Headlines
LEVELLAND — Following a year in which he helped guide the South Plains College men's basketball program to its third national title in program history, assistant coach Justin Brown will be moving on to the Div. I ranks as he has accepted the assistant men's basketball coach position at Eastern Illinois University.
LEVELLAND — For the third time in his 18-year stint at the helm of the South Plains College men’s basketball program, Steve Green has been named the 2018 NJCAA Div. I Men’s Basketball Spalding Head Coach of the Year. Green captured his third national title at South Plains on March 24 at the 2018 NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Tournament when the Texans edged College of Southern Idaho 98-95. Green also led the Texans to the 2008 and 2012 national championship and is now just one of four coaches to win at least three NJCAA Div. I men’s basketball national championships.
HUTCHINSON, Kansas — 40 more minutes. For the fourth time in the last 11 years, South Plains head coach Steve Green has led his team to the final Saturday of the NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Tournament as the Texans look to capture the program’s third national title tonight at 7 p.m. against the College of Southern Idaho. Should the Texans come out victorious, Green will join an elite group of coaches who have won three national titles at the NJCAA Div. I level. The other three include Ronnie Arrow of San Jacinto Junior College, Allen Bradfield of Vincennes, and Joe O’Brien of Southeastern Community College. After defeating five teams ranked inside the top 25 over a 15-day span, South Plains will look for one final performance from a group of players who are battle tested to date, and safe to say they’ve seen just about everything this season. Without their two leading scorers heading into Friday’s semifinal matchup with Eastern Florida State, the Texans kept pounding the rock defeating the Titans in dominating fashion 89-76 to put themselves in contention for a national crown.
HUTCHINSON, Kansas — South Plains head coach Steve Green knew his team was capable; it was just a matter of when. That moment arrived Saturday night as the South Plains College men’s basketball team knocked off College of Southern Idaho 98-95 at the Hutchinson Sports Arena to capture the 2018 NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship. This marks the programs third national title, all coming under Green who became only the fourth coach in the history of the NJCAA to win three national championships at the NJCAA Div. I level. “With all that we’ve been through this season, we felt like at the beginning of the year we definitely were worthy of playing on the last Saturday night, “Green said. “So many things happened over the course of the season, it started to put doubts in your mind. Then, all of a sudden at the regional tournament for whatever reason we started playing better, and maybe it was because they knew if we didn’t we would have to sack up the basketballs, and you have to give our guys a lot of credit.”
HUTCHINSON, Kansas — For the third time in the last four years, the South Plains College men’s basketball team finds itself in the semifinals of the NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Tournament, vowing for a chance to play for a national crown.
HUTCHINSON, Kansas — Next man up. Heading into Friday’s semifinal matchup with perennial power Eastern Florida State without two of their leading scorers, the South Plains College men’s basketball team never flinched as they torched the Titans 89-76 at the Hutchinson Sports Arena to advance to Saturday’s national championship game against Southern Idaho at 7 p.m. In their previous meeting on December 29 in Phoenix, South Plains bested Southern Idaho 69-65. “I thought as what has been the case up here we got off to a really good start,” South Plains head coach Steve Green said. “We hit some shots, and it seems like in the last three games we’ve started off aggressive and the other team has started off a little hesitant, and I think that’s it.”
HUTCHINSON, Kansas — The South Plains College men’s basketball team held off a late second half run from Connors State as they bested the Cowboys 80-75 on Thursday night at the Hutchinson Sports Arena to advance to the NJCAA Final Four for the third time in the last four seasons. South Plains will meet Eastern Florida State (29-4) on Friday at 6 p.m. with the winner advancing to Saturday’s national championship game at 7 p.m. “I thought this game was a tale of two halves,” South Plains head coach Steve Green said. “I thought we played well the first half and shot it well and rebounded the ball and held them to one shot, then, completely unraveled in the second half. We were very, very fortunate.”
HUTCHINSON, Kansas — The Texans needed both. Trailing 78-77 with eight ticks left in regulation, South Plains’ Deshawn Corprew stepped to the charity stripe for a one-and-one following a blocking foul called on Salt Lake’s Hunter Schofield. The 6-foot-6 swingman from Norfolk, Virginia made the most of the opportunity, knocking down consecutive free throws to put the Texans up one. Needing one final stand, the Bruins pushed the floor for an opportunity to win it, but Dalven Brushier’s desperation 3 from the top of the key clanked off the side of the rim as South Plains knocked off the fourth-seeded Bruins 79-78 to advance to the Elite 8 against Connors State (31-3) at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
HUTCHINSON, Kansas — Following a 91-71 win over Highland Community College on Monday in the opening round of the 2018 NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Tournament, the No. 13-seed South Plains College men’s basketball team will square off with the fourth-seeded Salt Lake Community College Bruins on Wednesday at noon at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. South Plains improved to 24-8 on the season with Monday’s victory and come into Wednesday’s Sweet 16 matchup as winners of eight of their last nine. 6-foot-10 sophomore forward Isaiah Maurice led all scorers with 22 points against the Cougars, his fourth consecutive game with at least 20 points and his 19th double-digit scoring performance this season. Averaging 91.5 points per game in their last four outings, South Plains shot 51.5 percent from the floor against Highland including 10 3s as they placed five players in double-digit scoring figures. The Texans dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Cougars 43-28 and scored 38 points in the paint while forcing Highland to shoot just 41 percent from the floor in the contest and 29 percent from the 3-point line.
HUTCHINSON, Kansas — Isaiah Maurice scored a game-high 22 points and Ben Perez poured in 19 as the South Plains College men’s basketball team throttled Highland Community College 91-71 Monday in the opening round of the 2018 NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. With the win, the Texans advance to the round of 16 and will take on fourth-seeded Salt Lake at noon on Wednesday. “We got off to a 15-2 start and kind of separated ourselves,” South Plains head coach Steve Green said. “We made some plays when we had to, and I don’t think we were especially crisp, or sharp. I think they missed a lot of open shots early in the game, and I don’t think we did anything on the defensive end that we should be proud of.”
LEVELLAND – For the second time in as many years, South Plains sophomore guard Jordan Brangers was named a First Team All-Region and First Team All-Conference selection after he helped guide the Texans to a 12-4 mark in the WJCAC and a Region V title this season. Averaging a team-high 16 points per game, Brangers has scored in double figures in 20 games during his sophomore campaign including a pair of 38-point performances against Coastal Bend College and Collin County. Most recently, Brangers tallied 32 points against No. 20 McLennan on March 9 in the semifinal round of the Region V tournament, knocking down 10 3s for the third time during his tenure in Levelland. Joining Brangers on the All-Conference team is sophomore big man Isaiah Maurice who averaged 23.3 points per game in the Region V tournament, including a career-high 26 points against McLennan. Averaging 12.1 points and 5.7 boards per game, Maurice helped the Texans reach the 2018 NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Tournament with a 24 point, 13 rebound performance in the Texans’ 101-92 win over No. 7 Odessa on March 10 in the Region V title game.
LEVELLAND — The South Plains College men’s basketball team earned a No. 13 seed to the 2018 NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Tournament and will take on No. 20 Highland (IL) on Monday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. local time at the Hutchinson Sports Arena in Hutchinson, Kansas. The Texans earned an automatic berth to the tournament after defeating Odessa College 101-92 on March 10 in the Region V title game in Wolfforth. Should South Plains come out victorious in their first-round matchup, they will advance to the round of 16 where they will meet No. 4 Salt Lake on Wednesday, March 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
WOLFFORTH — The objective was clear: Win, and you’re in. Mission accomplished. Staring down conference foe Odessa College in the Region V title game for a spot in the 2018 NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Tournament, the Texans never flinched, overcoming a 12-1 deficit in the opening minutes to down the seventh-ranked Wranglers 101-92 and capture the 2018 Region V crown Saturday at the Tiger Pit on the campus of Frenship High School. “This is a great feeling because we’ve known all year long we had the potential to do this, and we finally put it all together,” said South Plains head coach Steve Green, who won his sixth regional title with the Texans on Saturday. “I think the benefit of playing a tough schedule paid off for us. We got down today and there wasn’t any quit in these guys and they deserve it, and I’m happy they will get a taste of the national tournament.” Following a 12-1 run from Odessa ceased by a Braxton Shaw’ jumper with 15:00 minutes to play in the first half, South Plains swung back with a 9-0 run capped by a 3-pointer from Deshawn Corprew which brought the Texans (23-8) within two, 12-10. Freshman Keith McGee would give South Plains its first lead of the contest at the 11:47 mark in the front half with a triple from the corner to put the Texans up 17-14.
WOLFFORTH — Answer back. Following a 14-4 run from No. 20 McLennan to begin Friday's Region V semifinal matchup, South Plains head coach Steve Green signaled for a timeout. The message over the next 30 seconds seemed to resonate with his team, as the Texans answered the call with a 20-8 barrage capped by a Jordan Brangers' 3-ball to put South Plains on top 24-22, as they went on to defeat the Highlanders 85-76 Friday at the Tiger Pit to advance to the Region V championship game Saturday at 2 p.m. against No. 7 Odessa. "For the past 48 hours, it seems like our guys were shot out of a cannon," Green said. "Today, I don't think we expected the 3-point barrage even though we told them that's what they could do. I was really shocked it was 14-4, and it happened fast. To our guys' credit, they stayed composed and started chipping back and got right back in it, fast."
LEVELLAND — Following an 89-75 thumping of Ranger College in the opening round of the 2018 Region V Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, the South Plains College men’s basketball team will take on No. 20 McLennan College at 1 p.m. on Friday at the Tiger Pit in Wolfforth on the campus of Frenship High School.
