WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Mason Gibson was playing at full throttle on Saturday afternoon and led Midwestern State to an 86-70 win over Western New Mexico at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
Gibson returned from a six-game absence due to injury on Thursday and scored six points coming off the bench in the 93-54 win over Eastern New Mexico.
Gibson was back in the starting lineup on Saturday and scored 20 points despite an uncharacteristic 9-of-18 performance from the free-throw line. The 6-0 guard from Allen, Texas, was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and scored 15 points in the second half.
Gibson was one of three players in double figures for the MSU Mustangs, who shot 50 percent from the field.
Midwestern State averaged 87 points per game before Gibson's injury, and only managed 67 points per game during his absence.
"One of the hardest things to do in basketball is to get easy baskets, and we had been struggling to find easy ones. Mason finds some easy baskets out there," Midwestern State head coach
Justin Leslie said. "We didn't have to go call a play, or grind a possession out. He just made something happen out of nothing by being just a heady, good basketball player."
Reggie Hill finished with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting and led the team with eight rebounds.
Bakari LaStrap had 12 points and seven assists for the MSU Mustangs, who had 17 assists on 29 field goals in the victory.
"We knew we could get them at a disadvantage and create some movement that would lead to good opportunities," Leslie said. "My big key for them offensively was 'don't settle.' There's no reason for us to settle in this game. A good opportunity is going to present itself if only we're patient enough to allow it to develop."
Antwan Taylor scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in the first half as Midwestern State took a 44-34 lead at halftime. Taylor, who had two dunks in the first half, finished with nine points and five rebounds.
"Antwan got a couple of steals and deflections, and a couple of long rebounds, and that was just a good job of guys coming off the bench and affecting the game in a positive way for us," Leslie said.
Taylor had three of 11 steals for MSU, which scored 25 points off 14 turnovers and outrebounded the Western Mustangs, 44-38.
Western New Mexico was led by Tanner Vogel with 12 points. Cortaviaus Seales, who has been averaging more than 17 points per game, was held to 11 points along with Jordan Williams for the Western Mustangs, who are 3-18 overall and 1-15 in conference play.
Midwestern State swept the season series with WNMU and improved to 14-9 with an 8-9 record in the Lone Star Conference. The Mustangs are in a three-way tie with Oklahoma Christian and UT Permian Basin for ninth place in the LSC, trailing Texas A&M International by a game.
Midwestern State travels to Odessa for a critical game with UT Permian Basin on Thursday night at the UTPB Gym Complex. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
--MSUMustangs.com--
