NMMI Sports Press

Donald Chapman scored 28 points and pulled down nine rebounds as the Broncos won their home opener over the Ranger College Rangers 85-78 in overtime Wednesday night at Cahoon Armory.

NMMI trailed for most of the first half as the Rangers connected on enough of their 20 3-pointers to stay a few points ahead. The Broncos largest deficit was five points early in the second half, but a 15-point run over the next eight minutes gave the Institute a commanding lead with seven minutes left in regulation.

But the Rangers came roaring back with a couple big threes and free throws to tie the game at 59-all with four minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Down three with 24 seconds remaining, freshman guard Louie Yebra took the inbounds pass from Chapman at the top of the key and drove left, splitting two defenders and absorbing contact as he rolled the ball of the glass and in, picking up the foul along the way.

Yebra sunk the and-1 to tie the game at 66-all and early in overtime, guard Mazin Lumori hit a triple followed by the second half of a 1-and-1 to put the Broncos up four points midway through the extra five minute period.

NMMI would not surrender the lead again as sophomore forward Donovan Long hit three freebies on back-to-back trips to the charity stripe.

Ranger cut the lead to two, but Chapman scored five-straight to push the lead to seven and the Broncos finished the game off at the free-throw line going 5-of-8.

Chapman shot 8-of-18 from the field and 12-of-15 from the free-throw line. The freshman point guard from Milwaukee also played tight defense against the Ranger's best player.

"He's our guy, and not just offensively," said NMMI head coach Sean Schooley. "He guards their best guy, he scores, he passed and he works hard. He's a quiet warrior and has no fear whatsoever. The guys really feed off of him."

Lumori, a freshman from South Sudan in Africa, was clutch late in the game and efficient throughout, draining 8-of-11 shots overall and 3-of-4 from behind the arc while collecting eight boards.

"He knows one gear and that's all out, but once he figures some things out, he's gonna be a real problem," Schooley said. "He's super fast, jumps well and he's got something like a seven-and-a-half foot wing span. Tremendous motor and very coachable."

Guard Vukasin Minic, one of three returners from last year's squad, had just five points, but his pair of offensive rebounds came at crucial moments in the game.

"That was a big rebound there at the end to give us another possession in a huge moment in the game," explained Schooley. "Everyone who got in contributed. Jonah Lopez weighs a buck-sixty after dinner and he was in there battling, gained a bucket and did his job."

The Broncos are now 2-1 to start the year as they prepare to spend nearly a month away from the friendly confines of Cahoon Armory, with games in Colorado and Texas. So far, Schooley has seen most of what a coach wants to see early from his guys.

"We've got a bunch of real high-character cats on this team," he said. "They're good students, they hold their own in the Corps. They like each other and you can see it and that camaraderie is important during a long season."

Cahoon Armory was far from filled to capacity Wednesday night, but the crowed that was in attendance was locked in and loud. Bronco Football and Volleyball made their presence known, especially when Ranger was shooting free throws.

"I want the people that want to be here and enjoy basketball at the games, even if the gym isn't packed," Schooley said. "This team can build a fan base because they are fun to watch and they play hard for each other. The other Bronco athletes' support means a lot and they were big at the end."

The Broncos head back out on the road for a Friday tilt with Trinidad State College in Trinidad, Colorado at 6 p.m. MST.