BASKETBALL: Lady Chaps beat rival OC for 5th straight win

By Oscar LeRoy
Midland Reporter-Telegram

ODESSA, TEXAS - The Midland College women's basketball team finished off a tough stretch with a satisfying road win over an old rival on Thursday night.

Playing against each other for the first time since the 2019-20 season, Odessa College gave the Lady Chaparrals all they could handle at the OC Sports Center.

But the Lady Chaps' play on the defensive end in the second half and a double-double by Dana Thompson helped MC to its fifth straight victory, 67-61 over the Wranglers.

The game was the fourth in the last eight days for Midland (14-4, 5-1 in Western Junior College Athletic Conference) but it didn't seem to bother the Lady Chaps much as they went 4-0 during that stretch.

"We did well. I was very pleased," said Thompson, a sophomore forward who finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds. "Our coach challenges us every day in practice and prepares us by watching film, scouting our opponent and making us go back and do our homework on them."

MC coach Ron Jones was also happy with the way the team handled the tough stretch.

"I was really pleased because this is tough," Jones said. "We only practice two days before we start playing again. We've still got a girl out with COVID and we're still kind of grinding. These were four big games, and it gives a little bit of a separation early, which is always important."

The Wranglers (4-12, 1-3), who did not play last season because of a coaching change and the pandemic, hung with MC in the first half and even took a 38-36 lead into the locker room.

Thompson did her best to keep MC close as she had 13 of her points in the first half.

"I was happy with my game because my teammate Bella (Green), she pushes me and all my teammates push me to be the best that I can," Thompson said.

But the Lady Chaps started the second half with a 13-2 run and did a much better job on the defensive end and taking away some of the more open 3-point shots that the Wranglers had in the first half.

"I just think we did a little better job in the second half," Jones said. "We didn't change anything we were doing, I just think we did a little bit better."

Thompson said it was key for her team to step up on the defensive end in the second half.

"We played the gaps the full possession because they are a great driving team and they have some players who could shoot the 3 well," she said.

MC had as much as a 58-44 lead in the second half, but had trouble shaking the Wranglers as turnovers and bad possessions kept OC within reach.

"I think as much as the turnovers, I think we allowed them to rush us," Jones said. "We had some rushed possessions that hurt us. We got the opportunities that we wanted, but we didn't necessarily capitalize on them."

Along with Thompson's big game, Marin Lenz also had 15 points, Green had 14 and Makayla Escue had 10 for the Lady Chaps.

OC was led by Nahawa Diarra Berthe with 19 points, Taya Davis had 15 and Lala Niankan had 11 points and 11 boards.

The Lady Chaps now get a much-needed break until Jan. 24 when they host South Plains College.