MIDWESTERN STATE (10-7, 9-7 LSC)
at UT PERMIAN BASIN (8-10, 7-10 LSC)
Saturday, Feb. 27 -- 4 p.m.
Falcon Dome (Odessa, Texas)
All-Time Series: UTPB leads 8-5
 
ODESSA, Texas -- Midwestern State can clinch a Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament berth with a win over UT Permian Basin Saturday afternoon at the Falcon Dome. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
   
FIVE STORY LINES
  
1 |  Following a wild week of results, the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament picture is perfectly clear for the Mustangs. With a win, MSU claims a No. 6 seed and heads back to Burg Center for a rematch with DBU on Tuesday night. The Mustangs battled the then-No. 15 Patriots to within a single point on Jan. 22 and 23. Dallas Baptist is locked in as the No. 3 seed with 4.000 points. With a loss, Midwestern State drops to 2.912 points and would need either Texas A&M-Commerce to lose at Cameron or St. Edward's to fall again at UAFS. If one loses, the Mustangs are the No. 8 seed and will face the winner of Saturday afternoon's game between Lubbock Christian and West Texas A&M on the road. If MSU, Texas A&M-Commerce and St. Edward's all lose, then MSU is the No. 7 seed and will face the loser of the WT and LCU while UAFS would sneak in at No. 8.
    
2 |  Midwestern State closes the season having played five of a possible eight games against Lone Star Conference West Division foes. The Mustangs missed the series against West Texas A&M due to COVID-19 concerns, then hazardous weather conditions wiped out a road game with Angelo State last week. The Mustangs claimed a win against Angelo State last Saturday after taking losses to Lubbock Christian -- with one-point setback at home -- in January.
 
3 |  Midwestern State boasts a 10-7 record heading into the regular season finale at UT Permian Basin. The Mustangs clinched their first winning season with a victory on Thursday night since the 2015-16 squad earned South Central Regional hosting privileges with a 24-6 mark. The breakdown of the seven losses is very intriguing. Five of MSU's seven losses have come to teams ranked in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' (NABC) Top 25. Four of the seven losses were by one point, in overtime or both. The Mustangs suffered back-to-back one-point setbacks at No. 15 DBU, another one-point loss in OT to No. 14 Lubbock Christian and an overtime loss to No. 9 St. Edward's.
 
4 |  Midwestern State extended its run of games with at least one 3-pointer to 571 games by hitting 16 triples in Thursday's win over UT Permian Basin. The Mustangs are one of the premier 3-point shooting teams in NCAA Division II topping the LSC and ranking fourth nationally with 11.7 made triples per game. Juniors Luke Hamilton (3.35) and Derrick Ogechi (2.76) rate second and fourth in the LSC and 11th and 43rd, respectively, in NCAA Division II in made 3-pointers per game.
 
5 |  Midwestern State leads the Lone Star Conference and rates 18th nationally with a +6.8 rebound margin. The opposition has out-rebounded the Mustangs twice in 17 games this season, while MSU has controlled at least a +10 edge on the glass seven times including in two of the last three games. Midwestern attacks the boards relentlessly as a team as five players average at least 4.4 rebounds per game led by junior Jermane Carter (7.6), junior Jalin Brown (6.0), junior Derrick Ogechi (5.9), junior Luke Hamilton (5.5) and freshman Pierre Sanders (4.4). Carter tops the LSC and ranks fifth in NCAA Division II grabbing 4.53 offensive rebounds per game.
 
HEAD COACH JUSTIN LESLIE is in the midst of his second 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. 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 284-149 mark (.656) in 14 seasons as a collegiate head coach including an 18-28 record (.391) at MSU.
   
THE SERIES WITH THE FALCONS
  
Midwestern State and UT Permian Basin meet for 14th time on the hardwood Saturday afternoon in Odessa. The Falcons lead the series which dates back to the 2007-08 season by an 8-5 margin. UT Permian Basin has won seven of the last nine meetings between the programs dating back to the 2016-17 season. The Mustangs are winless in five trips to the Falcon Dome.