Midwestern State vs. Angelo State
Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 | 7:30 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (6-3, 0-2); Angelo State (5-0, 0-0)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Watch: Mustangs Digital Network 
Listen: Mustangs Digital Network 
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com  
 
ON THE COURT
Midwestern State looks to get back on track Thursday night against 11th-ranked Angelo State at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Lone Star Conference matchup tips off at approximately 7:30 p.m.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1- Midwestern State looks to avoid a three-straight loss for the first time since dropping four consecutive LSC games (at No. 11 Angelo State -- 1/23/16, vs. Cameron -- 1/30/16, at Tarleton State -- 2/3/16, vs. Texas A&M-Commerce -- 2/6/16) last season. The Mustangs recovered to win the next eight games to claim its ninth LSC title, a league postseason tournament title and the top seed in the South Central Region.
2- The Mustangs face their third nationally ranked opponent of the season Thursday against 11th-ranked Angelo State. MSU beat No. 23 Arkansas-Fort Smith (83-80/OT) in the season opener and fell to 16th-ranked Tarleton State (64-56) last week in Stephenville.
3- Midwestern State has won five of its last seven matchups against teams ranked in the NABC Top 25 dating back to the start of last season and are 14-12 against nationally ranked foes during the Nelson Haggerty era (since the start of the 2011-12 season).
4- Angelo State snapped a 20-game skid against Midwestern State at D.L. Ligon Coliseum with a 53-50 win on Feb. 16, 2013. The Rams have won on two of their last four trips against the Mustangs at D.L. Ligon Coliseum -- winning 72-55 on Jan. 21, 2014 -- but MSU still owns a 28-6 mark against the Rams all time under the dome.
5- Angelo State has enjoyed an average victory margin of 24.3 points in its three home games, but the Rams managed 2-point win in overtime (89-87) at St. Mary's (Texas) and a one-point victory (91-90) over St. Edward's (Texas) on the road last weekend.
 
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
* Midwestern State fell out of the NABC Top 25 and D2 Media polls this week after taking consecutive losses to Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce to fall to 6-3 on the season.
* The Mustangs' rotation is shortened with the dismissal of senior guard Sheldon Hagigal (12.6 ppg, 21 3-pointers in 7 games) and the season ending ankle injury of freshman guard Logan Hicks (10.0 ppg).
* (#0) Brandon Neel has scored in double figures in each of his last three games averaging 13.0 points and 7.3 rebounds including a season-high out of 15 points and nine rebounds at Tarleton State.
* (#1) Romello Walker joins MSU's active roster following the Angelo State game. The 6-6 transfer guard from Binghamton averaged 8.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Bearcats as a true freshman in 2014-15. He scored 4.9 points and reined in 3.1 boards in 18.1 minutes per game as a sophomore in seven games last season before suffering a season ending injury.
* (#3) Devante Pullum drilled two 3-pointers to deliver his third double figure outing of the season Saturday at Texas A&M-Commerce finishing with 10 points and five rebounds.
* (#4) Shawn Nottingham has misfired on his last nine shots from the field over MSU's last two games. The junior guard erupted for 22 points and dished out six assists in MSU's exhibition opener against Science & Arts (Okla.) sitting out MSU's first five games of the season.
* (#10) Pat Smith dropped in 14.3 points a game over his last four outings including a career-high 19 points at Colorado Mesa (11/26). During the stretch, Smith is shooting 44.2 percent from the field (19-for-43) with seven 3-pointers while pulling down 4.3 boards and dishing out 3.5 assists per game.
* (#14) De'Quaan Haggerty has appeared in two games this season for the Mustangs.
* (#24) Nemanja Krtolica is second on the squad pulling down 5.2 rebounds per game. The sophomore from Banja Lake, Bosnia notched a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds against Our Lady of the Lake (Texas).
* (#32) Magnus Richards boasts four double-figure outings this season including a season-high 18 with eight rebounds against Western State Colorado. The senior from Silver Spring, Md. swatted a career-high five shots Saturday at Texas A&M-Commerce.
* (#33) Igor Ibaka delivered his seventh double-figure performance of the season with 11 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes Saturday at Texas A&M-Commerce.
* (#35) Nick Powell carries career-best averages of 5.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The Henrietta product tallied a career-high 11 points against St. Mary's (11/19).
* (#54) Logan Hicks suffered a season-ending ankle injury at Tarleton State (12/1). The freshman from Temple notched four consecutive double-figure efforts from Nov. 12-19 to boast a scoring average of 10 points per game while shooting 37.8 percent from the arc.
 
SCOUTING THE RAMS
* For the second consecutive season, Angelo State brings an unblemished mark into its Lone Star Conference opener. The Rams rolled out to a 12-0 start before falling at Tarleton State last season. ASU is 5-0 this season.
* Senior guard Quay King leads a trio of Rams averaging in double figures dropping in 19.6 points per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field with 17 made treys. King has scored at least 15 points in each game this season with a season-high 25-point outing against St. Mary's.
* Junior transfer Lorenzo Dillard scores 15.6 points per game and leads the LSC in assists with 5.4 per game. Dillard scored 26 points with nine rebounds and seven assists the last time out at St. Edward's.
* Senior guard Prince Foster hit the game winner in both of ASU's wins last week over St. Mary's and St. Edward's. He is third on the team in scoring with 15 points per game while pulling down 5.0 rebounds.
* Cinco Boone sports a 30-7 record in his second season at the helm at Angelo State. He led the Rams to the South Central Region finals last season at Ligon Coliseum.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
* Midwestern State and Angelo State meet for the 75th time on the hardwood Thursday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
* The Mustangs hold a 46-28 edge in the series which dates back to the 1965-66 season.
* Angelo State has won four of the last six games between the programs, but MSU claimed the last two with a 76-71 regular season win at Ligon Coliseum (2/20/16) and an 88-72 victory in the LSC Postseason Tournament final (3/5/16) in Allen.
* Midwestern State is 28-6 all-time against the Rams at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
 
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 126-39 mark (.764) 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 steps out of Lone Star Conference play to take on St. Gregory's (Okla.) next Friday at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.