DENTON, Texas (Jan. 19, 2017) – Kara Mitchell's shot attempt rolled off of the rim for Texas Woman's University as time expired allowing Midwestern State to escape Kitty Magee Arena with a 66-65 win over the Pioneers Thursday night.
 
Bri'anna Gray hit a go-ahead layup for TWU with 10 seconds remaining, but the Mustangs countered by banking in a shot off of the right block with two seconds on the clock that ultimately proved as the game-winner. Following a Pioneer timeout, Kenesha Saygo inbounded the ball to Kara Mitchell who drove the lane, but her shot bounced around and out as the buzzed sounded.
 
The Pioneers (11-6, 4-5 LSC) convincingly outrebounded the Mustangs (5-11, 2-8 LSC) 42-to-29 and each team secured 23 field goals, but TWU struggled from the free throw line by hitting just 14-of-29. Saygo scored a game-high 13 points, Kara Mitchell added 11 while Alexis Nezianya had seven to go along with a game-high eight rebounds.
 
A deep two by Saygo posted the first TWU points of the evening before the Mustangs responded with back-to-back threes to take an 8-2 lead less than two minutes into the contest. A three-pointer by Cienna Rodriguez from the right wing knotted the score at 10-10, but MSU jumped out to a 19-12 lead with three minutes remaining. A layup by Grace Mitchell was the start of a 10-0 Pioneer run capped off by an and-one and two free throws by Kara Mitchell to close the quarter with TWU leading 22-19.
 
MSU regained the lead on a layup two minutes into the second period, but Saygo rattled off a three from the left wing and a jumper to push the Pioneers back in front at 27-23. A fastbreak layup by Gray on an assist by Kara Mitchell had TWU ahead 29-26 before a Mustang three on the next possession tied the game. With 33 seconds remaining until the half, TWU had the ball and a 32-31 lead before a triple by Desiree Phipps tacked on three more points in the final seconds.
 
The Pioneers led the entire third period and led by seven after a three-point play by Saygo and an Emily Spector drive through the lane. A trey and jumper by the Mustangs whittled the margin to 44-42 with 3:25 on the clock, but a jumper on the right side and two free throws by Morgan Easley upped the gap to 48-42. MSU finished the quarter with a three and layup to pull within 49-47.
 
Saygo and Spector each went one-of-two from the line in the opening minutes of the fourth for a 51-47 TWU advantage, but a three-point play and pair of free throws handed MSU its first lead since the beginning of the second quarter. Nezianya scored in the paint to reclaim the advantage for the Pioneers at 54-53, but an and-one by the Mustangs put the visitors up two. A drive through the middle by Kara Mitchell resulted in a 59-59 tie, and Gray came through with a vital three-pointer from the top for a 65-64 TWU lead with just under two minutes to play. Kara Mitchell tallied another bucket in the paint to put the Pioneers up 63-60, but the Mustangs scored inside and knocked down a jumper from the elbow to jump ahead 64-63 to set up the intense final 10 seconds.
 
The Pioneers are back in action at home to host Cameron Saturday at 2 p.m.