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WICHITA FALLS – Three days after losing at home to No. 7 Midwestern State by 17, the Tarleton Texans led for most of the game Saturday in Wichita Falls against the Mustangs, but MSU outscored Tarleton 32-23 in the final 14 minutes to take a 72-69 Lone Star Conference South Division victory.
The Texans outscored the Mustangs in the paint (32-20) and off the bench (15-7), but it was MSU senior Craig Green's career-high 33 points that handed Tarleton its second straight loss for the first time this season. The senior MSU guard scored 20 in the second half, including 17 in the final 8:27.
“We knew we could play with these guys, and we did so the whole game,” said head coach Lonn Reisman. “This was a tough ballgame, and we had a few chances at the end of the game to get the win – including a point-blank tip-in, but things just didn't fall for us.”
Tarleton had 20 turnovers that led 19 MSU points, and the head coach thought that was a key factor in the contest.
“I think the difference in the game is that we didn't take care of the basketball,” Reisman said. “We created most of the turnovers ourselves, it wasn't their defense. However, I thought our kids played hard tonight, and we had the game where we wanted it tonight.”
The Texans were one-for 12 in the second half from beyond the arc while the Mustangs hit nine total threes in the contest. The lead was never more than four points in the last 12 and a half minutes, and in the game, there were 10 ties and four lead changes – including three lead changes and eight ties in the second 20 minutes of the game.
“I am proud of the kids,” Reisman said. “We have lost a couple here this week to a very good basketball team. We prepared hard tonight and we have five games left in this season. We have to get ready to go to Portales, N.M. and play in a tough place.”
A putback by Charlie Logan put the Mustangs ahead 18 seconds into the first period before Devon Hills had a three 30 seconds later, Corin Henry a layup and Wale Ogunoye a turnaround jumper. Tarleton led 7-2 with 17:59 on the clock. Craig Green then hit a three for the home team before Effran Bryant hit a jumper. Another three from MSU, this one by Jason Ebie, cut the lead to 9-8 with 15:30 on the clock.
Donta Smith had a layup before Bryan hit one-of-two free throw tries, but a three by Chris Hagan cut the lead to one, 12-11. Bryant hit his own three on the Texan end of the floor before Rashad Austin had a layup and Anthony Moore two free throws to make it 15-15 with 11:23 on the clock. Tarleton then scored seven straight thanks to a putback by Smith, a layup by Hills and an old-fashioned three-point play by Jeremiah Wilson. Tarleton led 22-15.
MSU's Green connected on two bonus shots before a Hills layup, but a three by Hagan and two free throws by Moore made it 24-22. Wilson then hit a three before a Warren Webb layup put Tarleton up 29-22. MSU scored the next seven points to tie the game at 29 all. In the run was a rare four-point play by Green who hit a three and a free throw when fouled by Bryant.
With 2:32 left in the period, Webb hit a three from the left side before Michael Godwin and Austin each had a free throw. Wilson got a putback at 1:10 before a layup by Green at 30.6 made it a one-point game. With time expiring on the half, Bryant tried to make a basket and missed, but Smith was there to put it back in to beat the buzzer and give Tarleton a 36-33 lead at the break.
Hills got a dunk on a fastbreak to open the second half before Green nailed a three to make it 38-36. With 17:45 remaining in the contest, Wilson had another three-point play the hard way to make it a five-point contest. Bryant then hit a three from the left corner to make it 44-38 before Ebie was fouled on a layup at 15:28. He missed the bonus shot, but Webb connected on two of his own 20 seconds later. Smith then got a putback at 14:31, but Austin got the same on the other end and was fouled. He hit the free throw to cut the score to 48-43.
With 12:37 on the clock, Logan got a free throw to cut the lead to four before a putback by Logan on the return trip made it 48-46 Texans. Hills then had a layup on an inbounds pass with 10:42 remaining to make it a four-point advantage. Hagan went to the line 27 seconds afterwards and hit both sides of the one-and-one. Godwin missed the first of one-and-one free throws, but Logan got the tip-in to tie the score at 50 with 9:40.
Wilson was fouled on a defensive rebound with 8:52 remaining in the period, and the Texan senior hit both sides of the one-and-one to return the lead to the purple and white. Green then got a bucket on the other end before Hills did the same. He was fouled, and the Texan junior hit the bonus shot to make it 55-52.
With 7:59 on the clock, Green hit a three from the left corner to tie the game at 55. Thirty-six seconds later, Hills sank two bonus shots to return the lead to the visitors before Green hit a three with just over seven minutes left to put MSU ahead 58-57. Wilson was fouled and hit two free throws to give Tarleton the one-point advantage with 6:49 on the clock.
Twenty seconds later, Green hit one and missed the second free throw to tie the game at 59. At 5:56, Hagan got a layup to give the home team a 61-59 lead. Bryant tied the game 19 seconds later with two free throws of his own. Green then hit a three from the top of the key with 5:14 on the clock to make it 64-61. Bryant cut the lead to one with two free throws at 4:45.
Green made two bonus shots to make it 66-63 with 3:42 remaining in the period. Henry then had an old-fashioned three-point play at 3:10 to tie the game at 66. Hills went for an offensive rebound unblocked, and he was called for a foul that put him out of the game with five. Green went to the line on the foul with 2:01 on the clock, and the Mustang missed the first and made the second to make it 67-66.
Hagan stole the ball from Henry on the dribble – Tarleton's 20th of the game – and he was fouled on a layup. The Mustang made both to make it 69-66 with 1:43 on the clock. Bryant was fouled 17 seconds later, and the senior hit the backend of the two-shot foul to cut the lead to two. Wilson got a block on the opposite end, Bryant got the rebound and hit Henry for a fastbreak layup to tie the game at 69 with 1:08 on the clock. Green hit a jumper at the free throw line with 48.6 on the clock to return the lead to the home team.
Bryant missed a three on an inbounds pass with 20.5 seconds left, but the rebound went off a Mustang to give the Texans the ball. Bryant then had another shot to tie the game, but the rebound went long, and Wilson got the board but missed the putback. Logan got the defensive rebound and Tarleton fouled him to stop the clock with 9.5 seconds on the clock. The Mustang made the first but missed the second to give MSU a three-point lead. Tarleton got the ball down the floor, but neither Bryant nor Henry could get the shot off and the Texans lost, 72-69.
Tarleton was led by Hills with 16, Wilson with 15 and Bryant with 14. Wilson had nine rebounds to lead the squad as they outrebounded the home team 34-31.
The Texans averaged .469 from the floor (23-49), .238 from the arc (5-21) and .818 from the charity stripe (18-22).
The Mustangs were led by Green with 33 while Hagan (13) and Logan (10) also had double digits. Logan had eight rebounds to lead the team.
MSU averaged .396 from the field (21-53), .375 from the arc (9-24) and .700 from the line (21-30).
The Texans will return to action at 9 p.m. CST on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at Eastern New Mexico in Portales, N.M.
