by Ryan Smith, TAMK Communications
KINGSVILLE, Texas — Sophomore Kryslyn Jones (Seminole/Creek) dropped 31 points to help the Texas A&M-Kingsville women’s basketball team comeback from an 18 points deficit and claim victory over the Midwestern State Mustangs in Lone Star Conference action in the Steinke Physical Education Center on Thursday for a 62-57 win.
Kryslyn Jones Postgame
“I think the biggest thing is that if shots aren’t falling, you can always find a way to defend and stay in the game,” said coach Michael Madrid. “I thought it was a matter of time, and coach Weaver alluded to this, just make some shots, the basket starts getting bigger and bigger, and I think that’s what happened in the third and fourth quarter for us.”
The Javelinas (17-7, 10-3 LSC) bested the Mustangs (12-11, 6-7 LSC) with half of their points coming from the sophomore from Edmond, Oklahoma, as the Javelinas moved to 12-0 in the SPEC, remaining perfect at home and matching the 12-1 start from the 2009-10 campaign that wound up 12-1, with an 18-10 overall record.
Jones became the first Javelina to score 30-plus in a game since Angelica Wilson compiled 31 points against Cameron in 2018. Jones accomplished the feat at a 57.1% shooting clip, going 4-7 from beyond the arc and 11-13 at the charity stripe. She also got the job done on the glass, snagging seven rebounds, while managing three assists.
The matchup also featured stellar guard play by freshman Mia Rivers (College Station, Texas), who finished two boards shy of a double-double scoring 10 points in 29 minutes, while classmate Devon Williams (Gonzales, Texas) led the way on the glass, logging a career-high 15 rebounds in the comeback win.
Midwestern State outscored TAMUK 17-3 in the first quarter, with Jones managing the Javs only bucket of the frame, nailing a three-pointer around the seven-minute mark.
The Mustangs run of fortune continued into the second as a 21-3 edge midway through the second quarter represented MSU-Texas’ largest lead of the day. The Javelinas then cut the deficit in half, heading to the locker room down nine after a trio of triples by Jones, junior Brianna Pena (Weslaco, Texas), and freshman Janessa Payne (Aledo, Texas). A buzzer-beating layup by Pena wrapped up the half as a 29-20 score line favored of the Mustangs.
The third quarter showcased strong defense from both teams, with the Javelinas shooting 4-15 from the floor while the Mustangs went 4-11. Going into the final frame, the Blue and Gold found themselves down 40-32, before rallying to victory in front of their home crowd.
The Javelinas wasted no time slicing into the deficit in the fourth, beginning the quarter on a 24-5 run, with 12 points belonging to Jones. Williams kick-started the comeback, hitting a turnaround jumper to ignite the SPEC before a trio of layups by Rivers and a bucket by Jones had the Javs down two. Another Williams bucket prompted a triple by Jones that handed TAMUK their first lead of the day at 46-43. With 7:09 remaining in the contest, Jones had the hot hand and continued to hit big shots down the stretch, knocking down three free throws inside the final thirty second, cementing a 62-57 win.
