MIDWESTERN STATE VS. TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 | 7:30 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (12-6, 5-4); Texas A&M-Commerce (14-4, 6-3)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Watch: Mustangs Digital Network 
Listen: Mustangs Digital Network 
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com 
 
MIDWESTERN STATE VS. #14 TARLETON STATE
Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 | 4 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (12-6, 5-4); Tarleton State (16-3, 7-2)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Watch: Mustangs Digital Network 
Listen: Mustangs Digital Network 
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com 
 
ON THE COURT
Midwestern State opens the second half of Lone Star Conference play with games on Thursday against Texas A&M-Commerce and Saturday versus Tarleton State. Both games are set for D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1- Midwestern State (4-3) starts the second half of Lone Star Conference play in fifth place, but the Mustangs are just two games back of league leading Tarleton State (7-2). West Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Commerce, UT-Permian Basin and Cameron are tied for second at 6-3.
2- Midwestern State's series with Texas A&M-Commerce is the second longest running in program history at 87 games. MSU has played only Wayland Baptist more frequently -- 103 times.
3- The Mustangs look snap a two-game slide dropping games against Cameron and St. Mary's after losing four consecutive games earlier this season. It's the first time since 2013-14 MSU has lost consecutive games twice in a season.
4- Midwestern State junior forward Igor Ibaka ranks sixth in NCAA Division II and is tied with Tarleton State senior Romond Jenkins for the most double-doubles in the Lone Star Conference this season.
5- In a strange but true twist, Midwestern State has committed the fewest fouls in the Lone Star Conference this season averaging 18.8 fouls per game.
 
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
 
TEAM NOTES
* Midwestern State scored a season low 54 points in a seven-point loss Monday night at St.Mary's (Texas). It was MSU's lowest scoring output since netting 49 points in the 2015 South Central Region semifinals against Angelo State.
* The Mustangs shot less than 40 percent for the fourth this season suffering their second worst shooting game of the season at 31.6 percent against St. Mary's. MSU sot a campaign low 27.4 percent earlier this season against Tarleton State.
* Midwestern forced a season-high 25 turnovers in Monday's loss at St. Mary's. It was the seventh time MSU has forced at least 20 turnovers in a game this season.
* Midwestern State remains one of the best at forcing turnovers in all of NCAA Division II ranking seventh nationally forcing 18.56 per game. The Mustangs have forced at least 14 turnovers in 16 of 18 games this season.
* Midwestern has scored 367 points off of 335 turnovers this season -- an average of 20.4 points per game.
* The Mustangs rank 22nd in offensive rebounds per game (13.72), 20th in field goal percentage defense (40.5) and 24th in turnover margin (+3.6) in NCAA Division II.
* Midwestern State has committed the fewest fouls in the Lone Star Conference, but rank 140th nationally with 338 in 18 games -- an average of 18.8 fouls per game.
 
PLAYER NOTES
#0- Junior guard Brandon Neel ranks fourth in the Lone Star Conference in scoring during league play dropping 16.8 points per game while averaging 6.3 rebounds. Neel scored in double figures in each of his last 12 games including a double-double with season highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds against UT-Permian Basin.
#4- Junior guard Shawn Nottingham scored four points and snagged four rebounds before fouling out in 30 minutes Monday against St. Mary's. He is working on a streak of five games with at least two steals and was coming off of a campaign-best 17-point performance last week against Cameron.
#10- Senior guard Pat Smith scored all 10 of his points in the final 7:30 including three 3-pointers in the last 3 1/2 minutes Monday at St. Mary's. He boasts double figures in 11 games this season and has knocked down a 3-pointer in 17 of 18 games this season. Smith, who scored a career-high 28 points at Eastern New Mexico on Jan. 14, has a 3-pointer in each of his last 13 games.
#14- Junior guard De'Quaan Haggerty has played in eight games this season including each of MSU's last four. The Topeka, Kan. native knocked down 3-pointers in back-to-back games against Western New Mexico (1/12/17) and Eastern New Mexico (1/14/17) to account for his only points.
#20- Junior guard B.J. Jenkins knocked down a 3-pointer to score a season-high five points  with three rebounds before fouling out in 23 minutes Monday at St. Mary's.
#24- Sophomore forward Nemanja Krtolica ranks 13th in the Lone Star Conference pulling down just less than two offensive rebounds per game.
#32- Senior Magnus Richards battled foul trouble in each of the last two games to be limited to 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game. Richards scored 10-or-more points in nine games this season including a campaign-best 18 points against Western State (Colo.) and Eastern New Mexico.
#33- Junior forward Igor Ibaka leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks sixth in NCAA Division II with 10 double-doubles. He has eight double-double efforts in his last nine games and is working on a streak of four straight games. Ibaka is averaging a double-double during LSC play with 13 points and is second in the league grabbing 10.2 boards a contest.
#35- Junior forward Nick Powell scored in double figures four times this season including a career-high 20 points with eight rebounds against St. Gregory's on Dec. 16, 2016.
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
* Texas A&M-Commerce has won five of its last seven games with setbacks to Tarleton State (81-63 in Stephenville) and UT-Permian Basin (84-61 in Commerce).
* The Lions are 7-2 away from the A&M-C Fieldhouse this season including a 5-2 mark in true road games.
* A&M-Commerce ranks among national leaders in numerous categories. The Lions are third in free throw attempts (545), fourth in turnover margin (+6.0), 11th in turnovers forced (18.33), 12th in steals per game (9.6) and 14th in total steals (172).
* Senior guard Malik Albert rates fourth in the Lone Star Conference in scoring at 18.8 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists. The one-year transfer from Creighton has scored 20-or-more points eight times this season including a campaign-high 36 points in 26 minutes at East Central (Okla.). Albert shoots 7.1 free throws a game.
* Senior guard Trey Seymore, another one-year transfer from Division I Coppin State, pours in 15.8 points per game and has scored at least 20 points five times. He went for a season-best 26 points at Southern Arkansas on Dec. 31. Seymore shoots 5.8 free throws per game but did not take a charity toss in 47 minutes in Saturday's double overtime victory over West Texas A&M.
* Junior forward Montrell Little, one of five transfers from Southeastern Illinois CC, erupted for a season-high 26 points with five 3-pointers in Saturday's win over West Texas A&M.
* Junior forward Dorian Armstrong averages 6.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while leading the Lone Star Conference with 33 blocked shots.
* Sam Walker boasts a 280-195 record (.589) in his 17th season at the helm at Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
* Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce meet for the 88th time on the hardwood Thursday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
* The series is the second longest running in MSU history trailing only Wayland Baptist, who the Mustangs played 103 times between 1948-2009.
* Midwestern State owns a 54-33 overall lead in the series which dates back to the 1947-48 season.
* MSU won 17 of 18 meetings from Jan. 7, 2006 through Jan. 16, 2016 which included streaks of 10 and seven straight for the Mustangs.
* Texas A&M-Commerce has claimed wins in each of the last two meetings taking a 70-66 result on Feb. 6, 2016 before claiming a 72-61 victory earlier this season in Commerce. It was the first double-digit win for the Lions in the series since 2005 and it was the first time A&M-C claimed consecutive wins since 1998.
* Texas A&M-Commerce's 70-66 victory at D.L. Ligon Coliseum last season snapped a run of eight consecutive home wins for MSU dating back to 2004.
* Midwestern is 29-9 all-time against the Lions for games played in Wichita Falls and is 21-6 against A&M-C at Ligon Coliseum.
 
LAST TIME VS. TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE
* Texas A&M-Commerce turned Midwestern State's 23 turnovers into 29 points on the way to a 72-61 win on Dec. 13 at the A&M-C Fieldhouse.
* Pat Smith and Brandon Neel notched 14 points and seven rebounds each to lead a group of four Midwestern State players in double figures joined by Igor Ibaka (11 points, 5 rebounds) and Devante Pullum (10 points, 5 rebounds).
* Trey Washington splashed in three 3-pointers to lead the Lions with 14 points off of the bench while Trey Seymore and De'Andre Carson scored 11 points each.
 
SCOUTING THE TEXANS
* Tarleton State holds sole possession of the Lone Star Conference lead heading into the second half of league play going 7-2 the first time through the circuit. The Texans are 16-3 overall.
* Tarleton is tied for eighth in the D2SIDA Media Poll and 14th in the NABC Division II Rankings.
* The Texans suffered their second home loss last weekend falling to UT-Permian Basin 76-64 at Wisdom Gym. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak. Tarleton posted a 10-game winning streak earlier this season.
* Tarleton heads to Lawton to face Cameron (Okla.) on Thursday night before making its way to D.L. Ligon Coliseum Saturday afternoon.
* The Texans rank among national statistical leaders in numerous categories. Tarleton State is third in field goal percentage defense (38.1), ninth in scoring margin (+17.2), 12th in 3-point field goal defense (30.2), 13th in free throw attempts (491), 16th in rebound margin (+7.5) and 18th in offensive rebounds per game (14.11).
* Junior guard Ridell Camidge rates sixth in the LSC in scoring at 15.8 points per game. The transfer from the University of Charlotte (N.C.) boasts six 20-point games this season including a high of 27 against Western Washington. He went 0-of-8 from the field and did not score the last time out against UT-Permian Basin.
* Senior guard Chantz Chambers averages a career-best 12.1 points per game with 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He has scored in double figures in each of his last five games and a season-high 22 points on Jan. 5 at Angelo State. Chambers competed as a freshman at Angelo State before transferring to Bossier Parish CC and on to Tarleton.
* Senior forward Romond Jenkins averages a double-double at 12.1 points and 10.8 rebounds this season. He ranks sixth in NCAA Division II with 10 double-doubles, sixth in field goal percentage (67.3), sixth in total rebounds (206), eighth in offensive rebounds per game (4.11) and 10th in rebounds per game (10.8).
* Junior guard Deshawn Riddick gives the Texans a fourth scoring option averaging in double figures at 10.7 points, 4.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game. The three-year letter winner knocked in a career-high 27 points earlier this season against Colorado State-Pueblo.
* Lonn Reisman has a 629-245 record (.720) in his 29th season as head coach at Tarleton State.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
* Midwestern State and Tarleton State meet for the 76th time on the hardwood Saturday afternoon at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
* The series is the fifth longest running in MSU basketball history.
* MSU owns a 47-28 edge in the series which dates back to the 1961-62 season.
* The teams have split the home-and-home matchups in each of the last five seasons. During that time, the visiting team has claimed wins four times -- two for each side.
* Midwestern State is 25-12 all-time against Tarleton State in games played in Wichita Falls, but is 17-12 against the Texans at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
* The teams have split the last six meetings under the dome.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. TARLETON
* Midwestern State led by as many as nine points in the second half, but Tarleton State outscored the Mustangs 11-5 over the final 6 1/2 minutes to claim a 64-56 win in the LSC opener for both teams on Dec. 1 in Stephenville.
* Junior guard Brandon Neel scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Mustangs.
* Neel was joined in double figures by senior forward Magnus Richards (14 points, 6 rebounds) and senior guard Pat Smith (13 points, 6 rebounds).
* Junior forward Igor Ibaka was held scoreless with six rebounds while fighting foul trouble (4) in 22 minutes.
* Ridell Camidge drilled four 3-pointers to lead Tarleton State with 15 points, while Denzel Smith added 14 points in 16 minutes off of the bench.
* Senior forward Romond Jenkins notched a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds while blocking three shots.
* Midwestern State shot a season low 27.4 percent from the field and was 3-of-21 from the arc.
 
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 133-42 mark (.760) 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.
* Haggerty was named HoopDirt.com Division II Coach of the Year on Jan. 10 after claiming wins over No. 11 West Texas A&M and UT-Permian Basin.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Midwestern State starts a four-game road stretch with games at Texas A&M-Kingsville on Thursday and Angelo State on Saturday.