Kyree Elder paced UT Permian Basin men's basketball Thursday night, leading the Falcons with 20 points, but Midwestern State out-scored the Falcons 44-31 in the second half to hand UTPB a loss in its first road conference game of the season in a 73-65 defeat in Wichita Falls, Texas.

UTPB (9-5, 2-2) led for the entire first half after scoring the first nine points of the game.

The Falcons led by as many as 10 points in the first half, going on top by 31-21 after a pair of back-to-back baskets by Elder late in the half, and UTPB held a 34-29 advantage at the half.

The tide turned in the second half for Midwestern State, as the Mustangs shot over 50 percent after halftime while the Falcons were just 10-34 (29.4 percent) from the field in the final 20 minutes.

MSU took its first lead at 12:20 in the second half on a layup by Jajuan Starks to go ahead 54--53, and held the lead for the final 10:56 of the game.

UTPB rebounded after trailing by nine points to make it a one possession game, closing within a single point at 64-63 with three minutes remaining, but the Mustangs pulled away down the stretch, hitting eight straight free throws over the final 38 seconds in the eight-point victory.

Elder paced the Falcons with 20 points on the night, hitting three 3-pointers with seven rebounds. Xavier Ledet added 15 points with a game-high five steals and a team-best eight rebounds, while Maurice Walton had 13 points on 6-10 shooting.

Starks had 19 points for the Mustangs to lead a group of three players in double-figures, including one of two MSU players with a double-double with 11 rebounds.

The Falcons are back in action Saturday afternoon with a 4 p.m. tip off in Lawton, Oklahoma, against Cameron.