LEVELLAND, Texas - The South Plains College Texans improved to 7-2 in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference standings by defeating the Western Texas College Westerners 58-57 Thursday at the Texan Dome.  The Texans, ranked seventh in the latest NJCAA polls, now sit in second place in the WJCAC standings as Western Texas is now 5-3.

Although the half was low scoring by SPC standards, the Texans led for most of the first half and never trailed after they took a 4-2 lead three minutes into the game.  However, they could not take control of the game as they never led by more than six points, which they did fourteen minutes into the half, 22-16.  WTC then scored the next six points to tie the game up 22-22.  With 2:13 left on the clock, David Tairu converted two free throws to help SPC regain the lead.  The Westerners were able to convert two free throws themselves and the teams went to the locker room tied up, 24-24.


Three minutes into the second half WTC took their first lead since the opening minutes of the game, 28-26.  The Texans and Westerners proceeded to duke it out as they exchanged ten lead changes and several tie scores over the next fourteen minutes of the game.  With 2:24 left on the clock the score was 52-52.  SPC was next to strike, taking a two point lead on two Landon Tatum free throws.  Neither team scored for nearly a minute, until Trevon Charles sent SPC's Hugh Mingo to the charity strip with 24 seconds remaining.  Mingo managed to convert 1-of-2 free throws, keeping it a one possesion game.  WTC then converted a layup with fifteen ticks left on the clock to bring the Westerners within one point.  After a timeout, Western Texas quickly fouled Landon Tatum on the inbound and sent him to the line.  Tatum made 1-of-2 and WTC rebounded his missed attempt.  With ten seconds to go, Landon Tatum stole the ball from a Westerner to regain possesion and quickly called timeout as he was falling out of bounds.  On the inbound, David Tairu gained possesion and was quickly fouled by a WTC player.  Tairu converted both free throws to finish the game 7-of-7 from the line and gave SPC a four point advantage with only five seconds to go.  As time expired, Trevon Charles made a three point shot but there was no contact and SPC escaped with a one point victory.

South Plains will return to action on Monday, February 2 when they travel to Odessa College.  Odessa handed South Plains their first loss of the season on December 6 in a heartbreaker for the Texans, 69-67.  Odessa was 4-4 in WJCAC action heading into tonights game at Clarendon College.

Monday's game will be aired live on KLVT 1230 AM and www.hprnetwork.com.  The Texans are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.