by: JOSHUA RAMIREZ/Sports Editor
The South Plains College men’s basketball team moved into first place in the Western Junior Athletic Association with a winning streak
The Texans put together a five-game winning streak against conference opponents, locking in a spot in the NJCAA Region V Tournament, which will be held on March 2-5 in Brownwood, Texas.
The Texans got a crucial conference victory against Howard College in their last home game of the season on Feb. 15 at Texan Dome.
The Texans defeated the Hawks 62-55 after trailing 10-3 in the first quarter.
Sophomore guard Deontae North had a breakout offensive performance, carrying the Texans with 20 points and nine rebounds. He made 4-of-7 shots form behind the three-point arc.
Che Bob chipped in 11 points, shooting 5-for-10 from the field, and pulled down eight rebounds against the Hawks.
Freshman Jarron Love matched Bob with 11 points to go along with three assists.
The Texans imposed their will on New Mexico Military Institute while defeating the Broncos 81-64 on Feb. 11 in Roswell, N.M.
Bob posted a double-double in the game with a season-high 37 points and 11 rebounds in the game.
North did his part against NMMI, chipping in 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and 4-for-5 shooting from the three-point line.
Roberto Gallinat and Love each pitched in eight points against the Hawks.
The Texans grabbed a vital 84-80 victory against conference rival New Mexico Junior College on Feb. 8 in Hobbs, N.M.
With a victory against NMJC, the Texans improved to 18-7 overall and 9-3 in conference play, creating a tie for first place in the WJCAC with Odessa College.
NMJC’s Tyler Blount and Randy Haynes scored 54 of the 80 points for the Thunderbirds, but it wasn’t enough against the offensive attack by the Texans.
The Texans had four players score 12 or more points, allowing SPC to overpower the T-Birds offensively.
North came out strong, scoring15 points in the first half against NMJC. North slowed down in the second half, though, finishing the game with 16 points and eight rebounds.
The Texans’ offense was powered by the play of Bob in the second half against the T-Birds. After failing to score in nine minutes of the first half, Bob came out of the locker room to score 19 points in just 17 minutes of play in the second half.
Love and sophomore Marlon Jones were equally important factors in the Texans’ victory. Both players flirted with double-doubles against the T-Birds, with Love scoring 18 points and dishing out eight assists, while Jones chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Texans dominated Odessa College on Feb. 4, defeating the conference foe 71-63 at Texan Dome in Levelland.
The Texans were clicking on offense, with four Texans scoring double-digit points.
Love led the Texans on offense with 13 points, and added three steals and a block against the Wranglers.
Gallinat came off the bench to score 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field.
Jones pitched in 12 points of his own and pulled down six rebounds in the contest.
North chipped in 11 points and four rebounds in the game.
The Texans were back in action on Feb. 18 against Clarendon College. Results were not available at press time.
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