TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - Aaron Arango bolted down the floor, out of control and bent on scoring the winning basket as the final seconds wound down Monday night at Jack Dobbins Fieldhouse.

The senior guard crashed into Midwestern State's Nolan Richardson as he flung up a shot with 0.5 seconds remaining.

The shot was well off the mark, but a blocking foul bailed Arango out and he hit the first of two free throws to give the RiverHawks a 56-55 Lone Star Conference crossover victory over Midwestern.

"That was tough," MSU coach Jeff Ray said. "That was the best effort we've given all year and you'd hope that would be a no call at the end of the game. The kids worked hard and felt they deserved to win."

Arango's free throw nullified a 10-2 run by MSU in the final 4:33 as the Mustangs held the Northeastern State to a single field goal - a tip in by Jason Jones with 15 seconds remaining - over the final five minutes of the contest.

The Mustangs pounded the paint for consecutive layups by Quincy Sarpy, Craig Green and Marcus Anderson to claw to within 53-51 with 2:41 to go after trailing by as many as eight points in the second half.

Midwestern knotted the game at 53-53 after Green knocked down a pair of free throws with 42.7 seconds remaining.

It was then that Jones tapped in Arango's errant 3-point attempt to give NSU a 55-53 lead with 15 seconds left, but Midwestern's Michael Godwin crashed the boards for a follow layup with five seconds left before Arango scrambled down the floor.

Green paced the Mustangs with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while Richardson added 12 points and four assists.

Arango, who was the Lone Star Conference North Division preseason player of the year, finished led Northeastern State with a game-high 19 points.

Midwestern State (3-4) takes on Texas A&M-Commerce Wednesday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. or 25 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game which begins at 6.

Northeastern State improved to 3-6 on the season.