WICHITA FALLS – Despite an efficient shooting night from the floor, rebounds and turnovers proved costly for Tarleton State as the TexAnns fell to Midwestern State 72-57 Wednesday night in D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
 
Raven McGrath and Bailey Wipff got the high-octane affair started quickly with 3-pointers on the first two Tarleton possessions to lift the TexAnns to an early 6-2 advantage.
 
Midwestern State quickly struck back with nine unanswered points over the next two minutes to take an 11-6 lead and force Tarleton to play catch up. Ikpeaku Iwobi ended the scoreless drought with her first bucket of the game to bring it back to a one-possession game at 11-8.
 
After the Mustangs extended the lead back to six, Breanna Fuller knocked down a pair of free throws to start a 5-0 push for Tarleton to make it a one-point game.
 
The TexAnns stayed within one possession over the next three minutes before Midwestern State scored 10 straight to take an 11-point lead. Over the rest of the opening half, Tarleton pulled to within five but the Mustangs pushed back to extend the lead to as many as 12 before Travanti Downes hit the final points of the opening half to send the TexAnns into halftime down 30-40.
 
Out of the break, Tarleton outscored the Mustangs 10-6 over the first 3:37 with points coming from Karli Moore, Kathy Thomas, Raven McGrath and Iwobi to pull within six points at 40-46. Midwestern State hit on 3-pointer on the next possession to extend the lead back to nine and start the game-clinching run as the TexAnns got no closer than seven the rest of the way.
 
Tarleton State shot 45 percent from the floor and 56 percent from downtown on 5-9 shooting beyond the arc, but the TexAnns were outrebounded 35-28, lost the points in the paint 40-24 and committed 22 turnovers that led to 24 Midwestern points.
 
Thomas was the only TexAnn in double figures with 11 points while Iwobi added nine. Karli Moore and Raven McGrath each scored seven points while Breanna Fuller chipped in six. Wipff (5), Downes (4), Morgan Ashmore (3), Averie Mack (3) and Tiara Tatum (2) rounded out the scoring for Tarleton. Iwobi led the TexAnns with six rebounds.
 
The TexAnns fall to 12-7 overall this season and 5-5 in Lone Star Conference action.
 
Tarleton will return home Saturday night to host Cameron in another crucial Lone Star Conference showdown at 5 p.m. in Wisdom Gym.