The Lead >>>

WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Senior guard Malik Parsons scored eight consecutive points in the final 39 seconds and Northwestern Oklahoma overcame a six-point deficit late in the second half to defeat Midwestern State Thursday night in its home opener, 67-64.

How It Happened >>>

Northwestern Oklahoma scored the first 10 points of the game and led 22-6 with 13:12 to play in the first half. The Mustangs started the game shooting 2-of-13 from the field and missed their first five attempts from 3-point range.

Parsons scored 10 of the first 22 points as the Rangers were 8 of 13 from the field to start the game and hit 3 of 5 from beyond the arc in the first 6:07 of the first half.

Midwestern State rallied to tie the game 33-33 with 1:26 to play in the first half and only trailed by two at intermission, 35-33, despite shooting 27.3 percent from the field. MSU was 10 of 12 at the free-throw line in the first half and scored 10 second-chance points off 12 offensive rebounds.

Northwestern shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, but went more than six minutes of the second half without scoring a point, allowing MSU to take a 58-52 lead with 4:37 remaining in the game.

Parsons hit two free throws with 24 seconds remaining to bring the Rangers within one point, 64-63. A layup by Parsons with 19 seconds remaining put Northwestern in front 65-64.

With five seconds remaining, Parsons stole an inbounds pass and was fouled. His two free throws secured a three-point lead and a Rangers' victory, which snapped the Mustangs' seven-game home winning streak.

Leaders >>>

- Parsons finished with a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Rangers, who beat the Mustangs for the first time in four all-time meetings.
- Derrick Ogechi scored 16 points, and Jermane Carter had 10 rebounds for the Mustangs.
- John Weger scored 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds for MSU.
- Pierre Sanders finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks for Midwestern State.
- Midwestern State finished the game 24 of 29 from the free-throw line. Ogechi was 8 of 8, and Sanders was 6 of 6.

Up Next >>>

Midwestern State is on the road for the NNU Thanksgiving Classic in Nampa, Idaho. The Mustangs face Central Washington on Friday, Nov. 25 at 3:15 p.m. (CST). MSU will battle the Nighthawks of Northwest Nazarene on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. (CST).