Midwestern State vs. Adams State
Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 | 7:30 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (2-0); Adams State (0-2)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Watch: None
Listen: Mustangs Digital Network 
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com  
 
ON THE COURT
No. 20 Midwestern State welcomes Adams State (Colo.) to D.L. Ligon Coliseum for its home opener Monday night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1- The Mustangs can improve to 3-0 for the second straight season and for the fifth time in the Nelson Haggerty era with a win over Adams State Monday night. MSU started 14-0 in Haggerty's premiere season of 2011-12 and were 5-0 in 2013-14. The Mustangs began the 2012-13 and 2015-15 campaigns with three consecutive wins.
2- MSU claimed its earliest win in a season over a team ranked in the NABC Top 25 beating Arkansas-Fort Smith 83-80 in overtime Friday afternoon in the Rogers State Classic. The Mustangs are 5-1 against ranked opposition since the start of last season and 14-11 against nationally ranked foes during the Haggerty era.
3- Midwestern State has won its last seven home openers since falling to Dallas Baptist 88-83 to start the 2008-09 season.
4- Adams State is making its first trip to Wichita Falls since taking an 88-63 loss on Dec. 21, 1974 in D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
5-  Adams State has lost its last six games against Lone Star Conference opponents with its last win coming at West Texas A&M (61-59) on Jan. 7, 2009.
 
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
* Midwestern State carries preseason rankings of 20th in the NABC D2 Poll and 10th in the D2 Media Poll.
* The Mustangs are favored to win their 10th Lone Star Conference championship according to the league's preseason poll of coaches, sports information directors and selected media.
* MSU claimed its earliest win over a team ranked in the NABC Top 25 by surviving No. 23 Arkansas-Fort Smith 83-80 in overtime in the opener of the Rogers State Classic Friday afternoon at the Claremore (Okla.) Expo Center.
* The Mustangs improved to 2-0 with a dominating 81-63 victory over host Rogers State Saturday afternoon leading by as many as 35 points midway through the second half.
* Senior guard Sheldon Hagigal leads a group of four players averaging in double figures for MSU. He has come off of the bench to hit on seven of his 15 3-point attempts (46.7 percent) scoring 18 points against Arkansas-Fort Smith and 13 versus Rogers State.
* Junior forward Igor Ibaka tallied double-digit points in both of MSU's victories in the Rogers State Classic. The big man from Brazzaville, Congo went for 16 points and six rebounds versus UA-Fort Smith and had 13 points and five rebounds against Rogers State.
* Junior guard Devante Pullum canned three triples on his way to 18 points against Arkansas-Fort Smith to power his average to 13 points per game. The Little Elm High product has six assists in both games for the Mustangs.
* Junior guard Brandon Neel pitches in 10 points while shooting 63.6 percent from the field (7-of-11) in 31 minutes per game.
* Junior forward Nick Powell is MSU's top rebounder at eight boards per game. The Henrietta High product grabbed 11 rebounds in the season opener against Arkansas-Fort Smith.
* Senior guard Pat Smith hit a pair of 3-pointers to book 12 points in MSU's win over Rogers State to up his scoring average to 8.5 points per game.
* True freshman Logan Hicks erupted for 19 points and hit three 3-pointers to power Midwestern past Rogers State on Saturday.
 
SCOUTING THE GRIZZLIES
* Adams State took a pair of losses over the weekend at Tarleton's Texan Tipoff Classic in Stephenville. The Grizzlies fell 89-59 to Tarleton on Friday before taking a 97-93 loss to UT-Permian Basin on Saturday.
* The Grizzlies boast five players averaging in double figures through the first two games of the season including sophomore guard Jarrett Givens (12 points, 5 rebounds), senior guard Bryan Umoru (11 points), junior forward J.R. Tailey (11 points, 3.5 rebounds), junior guard Brandon Sly (10.5 points, 4.0 assists) and junior guard Shane Johnson (10 points, 3.0 rebounds).
* Givens paced Adams State with 15 points and eight rebounds against Tarleton State, while Tailey hit 10-of-11 shots to finish with 22 points against UT-Permian Basin.
* Adams State allowed Tarleton State to shoot 50.8 percent from the field, while UT-Permian Basin connected at a 62.7-percent clip.
* Russ Caton is 12-12 in his second season at the helm of the Adams State program.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
* Midwestern State meets Adams State for the fourth time on the hardwood Monday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
* MSU is 3-0 against the Grizzlies claiming wins in back-to-back seasons in the '70s taking a 97-93 decision in the first meeting on Jan. 12, 1974 in Alamosa then won the return game beating Adams State 88-63 at Ligon Coliseum on Dec. 21, 1974.
* Jordan Stevens erupted for 29 points to lead Midwestern to a 95-87 win over the Grizzlies last season at Plachy Hall in Alamosa (11/21).
 
THE HAGGERTY ERA
- Nelson Haggerty is in his sixth season at the helm for Midwestern State as one of the top young coaches in college basketball.
- Haggerty boasts a 123-36 mark (.774) leading the Mustangs to the NCAA Division II postseason in each of his campaigns at the helm and to  Lone Star Conference championships in four of his five 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. He repeated as LSC Coach of the Year while piloting the Mustangs to their fourth LSC title in his five seasons at head coach in 2016.
- 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.
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State plays host to the Patterson Auto Group Classic Friday and Saturday at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Friday games include Cameron against St. Mary's at 5 p.m. before the Mustangs take on Our Lady of the Lake out of San Antonio at 7:30 p.m. Play concludes Saturday with Cameron battling Our Lady of the Lake at 4 p.m. and MSU against St. Mary's at 6.