WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State overcame a sluggish start and used three sustained runs in the first half then pulled away after halftime for an 89-61 win over the University of Texas of the Permian Tuesday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

The win was the Mustangs first of the season and came in their home opener to improved to 1-2 on the season, while the Falcons dropped to 1-2.

UTPB scored the first six points of the game and extended its lead to eight points after Chris Dunlop and Ashley Arnott hit consecutive 3's to put to give the Falcons a 12-4 advantage 4:14 into the contest.

That's when Midwestern State senior guard Jeremy Ford single-handedly carried the Mustangs back into the game.

The senior guard from Wagoner, Okla. hit his first trey of the night at the 15:00 to trip.ed the lead to 12-7, then, after a pair of Christopher Reay free throws, he canned a 3-pointer from the right wing after being hacked in the act by Quintan Lipkins.

Ford converted the four-point play to give MSU a 13-12 lead – a lead it would not relinquish as Ford would hit his third 3-pointer in a 2:13-span to give the Mustangs a 16-12 lead at the 13:33 mark of the first half.

After a 3-0 mini-run by the Falcons, Midwestern State was at it again as the Mustangs put together a 12-3 run over the next five minutes to extend the earlier to 24-6 and led 28-18 with 7:07 left in the first half.

Midwestern State closed the first half with a 10-2 run over the last 2:22 keyed by 3-pointer by Russell Button, Chris Davis and Nolan Richardson IV.

The Mustangs hit 8-for-15 from 3-point range in the first half while hitting 50-percent from the field (16-of-32).

MSU would maintain a double-digit lead throughout the second half.

Davis paced the Mustangs with 21 points, while Richardson had 17, Ford had 12.

Sophomore Michael Godwin missed his second double-double of the season and finished 10 points and nine boards.

Robert Harris paced Texas-Permian Basin with 15 points and was joined in double figures by Dunlop, who added 10.

Midwestern State hits the road to faced No. 24 Emporia State Saturday night in Kansas. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.