Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press
Leading by 14 points late in the second half, Frank Phillips College thought the game was all wrapped up and a victory was on the horizon.
The New Mexico Military Institute Bronco men's basketball team thought otherwise.
Thanks to some key three-pointers by Nicolas Girondin and Khaleb Wilson-Rouse, the Broncos erased the deficit to tie the game at the end of regulation.
In overtime, NMMI turned on the boosters and flipped the script on the Plainsmen by taking a 101-90 victory Monday night at the Godfrey Athletic Center.
"It's almost like this team has to get kicked in the teeth and then we start playing," NMMI head coach Sean Schooley said. "I was really proud of the resilience.
"They started figuring things out and I'm proud of them. It shows a lot of character on their part. We continue to learn."
The Plainsmen began the game on a 6-0 run.
NMMI (5-8, 4-6) then tied the game twice on a pair of shots in the paint by Furaha Cadeaux de Dieu and Nadjrick Peat.
Just before the end of the first half, Jeremiah Barr landed some key two pointers to give NMMI a five-point lead at the break.
Frank Phillips College (13-7, 5-7) then took control in the second half, taking a 10-point lead with 12:02 on the clock.
Lance Amir-Paul was the driving force for the Plainsmen as he dropped 32 points in the contest.
Making some key free throws and a clutch three-pointer by Girondin got the Broncos to within three with 2:56 left in regulation.
On an assist by Jordan Nelson, Wilson-Rouse stepped up and knocked down the game-tying 3-pointer with just under two minutes to go.
Paul gave Frank Phillips a two-point lead after making two free throws in the bonus.
Wilson-Rouse then tied up the game with a shot in the paint with 25 seconds on the clock.
NMMI was a much different team in the overtime period.
After overcoming an 87-87 tie at the five-minute mark, the Broncos gained an eight-point lead thanks to three free throws by Wilson-Rouse and a key block by Cadeaux de Dieu.
The Broncos kept up the energy to close out the game by 11.
Wilson-Rouse, who currently leads the NJCAA in free throw percentage, dropped 39 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
He also knocked down five 3-pointers while shooting 13 of 27 from the field.
Cadeaux de Dieu chipped in with 17 points and six boards while Barr added with nine points.
Luis Riascos Varon also tallied nine points with three assists and John Mapiou grabbed 10 rebounds while scoring six points.
The Broncos shot 20 of 31 from the free throw line. NMMI also grabbed 48 rebounds in comparison to Frank Phillips' 38.
Schooley gives a lot of credit to his coaching staff but in particular to Kennedy Miller for putting together a solid scouting report.
"All my assistant coaches did a great job tonight. Coach Miller did a tremendous job. He really got them prepared for it," Schooley added.
It was the first time NMMI took a game into overtime since Nov. 12, 2019 when it went the distance with Trinidad State in two overtime periods but didn't come out on the winning end.
The Broncos' last overtime victory was on Nov. 20, 2015 against Collin College which NMMI won 92-90.
Overtime games exert a lot of energy in a team. NMMI just turned the switch on at the right moment.
"Just (kept) fighting all the time. When it was tied we were still sleeping but after that we (wanted) it so bad," Cadeaux de Dieu said after the win.
The Broncos have four games remaining, three of which are at home. NMMI hosts Western Texas College at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Being at home, the Broncos have a shot to shake up the conference standings as they are currently in a three-way tie for fifth place.
"The energy's there and it's improving every single day," Wilson-Rouse said. "Frank Philips beat us the first time. They're a tough team, not gonna put it past them. We also knew that if we did the things that we were supposed to do, we were going to beat them in the end."