WICHITA FALLS, Texas (Feb. 22, 2020) – Midwestern State (Texas) overcame one of the greatest games of Oklahoma Christian center Will Lienhard's basketball career to hang on for a 73-68 win over the Eagles on Saturday at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

Lienhard, a 6-foot-8 senior from Oklahoma City, hit a pair of 3-pointers and had season highs in points (16), rebounds (19) and assists (five) to go with four blocked shots. Three other Eagles scored in double figures, but Midwestern State matched the Eagles with four players reaching double figures in points.

Midwestern State (7-19, 7-13 Lone Star Conference) also hit 15 of 35 3-point attempts, compared to 7 of 19 for OC, which ultimately proved to be the difference.

OC (9-15, 8-12) dropped into a three-way tie for ninth place in the LSC standings with Texas-Permian Basin and Cameron, a half-game ahead of 12th-place St. Mary's (Texas). St. Mary's has one game remaining, the others two.

The top 12 teams at the end of the regular season will qualify for the league's postseason tournament, and only two games separates eight teams. Three teams at 7-13 in league play – Arkansas-Fort Smith, Eastern New Mexico and Midwestern State – all are still in the hunt, as is Western New Mexico at 6-14.

Dedrian Parmer Jr. (18 points, seven rebounds) provided an inside complement to Lienhard, who leads the LSC in both rebounding and blocked shots, while guards Johnatan Reyes-Valdez (15 points) and Aubrey Johnson (14 points) also added some offensive spark. But those four players scored all but five of OC's points.

The Eagles led 29-23 with 3:11 left in the first half after a layup by Parmer Jr., but the Mustangs closed the half on a 16-4 run – hitting five 3-pointers during that stretch, including three by Trae Jones – to go ahead 39-33.

OC spent most of the second half trying to recover. The Eagles twice took a one-point lead, the latter time at 44-43 on a jumper by Johnson with 14:42 left, but Midwestern State scored the next seven points and never trailed again.

Reyes-Valdez pulled OC within 68-66 with a three-point play with 27 seconds left, but the Mustangs went 5 of 6 from the free-throw line after that to seal their win.

D'monta Harris led Midwestern State with 20 points, while Jones added 15, Elijah Lee had 12 and Darius Thompson had 11. Five Mustangs hit at least two 3-pointers.

OC will play its final two regular-season games at home next week, hosting Texas A&M-Commerce (16-10, 12-8) on Thursday and Texas-Tyler (8-17, 5-15) on Saturday.