Midwestern State vs. Tarleton State
Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016 | 5:30 p.m.
Wisdom Gym | Stephenville, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (16-3, 5-2); Tarleton State (15-5, 4-3)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Video: TarletonSports.com 
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network (Free)  
Live Stats: TarletonSports.com  
 
ON THE COURT
Two rivals in desperate need of a win face off Wednesday night at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville. Midwestern State and Tarleton State, who have each lost their last two league games, tipoff at 7:30 p.m.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
MUSTANGS, TEXANS FACING RARITY... The loser of Wednesday night's matchup of LSC titans will drop their third consecutive league game. MSU last dropped three consecutive LSC games during the 2007-08 season. Tarleton has lost four straight in 2012-13 and had a three-game skid in 2008-09.
MSU, TSU COMING IN ON A LOSS... It's the first time since the 2012-13 season that both teams come into the rivalry contest on a losing note. Midwestern claimed the win in that game sending the Texans to a third-straight defeat, 50-34, at Ligon Coliseum.
AVERTING A SKID... Midwestern State hasn't lost three consecutive games since falling to Central Oklahoma, Texas-Permian Basin and Northeastern State -- all on the road -- from Nov. 25-Dec. 15, 2008. The Mustangs went 22-3 the rest of the way advancing to the NCAA Division II South Central Region semifinals. It was the first of a current seven-season run to the NCAA D2 national tournament.
WINNING THE SECOND HALF... Midwestern State is 15-0 this season when outscoring the opposition in the second half. Conversely, the Mustangs are 0-2 when the opponent puts up more points after intermission in losses to Colorado State-Pueblo (11/24) -- outscored 48-40 after the half -- and Angelo State (1/23) -- outscored 36-34. MSU and Ouachita Baptist played to a 37-37 draw in the second half on Dec. 19 in Arkadelphia, Ark. with the Mustangs squeezing out a 75-73 win. Midwestern is 1-1 when tying the opposition after halftime.
WINNING WITH (IN) WISDOM... Midwestern State has won in its last two trips to Stephenville and have won five of the last nine against Tarleton State in Wisdom Gym. The Mustangs haven't won in three consecutive trips to Stephenville since winning five straight from 1964-69.
 
SCOUTING THE TEXANS
- Tarleton State has dropped consecutive Lone Star Conference games and has lost three of its last five games since falling to Midwestern State 66-63 on Jan. 13 at Ligon Coliseum.
- Senior forward E.J. Reed leads the Texans and is second in the LSC in scoring at 18.6 points per game. He shoots 60.2 percent from the field and makes his way to the free throw line nearly seven times per game. He has scored 20-or-more points nine times this season including in each of his last two outings.
- Senior guard Charles Hill splashes in 13.8 points per game and led Tarleton with 25 points against Midwestern State earlier this season.
- Senior guard Michael Hardge pitches in 11.1 points per game and leads the LSC with 5.0 assists a contest. He has scored in double figures 12 times including a campaign high of 21 against Rollins (Fla.).
- Senior guard Malcolm Hamilton averages 10.7 points per game scoring in double figures eight time this season but just once in his last nine outings.
- Lonn Riesman is 614-238 (.721) in his 28th season at the helm of the Tarleton State men's basketball program.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State and Tarleton State meet for the 74th time on the hardwood Wednesday night at Wisdom Gym.
- The Mustangs own a commanding 47-26 lead in the series which dates back to the 1961-62 season.
- Midwestern has won three of the last four meetings between the teams and four of the last six dating back to the 2013-14 season.
 
MUSTANGS NOTEBOOK
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 16 of the 29 games 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 1.7 points per game. The last eight meetings have been decided by six points or fewer which favors the Texans, who have won 10 of the 18 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 19 times including five LSC tournament games and three times in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.
IN THE POLLS... Midwestern State dropped two spots to No. 6 in last week's National Association of Basketball Coaches' Top 25. The Mustangs checked in at No. 3 while receiving a first-place vote in the D2 Media Poll. Both polls are set for release Tuesday afternoon.
REGIONAL RANKINGS... The NCAA Division II Basketball Committee is set for the first of three regional ranking releases on Wednesday, Feb. 17 with the other two to follow on Feb. 24 and March 1. Team selections and bracket announcement is set for Sunday, March 6. The top eight teams from each of the eight regions advance to the postseason play. Regional championship tournaments are set for campus sites from March 12-15. The 2016 Elite Eight is set for March 23-26 at Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas.
RAINING THREES... Midwestern State leads the Lone Star Conference in 3-point percentage during league play knocking down 43.4 percent of shots from beyond the arc. The Mustangs, who are the only team shooting better than 40 percent, are paced by senior guard Bretson McNeal. McNeal has drained 57.6 percent of his shots from beyond the arc knocking down 19-of-33 from beyond the arc. Junior Sheldon Hagigal is shooting 50 percent (12-for-24) while Brandon Golden is at 36.4 percent (12-of-33) and Jordan Stevens is at 36.1 percent (13-of-36).
DOING IT AND DOING IT WELL... The Mustangs rank amongst national leaders in numerous categories this season ranking second in rebound margin (+9.7), second in blocked shots per game (6.5), third in total blocks (124.0), fourth in field goal percentage defense (38.1), sixth in scoring margin (+17.1), sixth in defensive rebounds (30.89) and 15th in 3-point field goal percentage (40.5).
 
MSU PROBABLE STARTERS
Bretson McNeal | G | SR | Minneapolis, Minn. / North Dakota State Science
PPG: 13.1 | REB: 3.8 | AST: 2.0
- Lone Star Conference Preseason Player of the Year.
- started each of MSU's 19 games.
- leads LSC and ranks fourth in NCAA Division II in 3-point field goal percentage knocking down 50.5 percent of his shots from the arc.
- connected on at least three 3-pointers in 11 games this season.
- on a tear from the arc knocking down 18 of 29 over his last five games (62.1 percent).
- scored 10-or-more points in 14 games this season including a campaign-high 22 in the season opener against Oklahoma City.
 
Jordan Stevens | G | SR | Columbia, Mo. / Duquesne
PPG: 15.3 | REB: 3.0 | AST: 3.7
- Division I transfer from Duquesne.
-  started in 18 of 19 games this season.
- ranks sixth in the LSC in scoring at 15.3 points per game and fifth in assists at 3.7.
- explosive scorer has scored 20-or-more points in five games this season including a 31-point effort against Eastern New Mexico (1/9).
- ranks among national leaders in free throw percentage at 91.8 percent.
- has 17 assists and four turnovers over last 90 minutes of court time.
 
Hershell Grant | G | SR | Washington, D.C. / Clarendon College
PPG: 7.6 | REB: 3.6 | AST: 2.0
- strong hoops blood lines. Nephew of former NBA standouts Horace and Harvey Grant. Cousins also played collegiate basketball with Jerian Grant (Notre Dame/New York Knicks), Jerai Grant (Clemson) and Jerami Grant (Syracuse/Philadelphia 76ers).
- shooting 54.3 percent from the field, 41.9 percent from 3-point range and 68.6 percent from the free throw line.
- top defender has scored in double figures six times this season including a season 18 points against St. Gregory's (1/2).
- came off of the bench to score 13 points and pull down a season-high eight rebounds against Cameron (1/30).
 
Trevor Fuller | F | JR | Dallas, Texas / University of San Diego
PPG: 5.4 | REB: 4.8 | BLK: 2.7
- son of former San Francisco 49er strong safety Jeff Fuller (1984-89) whose grandfather - Cincy Powell - played pro basketball in the ABA. His brother - Jeff, Jr. - enjoyed a stellar collegiate football career as a receiver at Texas A&M before playing professionally with the Miami Dolphins and Calgary Stampeders.
- Fuller ranks amongst the best rim protectors in college basketball swatting 2.84 shots per game to rank sixth in NCAA Division II.
- shooting 67.7 percent from the floor with 27 dunks this season.
 
Khapri Alston | F | SR | Chicago, Ill. / Northeast CC (Neb.)
PPG: 13.0 | REB: 10.1 | BLK: 1.0 | STL: 1.1
- leads the Lone Star Conference in rebounding.
- boasts eight point/rebound double-doubles but has finished four other games with double figure points and nine rebounds.
- erupted for career highs with 27 points and 25 rebounds against No. 11 Angelo State on Jan. 23 at Junell Center. The 25 rebounds are the most in a single game in both NCAA Divisions I and II this season. The rebound total is the sixth highest in a single game in MSU program history and the most since original Cleveland Cavalier Gary Suiter snagged 27 against Dallas Baptist on Nov. 30, 1968.
- scored in double figures in 16 games this season.
- pulled down a then-season high 14 rebounds against Tarleton State.
- active on defense with 21 steals and 19 blocked shots.
- averaging a team-high 13.6 points and 12.7 rebounds in 29.0 minutes per game during Lone Star Conference play.
 
TOP RESERVES
Brandon Golden | G | SR | Austin, Texas / McMurry
PPG: 8.4 | REB: 2.8 | AST: 0.7
- notched a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds in first start at MSU in place of the injured Hershell Grant against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Jan. 20.
- knocked down six 3-pointers to score a season-high 20 points while pulling down five rebounds against St. Gregory's (1/2).
- splashed in four 3-pointers to finish with 16 points in a 77-71 win over No. 3 Bellarmine (Ky.) (11/27).
- shooting 40 percent from 3-point range.
- came on strong during Lone Star Conference play pulling averages of 9.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 36.4 percent from 3-point range.
- suffered wrist injury against Cameron on Jan. 31.
 
Sheldon Hagigal | G | JR | Old Westbury, N.Y. / Trinity Valley CC
PPG: 8.6 | REB: 1.8 | AST: 1.6
- gives MSU a scoring punch off of the bench notching 10-or-more points in eight games this season.
- poured in season-high 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting with two 3-pointers in a 74-65 win at West Texas A&M (1/6).
- shooting 41.1 percent from 3-point range.
- has knocked down a triple in each of his last seven games.
 
DeVaughn Jones | F | SR | District Heights, Md. / Lackawanna College
PPG: 6.1 | REB: 4.0
- top big off of the bench for MSU.
- scored in double figures five times this season.
- went a perfect 7-for-7 from the field to finish with a season-high 17 points while pulling down six rebounds against Colorado State-Pueblo (11/24).
- snagged season-best eight rebounds against Southern Indiana (11/28).
 
Pat Smith | G | JR | Houston, Texas / Jones HS
PPG: 4.1 | REB: 1.5 | AST: 2.9
- enjoying a breakout season as the top reserve point guard.
- tallied career-high 11 points while dishing out four assists in a 66-63 win over Tarleton State (1/13).
- dished out at least four assists on six occasions including a season-high 10 against St. Gregory's (1/2).
 
Magnus Richards | F | JR | Silver Spring, Md. / Binghamton
PPG: 2.8 | REB: 2.5
- Division I transfer from Binghamton has played in each of MSU's 19 games this season.
- scored matching season highs of seven points against St. Mary's (Texas) (12/1) and St. Gregory's (1/2).
- pulled down campaign best six boards against Oklahoma Science and Arts (12/31).
 
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 113-33 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 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 returns to D.L. Ligon Coliseum to take on Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.