Midwestern State vs. Southern Nazarene
UAFS Thanksgiving Classic
MSU Texas (3-2), SNU (4-0)
Friday, Nov. 23, 2018 | 5 p.m.
Stubblefield Center | Fort Smith, Ark.
MSU Texas leads 19-15 | First meeting since 2006 | MSU won last five and 8 of last 9 | MSU Texas won last meeting 92-90 (12/30/06 in Wichita Falls)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM |  Audio: Mustangs Digital Network | Video: UAFortSmithLions.com | Live Stats: UAFortSmithLions.com
 
THE OPPONENT: Southern Nazarene carries a 4-0 record into the UAFS Thanksgiving Classic… The Crimson Storm is ranked No. 5 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II Top 25 and are sixth in the D2SIDA Poll… Southern Nazarene claimed the Great American Conference regular season and postseason tournament championship in 2017-18 with 21-3 record… The Crimson Storm fell 81-68 in the opening round of the 2018 NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament… Each of Southern Nazarene's wins this season have been by double figures winning by 19 over Nebraska-Kearney (88-69), 14 over Washburn (78-64), 30 over Central Oklahoma (93-63) and 29 over Oklahoma Christian (84-55)… 2018 GAC Player of the Year Jhonathan Dunn leads SNU in scoring at 17 points per game… Senior center Noah Starkey (14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds), junior guard (14.5 points, 6.3 assist, 5.8 rebounds) and senior forward R.J. Palmer (8.3 points, 9.8 rebounds) are also returning starters for the Crimson Storm… Junior guard Logan Hicks – a transfer from Midwestern State – comes off the bench to score 11.5 points per game… Adam Bohac is in his 11th season at the helm at Southern Nazarene posting a 204-108 record (.654)…
 
Midwestern State vs. Ouachita Baptist
UAFS Thanksgiving Classic
MSU Texas (3-2), OBU (1-1)
Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 | 5 p.m.
Stubblefield Center | Fort Smith, Ark.
MSU Texas leads 5-2 | First meeting since 2015 | MSU won last two meetings | MSU Texas won last meeting 75-73 (12/19/15 in Arkadelphia, Ark.)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM |  Audio: Mustangs Digital Network | Video: UAFortSmithLions.com | Live Stats: UAFortSmithLions.com
 
THE OPPONENT: Ouachita Baptist enters weekend play at the UAFS Thanksgiving Classic with a 1-1 mark with an 83-76 home win against Central Baptist College (Ark.) and a 100-77 loss at Dallas Baptist… Ouachita Baptist was picked seventh in the 2018-19 Great American Conference Preseason Poll… The Tigers finished eighth in the GAC last season with a 12-16 overall record going 10-12 in league play… Ouachita Baptist returns its top two scorers from last season including senior guard Mahlon Martin (12.4 pts., 3.7 reb.) and senior forward Wesley Franklin (10.8 pts., 4.2 reb.)… Martin hit five 3-pointers to lead the Tigers with 20 points in the loss at Dallas Baptist… Dennis Nutt is in his eighth season as head coach at Ouachita Baptist posting a 108-91 record (.543)… Nutt served six seasons (2000-06) heading the Texas State program with a 72-96 mark… Nutt is a member of the TCU Hall of Fame and played for the Dallas Mavericks from 1986-88…
 
LAST TIME OUT: Midwestern State committed 21 turnovers, shot 10-of-21 from the free throw line and surrendered an eight-point second-half lead in a 77-66 loss at Arkansas-Fort Smith Wednesday night at Stubblefield Center. Senior guard JaJuan Starks scored a season-high 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Mustangs. Redshirt-freshman Trae Jones knocked down three 3-pointers to pitch in 12 points, while junior guard Elijah Lee had 11 points and eight assists and junior forward Bishop Coulter had 11 points and nine rebounds. The Mustangs limited the Lions 35.4 percent shooting with a +11 edge on the boards.
 
HAGGERTY IN HIS EIGHTH CAMPAIGN: Midwestern State boasts a 149-70 mark (.680) in Nelson Haggerty's eighth season as head coach. He has led the Mustangs to the NCAA postseason in five of his seven seasons including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2012 and four LSC championships in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. Haggerty claimed his second LSC Coach of the Year award in 2016 sharing honors with former Cameron coach Nate Gamet. He also claimed the honor in 2012.
 
WINNING COMBINATION: Midwestern State ranks second in the Lone Star Conference limiting the opposition to 38.4 percent from the field. The Mustangs have held four of their first five opponents to under 40-percent shooting. MSU Texas also ranks third in the LSC with a +7.8 rebound margin. The Mustangs have not been out-rebounded this season surging to a +16 against Colorado State-Pueblo and +10 versus Adams State last weekend at the Al Kaly Shrine Classic before going +11 against UAFS on Wednesday.
 
KING COULTER GARNERS HONORS: Junior forward Bishop Coulter Al Kaly Shrine Classic MVP honors and later Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week accolades averaging 17 points and 6.5 rebounds in two games at the classic. The Atoka, Okla. Native knocked down 10-of-14 shots for a season-high 21 points to go with seven rebounds in a 92-66 rout of Colorado State-Pueblo. He scored 13 points and snagged six rebounds in the Mustangs' 75-71 victory over Adams State. Coulter narrowly missed his first double-double of the season going for 11 points and nine rebounds Wednesday against Arkansas-Fort Smith.
 
WALLACE CLEANS GLASS FOR LSC DEFENSIVE HONOR: Junior guard Josh Wallace flashed all-around game to take home his first Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week award. The Queens, N.Y. native averaged six points, seven rebounds and five assists a game wins over Colorado State-Pueblo and Adams State last weekend at the Al Kaly Shrine Classic. Wallace followed the stellar act by going for eight points, nine rebounds and four assist Wednesday at Arkansas-Fort Smith. He has at least seven boards in each of his last three games.
 
HARRIS IS ALL-TOURNAMENT: Junior guard D'monta Harris was named to the all-tournament team averaging 11 points and seven rebounds. He connected on nine of his 10 shots from the field to score a season-high 19 points and pull in eight rebounds against Colorado State-Pueblo.
 
TRAE HITTING TREYS: Redshirt-freshman Trae Jones connected on three 3-pointers in each game of the Al Kaly Shrine Classic going for a season-high 14 points against Colorado State-Pueblo. Jones ranks third in the LSC with 2.4 3-point makes per game. He has knocked down 9-of-27 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc over his last three games.
 
REBOUNDING FORCE: Junior Gilbert Thomas, Jr. ranks seventh in the Lone Star Conference pulling down 7.2 rebounds a game. The 6-6 junior transfer from Angelina College grabbed matching season highs of 10 boards in both games of the Nissan of Wichita Falls Classic against Arkansas-Fort Smith and Rogers State.
 
STARK REALITY: Senior JaJuan Starks notched season highs with 16 points and eight rebounds Wednesday at Arkansas-Fort Smith. It was his third double-digit performance of the season raising his season averages to 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds a game as the Mustangs' sixth man.
 
LEE CREATING BUCKETS: Junior guard Elijah Lee scored in double figures in each of his last two outings going for a season-high 15 points against Adams State, then had 11 points and eight assists Wednesday against Arkansas-Fort Smith to raise his season averages to 7.2 points, 3.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game.
 
MUSTANGS ON ESPN 95.5:  Every Midwestern State men's basketball will air live on ESPN 95.5 FM beginning the pregame show 15 minutes prior to tipoff.
 
MUSTANGS DIGITAL NETWORK: All Midwestern State home games are set for broadcast on the Mustangs Digital Network both live and on demand at MSUMustangs.tv. Season passes are available for $30 while single games run $9 each.
 
FOLLOW US: Follow news, notes and photos for all Midwestern State athletic teams on MSUMustangs.com or on social media at MSUMustangs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
COMING UP NEXT… Midwestern State begins Lone Star Conference play Thursday night at Eastern New Mexico then takes on West Texas A&M Saturday in Canyon.