SAN ANTONIO – Midwestern State plays its final two non-conference games in the 2025 River City Classic. The Mustangs meet No. 25-ranked Arkansas-Fort Smith at 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Bill Greehey Arena and return on Wednesday to face Pittsburg State at 3 p.m.
Midwestern State (4-4, 2-1) is coming off an 83-75 loss to Oklahoma Christian at Payne Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon. The Mustangs held a six-point lead at halftime but were outscored over the final 20 minutes, 54-40.
Jordan Reed scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, and Davyon Butler also finished with 16 points, hitting 6-of-12 shots from the field as MSU shot 48.4 percent from the field but went 6 of 26 from 3-point range and was outrebounded, 33-24.
The Eagles shot better than 63 percent in the second half and finished the game 32 of 64 from the field with Jason Clark scoring 18 points, leading four players in double figures. Miles Gibson was the leading rebounder with eight boards, and he scored 14 points for Oklahoma Christian, which earned its first victory in four conference games.
The Mustangs are the third-highest scoring team in the Lone Star Conference with 83.9 points per game but are allowing opponents to score 82 points per outing, which is 14th in the league.
Midwestern State is scoring 17.6 points per game on the fast break, which is second most among LSC programs and 20th in NCAA Division II.
Terrance Ramirez is the leading scorer for Midwestern State with 14.6 points per game, while Charles McClennahan, Jr. is scoring 13 points a game. Ramirez is shooting 51.2 percent from the field, and McClennahan is hitting 47.1 percent of his shots.
Midwestern State is sixth in the LSC with a field goal percentage of 46.6, while opponents are shooting 45.3 percent from the field.
Jonathan Jackson, who leads the conference with three made 3-pointers per game and second in the league with a 3-point percentage of 45.3, is scoring 11.5 points per game for the Mustangs.
Midwestern State is hitting 7.8 3-pointers per game and shooting 33.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Orlando Horton and Davyon Butler are averaging 10 points per game and have each scored double digits three times this season.
McClennahan is the leading rebounder for the Mustangs with 6.8 rebounds per game, and the Mustangs are fourth in the LSC with 37.1 rebounds per game. MSU is grabbing 11.8 offensive rebounds per contest, sixth-most in the conference.
Arkansas-Fort Smith (8-0) is one of 14 undefeated teams in NCAA Division II and is appearing in the NABC/Division II Top 25 for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
The former LSC member won its first two MIAA games this season and is coming off an 84-46 win over Ecclesia College on Friday night.
The Lions are averaging 89 points per game and allowing opponents to score just 61.6 points per game.
Senior guard Brandon Scott leads a balanced attack with 11.9 points per game, and Christian Moore, also a senior guard, is adding 11.5 points per contest.
Kameron Johnson is the leading rebounder with 6.9 boards per game, and the 6-6 senior forward is scoring 9.6 points per game.
Midwestern State won its last five meetings with the Lions, including a 79-77 victory in their last encounter during the 2023-24 season at Fort Smith. Midwestern State is 2-1 in neutral site meetings, including a 72-66 victory in the 2014 NCAA Division II quarterfinals in Denver.
The Mustangs are meeting Pittsburg State for the fourth time in program history and for the first time since a 74-71 victory in the 2006 River City Classic at St. Mary's. Midwestern State won the first meeting in November of 1977, 85-61, in Wichita Falls. In December of 1984, the Gorillas defeated MSU, 70-63, in Warrensburg, Missouri.
Pittsburg State (7-3) enters the River City Classic with a three-game winning streak and is coming off back-to-back wins over Central Oklahoma and Rogers State to begin its MIAA campaign.
The Gorillas face UT Permian Basin in the River City Classic on Tuesday afternoon before squaring off with the Mustangs.
Pittsburg State scores 83.3 points per game and holds opponents to 68.6 points per game.
Junior guard Connor Rogers scores 21.1 points per game and is the second-leading scorer in the MIAA and 29th in NCAA Division II.
Mason English, a freshman guard from Pittsburg, Kansas, is sixth in the nation and leading the MIAA with 6.5 assists per game, and he is pulling down 4.9 rebounds per contest.
Midwestern State returns to Bill Greehey Arena on Jan. 2 to resume its conference schedule against St. Mary's. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
-- MSUMustangs.com --
