New Mexico Military opened conference play Monday night in Big Spring, TX against No. 10 Howard College. After a battle in the second half, the Broncos fell short 67-54 dipping to 4-9 on the year and open conference play 0-1.

H1

The home team opened the game on an impressive 14-2 run to create quick separation. However, the Broncos responded with their own 8-0 run with the help of a pair of triples by Joseph Thomas to make it a 10-14 game.

The No. 10 team in the land flexed their muscle in the middle of the opening half as they extended their lead to take a 21-14 lead after a three by the Hawks. The Broncos tried to cut the lead but the home side responded with a bucket on what seemed to be every possession.

Behind 13 first-half points by Thomas on 4-for-6 shooting from deep, the away team trailed 30-22 after the first 20 minutes of play.

H2

Much like the first half, the second period saw the home team open on a 6-0 run in the opening three minutes of the half. With 16:27 remaining, Thomas drained the first field goal of the second half for the Broncos to make it a 25-36 ballgame.

The Broncos held the Hawks scoreless for the next two minutes and cut the deficit to single digits after Justin Bramao converted the three-point play opportunity at the free throw line.

With a little over 10 minutes left in the contest, the Broncos found themselves in a 20-point hole as they trailed 49-29. NMMI closed out the game on a 26-18 run but it was not enough to overcome the Hawks on the road.

Head Coach Sean Schooley was pleased with how his team fought, "We played hard … if we can continue to learn how to take care of the ball and keep it under 10 turnovers we can compete in this league," Schooley said. "When you're playing a good team you can't have that many mistakes," Schooley said.

Looking ahead to Thursday's matchup, Schooley has two main focuses, "If we can control the glass and not turn the ball over we'll put ourselves in a good position," Schooley said.

The Broncos return to action on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 6:30 pm as they host South Plains College for their home conference opener at the Cahoon Armory Gym.