Box Score

WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The No. 23 Midwestern State Mustangs had little to worry about Friday, as they led tipoff to buzzer to defeat Louisiana State-Shreveport 94-65 in the opening round of the Southwestern Oklahoma State Classic.
 
We did a great a job from the start of setting the tone for the game," said MSU Coach Nelson Haggerty.  "We played well defensively and executed well on the offensive. We shot really well and they were all the right ones. I'm really proud of the we played and felt we improved. We are really looking forward to putting a complete game together."
 
Midwestern was paced by the play of newcomers Keith Spellman and Corbin Thomas, who each had 17 points.  Thomas also added seven rebounds to lead MSU.
 
Spellman was 5-of-11 from the floor, but 3-of-6 from the three point arc.
 
"He's doing a great job of taking the right shots and shooting the right 3's," Haggerty added. "You just don't realize he's scoring it the way he is."
 
Kevin Gray added 14 for MSU, while Monzaigo Williams added nine points with six assists.
 
The Pilots, who received votes in the NAIA preseason poll, held tight with the Mustangs through the first 10 minutes before the Mustangs went on a 10-2 run and never trailed by less than 15 again.
 
The Mustangs never let the Pilots get closer than 18 points at any time during the second and eventually built up the 29-point difference.
 
Officially an exhibition for the NAIA school, LSU-Shreveport was led by Tevin Hall with 26 points, while Aaron Jones added 10 and Isaac Reed had eight with seven rebounds.
 
Midwestern (1-0) faces host Southwestern Oklahoma in the classic's finale on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Rankin Williams Fieldhouse.