MIDWESTERN STATE vs. ST. GREGORY'S
Friday, Dec. 16, 2016 | 7 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (6-4); St. Gregory's (4-5)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Watch: Mustangs Digital Network 
Listen: Mustangs Digital Network 
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com 
 
MIDWESTERN STATE vs. TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE
Monday, Dec. 19, 2016 | 7:30 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (6-4, 0-3 LSC); Texas A&M-Kingsville (7-2, 0-0 LSC)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Watch: Mustangs Digital Network 
Listen: Mustangs Digital Network 
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com 
 
ON THE COURT
Midwestern State continues a five-game home stand by playing two games in four days heading into the Christmas break. The Mustangs step out of league play to take on St. Gregory's Friday night at 7 before welcoming Texas A&M-Kingsville on Monday.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1- St. Gregory's (Okla.) is one of just two non-NCAA Division II opponents for the Mustangs this season. MSU defeated Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) in its only other non-D2 game by a 102-72 count in the Patterson Auto Family Classic on Nov. 18. Midwestern beat Oklahoma Science & Arts (107-75) and Oklahoma City (96-82) in exhibition play.
2- Midwestern State has won 57 of its last 58 games against non-NCAA D1/D2 opponents dating back to 1997 and is 62-3 since making the move to NCAA Division II prior to the 1996-97 campaign.
3- The Mustangs are 49-1 against non-NCAA D1/D2 opposition in games played at D.L. Ligon Coliseum since the start of the 1996-97 season and have won the last nine game against that competition under the dome since taking an 80-74 loss to Oklahoma Wesleyan on Jan. 1, 2014.
4- Midwestern State is 0-3 in Lone Star Conference play for the first time since 2007-08 and last dropped its first four league games when it started 0-5 in 2005-06. MSU also dropped its first four LSC games in 1997-98. Consequently, the Mustangs missed the Lone Star Conference postseason tournament in each of those seasons.
5- Midwestern State has beaten Texas A&M-Kingsville 18 consecutive times dating back to the Javelinas' season sweep of MSU in 2007-08. TAMUK last beat MSU 78-63 on Feb. 16, 2008 in Kingsville.
 
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
* Midwestern State looks to snap a three-game skid Friday night in a non-conference game against St. Gregory's (Okla.) at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Mustangs last lost four consecutive game from Jan. 23-Feb. 6, 2015 but went on to claim the LSC title with a 10-4 league record.
* MSU will try to avoid going to 0-4 in LSC play for just the third time since joining the league in 1996-97 Monday night against Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Mustangs started league play with a 0-5 mark in 2005-06 and were 0-4 in 1997-98.
* (#0) Brandon Neel scored in double figures in each of his last four games averaging 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds during the stretch. He scored matching season highs of 14 points while pulling down seven boards in each of his last two games against Texas A&M-Commerce and Angelo State.
* Sophomore guard (#1) Romello Walker looks to make his season debut for MSU. The 6-6, 190-pound transfer from Binghamton averaged 8.6 points while making 31 starts from the Bearcats as a true freshman in 2014-16. He suffered a season ending injury in his seventh game last season while averaging 4.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game. He has three remaining seasons of eligibility.
* Junior guard (#3) Devante Pullum scored nine points and dished out six assists last time out against Angelo State. The Little Elm High product leads the Mustangs ranks sixth in the LSC dishing out 3.9 assists per game. He has dished out at least five assists in four games this season.
* Junior guard (#4) Shawn Nottingham drilled his first 3-pointer of the season finishing with three points, four rebounds and three assists against Angelo State. The junior transfer from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M has yet to attempt a free throw in 90 minutes of floor time this season.
* Senior guard (#10) Pat Smith boasts a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio this season (31:15). He posted his third game with no turnovers while scoring seven points against Angelo State. He had a string of four consecutive double-figure outings from Nov. 25-Dec. 3.
* Junior guard (#14) De'Quaan Haggerty has competed in two games this season. He is the nephew of coach Nelson Haggerty.
* Sophomore forward (#24) Nemanja Krtolica scored six points and pulled down five rebounds in 12 minutes against Angelo State. The transfer from Western Texas College ranks third on the team pulling down 5.2 caroms per game while shooting 75 percent from the field (18-of-24).
* Senior forward (#32) Magnus Richards fouled out for the third time this season in 10 minutes of play last time out against Angelo State but still managed six points and five rebounds.
* Junior forward (#33) Igor Ibaka matched a season high with 16 points while completing his third double-double with 11 rebounds before fouling out in 27 minutes against Angelo State. The Oklahoma State transfer is the active leading scorer for the Mustangs at 10.9 points per game while ranking seventh in the LSC with 7.4 rebounds per game.
* Junior forward (#35) Nick Powell matched a career high with 11 points while pulling down five rebounds in 32 minutes against Angelo State.
* Freshman guard (#54) Logan Hicks suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Tarleton State (12/1). He was averaging 10 points per game while shooting 37.8 percent from the arc.
 
SCOUTING THE CAVALIERS
* The NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference members bring a 4-5 mark into Friday night's contest against Midwestern State.
* St. Gregory's, out of Shawnee, Okla., is counting the contest as its second exhibition of the season. The Cavs lost to Division II Rogers State (Okla.) 91-69 last week in Claremore.
* The Cavaliers were picked to finish ninth in the 10-team Sooner Athletic Conference after posting a 10-17 mark in 2015-16.
* Senior guard Rodney Smith is one of three SGU players averaging in double figures ranking 17th in NAIA Division I at 20.2 points per game. The Prairie State College (Ill.) poured in a season-high 40 in an upset win over No. 24 LSU-Shreveport (11/25).
* Junior guard Tyler Tucker, a transfer from Johnson County CC, 18.7 points per game scoring 20-or-more in five of nine games this season. He is coming off of a 22-point effort the last time out against John Brown (Ark.).
* Senior Jordan Rutherford, a transfer from Oklahoma Christian, pitches in 18.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. The 6-7 forward erupted for a season-high 27 points and pulled down nine rebounds against Our Lady of the Lake (11/26).
* Dylan Lemley is in his first season at the helm of St. Gregory's men's basketball squad. The former three-year letter winner for the Cavaliers took over the reins from current SGU Athletic Director John Martin, who coached SGU for eight seasons.
* Lemley scored 10 points off of the bench for St. Gregory's on Dec. 21, 2014.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
* Midwestern State and St. Gregory's meet for the third time on the hardwood Friday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
* Bretson McNeal connected on five 3-pointers and scored 23 points while Trevor Fuller had 17 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots to lead MSU to a 78-65 win in the first meeting on Dec. 21, 2014 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
* Brandon Golden connected on six treys to tally 20 points leading a group of four Mustangs in double figures as MSU rolled to a 103-57 win over St. Gregory's on Jan. 2, 2016.
 
SCOUTING THE JAVELINAS
* Texas A&M-Kingsville tips off Lone Star Conference with games at Cameron on Saturday and Midwestern State on Monday.
* The Hoggies claimed two wins over St. Mary's (Texas) and another over St. Edward's (Texas) as part of a three-game streak after dropping their lone games of the season in the TAMUK/Emerald Beach Thanksgiving Classic to Ouachita Baptist (83-80) and Southeastern Oklahoma State (64-59).
* The Javelinas have played just two games away from Steinke Center this season including wins over Texas A&M International (60-58) and St. Mary's (79-64).
* Junior Trey Sumpter leads TAMUK in scoring at 15.2 points per game while pulling down 5.4 rebounds. The 6-5 guard/forward from Birmingham, Ala. scored in double figures in eight of nine games this season including a season-high 29 with six 3-pointers against St. Mary's (11/29). He is shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc this season.
* Senior guard/forward Duan Wright carries an average of 10.4 points per game into the weekend after missing all of last season with an injury. He scored in double figures four times this season with a campaign-best 23 points and 11 rebounds against South Dakota Mines (11/12).
* Newcomer Caelan Neal drops in 10 points a game for the Hoggies after transferring in from Butler CC (Kan.). The 6-1 guard is coming off of back-to-back 14-point performances against St. Edward's and St. Mary's.
* Johnny Estelle is 26-36 (.419) in his third season at the helm at his alma mater. As a two-year letter winner at Texas A&M-Kingsville (1994-96), Estelle earned second-team All-Lone Star Conference honors leading the Javelinas to a school-record 23 wins in 1995-96.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
* Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Kingsville meet for the 46th time on the hardwood Monday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
* The Mustangs own a commanding 34-11 edge in the series which dates back to the 1976-77 season.
* MSU has won the last 18 meetings between the programs with the Javelinas' last win coming by a 78-63 score on Feb. 16, 2008 in Kingsville.
* The Mustangs are 16-5 all-time against the Hoggies at D.L. Ligon Coliseum including wins in each of TAMUK's last eight trips to Wichita Falls. The Javelinas had won three straight games under the dome from 2005-08.
* Current Texas A&M-Kingsville coach Johnny Estelle led the Hoggies to a season sweep over Midwestern State during his playing days in 1995-96. He scored 25 points in both games as TAMUK won 98-89 on Dec. 18, 1995 in Wichita Falls and 97-94 on Feb. 22, 1996 in Kingsville.
 
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 126-40 mark (.759) 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 takes a 17-day Christmas break before playing host to West Texas A&M and UT-Permian Basin on Jan. 5th and 7th, respectively.