WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State's Andrea Carter delivered a rare performance to help the Mustangs overcome a sluggish start in its season opener Friday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

The sophomore from Angleton poured in 20 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as MSU rolled to a 79-58 win over McMurry.

"This sets the tone for the next game," MSU coach Noel Johnson said. "We were a little amped up and wanted to correct some (issues) from the exhibition. We didn't shoot very well because we were very excited to be back in Ligon."

Carter's 20-20 performance was the first for an Midwestern State player since former standout Jel-Ani Armstrong achieved the feat in consecutive game at the end of the 2003-04 campaign. Armstrong went for 24 points and 21 rebounds at Texas A&M-Kingsville then put a 22-point, 22-rebound effort at Texas A&M-Commerce.

But her night could have been that much more impressive.

"A.C. had a great night," Johnson said. "She could have hit a lot more of her shots and could have easily had 30. Her motor runs high and that's why she's a force for our team."

Carter grabbed 10 offensive and 10 defensive boards connecting on 8-of-14 shots and was 4-of-9 from the charity stripe while staying active on the defensive end with five steals and three blocked shots.

The Mustangs slowly pulled away from the Warhawks to take a 37-26 lead into the half.

Junior guard Kirsti Degelia shook off an 0-for-7 start to finish with 13 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists, while sophomore guard Shatoia Gober added 13 points and nine boards.

"Kirsti has a great basketball IQ and knows the game will come to her," Johnson said. "Toi (Gober) got a couple of trash buckets and got some steals. That's what she does. Her athletic ability is hard for people to keep up."

Midwestern would lead by as many as 21 points in the second half.

Junior forward Skyler Warrick had 10 points and four steals in 10 minutes off of the bench.

Junior forward Keshia Collins notched 11 points and five rebounds for McMurry, who begins the season at 0-1.

Midwestern State plays host to the Comfort Inn/Ashbrook Classic next weekend at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Mustangs take on Colorado Mines on Friday before battling Fort Lewis (Colo.) on Saturday. Both games begin at 7 p.m.