Midwestern State vs. West Texas A&M
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016 | 7:30 p.m.
First United Bank Center | Canyon, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (11-1, 0-0); West Texas A&M (11-5, 0-1)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Video: GoBuffsGo.com 
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network 
Live Stats: GoBuffsGo.com 
 
ON THE COURT
Midwestern State tips off Lone Star Conference play Wednesday night against West Texas A&M at the First United Bank Center in Canyon. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
- Midwestern State is gunning for its ninth consecutive victory which is the longest winning streak since the Mustangs reeled off 11 straight wins from Jan. 25 to March 7, 2014.
- The Mustangs can win their fifth consecutive conference lid lifter with a victory over West Texas A&M on Wednesday.
- MSU has won just three times in 13 tries against the Buffs at the First United Bank Center.
- West Texas A&M is playing its 10th game at First United Bank Center this season. The Buffs have taken losses to Lubbock Christian and Cameron.
- The Mustangs have scored 100 points in consecutive games for the first time since scoring wins over Texas A&M-Commerce (102-94) and Mid-America Christian (104-55) on Dec. 20 and 30, 2010. MSU hasn't scored in triple figures in three straight games since claiming victories over Cameron (101-86 / Jan. 10, 1996), Central Oklahoma (117-113 / Jan. 13, 1996) and Tarleton State (100-88 / Jan. 18, 1996) during the 1995-96 season.
 
HIGHWAY 287 CHALLENGE
- Midwestern State and West Texas A&M are competing for the third year in the annual Highway 287 Challenge.
- West Texas A&M claimed the first two challenges by the narrowest of margins taking the cup 13-12 in 2013-14 and 12-11 in 2014-15.
- MSU holds a 7.5-3.5 edge in this year's challenge series taking a win in football, two in men's soccer and one in women's soccer. The Mustangs also took two points for a higher finish at the LSC Cross Country Championship. MSU and WT played to one draw in women's soccer to account for the half-point.
 
SCOUTING THE BUFFS
- West Texas A&M bounced back from an LSC opening loss to Cameron (83-80/OT) with an 87-74 win over Oklahoma City on Jan. 2 at First United Bank Center.
- The Buffs are playing in their 17th game this season and have 30 games on the slate playing in exempt tournaments at Fort Lewis Skyhawk Regional Challenge on Nov. 13-14 in Durango, Colo. and in Puerto Rico from Dec. 15-18.
- Sophomore guard David Chavlovich ranks second in the Lone Star Conference in scoring at 19.3 points per game connecting on 59 triples in 16 games at a 39.6-percent clip. He has scored 20-or-more points in nine games this season including hitting eight triples in a 31-point effort at Oklahoma Panhandle State on Dec. 1, 2015.
- Sophomore guard Jordan Evans gives the Buffs a second double-figure scoring option averaging 14.1 points per game. Evans, who played just one season at Northern Oklahoma-Enid, has hit 39 triples in 16 games (33.1 percent) boasts matching season highs of 24 points against New Mexico Highlands (11/21) and Nova Southeastern (11/21).
- Senior guard Jeff Bonner (9.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and sophomore guard Jerrod Walton (9.2 points, 6.1 rebounds) are the top rebounding forces for West Texas A&M.
- Nearly half (46.2 percent) of West Texas A&M's field goal attempts this season have come from beyond the arc.
- Tom Brown is 28-15 (.651) in his second season at the helm of the West Texas A&M men's basketball squad. Brown served as a longtime assistant coach at Winona State (Minn.) prior to arriving in Canyon prior to last season.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State and West Texas A&M meet for the 65th time on the hardwood Wednesday night at First United Bank Center.
- The Buffs own a 35-29 edge in the series which dates back to the 1947-48 season.
- Midwestern has won eight of the last 12 meetings between the teams dating back to the start of the 2008-09 season.
- West Texas A&M snapped MSU's five-game winning streak in the series by taking a 73-60 victory in the last meeting on Feb. 11, 2015 in Canyon.
- The Buffs are 10-3 against MSU in games played at the First United Bank Center.
 
MUSTANGS NOTEBOOK
- Midwestern State opened post-holiday play with a pair of wins over NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference teams in Oklahoma Science & Arts (105-82) and St. Gregory's (Okla.) (103-57).
- MSU has scored 100 points three times in a regular season for the first time since 2010-11.
- The Mustangs went over the century mark in consecutive games for the first time since beating Texas A&M-Commerce (102-94) on Dec. 20, 2010 and Mid-America Christian (104-55) on Dec. 30, 2010.
- The Mustangs have won at least 11 of their first 12 games for the seventh time in program history and for the fifth time since the start of the 1998-99 season.
- MSU coach Nelson Haggerty has been a part of four of the best seven starts through 12 games in school history as the Mustangs were 14-0 in 2009-10, 12-1 in 2010-11 and 13-0 in 2011-12.
- MSU  has one eight consecutive games for the first time since reeling off 11 consecutive victories form Jan. 25-March 7, 2014.
- The Mustangs connected on at least 10 3-pointers while shooting 50 percent from the field for the third time this season going for 12 3s while shooting 52.9 percent from the field against St. Gregory's (Okla.).
- MSU continues to lead NCAA Division II in rebounding margin (+12.7) after out-boarding St. Gregory's 56-31 Saturday night.
- The Mustangs have controlled at least a +10 edge on the glass in seven of 12 games this season.
- Senior guard Jordan Stevens narrowly missed a double-double with 26 points and nine assists against Oklahoma Sciences & Arts on Thursday then worked for a 16-point, 8-rebound, 5-assist performance against St. Gregory's.
- Senior guard Brandon Golden erupted for a season-high 20 points while knocking down six 3-pointers in a 103-57 win over St. Gregory's on Saturday.
- Golden came out the winter break on fire knocking down 9-of-15 of his shots from beyond the arc (60 percent).
- Senior guard Bretson McNeal quietly knocked down three 3-pointers in wins over USAO and St. Gregory's averaging 13.5 points while shooting 50 percent from the field (9-of-18) and the 3-point line (6-of-12).
- McNeal, who has connected on 111 3s over the last two seasons, needs 18 triples to move past Jovani Allen (128 3s from 2002-04) to move into MSU's all-time top 10 in made 3-pointers.
- Senior forward Khapri Alston notched his fifth double-double of the season finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds against USAO.
- Senior guard Hershell Grant poured in a career-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting with two 3-pointers to go along with seven rebounds and four assists against St. Gregory's.
- Senior forward Nick Powell connected on two 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 10 points Thursday against USAO then followed up with seven points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes against St. Gregory's.
- Powell accounted for 17 of the 18 points he's scored this season in the last two games.
- Senior forward Trevor Fuller matched a season high with nine points on 4-of-4 shooting against USAO.
- Fuller was not credited with a blocked shot for the first time this season against St. Gregory's snapping a string of 11 consecutive games with a block.
- Sophomore guard Mike Udume notched a season-high eight points against USAO and has knocked down a 3-pointer in three of his last four games.
- Junior forward Magnus Richards matched a season-high with seven points against St. Gregory's after snatching a season-high six rebounds against USAO.
- Junior guard Pat Smith dished out a career-high 10 assists in MSU's 103-57 win over St. Gregory's.
 
MSU IN THE POLLS
- Midwestern State claimed its first No. 1 ranking as an NCAA Division II member moving overtaking West Liberty (W. Va.) for the top spot in the D2 Media Poll released on Dec. 22.
- The Mustangs moved up one spot to No. 9 in the NABC Division II poll released earlier this week.
 
MUSTANGS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
TEAM RANKINGS
- Rebound Margin -- 1st -- +12.8
- Blocked Shots Per Game -- 2nd -- 6.5
- Total Blocks -- 4th -- 78.0
- Scoring Margin -- 4th -- 19.3
- Field Goal Percentage Defense -- 5th -- 37.9
- Defensive Rebounds Per Game -- 7th -- 31.5
- Field Goal Percentage -- 19th -- 50.0
- Scoring Offense -- 20th -- 89.4
- Total Rebounds -- 22nd -- 543.0
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
- Free Throw Percentage -- Jordan Stevens -- 11th -- 92.1
- Total Blocks -- Trevor Fuller -- 12th -- 32.0
- Blocked Shots Per Game -- Trevor Fuller -- 13th -- 2.67
- 3-point Field Goal Percentage -- Bretson McNeal -- 33rd -- 47.0
- Offensive Rebounds Per Game -- Khapri Alston -- 35th -- 3.25
 
THE HAGGERTY ERA
- Nelson Haggerty is in his fifth season at the helm for Midwestern State as one of the top young coaches in college basketball.
- Haggerty boasts a 108-31 mark (.777) leading the Mustangs to the NCAA Division II postseason in each of his campaigns at the helm and to  Lone Star Conference championships in each of his first three seasons as head coach.
- Haggerty earned NABC South Central Region and Lone Star Conference coach of the year honors in his rookie season of 2011-12 piloting the Mustangs to their third consecutive Elite Eight showing.
- With Haggerty on the bench (including two seasons as top assistant), MSU has advanced to three Elite Eights (2010, 2011, 2012) and to the NCAA Division II postseason six consecutive years.
 
NEXT TIME OUT
Midwestern State plays host to Eastern New Mexico Saturday night in Lone Star Conference contest at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.