Midland Holds Off South Plains 74-70 in Region Semifinal Thriller

ODESSA, TX - The South Plains College Texans battled conference rival Midland College in a tightly contested Region Tournament semifinal but ultimately fell 74–70 in a game that came down to the final seconds.

South Plains jumped out to an early 8–0 lead, but Midland responded and the teams were tied at 11 by the first media timeout. The Texans briefly regained momentum and pushed ahead 18–13, but Midland continued to battle back and the game was tied again at the second media break.

Early in the first half, the Texans found success by capitalizing on Midland turnovers and rebounds, while also knocking down shots from deep. South Plains hit 4 of its first 8 three-point attempts, shooting 50% from beyond the arc during the opening 14 minutes.

With 6:30 remaining in the first half, Midland edged ahead 26–25. The Chaps later went on a 9–0 run, forcing a timeout from Head Coach Boone with 3:35 remaining as Midland extended its lead to 35–25.

South Plains answered just before the break when Jaylen Colon knocked down a three-pointer to close the gap. The Texans trailed 37–33 at halftime, after committing eight turnovers in the first half that Midland converted into 13 points.

The Texans came out aggressive in the second half. Micah Bell opened the scoring with a strong drive and then poured in seven points in the first two minutes, tying the game at 40–40. Moments later, Harouna completed an and-one play, giving South Plains a 43–40 lead.

Midland regained control as the half progressed, leading 46–43 at the first media timeout and pushing the margin to 52–43 with 13:50 remaining.

The Texans responded with a quick scoring burst. Jaylen Colon drilled back-to-back threes to cut the deficit to 52–49, and Deion Ware added a jumper from the elbow to keep SPC within reach. Shortly after, Ware threw down a slam dunk off a Midland turnover, trimming the lead to 55–53.

With 10 minutes remaining, Midland held a 59–55 advantage. The Texans kept the pressure on as Colon hit another three from the corner, and a steal and fast-break dunk tied the game at 63 all. On that play, Aliou Maiga suffered a rolled ankle while landing after the dunk.

The Chaps responded with another push, building a 68–63 lead with 4:55 remaining. Ware later drove for a layup to cut the deficit to three, but Midland maintained a narrow edge.

In the closing moments, South Plains continued to fight. With 34 seconds left, Micah Bell calmly knocked down two free throws, cutting the score to 72–70.

After a timeout with 24.5 seconds remaining, Midland retained possession. The Texans fouled to send Midland to the line for a one-and-one, but the Chaps missed the front end. South Plains had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but a layup attempt from Zion Pipkin would not fall. Midland secured the rebound and sealed the game at the free-throw line.

The Texans were led by Jaylen Colon with 15 points and 4 rebounds. Micah Bell added 13 points and 5 rebounds, while Deion Ware contributed 11 points and 3 assists.

With the loss, South Plains will now await the possibility of receiving an at-large bid to the NJCAA National Tournament.