STEPHENVILLE – Misty Wilson's first career head coaching win was nothing short of a made-for-TV movie as her TexAnns pulled off a 72-71 overtime thriller with a defensive stop at the buzzer against Southern Arkansas in the TexAnn Tip-Off Classic presented by Whataburger.
 
After the TexAnns took a slim four-point advantage to the 7:47 mark of the second half, Southern Arkansas went on a 9-0 run to take a five-point lead with 4:28. The TexAnn defense answered the call, however, by getting the TexAnns back in the game and ultimately bringing it to a 64-64 tie.
 
The teams traded buckets to even the score at 66-66 and then Ikpeaku Iwobi grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up for a 68-66 lead with 31 seconds left. The TexAnns had a chance to ice the game with free throws but couldn't connect to keep it a two-point game with nine seconds left.
 
Southern Arkansas answered by driving the length of the floor for a layup to force overtime.
 
Tarleton got on the board first in the overtime on a pair of free throws by Raven McGrath, but the Muleriders answered with three straight to take a 71-70 lead with 1:54 left to play. Karli Moore answered with the go-ahead free throws at 1:06 to make it 72-71.
 
Tarleton had an empty possession, which gave Southern Arkansas one more shot with five seconds left, but the TexAnn defense stood tall as the TexAnn help defense forced the ball loose and into the waiting arms of McGrath to seal the win for Tarleton and Wilson.
 
In a back-and-forth battle the whole way, Tarleton trailed by as much as eight in the opening quarter but a 3-pointer by Kathy Thomas sparked a 20-11 Tarleton run over the final 5:34 of the first half to take a 34-33 lead into halftime.
 
Tarleton led by as much as four in the game while battling back from the eight-point deficit, which was the game's largest. There were also 15 lead changes in the game.
 
Iwobi led the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds for her third career double-double while Thomas poured in 14 and McGrath added 11. Thomas added six rebounds while Breanna Fuller tallied eight points and six boards.
 
Rounding out the scoring for Tarleton was Moore with eight, including the go-ahead free throws in overtime, while Meagan O'Dell added seven, Travanti Downes had four and Averie Mack had one for her first career point.
 
Tarleton State shot 34-percent from the floor, 26-percent from downtown and 81-percent from the free throw line on 25-31 charity shots. Southern Arkansas was 12-25 from the line for 48-percent from the line.
 
The TexAnns will return to action tomorrow night in Wisdom Gym to wrap up the second annual TexAnn Tip-Off Classic presented by Whataburger against in-region rival, St. Mary's, who defeated Angelo State 74-60 in the first game of the tournament Friday.