WICHITA FALLS, Texas - The Midwestern State Mustangs opened Lone Star Conference action by beating Texas A&M-Commerce 61-57 on Saturday night, extending their home winning streak to 13 games.

MSU (12-3, 1-0) started the LSC opener sluggish, shooting just 33.3 percent from the field and turning the ball over 9 times in the first half.

The Mustangs crushed the Lions on the glass in the first half by a total of 29-15. MSU turned those extra boards into points, outscoring TAMUC 9-0 in second half points in the half. Midwestern led 34-29 at the break.

"We didn't shoot well in the first half or really throughout the game," said MSU head coach Nelson Haggerty. "We just had to fight our way through it."

MSU senior forward Xavier Blackburn tallied 9 first half points to lead the Mustangs. Derrell Gibbs grabbed a team-high 5 rebounds in the first half.

Second half action saw MSU senior Thad Rideau energize the Mustangs with his gutty play. Rideau nailed a huge triple in tight coverage to give the Mustangs their largest second half lead at 45-40.

With 1:27 remaining in the contest and MSU clinging to a 59-55 lead, Rideau made the defensive play of the night. Lion forward LaDon Carnegie streaked to the basket for a dunk when Rideau emphatically blocked the attempt.

"I was just sticking to our defensive principles," said Thad Rideau. "A big time play had to happen and I made it."

The 6'4" Rideau sparked the Mustangs all night, finishing with 10 points and 3 blocks. MSU also got 15 points from Xavier Blackburn and Tavarion Nix. Bretson McNeal added 10 points including 3-10 from 3 point land.

"We count on his energy every night and we know he can get hot," Nelson Haggerty said of Rideau.

"This was a big win to start conference play, especially against a good team like Commerce," said Haggerty.

The Lions drop to 9-3 overall and 0-1 in Lone Star Conference action.

MSU will return to Ligon Coliseum on Wednesday, January 7, to host West Texas A&M. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m., following the women's game.
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