MIDWESTERN STATE (7-7, 6-7 LSC)
at OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN (4-8, 4-8 LSC)
Game 1: Friday, Feb. 5 -- 5:30 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, Feb. 6 -- 3:30 p.m.
Eagles Nest (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
All-Time Series: Midwestern State leads 25-13
 
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Midwestern State attempts to snap a six-game slide Saturday afternoon against Oklahoma Christian at the Athletic Center. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
 
FIVE STORY LINES
 
1 | Midwestern State looks to snap a six-game slide Saturday afternoon inside the Eagles Nest. The Mustangs can avoid losing seven consecutive games for the first since dropping the first eight contests of the 2019-20 season. The deceptive streak features four losses to ranked opponents -- No. 15 DBU and No. 14 Lubbock Christian -- and three of the losses have come by a single point.
 
2 | The Mustangs are literally six points away from spinning a 7-7 record into an 11-3 start. MSU is one point in regulation away from erasing a 112-105 loss in overtime to No. 9 St. Edward's on Jan. 3. A bucket in both games at No. 15 DBU on Jan. 22 and 23 would flip 81-80 and 91-90 losses into victories. Midwestern needed a single point in regulation to deal No. 14 Lubbock Christian its first loss of the season last week, but the Chaps survived with an 83-82 win in OT.
 
3 | Midwestern State extended its run of games with at least one 3-pointer to 568 games by hitting 11 triples against Oklahoma Christian Friday night at the Eagles' Nest. The Mustangs are one of the premier 3-point shooting teams in NCAA Division II ranking second in the LSC and sixth nationally with 11.8 made triples per game.
 
4 | The top 3-point shooters in the Lone Star Conference take the same floor this weekend inside the Payne Athletic Center. Midwestern State juniors Luke Hamilton and Derrick Ogechi knock down three triples per game this season. Hamilton buried at least two treys in 13 of 14 games this season with a high of six in a win over St. Edward's on Jan. 2, while Ogechi knocked down at least two triples 11 times this season with a best of six at Dallas Baptist on Jan. 23. Oklahoma Christian's Marco Foster leads the league making 3.41 per game. The freshman from Lancaster drilled nine treys at Arkansas-Fort Smith on Feb. 1 and has hit at least four trifectas in six of his 12 games.
 
5 | Midwestern State junior Jermane Carter leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks 10th in NCAA Division II pulling down 4.33 offensive rebounds per game. The 6-7 forward grabbed at least four offensive caroms in 11 of his 12 games and ranks sixth in the league grabbing 7.2 total boards per contest.
 
HEAD COACH 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 281-149 mark (.653) in 14 seasons as a collegiate head coach including a 15-28 record (.349) at MSU.
 
THE SERIES WITH THE EAGLES
Midwestern State and Oklahoma Christian meet for the 39th time on the hardwood Saturday inside the Payne Athletic Center. The Mustangs hold a 25-13 advantage in the series which dates back to the 1961-62 season. The teams split the season series in 2019-20 with the Eagles claiming a 64-60 victory on Jan. 23, 2020 in Oklahoma City before the Mustangs retaliated with a 73-68 win on Feb. 22, 2020 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Mustangs are 8-9 all time on OC's home floor, but their last win at the Eagles came on Nov. 5, 1983 (63-53). But this is just Midwestern's second game at the facility since.