SPORTS

A turn for the better on the way for the Mustangs
Trey Reed | Sports Editor

The sounds of a distraught, weary coach streamed through the internet after Eastern New Mexico dropped the Mustangs to their fifth-straight loss, all in LSC South Division play.

“I apologize to the fans because this isn't what Midwestern State basketball is all about," MSU coach Jeff Ray said in his post-game radio interview.

Sure, Ray can’t be pleased from his unfamiliar view from the bottom of the LSC South standings, but this season is not over. In fact, the fat lady is still skinny and the grill is just heating up.

Hear me out, there are still some potentially tasty morsels remaining on MSU’s schedule.

First, this team is good as witnessed by its No. 9 showing in the first South Central regional ranking.

Granted, that’s long gone and won’t be seen again, but the pieces are still in place that were responsible for an 11-4 start, a 6-1 crossover mark and a four-game winning streak to herald the start of LSC South play.

The Mustangs used strong inside play and controlled the boards by a margin of six per game coming into division play. There’s no reason a desperate squad can’t reclaim advantage on the glass.

Eric Dawson claimed back-to-back LSC players of the week before moving into the LSC South.

The 6-9 junior center has done everything for the Mustangs. He scores a team-best 14.9 points and grabs 9.2 boards a game, while working hard on the defensive end of the floor, blocking 53 shots and hustling for 50 steals.

Senior forward LaKeith Grant is the only other player to standout since the beginning of divisional play. Grant, who has upped his career-best scoring night twice in the past week, is scoring 12 points a game on the strength of 74.3 percent (26-of-35) shooting.

Take Dawson and Grant out of the equation and the rest of the team is shooing 34.5 percent. Teams are collapsing the paint and allowing MSU guards to shoot at will.

Allen Houston, Eddie Rowe, Chad Rickett and Tate Lombard are a combined 9-of-57 (15.8 percent) from beyond the arc.

It just can’t get much worse. These guys just won’t shoot this bad the rest of the way.

The Mustangs have also allowed teams to have their way in the second half, allowing them to score the ball at a 61.8 percent (68-of-110) clip from the field. Once again, I promise you Ray and his staff won’t allow the trend to grow. They are just too good.

So where do the Mustangs have to go from 0-5? No where but up.

The five losses have come against competition with a 55-27 combined record. MSU doesn’t need to worry about beating everyone, they just have to be the best of the bottom four teams to climb into LSC post season play, and then anything is possible.

The revised chase for the LSC tournament standings looks like this: Abilene Christian 3-2; Eastern New Mexico 2-3; MSU 0-5 and Angelo State 0-5.

Here’s what I see happening.

Eastern New Mexico will go 3-4 the rest of the way, falling to West Texas at home and Kingsville, Tarleton and MSU on the road.

Abilene Christian will upset MSU at home, but will drop its other six games.

Angelo State will lose out.

MSU will take the next three games before losing two games on the road at Abilene Christian and Kingsville. It will return to Ligon to upend WT and Eastern New Mexico.

The standings at the end of the season: MSU 5-7, Eastern New Mexico 5-7, Abilene Christian 4-8 and Angelo State 0-12.

The Mustangs advance by virtue of its split with second-place WT.

It most certainly won’t be an easy road, but the season is far from over. This team has shown it’s capable of winning five of seven games. That’s what it will take.