KINGSVILLE, Texas -- Midwestern State has a five-game winning streak as it embarks on its journey to South Texas to face Texas A&M-Kingsville on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. and Texas A&M International on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.

Midwestern State (19-5, 14-4) is coming off two impressive wins at home. The Mustangs defeated UT Permian Basin, 75-61, and avenged a loss earlier this season with a 74-57 thrashing of Angelo State on Saturday afternoon at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

Mason Gibson scored 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting and hit 3-of-5 shots from 3-point range. Pierre Sanders scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and dished out eight assists in the victory over the Rams.

The Mustangs have won their last three road games, improving to 7-4 as the visiting team this season.

Gibson, who is the third-leading scorer in the LSC with 17 points per game, has scored double figures in 21 of his 23 appearances this season, and scored at least 20 points in eight games.

Sanders is the second-leading scorer for the Mustangs this season with 12.8 points per game, and he is shooting 51.1 percent from the field (115 of 225). Sanders is shooting 45.3 percent from 3-point range (34 of 75) and is an 84 percent free-throw shooter (42 of 50).

The fifth-year senior guard from Hutto, Texas, is second in the conference with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.97, and he is sixth in the league with four assists per game.

Will Shepherd averages 9.6 points per game and is the second-leading rebounder for the Mustangs with 5.2 boards per game.

Reggie Hill is the fourth-leading rebounder in the conference with 6.9 rebounds per game. The 6-8 senior forward from Melbourne, Florida is averaging seven points per game.

Bakari LaStrap, who missed the first eight games of the season due to injury, scores 8.4 points per game for the Mustangs with 2.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game. LaStrap shoots 44 percent from the field (48 of 109) and has hit 37-of-45 free throws (82.2 %).

Jonathan Jackson hits 2.1 3-pointers per game and averages 7.9 points per game for the Mustangs. The 6-4 guard from Sachse, Texas, is 45-of-112 (40.2 %) from 3-point range.

The Mustangs are second in the LSC and sixth in the nation with a 3-point shooting percentage of 39.1, hitting 9.7 3-pointers per game, which leads the conference. MSU has hit at least 10 3-pointers in 13 games this season.

Midwestern State has an effective field goal percentage of 54 percent, which is fourth-best in the LSC. Effective field goal percentage accounts for the added value of three-point shots. MSU attempts the second-most 3-point shots in the LSC with 24.8 attempts per game.

Midwestern State is the fifth-highest scoring team in the LSC with 77.2 points per game while holding opponents to 65.3 points, which is the best scoring defense in the league. The plus-12 scoring margin is third-best in the LSC and 17th among NCAA Division II programs.

The Mustangs are sixth in the nation and lead the league with a field goal percentage defense of 39.2 percent, and opponents are only hitting 28.1 percent of their 3-point attempts against the LSC's best 3-point percentage defense, which is fourth best in the nation.

Sanders and Gibson lead the Mustangs with 42 and 37 steals respectively, and MSU is fourth in the league with 8.6 steals per game. Midwestern State is forcing 13 turnovers per game while only committing 10.7 turnovers, which is second-fewest in the LSC.

The Mustangs are scoring the third-most fast-break points in the LSC with 14 per game.

Midwestern State is committing the fewest fouls in the LSC with 14.4 per game, which is the 29th-fewest among NCAA Division II programs.

The Stang Gang is fifth in the conference with 36.7 rebounds per game, and third in the league with 26.5 defensive rebounds per game.

TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE

Midwestern State leads the all-time series with Texas A&M-Kingsvillle, 39-16, and snapped a three-game losing streak in the series with a 72-62 victory last season at D.L. Ligon Coliseum as Sanders scored 19 points. Gibson and LaStrap each scored 14 points for the Mustangs.

Midwestern State is 15-10 as the visiting team in the all-time series but has lost its last three visits to the Steinke Center, including a 74-71 loss two years ago despite making 15 3-pointers.

Texas A&M-Kingsville enters the game with an 11-15 overall record and is 7-11 in conference play.

The Javelinas are returning home from a 1-3 road trip and are coming off a 91-61 loss to Dallas Baptist. TAMUK is 6-5 at home this season but has lost its last two games at Steinke Center, falling to St. Mary's, 74-61, and St. Edward's, 69-66.

Isaiah Payne is the ninth-leading scorer in the LSC with 15 points per game, while Allen Singleton is contributing 10.4 points per game for a team scoring 70.7 points per game.

Singleton leads the Javelinas with 3.3 assists per game and is fifth in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.95.

TAMUK is fourth in the conference with 11.7 turnovers per game and is forcing its opponents into 13.8 turnovers per game.

The Javelinas are 11th in the league in scoring defense, giving up 73.3 points per game, and opponents are shooting 44.1 percent from the field.

Nate Lacewell is the leading rebounder for TAMUK with 4.6 rebounds per game, and the Javelinas are averaging 34.6 boards per contest. Opponents are grabbing 37.3 caroms per contest.

TAMUK reserves are scoring 27.4 points per game, which is third most in the LSC, and the Javelinas are 13th in the league from beyond the arc, shooting 32 percent from long range.

TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL

Midwestern State leads the all-time series with Texas A&M International, 5-2, and won the last meeting, 70-56 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum last season. The Mustangs were trailing at halftime, 39-29, but outscored the Dustdevils in the second half, 41-17.

Shepherd scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including three 3-pointers, and he blocked five shots in the victory. LaStrap pitched in 10 points and six rebounds, while Sanders delivered an all-around performance with six points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.

The Mustangs are 1-1 in Laredo and lost their last visit, 79-68, despite Sanders hitting 11-of-17 shots on his way to 22 points. The Dustdevils shot 52.8 percent and nailed 12 3-pointers in the victory.

TAMIU enters the week with a 12-16 record and is 7-12 in conference play. The Dustdevils host Lubbock Christian on Thursday night.

The Dustdevils rely on their bench for 27.8 points per game, which is second-most in the LSC, and TAMIU is the third lowest-scoring team in the conference with 66.3 points per game.

Anthony Ignowski is the highest scoring player on the team with 12.4 points per game and is shooting 46.3 percent from the field.

The Dustdevils are shooting 42.4 percent from the field, which is 12th in the LSC, but they are eighth in the league from 3-point range with a shooting percentage of 33.4.

Caylen Goff Brown is the leading 3-point shooter for TAMIU, hitting 46-of -117 attempts (39.3%) from beyond the arc.

Esteban Roacho is the leading rebounder with 4.7 boards per game for TAMIU, which is 15th in the league with 30.4 rebounds per game.

Anthony Ignowski is dishing out three assists per game, which is 12th in the LSC.
Former Midwestern State forward Duncan Alevok, a 6-10 junior, is third in the conference with 30 blocks this season and is averaging 1.15 blocks per game at TAMIU.

Midwestern State starts a home-and-home set with Lubbock Christian at D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Feb. 27. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.