During the winter break, the men’s basketball team played in a total of seven games and only dropped two – a non-conference 75-73 double overtime loss to Arkansas Tech on Dec. 15, and their sole conference loss on Jan. 9 to Texas A&M-Commerce, 74-66.
Despite the two losses, the team sit at the top of the Lone Star Conference with a 7-1-conference record, and an 11-4 overall record.
Furthermore, the Mustangs LSC wins have mostly come away from home with six of the eight games they’ve played so far taking place on the road.
Despite the lead, men basketball coach Nelson Haggerty said the LSC remains deep; with second place Incarnate Word sitting close behind with two losses, and third place Cameron waiting in the wings with three losses.
“It’s still really, really tight, but with each game we have an opportunity to separate ourselves even further,” Haggerty said. “I wouldn’t say there’s any pressure, though. We’ve just got to go out there and perform.”
Haggerty said he likes what the team has accomplished and feels good about the position the Mustangs have in the LSC.
“I like where we’re at right now,” Haggerty said. “We’re continuously improving as a basketball team and we’re able to play this second half of the season with a majority of our games at home. It’s a great spot to be in right now.”
Since the beginning of the season, Haggerty has noted improvements in his team’s effort and chemistry, stating that the players have grown to understand their roles on the team better.
“When you have a bunch of new guys, it takes a while for chemistry to develop,” Haggerty said. “I feel like we’re at a point now where our chemistry is really clicking and allowing us to get better, and guys have found their niche with what we’re trying to accomplish.”
The Mustangs defensive intensity has also improved, allowing only 64.3 points to be scored by their opponents, and the team is not only averaging 42.7 rebounds per game, but they’re also outrebounding their opponents by a margin of 10.2.
“We’ve definitely gotten better defensively, and we’re rebounding the ball well,” Haggerty said. “Offensively, we still need to continue to get better shots and easier baskets.”
Leading the Mustangs on the board is forward Corbin Thomas, who is averaging 13.7 points per game, as well as 8.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
A highlight for Thomas during the break was being featured on ESPN’s top 10 plays on Jan. 12 for a one-handed alley-oop slam he put in off of an inbound pass.
“ESPN is a worldwide channel, and it’s great anytime you’re able to see Midwestern State up there in a section of the top plays in the world,” Haggerty said. “You definitely have a big sense of pride, and it’s great for our university to get that kind of recognition.”
Despite all the improvements the Mustangs have made, Coach Haggerty said there are still areas that need to be improved for the Mustangs to play at the level they have been.
“We’ve been a second half team since the start of the season,” Haggerty said. “You’d rather be a second half team than a first half team, so we’re at least finishing games strong, but we’ve got to put ourselves in a better position earlier in the game.”
Although the Mustangs got off to a hot 5-0 start to begin the season, Haggerty felt the win margins were a little too close for comfort and the team wasn’t playing to their full potential.
A string of losses to Colorado State-Pueblo and Ouachita Baptist back in November before the Thanksgiving break gave Haggerty’s concerns validity, with the margin of each loss being less than five points in both games.
“We’ve played in a lot of close basketball games, and we’ve found a way to win in a lot of them,” Haggerty said. “Turnovers are a big reason why we’ve lost some games, or games were closer than what they needed to be, though. We have to do a better job of taking care of the basketball. A lot of them were unforced, and that’s definitely one area we need to improve in.”
The Mustangs have had some time off since their seven-game rally during the winter break, and they gear up to return to action against Cameron University in Lawton (OK) tomorrow, and then again at home in the Dome on Saturday.
Haggerty said the week-and-a-half break from play has given the Mustangs a chance to get rested and healthy before heading down their long stretch of conference play to end the season, which Haggerty still sees ending with the Mustangs winning it all.
“In my eyes, we’re winning the national championship,” Haggerty said. “Our goals as a team have always been the same. We don’t go into a season thinking about what record we’re going to have at a certain time. We’re just focused on being the best team we can be at the end of the season so we can make a great run.”