MIDWESTERN STATE (3-5)
vs ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH (5-3)

Friday, Dec. 10 -- 7:30 p.m.
Stubblefield Center (Fort Smith, Ark.)
All-Time Series | UAFS leads 4-3

FORT SMITH, Ark. -- Midwestern State takes on Arkansas-Fort Smith in a non-conference battle Friday night at Stubblefield Center. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

The game is available via streaming video on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network. A free audio stream featuring the Voice of the Mustangs -- Pete Stein -- is also available at MSUMustangs.com/streaming.

THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS...

Midwestern State plays the fourth of six non-conference games against Lone Star Conference opponents Friday at Stubblefield Center. The Mustangs have won one of the previous three... MSU has dropped four its last five games with the lone win coming at Cameron (71-66) on Nov. 30... The Mustangs top the LSC and rank eighth in NCAA Division II pulling down 15.25 offensive rebounds per game... The Mustangs average 12.5 second chance points with a high of 27 in a 77-64 win over Colorado State-Pueblo (11/13)... Midwestern State ranks last (17th) in the Lone Star Conference in both team field goal percentage (.395) and 3-pint field goal percentage (.282)... The Mustangs have shot less than 40 percent from the field in each of their last five games and in six of eight games this season... MSU has shot less than 20 percent from 3-point range in each of the last three games and are a cumulative 13-of-78 in those games (16.7 percent)... The Mustangs are shooting 30-of-75 from the arc (40 percent) in three home games and are 27-of-124 from 3-point range (21.8 percent) on the road... MSU won the battle on the glass in four of eight games this season and have not been out-rebounded by more than three...

MSU TRENDSETTERS

Jermane Carter // Senior // Forward // Lenape, N.J.

ranks fourth in the LSC in scoring at 17.4 points per game... leads the LSC and ranks 15th in NCAA Division II pulling down 3.88 offensive rebounds per game... rates seventh in the LSC in field goal percentage (54.3)... scored in double figures in each of his last six games and in seven of eight games this season...  erupted for career-high 28 points while completing his second collegiate double-double with 10 rebounds against No. 3 West Texas A&M (11/22)... went for 22 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes against Northern State (11/16)... scored 21 of his game-high 22 points in the second half going 12-for-16 from the free throw line with six rebounds at Oklahoma Christian (12/2)... narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds in a win over Colorado State-Pueblo (11/13)... 10 of his 11 rebounds against Colorado State-Pueblo came on the offensive end of the floor... had another near double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds at  Cameron (11/30)... ranks second behind Arkansas-Fort Smith's Chris Rollins (57) in free throw attempts with 47 and second with 47 made free throws...

Terrell Wilson // Junior // Guard // Houston, Texas

averages 11 points, 2.5 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game... scored in double figures four times this season...  went for a season-high 21 points with five assists and two steals in a win over Colorado State-Pueblo (11/13)... led team in scoring three times including his 21 points against Colorado State-Pueblo, 16 versus Minnesota-Crookston (11/27) and 14 points against Central Oklahoma (11/20)... scored 500th career point against Minnesota-Crookston... 

Pierre Sanders // Sophomore // Guard // Hutto, Texas

averages 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27.2 minutes per game... scored in double figures three times this season... booked a season-high 17 points with seven rebounds against Northern State (11/26)... narrowly missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds in a win over Colorado State-Pueblo (11/13)... has worked his way to the free throw line for 16 attempts over the past three games -- making 14 of them... ranks fifth in the LSC and 50th in NCAA Division II with an 89.5 season free throw percentage (17-of-19)... missed the last two games due to injury...

Jamey Sanders // Junior // Guard // Memphis, Tenn.

fourth on team in scoring at 8.0 points per game... leads team with 14 made 3-pointers... booked double digits for the fourth time this season going for 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting with two 3-pointers last time out at Oklahoma Christian (12/2)... splashed in season-high four triples and went 5-for-6 from the field to finish with 14 points in a win over Central Oklahoma (11/20)... buried three 3-pointers and went 5-for-8 from the field for 13 points in season opener against UC Colorado Springs... connected on three 3-pointers to finish with 11 points at Northern State... 

HEAD COACH JUSTIN LESLIE is in his third season at the helm of the Midwestern State men's basketball program. 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. MSU also closed the 2020-21 regular season with four straight wins advancing the LSC Postseason Tournament for the second straight year with an 11-8 overall record. 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 288-155 mark (.650) in 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach including a 22-34 record (.393) at MSU.

SCOUTING THE LIONS

UAFS has rattled off wins in five of its last six games after opening the season with losses to Black Hills State (S.D.) and MSU Denver at the Lone Star/Rocky Mountain Challenge... Three of the Lions' five wins this season came against NAIA opponents -- all home victories over University of the Ozarks (90-33), Southwestern Christian (90-51) and Ecclesia (93-50).... UAFS is 2-3 against NCAA Division II opposition with wins over Henderson State (81-80/OT) and Harding (80-61)... The Lions face its second LSC foe in non-conference play after taking a 68-67 loss to DBU last Thursday at Stubblefield Center... Senior guard Matthew Wilson leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks 24th in NCAA Division II in scoring at 21.6 points per game... Wilson averages four made 3-pointers per game to rank second in the LSC and seventh in NCAA Division II... Wilson's 43.8 3-point percentage rates sixth in the league and 54th nationally... Wilson has scored at least 20 points in each of his last six games including a campaign-high 30 points with seven 3-pointers against Harding (11/27)... Senior forward Chris Rollins is UAFS' only other player scoring in double figures averaging 14.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game... Rollins boasts season highs with 25 points and eight rebounds against Henderson State (11/20)...

VETERAN UAFS HEAD COACH JIM BOONE boasts a 581-442-1 record (.568) in his 36th season as a collegiate head coach. Boone is 23-30 (.434) in his third season at Arkansas-Fort Smith. Previously, he spent 10 seasons at California (Pa.) (227-71 from 1986-96), seven at Delta State (128-85 from 2012-19), six at Tusculum (88-86 from 2005-11), five at Eastern Michigan (48-96 from 2000-05), four at Robert Morris (45-66 from 1996-2000), and one at West Virginia Wesleyan (22-8-1 in 2011-12).

ABOUT THE SERIES

Midwestern State at Arkansas-Fort Smith meet for the eighth time on the hardwood Friday night at Stubblefield Center. The Lions own a slim 4-3 lead in the series which dates back to the 2013-14 season. MSU snapped a four-game slide in the series by claiming a 79-71 win in the last meeting on Feb. 20, 2020 in Wichita Falls. The Mustangs lost the only two games against UAFS at Stubblefield Center falling 77-66 on Nov. 21, 2018 and 66-62 on Jan. 25, 2020. 

UP NEXT

Midwestern State takes on UT Tyler in a non-conference game Monday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.