KINGSVILLE, Texas (Men's Basketball) – Texas A&M University-Kingsville (12-7, 5-5 LSC) is looking to avenge a pair of early losses to open Lone Star Conference play when they take on Midwestern State University (13-7, 6-5 LSC) and Cameron University (13-8, 6-5 LSC) in the Gil E. Steinke Physical Education Center. The action begins with our Pack The House Gold Out game on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. against Midwestern State and concludes Saturday at 2 p.m. against Cameron.

Live stats, stream and audio will be available at javelinaathletics.com with Kevin Piel on the mic.

Texas A&M-Kingsville is hot right now with a four-game winning streak. The club has moved up the conference standings to seventh and hosts a pair of home games this week where they are 9-3 overall and 4-1 in LSC play. TAMUK continues to thrive defensively as they are the leading team in all of Division II when it comes to guarding the three-point line. Their impressive three-point field goal defense percentage of 27.1% is coupled with holding its opponents to a .391 clip from the floor and 66 scoring average that ranks ninth and 16th in the country, respectively. On the offensive side of the floor, the Hogs average 70.6 PPG and shoots 45% from the field and 68% at the charity stripe.

After dropping a career-high 24 points against Angelo State, Duan Wright leads the team with 11.9 PPG. He just edges junior Trey Sumpter who averages 11.7 PPG but leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per contest and is in a three way tie with Caelan Neal and Marcus Frazier with 24 steals. Neal is the last Hog to have a scoring average in double figures (10.2 PPG), while Frazier is next in line with 7.1 PPG. Derrick Byrd and Justin Jones each chip in 6.1 PPG with Byrd leading the team with 58 assists. The Blue and Gold is second in the LSC with 4.3 blocks per game thanks to Robert Stevenson who has 22 swats this season—seventh in the conference.

Midwestern State sits just over .500 in LSC competition (6-5) after falling to #14 Tarleton State at home, 77-72. The Mustangs have marquee wins over West Texas A&M and UT Permian Basin, but has dropped three of the last four games after winning six straight over the span of one month. The Mustangs average 79.1 PPG this season on 43.7% shooting. They also rank second in the conference in forcing turnovers with an 18.2 average per game.

Brandon Neel leads the Mustangs with 13.6 PPG and is tied for a team high of 26 steals with Pat Smith who puts in 11.4 PPG. Sheldon Hagigal and Igor Ibaka each average 12 PPG. Ibaka nearly averages a double-double as he pulls down a team-best 9.5 boards per game. Ibaka is also the leader in the LSC with 11 double-doubles this season, which also ranks sixth in the country. Devonte Pullum and Logan Hicks both average 10 PPG, while B.J. Jenkins and Magnus Richards chip in nine PPG. 

In the first meeting between the two clubs, MSU edged TAMUK 73-68 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Frazier led the Hogs with 14 points and four steals in the loss. He was followed closely by Sumpter and Neal with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Brandon Neel's 19 points was the catalyst to the Stangs win as well as Ibaka's double-double with ten points and ten rebounds. Midwestern State leads Texas A&M-Kingsville in the all-time series 35-11.  

Cameron also has a 6-5 record despite losing its last two games against #14 Tarleton State and RV A&M-Commerce. The six conference wins for the Aggies this season have come against A&M-Commerce, Texas A&M-Kingsville, UT Permian Basin, Eastern New Mexico, Western New Mexico and Midwestern State. The Aggies average 76 PPG, while allowing their opponents to score 71.7 PPG. CU ranks first in the LSC in assists-turnover ratio (1.34) and has the fewest turnovers this season at 236.

The Aggies skipper is Tyus Momoh who averages 12 PPG and has 29 steals to lead the team. He also adds 63 assists to his stat line. Tyler Williams in next with 11.4 points with JV Long on his his with 11.1 PPG but leads the team with 85 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Cameron squeezed by Kingsville 78-71 in early December after they exploded in the second half to outscore the Hogs 50-38. Sumpter had a fair game scoring 16 points and Neal followed suit with 12 points. The Hogs didn't have much outside help beyond the staring lineup as they were outscored by the Aggies bench 36-19. TAMUK trails CU 18-20 in the series. Cameron will head to San Angelo, Texas to face the Rams on Thursday before its date with the Hogs on Saturday afternoon.

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