WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State was in control late Wednesday night in a crucial Lone Star Conference matchup with West Texas A&M at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

Earl Rabb hit a runner in the lane to give the Mustangs a nine-point lead with 7:34 remaining in the second half.

But it was all Buffaloes after that as West Texas A&M pushed the game to overtime before senior guard Robert Lee scored eight of his game-high 30 points to allow WT to come away with an 86-83 win.

The Buffaloes, who improved to 17-6 overall, kept pace with Tarleton State at the top of the Lone Star Conference South Division with a 7-1 mark.

The Mustangs dropped out of a tie for the fourth and final spot in the LSC Championship Tournament next month in Bartlesville and now trail Abilene Christian and Angelo State by one game.

Midwestern State used an 11-0 run to take a 28-18 first-half lead before Lee led the Buffs to a 38-36 halftime lead as the one-year transfer from the University of Houston scored 15 points before intermission.

The Mustangs took control in the second half and led by as many as nine after Rabb hits his runner to give MSU a 66-57 lead with 7:37 to go.

But that would the last field goal the Mustangs would get until Nolan Richardson IV hit a driving layup with 50 seconds left as MSU still led 70-67.

West Texas A&M senior forward Tyler Cooper nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing to knot the contest at 70-70.

It was all Lee and the Buffs in the extra period as Lee hit back-to-back treys to give WT a 78-74 lead at the 2:41 mark and the lead to continued to grow.

Lee, who scored 31 points against MSU on Jan. 23 in Canyon, was 7-of-15 from the field and hit 14 of his 17 shots from the free-throw line in 35 minutes.

Pierre Barlow added 13 for the Buffs, while Cooper had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Midwestern State was led by Richardson and Chris Davis who each had 17, while Richardson completed his first double-double of the season with 10 assists.

Davis narrowly a double-double of his own as the senior guard finished with eight rebounds.

Jeremy Ford added 12 points including four 3-pointers, while Michael Godwin had 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Mustangs, who fell to 2-4 in overtime games this season, face Texas A&M-Kingsville on the road Saturday at Steinke Center. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.