WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State has reeled off four consecutive wins to start the season and welcomes Sterling to D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Tuesday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

The Mustangs are coming off their second overtime victory of the season, as Pierre Sanders posted the first triple-double by a Midwestern State player in 22 years. Sanders finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in the 108-104 triumph over St. Mary's at D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Saturday.

Sanders, the second Division II player to post a triple-double this season, was named LSC Offensive Player of the Week after his remarkable performance against the Rattlers. Sanders also scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting against Dallas Christian earlier in the week.

The native of Hutto, Texas, is shooting 52.3 percent from the field (23-of-44), and is averaging 15.5 points per game for the season. Sanders leads the team with 21 assists and is pulling down 5.3 rebounds per game.

Austin Lewis, a 6-8 junior forward, hit all six of his shots from beyond the arc against St. Mary's, and he converted a four-point play at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. Lewis scored a season-high 21 points and is 9-of-18 from 3-point range for the season. The Holy Cross transfer is scoring 10.8 points per game and is averaging 3.8 rebounds per game. Lewis has five blocks this season.

Duncan Alevok, who was the LSC Defensive Player of the Week after the first two games, continues to impress. The 6-10 sophomore leads the conference and is second in the nation with 15 total blocks and 3.75 blocks per game. Alevok is shooting 78.6 percent from the field, which leads the LSC and is seventh in the nation. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native is scoring 11.5 points per game.

The Mustangs are averaging 42.5 rebounds per game, which is the second-most in the LSC and 25th in the nation.

Reggie Hill, who did not play against St. Mary's on Saturday due to injury, is ninth in the LSC with 7.0 rebounds per game. Alevok is second on the team and 11th in the LSC with 6.8 rebounds per game.

Midwestern State leads the conference and is fifth in the nation with 13 steals per game.

Bakari LaStrap, a 6-1 junior from Houston, is second in the conference and 20th in the nation with 11 steals. Sanders is fourth in the LSC and 34th among Division II players with 10 steals. Mason Gibson is seventh in the LSC with eight steals, and Will Shepherd is 15th in the conference with six steals.

Gibson leads the Mustangs with 17.8 points per game, which makes him the eighth leading scorer in the LSC. The 6-0 sophomore guard from Allen, Texas, is second in the conference and ninth in the nation with 34 made free throws. He leads the league and is sixth in the nation with 45 free-throw attempts.

Shepherd, a 6-8 junior from Dallas, is one of three players to start all four games for Midwestern State and is averaging 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. The transfer from Oakland is 7 of 18 (38.9 percent) from 3-point range and is 16 of 37 (43.2 percent) from the field overall.

The Mustangs are shooting 46.6 percent from the field overall and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc. At the free-throw line, MSU is converting 75.6 percent of the time (90 of 119).

Sterling is an NAIA program in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and is meeting Midwestern State for the first time in the history of the program.

The Warriors have a six-game winning streak and are 6-1 after losing their opening game at Hastings, 82-75. Sterling is coming off a 76-63 win over St. Mary (KS). Jayden Garrison was 6 of 11 from the field, including 4 of 6 from 3-point distance, to lead the Warriors with 18 points. Mooch Austin scored 16 points, and Brandon Doss added 12 points off the bench.

Sterling outrebounded the Spires, 36-30, led by Lucas Briar, who pulled down six rebounds for the Warriors. Sterling shot 41.1 percent from the field (23 of 56) and 38.1 percent from beyond the arc (8 of 21). Lucas Briar was the leading rebounder for the Warriors with six boards in 19 minutes.

Austin is averaging 15.4 points per game to lead the Warriors, and Garrison is scoring 12.3 points per game. Doss pitches in 11.0 points per game.

Elias Ngoga leads the Warriors with 5.6 rebounds per contest, while Briar and Chris Drake are both pulling down 5.0 boards per game.

Randy Stange is in his second season as the head coach at Sterling, and the team made a 15-win improvement, finishing last year with a 17-17 record.

Justin Leslie is 317-181 (.637) in 17 seasons as a head coach. After 12 years leading his alma mater at Azusa Pacific, Leslie came to Midwestern State. In his fifth season at the helm of the Mustangs' program, Leslie is 51-60.

Midwestern State makes its first road trip of the regular season on Saturday. The Mustangs travel to Alva, Oklahoma, for a showdown with Northwestern Oklahoma. Tipoff at Percefull Fieldhouse is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 

--MSUMustangs.com--