WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State hosts Texas A&M-Kingsville in a crucial game at D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Midwestern State (8-13, 6-8) needs a win over the Javelinas as they pursue a berth in the LSC Postseason Tournament. Only the top-eight seeds qualify for the tournament, which tips off March 5 at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.

The Javelinas are currently sitting eighth in the conference standings, and the Mustangs are two games behind TAMUK with five games remaining. 

TAMUK faces sixth-place West Texas A&M and first-place Eastern New Mexico at home before traveling to play UT Tyler and second-place Dallas Baptist during the final week of the regular season.

Midwestern State travels to UT Permian Basin and Angelo State next week before hosting Sul Ross State and fourth-place Western New Mexico to close out the regular season.

The Mustangs lost three of their last four games and fell to 6-4 at home this season after an 82-77 loss to Texas A&M International on Thursday night. 

Midwestern State shot nearly 70 percent in the first half against the Dustdevils, hitting 5-of-6 shots from beyond the arc, but the Mustangs were outscored in the second half, 41-33, and only had two offensive rebounds in the game. MSU finished 18 of 32 from the free-throw line after going 9 of 23 in a 69-63 win at UT Tyler earlier this week.

Orlando Horton, Jr. returned from a three-game absence due to injury and led the Stangs with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Davyon Butler was 5 of 7 and finished with 13 points, while Charles McClennahan, Jr., who sat out the game at Tyler with an injury, scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting in the loss to TAMIU.

The Mustangs are scoring 74.5 points per game but allowing their opponents to score 78.6 points per contest. The Mustangs are third in the league with 13.7 fast-break points per game. MSU is shooting 44 percent from the field, and its opponents are shooting 44.7 percent.

 
The Mustangs are third in the Lone Star Conference and 19th among NCAA Division II schools with 32.8 points per game from the bench.

 
Horton is one of four players averaging double figures for the Mustangs with 12.1 points per game. Terrance Ramirez is averaging 10.8 points per game. Jonathan Jackson, hitting 44.3 percent of his shots from 3-point range (51 of 115), is scoring 10 points per game. Butler is also scoring 10 points per game, and Charles McClennahan, Jr. is adding 9.1 points per contest.

 
Horton and Ramirez are combining with for nearly six assists per game. Horton leads the team with 3.3 helpers per contest, and Ramirez is dishing out 2.6 assists per outing.

 
Midwestern State is sixth in the LSC with 36.3 rebounds per game, led by McClennahan and Tehshaundre Cole. McClennahan is pulling down 4.8 rebounds per contest, and Cole is averaging 4.7 boards per outing.
 

TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE (11-12, 8-7)

Midwestern State leads the all-time series with the Javelinas, 40-16, and has won the last two meetings, including a 76-73 victory at Kingsville last season. MSU is 20-6 when hosting the Javelinas, who lost their last visit to D.L. Ligon Coliseum, 72-62, in February of 2024.

Texas A&M-Kingsville has alternated wins and losses over its last six outings and is coming off an 82-62 loss at Lubbock Christian. TJ Ford Jr. led the Javelinas with 19 points, hitting all three of his shots from 3-point range and going 10 for 10 at the free-throw line.

Bryson Goldsmith is the leading scorer for TAMUK this season with 10.4 points per game, while Allen Singleton and Ford are both scoring 9.3 points per contest.

Bryce Smith leads the Javelina with 3.2 assists per game, and he is also leading the team with 4.4 rebounds per outing.

Nate Garcia pulls down 3.9 rebounds a game, and he led the team with five boards on Thursday night at Lubbock Christian.

Texas A&M-Kingsville is forcing 15.4 turnovers per game, which is third most in the LSC, and it plus-3.2 turnover margin is fourth best in the league.

Smith leads the team with 42 steals, and the Javelinas are fifth in the conference with 8.8 steals per contest.

Omar Gonzalez is in his third season as head coach at TAMUK and is 28-51 after finishing last season with an 11-18 record.

Midwestern State is on the road next week to play UT Permian Basin on Thursday night. Tipoff at UTPB Gym Complex is scheduled for 5:15 p.m.