PORTALES, N.M. -- Frances King and
Shawnisay Millar combined for 36 points and 18 rebounds to propel Midwestern State to a 79-70 win over Eastern New Mexico Saturday at Greyhound Arena.
King scored 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor while Millar connected on 5-of-8 shots 15 points as the Mustangs claimed their first win in Portales since 2015.
"We were in foul trouble early in the game and Shawnisay stepped up huge," MSU coach
Christopher Reay said.. "She played big throughout the game, but especially throughout the second quarter."
Iyanna McCurdy opened up scoring in the game on a fast break layup, but MSU followed up two consecutive baskets by King and
Markayla Johnson.
After a 3-pointer by Millar to give the Mustangs a 7-3 lead, the team went on a three-minute scoring drought. A technical foul on
Hannah Reynolds gave Natalie Stice two chances on the line, which she was only able to convert one.
Though MSU could not find a field goal for a four-minute stretch, King's two made free throws tied the game at ten with 3:20 to play.
The Greyhounds also struggled offensively as they were without a field goal for three minutes. Free throws by McCurdy, Kamirah Decker and Meme Amand gave the home side a 14-10 lead with 1:20 on the clock.
Midwestern State could not find a score as the turned the ball over three times in two minutes. Their scoring drought extended to two minutes and they collected seven team fouls in the first quarter.
Millar and
Eternity Jackson's made free-throws took the Mustangs to just a three-point deficit behind Eastern New Mexico.
Jordan Mathis punched in a layup to nail a 15-16 score at the end of the quarter.
MSU was just 4-of-15 in the first ten minutes while ENMU converted on 5-of-13 from the field. The Greyhounds were 50 percent from the line and the Mustangs were 75 percent.
Quick field goals by Stice and Decker pushed the gap between the visitors to start the second quarter.
MSU found their first lead of the game on back-to-back 3-pointers by Millar and
Sheridan Bostic to give the Mustangs 21-20 lead with 8:21 left in the second period.
Morgan Lenahan scored five points for the 28-24 lead with six and a half minutes to play. The Mustangs made five of their last six shots in the offensive push.
The Greyhounds went on a two-minute score-less streak with five minutes left in the half. The three turnovers in two and a half minutes did not help the situation. McCurdy's steal and layup at 4:12 ended the drought. ENMU still trailed 27-33.
Midwestern State then collected six turnovers in over three minutes. A Greyhound 8-0 run over a minute and a half put the score even at 35 with less than two minutes to play.
Millar's back-to-back field goals gave the Mustangs a four-point lead with less than a minute on the clock. Mathis could not covert the last second shot as MSU went into halftime with a 40-35 lead.
Midwestern State shot 60 percent from the field and held the Greyhounds to 46 percent in the second quarter. ENM was a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line while MSU knocked down 3-of-5.
Eastern New Mexico started the second half hot on 3-of-3 shooting from the field. McCurdy notched her 15th points of the game, still trailing 41-47.
The Mustangs responded with an 8-0 run over a minute long. King tallied three of her 11 points in the stretch. MSU continued to lead 53-43 with less than six minutes on the clock.
The Greyhounds collected 5-of-7 shooting from the field with Asha Ross with two of the field goals. Decker's free-throw at 3:26 put the home side within ten of the Mustangs. ENM then went on a two-minute drought.
Midwestern State finished the quarter on a 4-of-5 shooting stretch from the field. Overall, the Mustangs shot 60 percent from the floor while Eastern New Mexico found 56 percent shooting. MSU outscored the Greyhounds 25-20 to lead by ten.
Neither team could find a bucket within the first two-and-a-half minutes of the fourth quarter as they traded turnovers and missed chances. Ross ended the stretch with a layup and free-throw to set the Greyhounds at 58-65. McCurdy's three-point play at the six-minute mark brought Eastern New Mexico within four.
Lenahan, King and Reynolds each collected a field goal to put the Mustangs ahead by 71-65 with less than five minutes to play. Reynolds fouled out of the game with three minutes on the clock. The senior collected eight points and four rebounds. She added two blocks to eclipse the 200 career block mark.
Eastern New Mexico had zero field goals for over a three-minute stretch. ENM gave up three turnovers in the run. Stice's three pointer with 39 second left put the Greyhounds within seven.
Johnson and King put in the final free-throws of the game to give Midwestern State the victory. MSU shot only 40 percent from the field in the final quarter while ENM was 31 percent from the floor.
"Both teams were just about even at the free through line," Reay said. "We knocked down free-throws down the stretch, especially to keep them at bay when they were trying to make a comeback near the end."
Johnson clinched six points and six rebounds while Lenahan concluded with 12 points. The senior was 4-of-9 from the field and 2-of-6 from behind the arc. MSU out-rebounded the Greyhounds 41-32.
McCurdy led with 24 points for the Greyhounds, going 8-of-13 from the field and 8-of-11 from the line. Stice added 13 points and four rebounds, while Decker pitched in 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
Midwestern State moved to 11-9 on the year and 5-5 in Lone Star Conference play.
The Mustangs take on Texas Woman's University Tuesday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
--MSUMustangs.com--
