Joe Tubb to be honored Thursday as South Plains hosts Howard

LEVELLAND —  The South Plains College men's and women's basketball teams will continue conference play on Thursday when they host Howard College at the Texan Dome.

The Lady Texans will tip at 5:45 p.m., with the men's game to follow at 7:30. Both games will be streaming live at spctexans.com.

At halftime of the men's game, long time South Plains College Athletic Director Joe Tubb will be honored with his Western Junior College Athletic Conference Hall of Fame plaque. Tubb served as the Director of Athletics for 33 years, leading South Plains to 42 NJCAA national titles.

During his tenure, which began in 1983, Tubb's programs claimed a combined 15 Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJCAC) championships and eight Region 5 tournament titles.

Under Tubb's direction, the college has also hosted 14 NJCAA Championship events, including the 2016 Division I Outdoor Track and Field National Championships, which saw the Texans make collegiate history, capturing their 10th consecutive national title.  

In addition to his duties leading the SPC Athletic Department, Tubb served a three-year term as president of the NJCAA, where he was responsible for a myriad of duties including presiding over annual, executive, and special meetings for the nation's second largest intercollegiate athletic association.  

Tubb has served in multiple capacities through the years and has been instrumental in the growth of two-year collegiate athletics. He was the recipient of the highest honor bestowed by the National Alliance of Two-Year Collegiate Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) when he was presented the L. William Miller Award at a special ceremony in Dallas on June 25, 2012. In 2006 and 2010, Tubb was named Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of College Athletic Directors (NACDA).

Courtside preview:

The Texans come into Thursday night as winners of five of their last six and are 7-2 at the Texan Dome this season. Sitting at 16-6 on the year and 8-2 in the WJCAC, South Plains is currently second in the conference as they sit two games back of Odessa College (20-2, 9-0). In their first meeting on Jan. 8 in Big Spring, South Plains downed the Hawks 80-72 as Isaiah Maurice led all scorers with 22 points and 10 boards as the 6-foot-10 forward from Durham, North Carolina was 9 of 13 from the floor and 2 of 3 from the perimeter in 33 minutes of action. Keith McGee knocked down 6 of 11 attempts from the field, chipping in 13 points and corralled five boards over 25 minutes. Texas Tech signee Deshawn Corprew tallied 13 points on 5 of 11 shooting from the field, while Chris Orlina poured in 10 points and Will Washington finished with eight.

Howard has won five of its last six including an 86-70 blasting of Western Texas on Monday. The Hawks currently sit in third in the WJCAC, boasting an overall record of 18-6 and are 6-4 in conference play. Averaging 78.9 points per game and shooting 46.7 percent from the field, Howard is led by sophomore guard Jeremy Hayes, who averages a team-best 14.9 points per game, and is second on the team with 3.1 assists per game. Sophomore forward Amari McCray is shooting 55.2 percent from the floor on the year, averaging 9.3 points and a team-high 4.7 boards per contest.

The Lady Texans will be seeking their third win in conference play as they sit at 15-10 on the year and 2-7 in the WJCAC. In their first meeting on Jan. 8 in Big Spring, Howard topped South Plains 54-46 as Corbyn Cunningham scored a game-high 17 points and also grabbed eight boards for the Lady Hawks. Gabbie Green led South Plains with 12 points, knocking down 5 of 13 attempts and Maddie Dorris and Christina Baker each finished with seven points.

Howard comes into Thursday with a 13-12 record including a 3-6 mark in the WJCAC. The Lady Hawks have dropped two of their last three but picked up a 57-45 win over Western Texans on Monday in Big Spring. Averaging 59.5 points per game and shooting just 33.9 percent from the floor and 29 percent from 3, Howard is 6-5 on the road this season. The Lady Hawks are led by freshman Kaki Simpson who leads the team in scoring with 13.7 points per game. Cunningham is averaging 12.3 points and 9.7 boards per game, while Kendal Alsup is averaging 10 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.