Texans Pick up Crucial WJCAC Victory

February 1, 2010

LEVELLAND, Texas - The South Plains College Texans (14-7, 3-3) earned their third win in a row Monday night with a 74-62 victory over New Mexico Junior College (15-8, 2-5). The win gives SPC sole possession of third place in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJCAC) after conference foes Odessa College (18-5, 3-4) and Frank Phillips (17-6, 3-4) both dropped their games Monday night.

The Thunderbirds took the early lead, 10-4, but SPC quickly went on a 7-0 run after a three point bucket by Josh Orta, who then dished to Myles Walker the next time down the court for two in the paint. Orta then picked NMJC's Nick Waddell's pocket and took it down the court and laid it in for two more to take an 11-10 lead.

Waddell answered by giving the T-Birds the lead with a made bucket inside the paint NMJC's next time down the court. This would be the last time South Plains College would trail in the game as they outscored the T-Birds 24-13 over the rest of the half and went to the locker room up 35-25.

The Texans controlled the tempo in the second half as they led by as many as 15 points and never by fewer than eight, and went on for the big conference victory, 74-62.

Leading the Texans was sophomore post Myles Walker who scored 16 points on 8-of-14 shooting, while playing all but the final seconds of the game. Tramar Sutherland added 14 points on a near perfect 6-of-7 from the field, while Khaliq Gross maintained his hot hand by chipping in 13 points.

South Plains College has two tough games immediately ahead of them as they travel to seventh ranked Howard College (19-2, 6-1) on Thursday and then host number one ranked Midland College (23-0, 7-0) next Monday at the Texan Dome.