Top-ranked Texans tame Leopards 97-81 In Hobbs

HOBBS, NM — The Texans shot over 50 percent from the field and four players tallied double figures on the offensive end as the top-ranked South Plains College men's basketball team toppled Temple 97-81 Saturday at the Caster Activity Center.

The Texans close out the front half of the season with a perfect 13-0 mark, winning 11 games by double figures, and will be back on the floor when they host Pratt Community College at 6 p.m. on Jan. 3. South Plains will then open conference play on the road when they travel to Hobbs for a 7:30 p.m. MST tip against New Mexico Junior College on Jan. 8.

"We put a focus on playing fast and getting the ball out in transition," JC Curry said. "It transitioned well into the game. We tried to limit their shooters on the defensive end, and we did that pretty well today. We practice hard and watch a lot of film, and coach Sowers always talks about going 1-0. I know we will continue to put in the work and progress each day towards our ultimate goal, which is a national championship."

Jabori Mcghee led all scorers with 23 points, three boards, two assists, and two steals in 37 minutes, knocking down nine of 19 shots from the field. Jalen Hampton bucketed 15 points and snagged eight rebounds, while Curry poured in 13 points over 26 minutes coming off the bench for South Plains.

"We knew this could be a tricky game with their style of play, but we found a way to get the job done, and you can't go into Christmas break much better than being 13-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country, and I still think we have a lot of room to get better," South Plains head coach Hayden Sowers said. "I truly think we can get a lot better, and that's one thing I'm most excited about. We have improved defensively, but our guys are playing well with each other, and that's tough to do when you have 13 new players.

"We don't take a ton of bad shots, and I knew it might be a battle to pass and share the ball, but that really hasn't been an issue all year, and I don't think it will be an issue going into conference play. We have a lot of depth at multiple positions, and that's where I feel like we are strong, and we have a lot of guys who can contribute for us every night."

Temple shot a 44 percent clip from the floor, but struggled from the 3-point line, as the Texans forced the Leopards to shoot just 22% (7-31) from distance. Temple committed 20 turnovers in the contest, resulting in 17 points on the offensive end for South Plains, while the Texans netted 64 points inside the paint and 15 points on second-chance opportunities.