Midwestern State (6-12, 3-6) at #18 Texas A&M-Commerce (15-3, 7-2)
Lone Star Conference game
Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 | 7:30 p.m.
A&M-Commerce Fieldhouse | Commerce, Texas
Live Stats: LionAthletics.com |
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM |
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network |
Video: LionAthletics.com
MUSTANGS NOTES
- Midwestern State begins the second half of Lone Star Conference Thursday night at Texas A&M-Commerce. The Mustangs has ground to make up as they are currently in a three-way tie for sixth in the LSC standings. However, if the LSC Postseason Tournament started today, MSU would be on the outside looking in due to tiebreaker scenarios.
- Midwestern faces its third nationally ranked opponent of the season in No. 18 Texas A&M-Commerce. The Mustangs dropped the previous two matchups falling at No. 11 West Texas A&M (83-76) and at No. 8 UT Permian Basin (88-71).
- MSU is 39-61 all-time against nationally ranked opposition including a 15-18 mark with coach Nelson Haggerty at the helm.
- The Mustangs have lost their last five and seven of the last eight against teams ranked in the NABC Top 25. MSU has lost its last six game against nationally ranked opponents on the road with the last win coming by a 78-76 score at No. 10 Tarleton State on Jan. 14, 2015. The Mustangs' last victory over a ranked opponent was an 84-78 win over No. 11 West Texas A&M on Jan. 5, 2017.
- MSU improved to 2-0 in overtime games this season after beating Eastern New Mexico 89-87. The Mustangs needed two overtimes to beat Western State (Colo.) 123-121 on Nov. 18th. It's the second straight year Midwestern defeated Eastern New Mexico in overtime. The Mustangs outlasted ENMU 108-104 last season in Portales.
- Nelson Haggerty boasts a 141-62 record (.695) in his seventh season at the helm. He has guided the Mustangs to four Lone Star Conference championships (2012-14, 16) and five NCAA Division II tournament appearance advancing to the Elite Eight in 2012.
- Midwestern State leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks 26th in NCAA Division II by forcing 16.44 turnovers per game and also tops the LSC in team steals per game with 8.0 ranking 44th nationally.
- MSU is second in the league in turnover margin at +2.4.
- The Mustangs average 18.4 points off of turnovers per game accounting for 23.1 percent of their total output.
- Midwestern tops the Lone Star Conference in offensive rebounds per game (13.17) while averaging 15.4 second-chance points a contest.
- Midwestern is fourth in the league in scoring at 79.8 points per game, but 10th in scoring defense allowing 84.4 points a game.
- MSU ranks 99th in NCAA D2 in scoring at 79.8 points per game. The Mustangs have scored 80-or-more points in 10 games this season.
- The Mustangs are second in the LSC and 87th in NCAA D2 with a 73.5 team free throw percentage.
- MSU has held a lead in 17 of its 18 games this season. The Mustangs are 4-5 in games in which they held a lead of at least 10-or-more points this season.
- Senior guard Brandon Neel ranks fourth in the LSC and 114th in NCAA Division II in scoring at 17.8 points per game.
- Neel boasts 15 games with at least 10 points this season and six 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 ranks sixth in the LSC during league play scoring 16.7 points per game.
- Neel tops MSU and is 10th in the LSC pulling down 6.1 rebounds per game.
- Neel notched his second double-double of the season scoring 19 points and pulling down 11 rebounds in a win at Texas A&M-Kingsville (12/30).
- Senior guard Devante Pullum ranks second in the LSC 4.8 assists per game and is eighth in steals per game with 1.3. 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 has scored in double digits in each of his last six games including a 24-point effort at West Texas A&M. He has scored at least 10 points in 12 of his last 13 outings.
- Pullum is averaging 15.2 points, 5.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game over his last 13 games while shooting 47.9 percent from the field (67-of-140) to bring his season scoring average to 13.2 points per game.
- Pullum ranks fourth in the LSC and 110th in NCAA D2 in free throw percentage at 83.8 percent (57-of-68).
- Pullum rates fifth in the Lone Star Conference during league play averaging 17.0 points per game.
- Pullum's two best scoring games have come during conference play scoring 26 at Angelo State (12/7) and 24 at West Texas A&M (1/4).
- Sophomore guard Logan Hicks ranks third on the team in scoring at 11.6 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 (11/10). He matched his season high with 19 points while pulling down a campaign-best seven rebounds versus Western New Mexico (1/11).
- Hicks is shooting 37.4 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from the arc (34-for-104).
- Hicks, who connected on at least two 3-pointers in each of MSU's first seven games this season, has buried two triples in each of his last four games.
- Senior guard Trey Kennedy scores 8.3 points per game notching 10-or-more points in seven 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 nine games this season and is averaging 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 22.3 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 connected on at least one triple in each in a five-game stretch (Nov. 30th-Dec. 19th) while shooting 11-of-20 (55 percent) from beyond the arc during the stretch before going 0-for-2 at Texas A&M-Kingsville.
- Senior forward Josh Huntley has scored in double figures seven times this season after setting season highs in his second double-double of the season going for 17 points and 13 rebounds against Eastern New Mexico (1/13). That bettered his previous bests of 16 points against Western State (11/18) and Southern Indiana (12/19). He notched his first double-double of the campaign with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Southwestern Assemblies of God (11/21).
- 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.
- Bail scored in double figures in two of his last three games going for 12 points and five rebounds at Texas A&M-Kingsville (12/30) and 12 points and seven boards at UT Permian Basin (1/6). He shrugged off illness to score eight points and pull down nine rebounds in 12 minutes against Eastern New Mexico (1/13).
- Redshirt-freshman Charles Callier connected on two 3-pointers to notch escalating season highs of eight points against Western New Mexico (1/11) and nine points versus Eastern New Mexico (1/13).
- Junior forward Ola Ayodele exploded for a team individual high of 14 rebounds making his first start of the season last week at Cameron. The London, England native totaled 11 rebounds on the season coming into the game. Ayodele has accounted for eight assists over his last four outings.
- Sophomore guard Romello Walker returned from injury to play two nights in the first half last week at Cameron. It was his first action since Nov. 25th against Florida Southern. He missed seven games.
VERSUS TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE
- Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce meet for the 90th time on the hardwood Thursday night at the A&M-Commerce Fieldhouse.
- The Mustangs own a 55-34 edge in the series which dates back to the 1946-47 season.
- Texas A&M-Commerce has won three of the last four meetings in the series as the programs have split the season series in each of the last two years.
- Midwestern State won 17 of the 18 meetings played between Dec. 17, 2008 and Jan. 16, 2016.
- The Mustangs are 19-21 all-time against Texas A&M-Commerce at The Fieldhouse and have seven of the last nine on the Lions' home floor since the start of the 2005-06 season. A&M-Commerce won last year's meeting in Commerce, 72-61.
- Texas A&M-Commerce snapped a two-game slide with a 92-56 win over Dallas Christian Monday night at The Fieldhouse.
- The Lions are a perfect 7-0 on their home floor this season stretching their home-course winning streak to nine games dating back to last season. A&M-Commerce's last home defeat came to Angelo State, 88-74, on Feb. 9, 2017.
- Junior guard Willie Rooks leads the Lions and ranks sixth in the conference scoring 16.6 points per game. The shifty guard exploded for a season-high 35 points and seven rebounds Saturday at West Texas A&M.
- Junior guard Reggie Reid, who has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, drops in 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and leads the LSC with 1.83 steals per game. He had a double-double earlier this season against the Mustangs going for 12 points and 14 assists.
- Senior forward Dorian Armstrong is the top big for Texas A&M-Commerce boasting averages of 9.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
-- MSUMustangs.com --
