WICHITA FALLS, Texas (Feb. 25, 2017) - Emily Spector and Kenesha Saygo each scored in double digits to lead Texas Woman's University to a 56-51 victory over Midwestern State in their regular season finale Saturday inside D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
 
Spector totaled a game-highs with 14 points and eight rebounds while Saygo recorded 12 points. TWU (18-10, 11-9 LSC) held the Mustangs (8-18, 5-15 LSC) to just 15 field goals, a defensive season-best, while the Pioneers made 19 from the field. TWU's defense also forced 23 Mustang turnovers that were converted into 20 points. Both teams struggled from the three-point line with TWU hitting 3-of-16 and MSU converting 2-of-8.
 
TWU took their first lead at 4-2 following a jumper by Spector but went scoreless over the next five minutes, allowing the Mustangs to jump ahead 11-4 with 2:46 to go in the first quarter. Andrea Mapua scored in the paint to break the scoring drought, and MSU knocked down a free throw for a 12-6 lead at the end of the period.
 
A layup by Alexis Nezianya and consecutive buckets from Spector knotted the game at 12-all, and another jumper by Spector at the 6:12 mark of the second quarter handed the lead back to the Pioneers at 16-15. A score by Grace Mitchell in the paint and two free throws from Bri'anna Gray upped the lead to 27-19, and a three-pointer by Mapua with eight seconds until the half put the Pioneers up 30-21.
 
An MSU jumper in the third cut the deficit to 30-26, but a three by Spector and free throw from Mitchell doubled the margin to 34-26. Kara Mitchell converted two buckets within 30 seconds to extend the lead to 38-29, and a three by KJ Stastny with 39 seconds on the clock kept the Pioneers ahead, 44-36.
 
The Mustangs pulled to within four three minutes into the fourth quarter until Saygo drained four free throws to increase the lead to 50-43. A layup by Saygo with 56 seconds left in the period gave the Pioneers a 54-49 edge, but MSU made a pair from the line to make it a one-possession ballgame with 15 seconds to play. Saygo sank two more free throws to push the lead to 56-51, and an MSU three-point shot with five seconds left was off the mark.
 
The Pioneers head to the Lone Star Conference Tournament next week and begin play as the number-six seed to face third-seeded West Texas A&M Friday at noon at the Allen Events Center. For tournament information, visit: http://lonestarconference.org/news/2017/2/25/WBB_0225172122.aspx.