Texans holding on for post-season berth

by Cody Barron, staff writer

After beginning the season with 16 consecutive victories, the South Plains College men’s basketball team has not been able to put together back-to-back wins since defeating New Mexico Junior College and Frank Phillips College at the end of January. 

However, the Texans have secured a spot as the fourth seed in the Region V Tournament, which will be held March 6- March 9 in Belton.  The top four teams in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference and the Northern Junior College Athletic Conference advance to the tournament.

SPC (22-5 overall, 10-5 in WJCAC play) traveled to Big Spring on Feb. 25 to take on the Howard College Hawks in a game with possible post-season implications. 

After trailing by two, 37-35, at the half, the Texans watched a six-point advantage with 5:50 left in the game disappear via a 10-0 Howard run.  Landon Tatum’s 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining would bring the Texans within one, 69-68.  But that would be as close as the Texans would get.  Howard shot 31 foul shots in the game, making 24 of them, as compared to SPC’s five-of-six free throw shooting

Sean Watson of Howard led all scorers with 23 points, including 11-for-13 shooting from the free-throw line.

For SPC, Tatum and Nick Okorie led the way with 18 points, followed by David Tairu’s 11 points and 10 points from Jonathan Hall.

On Feb. 18, SPC had five players score in double figures as they defeated New Mexico Military Institute, 90-71. 

The Texans jumped out to an early nine-point lead and never looked back, cruising to a 47-27 halftime advantage.  SPC led by as many as 30 in the second half before NMMI used a late 12-0 run to pull within 15, but they wouldn’t get any closer than that.

Hall led the way for the Texans with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Tairu and Okorie finished with 15 points apiece, while Lu Griffin finished with 13 and Tatum scored 10 points in the win.

On Feb. 14, the Odessa College Wranglers handed the Texans their first home loss of the season, 70-65. 

After trailing 35-29 at halftime, the Texans used a 12-0 run in the second half to take a 65-61 lead with just under three minutes remaining.  However, SPC would go ice cold from there, and Odessa would use a 9-0 run to end the game and seal the victory.

Hall led all SPC scorers with 21 points.  Tairu and Luciano de Souza both chipped in 11 points and Carlos Dos Santos added 10 points.

The Texans were to conclude regular-season play against New Mexico Junior College, on Feb. 28 at the Texan Dome.  Results were not available at press time.

*All photos by Melissa Rinehart/ Plainsman Press.