2nd-Half Comeback Falls Short

The NMJC basketball team dropped their second conference game in a row to Western Texas College Monday night, 87-82.

The T-Birds held a 13-12 lead at the 11:21 mark in the first half following an Elijah Bailey lay in. Western Texas rattled off an 8-0 run over the next two minutes to retake the lead 20-13. Bailey made a layup plus the foul with 4:57 to go in the half to pull NMJC within six points, 27-21. NMJC was unable to cut into the lead any further the rest of the half and trailed at the break 37-27.   

The Westerners maintained their 10-point lead, 55-45, at the 9:31 mark in the second half. In just over a minute, the T-Birds got a three from Luca Barei, a Leo Torbor layup, and a three-point play from Bailey to pull within two points of the Westerners with 8:13 left in the game. 

Deuce Benjamin gave the T-Birds their first lead of the second half, 63-62, with a 3-pointer from the corner with 5:18 to go. 

The turning point in the game was the next play when Elijah Bailey was called for a technical foul. The Westerners were already at the line prior to the call. Western Texas went on to make 3-of-4 from the line to take a two-point lead, 65-63, with 5:06 remaining in the second half. 

Benjamin knocked down another three pointer two possessions later to give NMJC the lead once again 67-65. The T-Birds traded shots with the Westerners down the stretch and only trailed by one point until a Westerner three with 1:56 to go went down to give WTC a 75-71 advantage.

A Barei three kept the T-Birds within three, 77-74, with 1:29 to play. NMJC was unable to chip away at the lead the rest of the game and lost by five points, 87-82.

Leo Torbor finished with a team-high 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

The bench ran deep with the Thunderbirds second team scoring 47 of the team's 82 points. Luca Barei made four 3-pointers to finish with 15 points. Elijah Bailey was 7-of-10 from the field scoring 15 points and dishing out four assists. Deuce Benjamin was the third bench member to score 15 points. Benjamin made three 3-pointers and grabbed four rebounds. 

Western Texas slowed the inside presence of Jeremiah Cherry who finished with only four points on two shots. Antwaun Massey added seven points and five rebounds in the loss.

The Westerners had three starters with 20 plus points in the game. Sam Kodi scored 22, Mason McBride finished with 22, and Aaron Potter was the leading scorer with 25.

The Thunderbirds were 31-of-66 (47%) from the field, shot 7-for-31 (22.6%) from 3-point land, and 13-for-21 (61.9%) from the line.

NMJC slips to 18-6 (5-5) on the season and will face Odessa College in Odessa, Texas Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. CST.

The Thunderbirds in a tie for fourth place in WJCAC standings with Midland College at 5-5 in conference. The T-Birds are behind third place Clarendon (5-4), second place Odessa (8-2), and first place South Plains (10-0).