INSIDE THE LANE
Midwestern State makes its sixth straight appearance in the South Central Regionals and ninth NCAA Division II postseason showing.
 
The Mustangs are 6-0 all time in first round games and are 13-8 in NCAA Division II tournament games which include appearances in 1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
 
MSU opens regional play with a first-round battle with Heartland Conference regular season champ Arkansas-Fort Smith. The winner moves on to face either Tarleton State or Texas A&M International in the semifinal round Sunday night at 6 p.m. (Central Time).
 

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Midwestern State vs. Arkansas-Fort Smith
Saturday, March 15 | 1 p.m. (Central Time)
Records: Midwestern State (22-7); Arkansas-Fort Smith (21-6)
Live Video: GoMetroState.com  
Live Audio: MSUMustangs.com  
Live Stats: GoMetroState.com 
South Central Region Tournament Central  
Game Notes (PDF)
 
ABOUT ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH
- Arkansas-Fort Smith claimed an outright Heartland Conference title posting a 21-5 regular season mark going 14-4 in league play.
- The Lions fell to Texas-Permian Basin 81-79 in the Heartland Conference Tournament semifinals last week on their home floor.
- UA-Fort Smith posted winning streaks of eight and four games this season.
- The Lions went 2-1 against NCAA Division II qualifiers this season splitting its regular season series with St. Mary's and taking a 74-72 win at Missouri Southern early in the season.
- Senior guard Jake Toupal (14.5 points, 3.7 rebounds) earned first-team All-Heartland Conference honors, while freshman guard Seth Youngblood (14.5 points, 2.3 rebounds) gained second-team honors.
- UAFS' Josh Newman garnered Heartland Conference Coach of the Year honors.
- The Lions are making their first NCAA Division II postseason appearance.
- Arkansas-Fort Smith is 0-1 against LSC opponents this season dropping a 71-69 decision to Angelo State on Dec. 7, 2013 in Plano.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State and Arkansas-Fort Smith meet for the first time on the hardwood Saturday afternoon at the Auraria Event Center in Denver.
- It will also be the first time MSU has faced a team out of the Heartland Conference this season.
- The Mustangs are 4-0 all-time against Heartland Conference foes South Central Regional play with wins over Incarnate Word (2009, 2010), St. Mary's (2012) and Newman (2013).
 
LAST TIME OUT (vs. UA-Fort Smith)
- This is the first meeting between the Lions and Mustangs.
 
LAST TIME OUT
- Tarleton State's De'Andre Upchurch erupted for a game-high 27 points to lift the No. 5-ranked Texans to a 71-65 win over Midwestern State in the LSC Postseason Tournament finals on March 8 at the Allen Event Center.
- Upchurch scored 10 points during a 16-2 TSU run over a 3:40 stretch to turn a six-point deficit into a 31-22 lead.
- Tarleton State controlled a 20-13 edge in the opening half and shot 47.8 percent from the floor while the Mustangs were 9-for-26 (34.6 percent).
- MSU senior guard Monzaigo Williams scored 8 of the Mustangs' first 10 points and finished with a team-high 18 points.
- Midwestern State trailed by as many as 12 points before halftime, but cut the deficit  to one twice in the final four minutes. Williams' 15-foot baseline jumper would have given the Mustangs a lead with 1:28 to play but rattled out.
- Outside of Upchurch (5-for-18 FG, 3-for-6 3FG), the Texans shot 34.2 percent from the field (13-of-38) and were 0-for-12 from the 3-point arc.
- MSU out-rebounded the Texans 25-17 after halftime.
 
SOUTH CENTRAL TIDBITS
- Midwestern State is making its ninth appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Mustangs are one of only six teams to qualify for NCAA II postseason play for each of the last six seasons -- and one of only two from the South Central Region.
- Midwestern State is making its ninth overall appearance in the NCAA Division II postseason which also includes appearances in 1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011. 2012 and 2013.
- MSU earns its third at-large berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament just as in 2011 (Elite Eight) and 2013 (region semifinalists).
- The Mustangs earned automatic bids as LSC Postseason tournament champs in 1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
- It's the second time the Mustangs play out of the No. 3 position. The first time, MSU advanced to the regional semifinals in 2007 in Warrensburg, Mo.
- Midwestern State is 35-24 all time in national tournament which includes a 21-16 mark in 15 NAIA appearances and a 14-8 mark in seven NCAA showings.
- The Mustangs (2010, 2011, 2012) matched Southeast Missouri State (1988, 1989, 1990)  as the only teams to advance out of the South Central Region in three consecutive seasons.
- The Mustangs are 2-5 in teams advancing to the NCAA Division II tournament this season. MSU is 1-2 against Tarleton State and 1-0 against Northwest Missouri State. Midwestern suffered setbacks against Harding (Ark.), Arkansas Tech and California State, San Bernardino this season.
 
LONE STAR CONFERENCE TIDBITS
- Midwestern State claimed the Lone Star Conference championship for the sixth time in the last eight seasons (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) after claiming back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000.
- Midwestern State's six LSC championships in an 8-year stretch match the most any team has won in the 83-year history of the league. Only Stephen F. Austin, who won six consecutive championships from 1932-37 shares the feat with the Mustangs.
- The Mustangs became the first team since Central Oklahoma (1991-93) to win three straight Lone Star Conference championships and the eighth team in league history to accomplish the achievement joining Stephen F. Austin (1932-37, 70-72), Southwest Texas State (1950-52), East Texas State (1953-55), Lamar (1961-63), Abilene Christian (1985-87) and Central Oklahoma (1991-93).
- Midwestern State claimed its 70th Lone Star Conference victory since the start of the 2008-09 season on March 1 at Cameron. The Mustangs are a cool 70-18 (.795) during the time span which includes three Elite Eights (2010, 2011, 2012) and five Lone Star Conference titles (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) over the last six seasons. Tarleton State is second with a 65-23 mark (.739).
- Midwestern State owns the highest all-time winning percentage in Lone Star Conference postseason history with a 25-8 mark (.758) over 13 appearances. The Mustangs are 11-3 in opening round games including wins in their last seven first round contests. MSU boasts a 8-3 record in the semifinal rounds and is 6-2 in the postseason championship round.
n The Mustangs have won 17 of their last 20 LSC Postseason Tournament games dating back to the 2007 tourney.
 
MUSTANGS TIDBITS
- Midwestern State claimed its 20th win in the regular season finale at Cameron. The Mustangs have now won 20 games in each of the last six seasons It's the second longest 20-win season streak in school history as Midwestern won at least 20 games in eight consecutive seasons under the legendary Dr. Gerald Stockton from 1973-81. The Mustangs boast a cumulative 154-39 mark over the last six seasons.
- The Mustangs boast the best record (154-39/.798) of any 4-year scholarship program in the State of Texas since the start of the 2008-09 season and its 152 wins are more than any other 4-year program in the Lone Star State. MSU is also the only scholarship program to win at least 20 games in each of the last six seasons.
- Nelson Haggerty has won more games in his first three seasons as head coach than any other mentor in the storied history of Midwestern State basketball. Haggerty is 73-20 (.785) in his first three campaigns bettering the 53 wins set by Dallas Clynch (1952-55) and Jeff Ray (1994-97). Haggerty led the Mustangs to their third consecutive NCAA II South Central Region championship last season winning the school's sixth and now seventh Lone Star Conference title along the way. Haggerty was a part of five Elite Eight runs over a six-year period while serving as an assistant at Central Missouri (2007, 2009) before moving to MSU as Grant McCasland's top assistant (2010, 2011). He then guided the Mustangs back to the Elite Eight in his first season at the helm in 2011-12.
- Midwestern State's season-best 11-game winning streak snapped in the LSC Postseason Tournament finals against Tarleton State. The streak is tied for the 17th longest in school history. It is the longest since the Mustangs won 13 games at the start of the 2011-12 season. It is the fifth winning streak of at least 10 games since the start of the 2009-10 season.
- Midwestern State ranks 17th in NCAA Division in total rebounds (1198.0) and is 14th in rebound margin (+7.5). Both of those numbers top the Lone Star Conference as the Mustangs also lead the league in offensive rebounds (14.3 per game) -- 21st in NCAA II, offensive rebound percentage (.381) and defensive rebound percentage (.717). MSU has out-rebounded 20 of its last 23 opponents by an average of 8.5 rebounds a game. The Mustangs have controlled the rebounding edge in 23 out of 29 games this season and are 17-6 when posting a positive rebound margin. MSU scores 14.6 points per game on second chances and allows 10.0.
- Midwestern State is 3-5 this season when the opposition shoots at least 44 percent as a team from the field. The Mustangs have allowed matching season highs of 50 percentage in losses to California State, San Bernardino (29-for-58), Tarleton State (28-for-56) and Angelo State (28-for-56). Harding (Ark.) was 46.2 percent from the field in a 74-70 setback for MSU while Oklahoma Wesleyan booked a 44.8 field goal percentage to beat the Mustangs 80-74. The Mustangs' three wins came against Texas A&M-Kingsville (83-62/44.1), Texas A&M-Commerce (75-63/44.4) and Angelo State (78-68/44.4). Midwestern is 14-0 in games it shoots 45 percent or better posting a season-high percentage of 52.5 against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
- Senior guard Monzaigo Williams (15.9 points, 4.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds) garnered All-Lone Star Conference first-team honors.
- Williams was named to the LSC Postseason All-Tournament averaging 14.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
- Junior forward Xavier Blackburn (11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds) earned second-team All-LSC honors and was named to the league's inaugural all-defensive squad.
- Blackburn also garnered LSC Postseason All-Tournament honors after averaging 10.0 points and 6.7 rebounds.
 
WITH A WIN, MIDWESTERN STATE WOULD...
... advance to the South Central Region semifinals for the sixth straight year.
... improve to 23-7 on the season.
... improve to 14-8 (.636) all time in the LSC Postseason Tournament.
... improve to 14-5 (.737) in nine NCAA II South Central Region appearances.
... improve to 35-24 (.593) all time in national postseason play -- 21-16 in NAIA and 14-8 in NCAA D2.
... improve to 7-0 all time in NCAA D2 South Central Region first round games.
... improve to 1-0 all time against Arkansas-Fort Smith.
... improve to 6-3 on neutral floors this season.
... improve to 74-20 (.787) overall under head coach Nelson Haggerty.
... improve to 155-39 (.799) since the start of the 2008-09 season.
 
WITH A LOSS, MIDWESTERN STATE WOULD...
... end the season with a 22-8 record -- Sixth straight 20-win campaign.
... suffer first loss in seventh NCAA D2 South Central Region first round game.
... fall to 13-6 (.684) in nine NCAA II South Central Region appearances.
... fall to 34-25 (.576) all time in national postseason play -- 21-16 in NAIA and 13-9 in NCAA D2.
... fall to 0-1 all time against Arkansas-Fort Smith.
... fall to 5-4 on neutral floors this season.
... fall to 73-21 (.777) overall under head coach Nelson Haggerty.
... fall to 154-40 (.794) since the start of the 2008-09 season.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
With a win, Midwestern State advances to the NCAA Division II South Central Region semifinals for the sixth straight year. The Mustangs would face the winner of Saturday's second quarterfinal matchup between Tarleton State and Texas A&M International Sunday night at 6 p.m. (Central Time).