WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Texas A&M-Kingsville entered their matchup against Midwestern State as one of the stingiest defensive teams in the Lone Star Conference.

The Javelinas (4-12, 3-11), known for their deliberate style of play, slowed Thursday night's game to a crawl while holding the Mustangs to 19-of-62 from the floor. It was the perfect recipe to come away with a 54-50 Lone Star Conference win inside D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

"This is two games in a row," MSU Texas Head Coach Noel Johnson said. "You have to knock down a free throw. You have to knock down shots."

Despite jumping out to an early 9-2 lead, Midwestern State (7-10, 5-8) and Texas A&M-Kingsville were tied 20-20 at the half. TAMUK outscored the Mustangs 18-11 from the 4:44 mark of the first quarter until the break. 

"They called a timeout and it is like we lost our focus and intensity," Johnson said.

MSU Texas took their final lead of the game at 24-22 when Kityana Diaz scored with 8:18 remaining in the third quarter. The Javelinas responded with a 6-0 spurt and led by two heading into the fourth.

The Mustangs tied the game at 37-37 less than a minute into the fourth, but TAMUK used a 5-0 run to seize control. The Javelinas went 4-of-6 from the free throw line down the stretch to seal the victory. 

Freshman Mandy Withey scored a career-high nine points, grabbed three rebounds, and collected two steals for the Mustangs.

"Mandy did great today," Johnson said. "She knocked down open shots. She was a spark on the top of our press. Great rebounder for us. Very proud of her."

Elizabeth Cathcart paced the Mustangs with 10 points. Mica Schneider chipped in with nine points.  

Bridget Upton led all scorers with 14 points. The sophomore finished 4-of-8 from the floor. Bri-Anna Soliz grabbed 12 rebounds.

The Maroon and Gold return to the floor on Saturday afternoon against Texas A&M International. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.