SAN ANTONIO — Midwestern St. fell to #25 Ark.-Fort Smith, 79-65, at Bill Greehey Arena on Tuesday night, with both teams securing 39 rebounds in the closely contested matchup. Despite the balanced effort on the boards, the Mustangs struggled with turnovers, committing 23 compared to Ark.-Fort Smith's 17.
The game commenced with Midwestern State taking an early lead as
Terrance Ramirez scored a layup at the 19:32 mark. However, Arkansas-Fort Smith quickly responded with consecutive layups, first by Kameron Johnson and then Aiden Buckmon, establishing a 6-2 advantage. MSU struggled with turnovers, committing 13 in the first half, which Arkansas-Fort Smith capitalized on to extend their lead. Aiden Buckmon's back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minutes helped Arkansas-Fort Smith close the half with a 39-26 lead.
Arkansas-Fort Smith maintained control in the second half despite a persistent challenge from the Maroon & Gold. Christian Moore initiated scoring with a layup at 17:52, increasing their lead to 41-31. Midwestern State responded with a 3-pointer from
Jonathan Jackson at 17:03, keeping them within reach. Jarren McAllister and Donovan Black contributed crucial points, with McAllister's layup at 2:01 extending the lead to 71-61. Although the Mustangs'
Orlando Horton, Jr. and
Davyon Butler kept the visitors competitive, Arkansas-Fort Smith sealed the game with a late 3-pointer by Christian Moore, concluding the half at 79-65.
Antwan Taylor recorded 12 points, adding two blocks and two steals. Jackson collected nine rebounds while contributing seven points.
Charles McClennahan, Jr. led the team with 16 points, including three 3-pointers. Butler scored 11 points and grabbed four defensive rebounds from the bench.
The next challenge for MSU is a matchup against Pittsburg State on Wednesday, Dec. 17. They will take to the court at 3 p.m. at Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio, Texas.
