time on the hardwood Wednesday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
- The Mustangs own a commanding 46-26 edge in the series which dates back to the 1961-62 season.
- Midwestern is 24-12 all-time against TSU at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, but the Texans have won the last two under the dome.
 
MUSTANGS NOTEBOOK
- Midwestern State claimed wins in its first two conference games of the season beating West Texas A&M 74-65 in Canyon before rolling past Eastern New Mexico 90-56.
- The Mustangs extended their current winning streak to 10 games which is the longest since MSU won 11 consecutive games from Jan. 25-March 7, 2014.
- It's the 20th time an MSU team has won at least 10 consecutive games and seventh 10-game winning streak since the start of the 2009-10 season.
- With a win over Tarleton State on Wednesday, the Mustangs can match the best start in school history originally set in 2009-10 (14-1).
- MSU is the only team in the South Central Region with a less than two losses.
- Nine of MSU's 13 wins have come by double figures and six have been by 20-or-more points.
- The Mustangs rank fifth in NCAA Division II in scoring margin at +19.7 per game... MSU has won the rebounding battle in 13 of 14 games this season and rank second in NCAA Division II in rebounding margin at +11.4 per game.
- Senior guard Jordan Stevens poured in a season-high 31 points in MSU's 90-56 win over Eastern New Mexico on Saturday.
- It was Stevens' fifth game with at least 20 points this season.
- Stevens ranks third in the LSC in scoring at 16.7 points per game.
- Stevens leads the LSC in free throw percentage at 93 percent (40-of-43) ranking ninth in NCAA Division II.
- Senior forward Khapri Alston notched his sixth double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds Wednesday at West Texas A&M, then narrowly missed his seventh with 11 points and nine rebounds versus ENMU.
- Senior guard Hershell Grant threw down two dunks and knocked down a 3-pointer to finish with points on 4-of-5 shooting.
- Grant is shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 52.2 percent from the 3-point line this season.
- Junior guard Sheldon Hagigal scored a season-high 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting off of the bench to lead the Mustangs to a 74-65 win over West Texas A&M Wednesday night in Canyon.
- Senior guard Brandon Golden delivered his fifth double-figure performance of the season knocking down three 3-pointers on his way to 14 points Saturday against ENMU.
- Senior guard Bretson McNeal battled through illness to score 10 points and pull down six rebounds in 30 minutes Wednesday at West Texas A&M.
- McNeal was limited to 12 minutes Saturday versus ENMU.
- Junior guard Pat Smith matched a season-best nine points in a campaign-high 23 minutes against West Texas A&M.
- Junior forward Trevor Fuller snatched a season-high 10 rebounds against Eastern New Mexico.
- Fuller swatted single shots against WTAMU and ENMU and has now recorded a block in 13 of 14 games this season.
 
MSU IN THE POLLS
- Midwestern State moved ahead two spots to No. 4 in this week's National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II Poll released Tuesday afternoon. It's the Mustangs' highest ranking since taking the No. 3 rating into the 2010 Elite Eight.
- The Mustangs remained at No. 2 for the second consecutive week in the D2 Media Poll with two first-place votes. MSU is just six votes back of No. 1 West Liberty (W. Va.) which received 10 first-place votes.
- Tarleton State is ranked No. 6 in the NABC Division II Poll and No. 10 in the D2 Media Poll.
 
MUSTANGS AGAINST NATIONALLY RANKED
- Midwestern State is 34-53 (.391) all time against teams ranked in the NABC Division II Poll since joining D2 in 1996-97.
- The Mustangs are 10-10 under current head coach Nelson Haggerty versus nationally ranked opponents including six wins against teams ranked in the Top 10.
- MSU have dealt seven losses to nationally ranked Tarleton State squads.
- The Mustangs own one victory against nationally ranked side this season claiming a 77-71 win over Bellarmine on Nov. 27 at the Bill Joergens Memorial Classic in Evansville, Ind. The Knights were ranked No. 3 in the NABC poll and topped the D2 Media Poll.
 
MUSTANGS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
TEAM RANKINGS
- Blocked Shots Per Game -- 2nd -- 6.3
- Field Goal Percentage Defense -- 3rd -- 37.1
- Rebound Margin -- 3rd -- +11.4
- Scoring Margin -- 3rd -- 19.6
- Total Blocks -- 5th -- 88.0
- Defensive Rebounds Per Game -- 6th -- 31.93
- Field Goal Percentage -- 20th -- 49.7
- Total Rebounds -- 24th -- 630.0
- Scoring Offense -- 25th -- 88.4
- Scoring Defense -- 32nd -- 68.7
- Three-Point Field Goal Defense -- 32nd -- 39.9
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
- Free Throw Percentage -- Jordan Stevens -- 5th -- 93.0
- Total Blocks -- Trevor Fuller -- 14th -- 34.0
- Blocked Shots Per Game -- Trevor Fuller -- 16th -- 2.43
- Double-Doubles -- 26th -- Khapri Alston -- 6.0
- Offensive Rebounds Per Game -- Khapri Alston -- 40th -- 3.14
 
THE HAGGERTY ERA
- Nelson Haggerty is in his fifth season at the helm for Midwestern State as one of the top young coaches in college basketball.
- Haggerty boasts a 110-31 mark (.780) leading the Mustangs to the NCAA Division II postseason in each of his campaigns at the helm and to  Lone Star Conference championships in each of his first 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 six consecutive years.
 
NEXT TIME OUT
Midwestern State hits the road to take on Texas A&M-Commerce Saturday at the A&M-Commerce Fieldhouse. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.