ABILENE, Texas -- A strong finish is exactly what Midwestern State needed in a 79-59 win over McMurry Tuesday night at Kimbrell Arena.

That's exactly what the Mustangs got outscoring the Warhawks 33-17 over the final 10 minutes to claim their third win in the last four games to improve to 4-3 on the season.

"It's all about heart and hustle," MSU coach Noel Johnson said. "We did a great job rebounding tonight. It wore them down and allowed us more offensive chances."

MSU rode the strong play from its starting guards as junior Dianna Jones slashed her way to the basket matching a season-high 21 points on perfect 8-of-8 shooting while battling leg cramps throughout the evening.

Senior Kirsti Degelia just missed a double-double with nine points and eight assists -- with six of the helpers coming after intermission. Junior Shatoia Gober remained active with 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Mustangs struggled with the McMurry attack throughout the first 30 minutes of the contest as the Warhawks clawed to within four points at 46-42 when Nicolette Erkman connected on a pair of free throws with 10 minutes to play.

"We were struggling because we were making very difficult passes in simple situations," Johnson said. "It was a matter of keeping it simple. We were able to reverse the ball and finish at the glass."

The Mustangs found the formula of winning the battle on the glass for the first time this season by a 37-30 margin while committing one turnover over the final 20 minutes of the game.

MSU opened up a double-digit lead with a 10-4 run to push the advantage to 58-48 on a three-ponit play by senior forward Skyler Warrick with 7:07 to play.

The Mustangs extended the run with nine consecutive points and posted their first 20-point advantage on a Dianna Jones drive to lead 71-51 with 2:11 to play.

Junior forward Andrea Carter played a central role in the second-half explosion with 14 points, six rebounds and six steals in 31 minutes, while sophomore Katie Brown added seven points in five minutes off of the bench.

Midwestern State takes on Ouachita Baptist Sunday afternoon at Vining Arena in Arkadelphia, Ark. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.

McMurry dropped to 1-6 on the season.