Midwestern State (6-13, 3-7) at Tarleton State (11-8, 6-4)
Lone Star Conference game
Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 | 4 p.m.
Wisdom Gym | Stephenville, Texas
Live Stats: TarletonSports.com |
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM |
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network |
Video: TarletonSports.com
MUSTANGS NOTES
- Midwestern State came within a bank-shot 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation of beating No. 18 Texas A&M-Commerce Thursday night in Commerce before falling 91-88 in overtime.
- The Mustangs shot a season-best 55 percent from the field in the loss at Texas A&M-Commerce while also going 17-of-20 from the free throw line.
- MSU has held its last four opponents and six of its last seven to 43.3 percent or less from the field. The lone exception during the run was UT Permian Basin (60.7 percent). For the season, the opposition is shooting 47 percent against the Mustangs.
- The Mustangs enter play Saturday 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.
- MSU dropped to 0-3 against nationally ranked opposition this season with Thursday's loss at 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 39-62 all-time against nationally ranked opposition including a 15-19 mark with coach Nelson Haggerty at the helm.
- The Mustangs fell to 2-1 in overtime games this season with Thursday's loss to Texas A&M-Commerce. Midwestern defeated Eastern New Mexico 89-87 on Jan. 13th and needed to extra periods to beat Western State (Colo.) 123-121 on Nov. 18th.
- Nelson Haggerty boasts a 141-63 record (.691) 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 ranks second in the Lone Star Conference and ranks 36th in NCAA Division II by forcing 16.21 turnovers per game and is also second in the LSC in team steals per game with 7.9 ranking 52nd nationally.
- MSU is fourth in the league in turnover margin at +1.9.
- The Mustangs average 18.1 points off of turnovers per game accounting for 22.5 percent of their total output.
- Midwestern tops the Lone Star Conference in offensive rebounds per game (12.95) while averaging 15.2 second-chance points a contest.
- Midwestern is fourth in the league in scoring at 80.3 points per game, but 10th in scoring defense allowing 84.8 points a game.
- MSU ranks 94th in NCAA D2 in scoring at 80.3 points per game. The Mustangs have scored 80-or-more points in 11 games this season.
- The Mustangs are second in the LSC and 73rd in NCAA D2 with a 74.0 team free throw percentage.
- MSU has held a lead in 18 of its 19 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 113th in NCAA Division II in scoring at 17.7 points per game.
- Neel boasts 16 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 4.6 assists per game and is eighth in steals per game with 1.4. 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 seven games including a 24-point effort at West Texas A&M. He has scored at least 10 points in 13 of his last 14 outings.
- Pullum is averaging 15.3 points, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game over his last 14 games while shooting 47.4 percent from the field (72-of-152) to bring his season scoring average to 13.4 points per game.
- Pullum ranks fourth in the LSC and 105th in NCAA D2 in free throw percentage at 83.8 percent (62-of-74).
- Pullum rates fifth in the Lone Star Conference during league play averaging 16.9 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 10.9 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 36.3 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from the arc (34-for-107).
- Senior guard Trey Kennedy scores 8.9 points per game notching 10-or-more points in eight 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.
- Kennedy erupted for 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting including two 3-pointers while going 4-for-5 from the charity stripe at Texas A&M-Commerce (1/25). He added four rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes of action.
- 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 three of his last six 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). Bail was perfect 5-for-5 from the field with a 3-pointer to finish with 13 points and six rebounds at Texas A&M-Commerce (1/25).
- Bail is a perfect 3-for-3 from the arc this season hitting triples at Angelo State, UT Permian Basin and Texas A&M-Commerce.
- 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 followed with a near double-double in his second start of the season going for 11 points and nine rebounds at Texas A&M-Commerce (1/25).
- Sophomore guard Romello Walker returned from injury to play two minutes in the first half last week at Cameron. It was his first action since Nov. 25th against Florida Southern. He missed seven games. Walker scored four points and grabbed two rebounds in 14 minutes Thursday at Texas A&M-Commerce.
VERSUS TARLETON STATE
- Midwestern State and Tarleton State meet for the 78th time on the hardwood Saturday afternoon at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville.
- The Mustangs own a commanding 47-30 lead in the series which dates back to the 1961-62 season.
- Tarleton has won the last four games of the series dating back to MSU's 66-63 win on Jan. 13, 2016 in Wichita Falls.
- MSU is 16-13 all-time against Tarleton State in Stephenville, but the Texans have claimed wins in each of the last two seasons at Wisdom Gym. The Mustangs' last victory in the Cowboy Capital over the Texans was a 78-76 win on Jan. 14, 2015.
- Tarleton State shot 64 percent from the field in a 73-59 win over Midwestern State earlier this season in Wichita Falls. Josh Hawley (22 points, 11 rebounds) and Nosa Ebomwonyi (11 points, 12 rebounds) had double-doubles to lead Tarleton while Devante Pullum scored 16 points and dished out seven assists to lead the Mustangs (11/30).
- Tarleton State tops the Lone Star Conference with 4.8 team blocked shots per game and fewest fouls called (301).
- Junior guard Corinthian Ramsey ranks third in the league in scoring at 18.9 points per game to pace four Texans averaging in double figures joined by sophomore forward Josh Hawley (15.7 points, 9.5 rebounds), senior guard Deshawn Riddick (11.5 points, 4.0 assists) and junior forward Jaraan Lands (10.0 points, 5.2 rebounds).
-- MSUMustangs.com --
