The Tarleton State University TexAnns and the Midwestern State University Mustangs met for the second time this season. Tarleton traveled to MSU in January where the TexAnns defeated the Mustangs. The Mustangs came to Wisdom Gym on Wednesday, Feb. 6, to try to even out the rivalry, but were unsuccessful with a final score of 78-75.

With a packed gym, the first half lead went back and forth. Neither team ever led by more than three points. Each team was determined to come out victorious and never let up for a second. The teams went into halftime with a score of 30-27 in the TexAnns’ favor.

Half number two was where the action happened.

Brianna Bledsoe started out the second half scoring with a layup, which put the TexAnns up by five, but MSU answered with a layup of their own.

Tarleton was able to keep the lead until the 5:22 mark, and were up by eight on three different occasions.

The lead score never increased by more than two, and an MSU layup with four seconds left to play tied up the teams and sent them into overtime.

The overtime frame was a close five minutes. Tarleton finally managed to get a four point lead with 23 seconds left on the clock. A final free throw from Meagan O’Dell gave the TexAnns their final score and secured the win.

Kiara Wright was lead scorer for the game with 35 points and also had her 51^st career double-double with 21 rebounds.

Behind Wright was Bledsoe with 11 points and Raven McGrath with 10.

Kathy Thomas fouled out late in the second half, but was able to add seven points to the TexAnns’ score. Shanae Lowrance (6), O’Dell (5), and Karli Moore (4) finished out the scoring for the TexAnns.

Tarleton’s next game will be against Cameron University in Lawton, Okla. on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.