WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State is 3-0 for the first time since the starting the 2020-21 season with five straight wins, and the Mustangs are hosting 2-0 St. Mary's for a non-conference game on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Midwestern State is coming off a 102-69 rout of Dallas Christian on Thursday night. Austin Lewis was the leading scorer for the Mustangs with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2 of 6 from 3-point distance. The junior transfer from Holy Cross grabbed four rebounds in the victory.

Pierre Sanders was 6 of 7 from the field and only played 21 minutes but scored 14 points. The senior guard had two assists, two steals and three rebounds in the victory. Sanders hit 2-of-3 shots from beyond the arc.

Sanders is second on the team with 16 points per game and is shooting 56.3 percent from the field on 18-of-32 shooting.

Duncan Alevok, the reigning Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week, was 6 of 8 from the field with 12 points and a team-leading nine rebounds in 22 minutes. Alevok had two blocks and finished the night with a team-high +27 rating. The 6-10 sophomore leads the LSC and is seventh in the nation with 10 blocks through three games.

The Mustangs are averaging five blocks per game, which is 14th-best in the country.

Alevok also leads the conference and is 20th in the nation in field-goal percentage, hitting 73.9 percent of his shots.

Bakari LeStrap scored 12 points and had two more steals. The junior transfer from IUPUI is leading the conference and is 13th in the country with nine steals through three games, and the Mustangs are averaging a conference-best 14 steals per game, which is fourth-best in the nation.

Midwestern State is forcing 22 turnovers per game, which is the most in the LSC and eighth in the country.

The Mustangs are also leading the conference with 45.7 rebounds per game, which is eighth-most among Division II schools.

Mason Gibson pitched in 11 points on 4 of 10 shooting, and he had three assists and two steals on Thursday night. Gibson leads the Mustangs with 17.7 points per game, which is eighth in the conference.

Redshirt freshman Antwan Taylor poured in 10 points, pulled down six rebounds and dished out four assists against Dallas Christian. Taylor was 4 of 8 from the field and 2 of 5 from 3-point range.

Reggie Hill electrified the crowd of nearly 800 spectators on Thursday. Late in the game, Hill had two fast-break field goals, including a slam dunk. The 6-8 junior transfer from Northwestern State scored 10 points — all in the second half — as he was 5 of 5 from the field over the final 20 minutes.

The Mustangs are the second-highest scoring team in the league with 91.7 points per game, which is 19th in the nation. Midwestern State leads the conference and is fifth in the nation with 24.0 fast-break points per game.

The Mustangs are holding opponents to 72.7 points per game, which is ninth best in the LSC.

Midwestern State is 17-19 in the all-time series with the Rattlers and won the last meeting, 74-61, as Jermane Carter scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds last season at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Midwestern State is 14-6 when hosting the Rattlers.

St. Mary's has opened the season with a 2-0 record, defeating Regis, 81-78, and dismissing Colorado School of Mines, 87-77, at Bill Greehy Arena in San Antonio.

Davion Coleman is the second-leading scorer in the LSC with 25.5 points per game, which is seventh in the nation.

Lachlan Bofinger, who had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Regis, leads the Rattlers with six rebounds per game. St. Mary's is averaging 40 rebounds per contest, which is third-best in the LSC.

The Rattlers lead the nation with 27.5 made free throws per game, and the Rattlers are third in the league with a 79.7 percent shooting average from the foul line. St. Mary's is averaging 34.5 free throws per game, which is fourth-most in the nation and leads the LSC.

Midwestern State returns to the floor on Tuesday afternoon as Sterling makes its first-ever visit to D.L. Ligon Coliseum for a 2 p.m. tip-off.
 

--MSUMustangs.com--