Balanced offensive attack leads No. 3 South Plains past Frank Phillips 93-59 Saturday at the Texan Dome

LEVELLAND — The third-ranked South Plains College men's basketball team utilized a balanced offensive attack with three players inking double figures as the Texans improved to 7-3 on the year and 2-0 in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference with a 93-59 drumming of Frank Phillips College on Saturday at the Texan Dome.

"We built a 30-point lead in the first half by playing the right way," South Plains head coach Steve Green said. "We found the next man, we were making the next pass, and it was really fun to watch. I think we got away from it a little bit in the second half and gave up too many easy layups defensively and got into a different kind of game. I think if the game had been a little closer we would have played with a little more intensity in the second half."

South Plains could do no wrong in the front half, shooting a season-high 68 percent from the field and 58 percent from the 3-point line. Ben Perez and Deshawn Corprew combined for 18 points in the first half and led the Texans to a 54-22 lead at the midway point. Frank Phillips was 9 of 33 from the field and 0-for-8 from 3 and committed 12 turnovers before the break.

"We got into our rhythm early and found the open man and tried to do everything we could to pick up this win," said sophomore guard Greg Shead, who finished with seven points, seven assists and six rebounds. "Coach Green has been preaching to us about passing the ball to the open man and just passing the ball in general. It's hard to get out of this conference, so we have to keep pushing and find ways to get better."

South Plains came out of the break and knocked down 12 of 25 shots in the final stint and were 7 of 14 from behind the arc. The Texans finished with a season-high 22 assists and held the Plainsmen to a 33 percent mark from the floor.

Sophomore Jordan Brangers led all scorers with 20 points and was 6 of 12 from 3 over 27 minutes. Corprew totaled 14 points, six assists, and five boards while Christopher Orlina pitched in with 14 points on 6 of 7 shooting in 26 minutes.

"We were clicking on all cylinders today, and we pushed the ball up the court and found the open guy," Corprew said. "We play a lot better when we share the ball, and if we can continue to do that we can continue to get better. If we can keep doing the things the coaches have us working on in practice, we can get to where we want to be."

South Plains will return to the hardwood following the Christmas break when they travel to Mesa, Arizona for the 2017 Fiesta Bowl Tournament on the campus of Mesa Community College on Dec. 28 – Dec. 31.