Midwestern State vs. Lubbock Christian
Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021 | 5:30 p.m.
Series: MSU leads 28-12
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WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State faces No. 14 Lubbock Christian in the finale of the its opening Lone Star Conference West Division series Saturday at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
LCU claimed an 83-60 win Wednesday night at Rip Griffin Center in Lubbock.
 
CROWD RESTRICTIONS
Attendance for all weekend games at D.L. Ligon Coliseum is limited to 25 percent capacity. All tickets must be purchased online at MSUTicketsOnline.com. The will be no walk-up sales. All spectators are required to wear face coverings at all times and practice social distancing of at least 6 feet.
 
EVENT COVERAGE
The game streams live on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network. A video stream is available at the cost of $10 for a daily pass at LoneStarConferenceNetwork/msu. A complimentary audio stream is also available at the same site.
 
ALL ABOARD WITH COACH LESLIE
Justin Leslie started his second season at the helm of the Midwestern State men's basketball program with a sweep of Cameron last weekend in Lawton. The Mustangs battled to an 8-21 mark in 2019-20 but closed the regular season by winning four out of five games to qualify for the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament. Prior to MSU, Leslie posted a 266-121 overall record (.687) at Azusa Pacific leading the Cougars to nine 20-win campaigns, two Pacific West Conference titles, seven postseason tournament appearance and an NCAA Division II Elite Eight showing in 2015. Overall, Leslie owns a 281-147 mark (.657) in 14 seasons as a collegiate head coach including a 15-26 record (.366) at MSU.
 
AGAINST NATIONALLY RANKED OPPONENTS
Midwestern State snapped a 15-game slide against teams ranked in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' (NABC) Top 25 with a 92-81 win over No. 9 St. Edward's on Jan. 2 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. It was the Mustangs' first win over a nationally ranked opponents since beating No. 11 West Texas A&M 84-78 on Jan. 5, 2017. MSU's last win against a Top 10-ranked opponent came against Tarleton State (66-63) on Jan. 13, 2016 -- also at Ligon Coliseum. Since, the Mustangs fell 112-105 to St. Edward's in overtime on Jan. 3 in Ligon Coliseum, then lost consecutive one-point battles last weekend at No. 15 Dallas Baptist before falling at No. 14 Lubbock Christian on Wednesday. Midwestern State is 40-75 all-time against teams ranked in the NABC Top 25 including a 15-38 mark against those ranked in the Top 10.
 
MUSTANGS TEAM NOTES
* A point rating system is being utilized to determine the eight-team field for the Lone Star Conference Championship. The public version released this week has Midwestern State tied for ninth in the overall rankings with a 3.00 ranking. The Mustangs are behind West Texas A&M (5.00), DBU (4.05), Texas A&M-Kingsville (3.85), Lubbock Christian (3.56), St. Edward's (3.50), UAFS (3.36), UT Permian Basin (3.13) and Angelo State (3.05).
* Midwestern State received votes in last week's National Association of Basketball Coaches' (NABC) Division II Poll. The Mustangs previously received votes in the national poll on Nov. 29, 2016.
* Midwestern State opened the season with at least five consecutive wins for the first time since the 2011-12 squad rolled out to a 13-0 start.
* Midwestern State extended its run of games with at least one 3-pointer to 566 games hitting nine triples Wednesday night at Lubbock Christian. The streak dates back to the 2001-02 season.
* The Mustangs matched a school record burying 19 3-pointers in a 93-70 win at Mary Hardin-Baylor on Jan. 9th in Belton. MSU connected at a 40.4-percent clip from beyond the arc on a school single-game record 47 attempts. The Mustangs also equaled a school record originally set against East Central (Okla.) during the 2008-09 season behind an individual record of 10 triples by All American Nolan Richardson.
* Midwestern State tops the Lone Star Conference and is third in all of NCAA Division II with 144 made 3-pointers this season. The Mustangs average 12.0 made triples per game which is two more than their single-game program record of 10 per game set last season. The 12 made triples per game rank second in the LSC and sixth in NCAA Division II. The Mustangs are also attempting nearly four more 3-pointers per game (32.4) than last season's record pace of 28.6 3-point attempts per game.
* Midwestern State leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks 16th in NCAA Division II pulling down 13.92 offensive rebounds per game. The Mustangs have grabbed at least 10 offensive caroms in all but one game this season with a high of 21 in a season opening win at Cameron (412/11). Midwestern has turned the offensive rebounds into 160 second-chance points through 12 games -- 13.3 points a contest.
* Midwestern State ranks 17th in NCAA Division II and leads the LSC with a +7.9 rebound margin. The Mustangs have out-boarded opponents by a double-figure margin in five games this season and out-rebounded the opposition in 10 of 12 games this season.
 
MUSTANGS INDIVIDUAL NOTES
* Sophomore guard Terrell Wilson leads the Mustangs in scoring and ranks 14th in the Lone Star Conference at 14.8 points per game. He also ranks ninth in the league shooting 50 percent from the field while scoring 1.38 points per shot. Wilson has scored in double figures in each of his last four games and six of the last seven with four 20-point efforts during the stretch. He also ranks 11th in the LSC dishing out 3.6 assists per game.
* Junior guard Derrick Ogechi is second on the team averaging 13.3 points per game. He has scored in double figures in nine games this season including a two 20-point efforts. Ogechi posted season highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds in a double-double against Mary Hardin-Baylor (1/9). He leads the LSC making 3.17 3-pointers per game firing in at least three triples in seven games including a high of six in a 20-point performance at Dallas Baptist (1/23). Ogechi is second on the team and 11th in the LSC pulling down 6.7 rebounds per game.
* Freshman guard Pierre Sanders is third on the team in scoring at 10.9 points per game. He is coming off of matching season highs of 15 points the last two times out against nationally ranked Dallas Baptist and Lubbock Christian. Sanders finished a rebound shy of a double-double Wednesday night at LCU going for 15 points and nine boards. He has scored in double figures in seven games this season ranking 11th in the LSC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.48) and 13th in assists per game (3.4).
* Junior forward Luke Hamilton stands as one of the top 3-point shooters in NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference firing 35 triples in his first 12 games. The Lake Travis High School graduate buried at least two 3s in 10 of his 11 games this season and is fourth on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game. He ranks third in the LSC with 2.92 made triples per game and is sixth in the league with a 42.2 3-point field goal percentage.
* Junior Jermane Carter notched his top two scoring games of the season last weekend at No. 15 Dallas Baptist. The 6-7 forward went for a season-high 19 points with six rebounds on Friday before going for 18 points and eight rebounds on 6-of-7 shooting on Saturday. Carter has grabbed at least four offensive rebounds in seven of his 10 games this season leading the LSC and ranking eighth nationally pulling in 4.2 offensive boards per game. He leads the team and rates seventh in the league at 7.6 rebounds per game.
 
ABOUT THE CHAPS
No. 14-ranked Lubbock Christian is the lone unbeaten squad remaining in the Lone Star Conference at 9-0. The Chaps boast the league's top defense ranking fifth in NCAA Division II in scoring defense all 60.7 points per game and ninth in field goal percentage defense (39.2). LCU is also one of the most efficient offensive attacks in the nation rating second in the LSC and eighth nationally with a team field goal percentage of 51.6. Senior forward Parker Hicks leads a trio of Chaps averaging in double figures at 16.9 points per game, while shooting 57.5 percent from the field. Senior guard Lloyd Daniels adds 14.1 points per game on 53.1 percent shooting, while sophomore Rowan Mackenzie chips in 12.7 points on 56.5 percent shooting. Todd Duncan boasts a 166-104 record (.615) in his 10th season at the helm in Lubbock.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and Lubbock Christian meet for the 41st time on the hardwood Saturday at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Mustangs own a 28-12 edge in the series which dates back to the 1971-72, but the Chaps have won the last five meetings including all four with both programs as members of NCAA Division II. LCU upset top-seeded Midwestern State in the opening round of the 2016 South Central Regional before winning both games last season including a 79-61 win in the opening round of the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament. Overall, Midwestern State is 17-4 against the Chaps in games played at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Mustangs' last win against LCU came on Feb. 12, 1994 -- 123-87 -- in Wichita Falls.
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State takes on Oklahoma Christian in a Lone Star Conference crossover series next weekend at the Eagles' Nest inside the Payne Athletic Center. Tipoff on Friday is set for 5:30 p.m., while Saturday's start time is slated for 3:30.