NMMI Sports Press

The Bronco Basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 61-54 loss to the visiting New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds Monday night in a contest that saw NMMI lose three separate nine-plus point leads.

"It's disappointing because we keep repeating the same mistakes," said Bronco head coach Sean Schooley. "We just don't trust each other enough with the basketball, and that's the sign of a very inexperienced team. I rarely say this, but we really gave this one away."

Freshman forward/center Yanis Ndjonga led the Broncos with 14 points, made his only 3-point attempt and went 3-of-3 from the free throw line. Freshman forward/center Donovan Long also had an efficient night, going 4-for-7 from the field with nine points.

Freshman forward Quentin Bolton had a rare off night shooting the ball, but did plenty of dirty work in the paint, pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds.

"Our interior guys are playing about as well as they can, they just need more help on the perimeter," Schooley said. "Yanis is a talent and a great kid, but he needs more help from the guard spot to relieve the pressure a little."

"Quentin rebounded hard, which is tremendous, but he really struggled scoring tonight. But he did what I asked. Donovan played well, (Jonathan Joseph) came in and made some clutch plays. And Batosse (Gado) got in and tried to rumble a little. So there are some positives."

The Broncos held a seven-point lead at halftime and stretched it to 10 at 32-22 a couple minutes into the second half.

But a 12-point run by the T-Birds put NMMI behind for the first time since the midway point of the first period. The Broncos kept battling and tied the score three times before NMMI gained back the lead on a Aaron Williams Jr. jumper.

The Broncos took the lead to nine, mostly from clutch free-throw shooting by Joseph and Keon Baker, but NMJC answered with a 14-point run that effectively put the game away.

"Our guard play has to improve," Schooley said. "And fast, because we have Midland on Thursday. Almost every team in this league can beat you on any given night. These are all good teams that are well coached. We've played 20 games and 10 scrimmages and it's past time to figure it out."

The Broncos shot 33 percent overall, 28 percent from long range and 75 percent from the charity stripe.

"You can't shoot that way in your own gym," Schooley said. "There are times we really play well together, but then guys decide they have to have the ball in their hands instead of working the ball, working the clock and getting good looks."

The Broncos head to Midland on Thursday to face a Chaps team that was ranked nationally, but is currently on a four-game losing streak. That game tips off at 5:30 p.m. MST and can be streamed live at NJCAA.org/network.