MIDWESTERN STATE (16-14)
vs #18 WEST TEXAS A&M (26-6)

LSC Postseason Tournament Semifinals
Saturday, March 5 -- Noon
Comerica Center (Frisco, Texas)
All-Time Series | WT leads 43-33

FRISCO, Texas -- Midwestern State returns to the Lone Star Conference Postseason semifinals for the 12th time in program history and is in search of its 10th finals appearance.

The streaking Mustangs face No. 18 West Texas A&M Saturday afternoon at Comerica Center. Tipoff is set for noon.

The game is set for broadcast via video streaming on the LSC Digital Network. A free audio stream featuring the Voice of the Mustangs -- Pete Stein -- can also be heard at MSUMustangs.com/streaming.

All video streams on the LSC Digital Network are also available on Over-The-Top (OTT) apps on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku by searching "LSC Digital Network."

THE LONE STAR CONFERENCE POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT

Midwestern State advanced to the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament as the No. 6 seed completing league play with a 10-6 record. The Mustangs continue a late season surge extending their winning streak to five games with wins over UT Tyler and Dallas Baptist in the opening two rounds.

First Round

Tuesday, March 1 (at campus sites)
No. 12 Texas A&M-Kingsville 49, at No. 5 Texas A&M-Commerce 46
at No. 6 Midwestern State 66, No. 11 UT Tyler 62
No. 7 Angelo State 78, No. 10 UT Permian Basin 77
No. 9 St. Edward's 68, at No. 8 UAFS 59

Quarterfinals

Thursday, March 3 (at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas)
No. 6 Midwestern State 82, No. 3 Dallas Baptist 66
No. 2 West Texas A&M 83, No. 7 Angelo State 73
No. 1 Lubbock Christian 58, No. 9 St. Edward's 56
No. 12 Texas A&M-Kingsville 70, No. 4 St. Mary's 64

Semifinals

Saturday, March 5 (at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas)
No. 6 Midwestern State vs. No. 2 West Texas A&M, Noon
No. 1 Lubbock Christian vs. No. 12 Texas A&M-Kingsville, 2:30 p.m.

Championship

Sunday, March 6 (at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas)
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.

MSU IN THE LSC POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT

Midwestern State is 30-13 (.698) in its 21st all-time Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament appearance... The Mustangs claimed seven LSC Postseason Tournament championships (1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2016)... MSU is 9-2 all time in the semifinal round of the LSC Postseason Tournament... Midwestern State is making its first appearance at Comerica Center in Frisco... The Mustangs advanced to the LSC quarterfinal round in 2018, but a roof leak forced their matchup with UT Permian Basin to Kitty Magee Arena in Denton... Midwestern State played its first LSC Postseason Tournament game at D.L. Ligon Coliseum since beating Southeastern Oklahoma 89-80 in the 2007 title game on March 3, 2007... MSU has now won all 10 of its LSC Postseason Tournament games played at D.L. Ligon Coliseum including titles in 1999 and 2007... The Mustangs won their first LSC Postseason Tournament game since winning the 2016 championship with Tuesday's 66-62 victory over UT Tyler...

MSU'S MARCH TO THE SEMIFINALS

First Round: Midwestern State 66, UT Tyler 62
- MSU wins first LSC Postseason Tournament game since 2016.
- Junior Terrell Wilson pours in team-high 20 points going 7-of-15 from the field with four 3-pointers.
- Senior Luke Hamilton hits five 3-pointers to finish with 15 points with four big steals on defense.
- MSU avenges regular season sweep by UT Tyler.
- MSU coach Justin Leslie claims 300th career coaching win.

Quarterfinals: Midwestern State 82, DBU 66
- MSU wins debut at Comerica Center to advance to LSC semifinal round for 12th time in program history.
- MSU shoots second highest team field goal percentage of the season (.549) and makes season-high 22 free throws (in 25 attempts).
- MSU made 24 of its 35 attempts from inside the arc (68.6 percent).
- MSU scores 80-or-more points for the third time this season. Also scored 80-plus in wins over MIAA champion Central Oklahoma (86-65) and West Texas A&M (100-90/OT).
- Senior Jermane Carter leads Mustangs with 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting with eight rebounds.
- Pierre Sanders scores six of his 15 points during a 12-0 spurt to re-assert MSU's control of the game after Dallas Baptist took its only lead of the second half with 12:09 to play. Sanders completed a three-point play then connected on a triple from the top of the key.

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

Midwestern State has won five consecutive games, eight of the last nine and 10 of the last 12... The Mustangs gun for their sixth straight win which would be the longest winning streak since MSU won six straight from Dec. 16, 2016 to Jan. 14, 2017...  The Mustangs clinched back-to-back winning seasons for the second straight season with a win against Dallas Baptist in the quarterfinal round of the LSC Postseason Tournament... The Mustangs have now posted back-to-back winning seasons since going 22-9 in 2014-15 and 24-6 in 2015-16... MSU is 2-3 in games decided by two-or-fewer points this season both of the victories have come against UAFS (63-62 on 12/10 and 68-67 on 2/26)... The Mustangs fell 69-68 at UT Tyler (1/2), 75-73 at Angelo State (1/13) and 59-58 at Texas A&M-Kingsville (2/17)... In those four games, the Mustangs led into the final minute against UAFS, UT Tyler and Texas A&M-Kingsville and were within a point with 35 seconds to play against Angelo State... Eight of Midwestern State's last 12 wins have been by double digits... Midwestern State finished 10-4 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum this season and won the last seven games played on its home court... Midwestern State snapped a run of four straight losses at neutral sites with an 82-66 win over Dallas Baptist in the LSC quarterfinals on Thursday...Midwestern State led the Lone Star Conference in scoring defense (63.0 ppg), field goal percentage defense (.393) and is fifth in 3-point percentage defense (.337) during league play... The defensive run pulled the Mustangs to third in the league and 55th in NCAA Division II in field goal percentage defense (.422) for the season...  MSU has limited the opposition to less the 40-percent shooting in 10 of the last 17 games after not achieving the feat over the first 13 games... MSU has limited the opposition to less than a point per field goal attempt four times this season... Midwestern State has shot 40 percent or better in 17 of its last 19 games after shooting less than 40 percent in seven its first 11 games... Midwestern State has shot better than 50 percent from the field six times this season... Midwestern State ranks 12th in the LSC in team field goal percentage (43.0 percent) and 17th in team 3-point field goal percentage (31.2 percent)... MSU stands third in the LSC and 46th in NCAA Division II pulling down 12.03 offensive rebounds per game resulting in 329 second chance points in 30 games (10.9 per game)... 

MSU TRENDSETTERS

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

All-Lone Star Conference (Second Team)
ranks 14th in the LSC in scoring at 14.7 points per game... ranks third in the LSC and 36th in NCAA Division II pulling down 3.1 offensive rebounds per game... is ninth in overall rebounds per game in the LSC collecting 6.1 caroms per game... rates third in the LSC in field goal percentage at 50.8... scored in double figures in 21 of 30 games this season...  booked 20-or-more points in seven games... connected on 40.5 percent of his 3-pointers (30-of-74)... hit a 3-pointer in 17 games... earned LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the week preceding Jan. 31 after averaging 20 points and 7.5 rebounds in wins over No. 12 West Texas A&M and Cameron... 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)... led Mustangs with 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting with eight rebounds in an 82-66 win over Dallas Baptist in quarterfinal round of the LSC Postseason Tournament (3/3)... went for 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting with a season-high four 3-pointers while pulling down seven rebounds in a 100-90 overtime win against No. 12 West Texas A&M (1/27)... scored 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds while shooting 7-for-10 from the floor with three 3-pointers in a win over Cameron (1/29)... recorded his third double-double of the season going for 18 points and 10 rebounds while hitting two 3-pointers against Oklahoma Christian (2/26)... scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting with a season-best three dunks at Dallas Baptist (1/22)... connected on 9-of-18 shots with a 3-pointer to finish with 23 points and seven rebounds at Angelo State (1/13)... poured in a team-high 20 points on 11-of-18 shooting with a career-best four 3-pointers (on five attempts) in a 60-50 win over St. Edward's (1/6)... recorded his third career double-double and second of the season going for 17 points and 12 rebounds against Texas A&M-Commerce (12/31)... 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)... went 6-of-8 from the field and connected on a 3-pointer to finish with 15 points against Texas A&M International (2/19)... scored his 600th career point against Dallas Baptist (3/3)...

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

All-Lone Star Conference (Third Team)
ranks 17th in the Lone Star Conference in scoring with 13.7 points per game while averaging 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 28.4 minutes over 30 games this season... scored in double figures 23 times this season and in each of his last nine games...  scored 20-or-more points four times... connected on at least two 3-pointers in 14 games... made at least three steals in nine times this season... has 107 steals through 74 games for an average of 1.4 steals per game to put him fifth on MSU's all-time list.... needs four steals to tie former All American Tony Forch (111 steals from 1978-80) for 15th place on the all-time list... ranks seventh in the LSC and 185th in NCAA Division II with 1.50 steals per game... poured in a career-high 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting going 6-of-6 from the arc at UT Tyler (1/2)... booked 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting with three 3-pointers against Dallas Baptist (1/22)... went for 21 points with five assists and two steals in a win over Colorado State-Pueblo (11/13)... buried four 3-pointers on his way to 20 points in a 66-62 win over UT Tyler in the opening round of the LSC Postseason Tournament (3/1)... scored game-high 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting with four assists and three steals in a 75-61 win over Dallas Baptist (2/8)... went 6-of-7 from the field with three 3-pointers to finish with 19 points against Texas A&M International (2/19)... narrowly missed a double-double finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds while hitting three 3-pointers in a 100-90 overtime win against No. 17 West Texas A&M (1/27)... connected on 7-of-9 shots from the field including a 3-pointer for a team-high 17 points in a win at UT Permian Basin (1/15)... scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half against Texas A&M-Commerce (12/31)... scored his 800th career point against UAFS (2/25)...

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

All-Lone Star Conference (Honorable Mention)
averages 10.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30.0 minutes over 25 games... scored in double figures 12 times... missed five games due to injury from the Nov. 30 game at Cameron through the Dec. 16 game against Texas A&M-Commerce... poured in a career high 21 points and threatened a triple double by matching career bests with nine rebounds and eight assists in a 100-90 overtime win over No. 12 West Texas A&M (1/27)... matched a career high with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting burying three 3-pointers in a 71-49 win over Eastern New Mexico (2/5)... went for game-high 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting with two 3-pointers and two steals in a 75-61 win over Dallas Baptist (2/8)... poured in 17 points hitting four 3-pointers in a win at UT Permian Basin (1/15)... splashed in a season-high 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting with seven rebounds at Northern State (11/26)... finished with 13 points and nine rebounds in a win over Colorado State-Pueblo (11/13)... buried a season-high three 3-pointers and went 5-for-9 from the field to finish with 15 points and seven rebounds against St. Mary's (1/8)... buried a season-high three 3-pointers to finish with 11 points and five assists against Cameron (1/29)... 

Amaechi Chukwu // Redshirt-Freshman // Forward // Denton, Texas

averages 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in 19.8 minutes over 29 games... averaged 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 20.3 minutes shooting 32-of-44 from the field (72.7 percent) scoring in double figures in five of six games from Jan. 13-Feb. 3... scored in double figures eight times... ranks 11th in the Lone Star Conference averaging 2.0 offensive rebounds per game... set a career-high with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting and narrowly missed first collegiate double-double with nine rebounds against Cameron (1/29)... scored in double digits for the first time against Angelo State (1/13) then extended the run to three straight games with at least 10 points against UT Permian Basin (1/15) and Dallas Baptist (1/22)... went for 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds at Angelo State (1/13)... led MSU with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting and went 4-of-5 from the free throw line to finish with 16 points and five rebounds at Texas A&M-Kingsville (2/17)... scored 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting with five rebounds versus No. 1 Lubbock Christian (2/3).... notched first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 5-of-7 from the field with a 3-pointer at UT Permian Basin (1/15)...  added second double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in a 75-61 win over Dallas Baptist (2/8)... scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting with six rebounds before fouling out in 28 minutes at Dallas Baptist (1/22)... matched a season high pulling down 11 rebounds against Arkansas-Fort Smith (2/24)... 

Jalin Brown // Senior // Forward // Denton, Texas

averages 5.7 points and ranks ninth in the Lone Star Conference pulling down 6.1 rebounds in 22.5 minutes across 30 games... grabbed at least seven rebounds in 13 games this season including a high of 15 rebounds against St. Edward's (1/6)... pulled down 9.5 rebounds over a six-game stretch from Dec. 13 against UT Tyler through Jan. 8 against St. Mary's... shooting 38.3 percent from the arc for the season (18-of-47)... connected on two 3-pointers in consecutive games going 2-for-2 at Texas A&M-Commerce (12/31) and 2-for-3 against UT Tyler (1/2)... accounted for a season-high 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting with two 3-pointers in a 69-50 win over Western New Mexico (2/10)... scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a win over Colorado State-Pueblo (11/13)... booked 10 points with five rebounds and three steals in a 100-90 overtime win against No. 12 West Texas A&M (1/27)... scored 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting with five rebounds at No. 1 Lubbock Christian (2/3)... scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a 75-61 win over Dallas Baptist (2/8) then had 10 points with six rebounds against the Patriots in the quarterfinal round of the LSC Postseason Tournament (3/3)...

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 301-164 mark (.647) in 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach including a 35-43 record (.449) at MSU.

SCOUTING THE BUFFS

West Texas A&M has rattled off six straight wins since falling to No. 3 Lubbock Christian (85-76) on Feb. 10 at First United Bank Center... The Buffs have won the last four LSC Postseason Tournament championships and have claimed 13 consecutive tournament victories... WT junior Julius Brown poured in a season-high 34 points on 12-of-19 shooting with four 3-pointers in the Buffs' 83-73 win over Angelo State in the quarterfinal round... Sophomore guard Larry Wise leads WT in scoring at 15.5 points per game... Sophomore guard Zach Toussaint scores 15.3 points per game shooting 41.3 percent from the arc... Toussaint's two highest scoring games of the season came against MSU going for a season-high 36 points on Jan. 27 at Ligon Coliseum after netting 27 points on Nov. 22 at First United Bank Center... Brown adds 15.0 points per game for the Buffs...

HEAD COACH TOM BROWN owns a 206-49 record (.808) in his eighth season leading the West Texas A&M program. Brown has led the Buffs to three consecutive Elite Eights (2018, 2019, 2021) including national runner-up finish in 2021. West Texas A&M qualified for the NCAA Division II postseason in each of the last five seasons. Prior to taking over the WT men's basketball program prior to the 2014-15 season, Brown served as an assistant at Winona State for 16 campaigns helping the Warriors to NCAA Division II championships in 2006 and 2008.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Midwestern State and West Texas A&M meet for the 77th time on the hardwood Saturday afternoon at Comerica Center. The Buffs lead the series which dates back to the 1946-47 season by a 43-33 margin. MSU snapped a series-long eight-game losing streak to WT with a 100-90 win in overtime on Jan. 27 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. 

MSU VERSUS WEST TEXAS A&M LSC POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT HISTORY

Midwestern State meets West Texas A&M for the third time in LSC Postseason Tournament play. The programs have split the previous two meetings.

2000 LSC Postseason Tournament Championship: MSU 93, WT 83
Rodney Beasley (17 points) and Doug Beaty (14 points) combined for 31 points off of the bench to lead Midwestern State to a 93-83 win over West Texas A&M at Jack Dobbins Fieldhouse in Tahlequah, Okla. Starters Terrence Thomas (15 points), Jerome Jackson (14 points) and Edgar Arteaga (12 points) also scored in double figures as the Indians claimed their second consecutive league tournament title.

2005 LSC Postseason Tournament Semifinals: WT 80, MSU 75
Midwestern State charged back from 15 points down early in the second half to pull within one point on a Shelton Hawkins' layup with 14 seconds to play, but WT hit a pair of free throws and threw down a dunk at the buzzer to come away with an 80-75 win. WT's Carl Lamb led all scorers with 23 points, while Eddie Rowe and Leonard Pralour had 13 points each for MSU.

UP NEXT

With a win, Midwestern State advances to its 10th Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament final Sunday afternoon at Comerica Center. The Mustangs would play either Lubbock Christian or Texas A&M-Kingsville. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m.