BASKETBALL: Chaps hold off WTC to snap five-game skid
The Midland College men’s basketball team needed something good to happen to get out of its recent funk.
By Oscar LeRoy
Midland Reporter-Telegram
MIDLAND, TEXAS - The Midland College men's basketball team needed something good to happen to get out of its recent funk.
During the Chaparrals' five-game losing streak, it seemed nothing was going right and the effort wasn't where it needed to be.
On Thursday, the Chaps put in the effort they needed and hit some key free throws down the stretch to hold off Western Texas College for an 80-72 victory at Chaparral Center to end their skid.
Steven Richardson led the way by scoring a game-high 24 points, while Trent Johnson had a good all-around game with 14 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Oliver Hayward also had 14 points, Christian Villegas had 13 and Matteo Tersillo added nine for the Chaps (10-8, 3-2).
"These are really high-character kids. We've been struggling, we haven't felt good, and what happens to a lot of people, we figured out what got us here," MC coach Pat Rafferty said. "The success we had in the fall semester, we kind of got away from that. I felt they were disappointed with how things had gone and I think they wanted to do something about it. It wasn't a thing of beauty. We didn't play well, but we played better.
"We've got a ways to go to get back to doing the things we were doing at the end of the first semester, but I think this is starting in the right direction again and reinforces who we are and how we have to play."
Added Richardson: "It feels good to get out of the snowball that we were in. We came into practice prepared and ready to change what the outcome had been."
The Chaps were still playing short-handed but so was Western Texas (11-8, 1-4) as each team either suited up or played just seven players.
MC took a 35-32 halftime lead but extended it to as much as 15 points with more than seven minutes remaining in the game on a layup by Christian Villegas.
The Westerners, however, would not go away and pulled to within 66-60.
But the Chaps stayed aggressive and got to the free-throw line where they made 7 of 9 attempts down the stretch and 18 of 22 for the game. That was a far cry from just the three attempts they had in a 75-44 home loss to New Mexico Junior College last Thursday.
"We emphasized that we needed to get back to trying to be aggressive, we had to get back to being in attack mode and stop settling for jump shots," Rafferty said. "That's a big thing that we try to look at; put pressure on the defense, try to get paint touches and playing with a better pace. I thought we did that a little better tonight. If you can do that, I think you put defenses on their heels a little bit."
WTC was led by Lorenzo Downey with 17 points, Tyson Brown had 14, Khaleem Bennett 13, and Justin Davis and Jaedan Jefferson each added 10.
The win was also big in terms of momentum for an MC team that's will be playing its fourth game in seven days at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at rival and talented Odessa College.
"This really helps," Rafferty said. "(The Wranglers) are really good and they pose a lot of problems with their size, depth and athleticism. The main thing (the win) gets us is back to the reference point of who we are and who we need to be. We had been our biggest opponent because of our approach and how we were playing."
Richardson said after the win, he feels a lot better going into Thursday's game at OC.
"It surely gives us some momentum," he said. "Going into a big game like that, it will for sure pump (the Chaps) up and it will make sure my team is prepared and ready."
Follow Oscar on Twitter: @OLeRoy_MRT
MIDLAND COLLEGE 80, WESTERN TEXAS COLLEGE 72
Western Texas (11-8, 1-4) – Dawson John 3-11 0-0 8, Justin Davis 4-9 0-0 10, Khaleem Bennett 5-9 3-4 13, Lorenzo Downey 6-14 0-0 17, Tyson Brown 5-8 4-7 14, Jordan Jefferson 3-7 4-5 10, Tylan Jackson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-58 11-16 72
Midland College (10-8, 3-2) – Christian Villegas 5-9 1-1 13, Jaden Henderson 2-6 2-2 6, Trent Johnson 5-12 4-6 14, Steven Richardson 6-14 9-10 24, Oliver Hayward 6-12 2-3 14, Matteo Tersillo 3-6 0-0 9, Wunya Brown 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-59 18-22 80
Halftime – MC 35, WTC 32. 3-point goals – WTC 9-25 (Downey 5-11, John 2-6, Davis 2-6, Jefferson 0-2), MC 8-21 (Richardson 3-5, Tersillo 3-6, Villegas 2-3, Henderson 0-3, Johnson 0-2, Hayward 0-2). Total fouls – WTC 16, MC 18. Fouled out – Downey. Rebounds – WTC 38 (Downey 12), MC 25 (Johnson 12). Assists – WTC 13 (Bennett 5), MC 19 (Johnson 7). Turnovers – WTC 19, MC 9.
2021-22 WJCAC men's basketball standings
Conference Overall
W/ L W/L
Odessa College 4/0 13/5
South Plains College 3/1 9/7
New Mexico Military 3/2 11/7
Midland College 3/2 10/8
Howard College 2/2 10/6
New Mexico JC 2/2 10/8
Frank Phillips 1/3 10/7
Western Texas 1/4 11/8
Clarendon College 1/4 6/12
Saturday's scores
Clarendon College 99, Midland College 54; New Mexico Military Institute 56, Howard College 51; South Plains College 79, Frank Phillips College 74; New Mexico JC; 82, Western Texas College 62; Odessa College was open
Monday's scores
Midland College 80, Western Texas College 72; South Plains College 80, New Mexico JC 71; Frank Phillips College 108, Clarendon College 82; Odessa College 94, New Mexico Military Institute 81; Howard College was open
Thursday's games
Midland College at Odessa College; Frank Phillips College at Howard College; South Plains College at Clarendon College; New Mexico Military Institute at New Mexico JC; Western Texas College is open
CLICK HERE for 2021-22 Season Schedule
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