Midwestern State (3-9, 0-3) at Texas A&M-Kingsville (9-3, 2-0)
Lone Star Conference game
Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 | 2 p.m.
Steinke Physical Education Center | Kingsville, Texas
Live Stats: JavelinaAthletics.com |
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM |
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network |
Video: JavelinaAtheltics.com
MUSTANGS NOTES
- Midwestern State resumes Lone Star Conference play Saturday afternoon against Texas A&M-Kingsville at the Steinke Physical Education Center (SPEC). The Mustangs hit the court for the first time since falling to Southern Indiana 11 days ago (Dec. 19th) in Las Vegas.
- The Mustangs look to avoid their first 0-4 start in Lone Star Conference since the 2005-06 squad began league play with five straight losses. The 05-06 team closed LSC play by winning five of its last seven. MSU also started its 97-98 LSC slate with four consecutive setbacks.
- Midwestern has lost their last six conference road games dating back to a 108-104 overtime victory at Eastern New Mexico on Jan. 14, 2017.
- Overall, the Mustangs have dropped 10 of their last 11 against LSC competition with the lone victory coming against Western New Mexico (89-72) on Feb. 18, 2017.
- The Mustangs snapped a five-game slide with an 81-79 win over Rollins in the opener of the Rollins Las Vegas Classic on Dec. 18th. MSU overcame a 22-point deficit with 13:34 to play closing the game on a 10-1 run with Brandon Neel supplying the game winner on a jumper in the lane after stealing an inbounds pass with five seconds to play.
- MSU led by as many as 13 points in the finale of the Rollins Las Vegas Classic before falling to Southern Indiana, 78-70.
- Midwestern State leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks 22nd in NCAA Division II by forcing 17.67 turnovers per game and also tops the LSC in team steals per game with 9.0.
- MSU is second in the league in turnover margin at +3.8.
- The Mustangs average 19.9 points off of turnovers per game accounting for 24.4 percent of their total output.
- Midwestern tops the Lone Star Conference in offensive rebounds per game (12.92) while averaging 15.8 second-chance points a contest.
- Midwestern is fourth in the league in scoring at 81.5 points per game, but 10th in scoring defense allowing 86.6 points a game.
- MSU ranks 83rd in NCAA D2 in scoring at 81.5 points per game. The Mustangs have scored 80-or-more points in eight games this season.
- The Mustangs rate second in the LSC and 74th in NCAA D2 with a 74.0 team free throw percentage.
- MSU has held a lead in 11 of its 12 games this season. The Mustangs are 2-4 in games in which they held a lead of at least 10-or-more points this season.
- Senior guard Brandon Neel ranks sixth in the LSC and 138th in NCAA Division II in scoring at 17.5 points per game.
- Neel boasts nine games with at least 10 points this season four games of 20-or-more. He poured in a season-high 30 points at Western State (Colo.), had 27 versus Southwestern Assemblies of God and 26 against Colorado Mesa. He poured in a team-high 24 points in MSU's win over Rollins on Dec. 18th.
- Neel tops MSU and is 12th in the LSC pulling down 5.8 rebounds per game.
- Senior guard Devante Pullum leads the LSC in assists per game with 5.0 and is fifth in steals per game with 1.75. The Little Elm High product has scored in double figures in six consecutive games from Nov. 24th-Dec. 18th including a campaign-best 26-point, 6-assists effort at Angelo State.
- Pullum is averaging 13.9 points, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game over his last seven outings while shooting 46.2 percent from the field (36-of-78) to bring his season scoring average to 11.4 points per game.
- Pullum ranks third in the LSC in free throw percentage at 83.8 percent (31-of-37).
- Sophomore guard Logan Hicks ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game notching double-figures in each of MSU's first seven games this season. He had a season-high 19 points in the opener against Arkansas-Fort Smith. He is shooting 41.6 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from the arc (25-for-65).
- Senior guard Trey Kennedy scores 9.8 points per game notching 10-or-more points in six games including a season-best 25 points on 11-of-25 shooting against Western State on Nov. 18th. He put up performances of 17 points against Saint Leo and 14 versus Florida Southern at the Florida Southern Thanksgiving Classic.
- Senior forward Nick Powell has scored at least eight points in seven games this season and is averaging 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game.
- Powell buried his first five 3-pointers against Texas A&M-Commerce on Dec. 2nd to finish with a season-high 17 points and also grabbed seven rebounds.
- Powell has connected on at least one triple in each of his last five games while shooting 11-of-20 (55 percent) from beyond the arc during the stretch.
- Senior forward Josh Huntley has scored in double figures in each of his last three games averaging 13.3 points and six rebounds during the stretch to bring his season averages to 8.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game.
- Junior forward Wanaah Bail poured in a season-high 18 points shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field while going 7-for-8 at the free throw line at Angelo State on Dec. 7th.
- Sophomore guard Romello Walker has missed the last five games due to injury. Despite averaging 5.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, he possesses the top +/- statistics for MSU. The Mustangs have outscored the opposition by a total of 34 points in Walker's 34 minutes of court time for a +4.86 points per game average.
VERSUS TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE
- Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Kingsville meet for the 48th time on the hardwood Saturday afternoon at the Steinke Physical Education Center (SPEC) in Kingsville.
- The Mustangs own a commanding 35-12 edge in the series which dates back to the 1976-77 season.
- The Javelinas snapped MSU's 19-game winning streak in the series edging MSU 60-59 in the last meeting on Feb. 2, 2017 in Kingsville. It was TAMUK's first win in the series since beating the Mustangs 78-63 on Feb. 16, 2008 at the SPEC.
- Midwestern is 14-7 all-time against the Hoggies in Kingsville winning on eight consecutive trips to South Texas from Jan. 17, 2009 to Feb. 17, 2016.
- Texas A&M-Kingsville (9-3) is off to its best start since beginning the 2009-10 campaign with a 10-2 mark. The Hoggies reeled off eight consecutive wins to start the campaign which is the best start to the season dating back to at least the 2006-07 season. No mention could be found of a previously better start as no records are available prior to that campaign.
- The Hoggies, however, dropped three of four games heading into the Christmas Break including both ends of a home-and-home with St. Edward's and another loss to St. Mary's.
- Texas A&M-Kingsville ranks second in the LSC and 20th in NCAA Division II in scoring defense allowing 65.5 points per game. The Javelinas are second in the LSC and 40th national in blocked shots per game (4.2) and second in the league and 31st in D2 in turnovers forced (17.00).
- The Javelinas are ninth in the LSC scoring 65.5 points per game.
- Senior guard Trey Sumpter is TAMUK's lone player averaging in double figures at 11.9 point per game.
