Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press
WOLFFORTH, Texas — Win or lose, the New Mexico Military Institute Bronco basketball program had already rewritten history.
The Broncos landed in their first Region V tournament semifinal game since 2001.
On Friday night, NMMI cut down a 22-point deficit to trail by seven late in the contest, but it couldn't prevail as the South Plains College Texans came out on top 78-67 at Frenship High School's Tiger Pit.
"We didn't play our best today. We made a push at the end like we always do, but it was just too much," said NMMI head coach Sean Schooley.
After an early tie in the opening half, NMMI gained a four-point lead after a pair of free throws were knocked down by Isaiah Williams with 15:27 on the clock.
The Texans then went on a 9-0 run to flip the script by taking a 21-12 lead.
Luis Riascos Varon and Nadjrick Peat made a pair of shots in the paint while Chris Bready got four quick points to help chisel the deficit down to three with 8:58 to go.
South Plains used another 9-0 run to increase its lead to 12 points.
The Broncos trailed by 19 at halftime. Kieves Turner and Khalifa Sakho led the Texans with 14 and 10 points, respectively.
After another 9-0 run by South Plains, the deficit for NMMI grew to 21 with 19:46 on the clock.
Slowly, the Broncos began to chisel down the deficit as it became a race against time.
Behind a three-pointer by Latik Murphy, two free throws made by Peat and a two from Amiri Crowder, NMMI managed to trail by single digits with 7:28 left in the contest.
The Texans' lead grew back to double digits, but the Broncos continued to fight after four points by Williams put NMMI behind by seven.
As the score continued to see-saw, the Broncos had erased an 11-point deficit back down to seven after two free throws made by Murphy and a two from Bready with 1:26 remaining.
There were no late game heroics for NMMI this time as the deficit was too large to erase.
Murphy led the Broncos with 17 points while Williams finished with 11. Bready added with nine points.
Crowder grabbed 10 rebounds while tallying nine points and three steals.
NMMI shot 22 of 29 from free throw line.
The Broncos had six returners from the 2021 condensed spring season where they finished 6-12 overall.
NMMI made big strides this season.
"There's never a quit in them. Even today when we were down. That says something about their character. They kept fighting," Schooley said. "I think they're gonna be outstanding young men. I can't speak enough of them.
"Some guys have really come a long ways in their character. I hurt for them because last year we won six games, this year we won 18. That's says something about them, not us."
Turner paced the Texans with 29 points, Sakho had 14 and Malik Zachery added with 11.
South Plains plays the winner of the Odessa-New Mexico Junior College game for the Region V tournament championship at 4:30 p.m. CST Saturday.
South Plains 78, NMMI 67
SOUTH PLAINS (19-11)
Jaden Harris 1 0-0 3, Malik Zachery 4 3-6 11, Kieves Turner 8 10-11 29, Eric Coleman Jr. 1 2-2 5, Malek Abdelgowad 2 5-8 9, Savion Gallion 2 2-3 7, Khalifa Sakho 6 2-2 14. Totals 24 24-32 78.
NMMI (18-13)
Chris Bready 3 3-3 9, Isaiah Williams 2 7-12 11, Latik Murphy 5 4-4 17, Amiri Crowder 4 0-2 9, Jonathan Salazar 1 2-2 4, Nadjrick Peat 1 2-2 4, Jay'veon Coleman 1 0-0 3, Luis Riascos Varon 2 0-0 4, Reginald Ward 1 4-6 6. Totals 20 22-29 67.
SPC..…….48….30 --- 78
NMMI……29….38 --- 67
3-point goals – South Plains 6 (Turner 3, Harris 1, Coleman Jr. 1, Gallion 1); NMMI 5 (Murphy 3, Crowder 1, Coleman 1). Rebounds – South Plains 44 (Zachery 7, Abdelgowad 6); NMMI 41 (Crowder 10, Bready 6). Assists – South Plains 11 (Zachery 4, Turner 4); NMMI 6 (Williams 2, Crowder 2). Total fouls – South Plains 21, NMMI 27. Fouled out – NMMI (Varon). Technical fouls – South Plains (Gallion).