Sumbane scores career-high 32, Lady Texans rally to clip Odessa 64-61 Saturday

LEVELLAND — Celia Sumbane netted a career-high 32 points as the South Plains College women's basketball team overcame an eight-point second half deficit en route to a 64-61 conference win over Odessa College Saturday afternoon at the Texan Dome.

The Lady Texans improve to 12-7 on the season and sit atop the WJCAC standings with an unblemished 6-0 mark in league play. South Plains will shift its focus to Monday night when they play host to Midland College at 5:45 p.m. at the Dome. Admission to the game is free and will stream live at spctexans.com.

"I'm proud of our kids and the way they fought back today," South Plains College head coach Ara Baten said. "Earlier in the season, I don't know if we would have found a way to come back, but we're finding something with this group of players, and they found a way to win this one, and I'm really proud of our team."

Trailing 59-51 with just under seven minutes to play, South Plains began to chip away at the deficit following back-to-back buckets from Sumbane to bring the Lady Texans within four, 59-55 with 5:10 to left. Daiysha Brown would then get SPC within striking distance, converting on a layup to trim the deficit to two, 59-57 with 4:18 to go.

Sumbane would then tie the game at 59 apiece, splitting a pair of defenders and converting in traffic with three minutes left. Following a basket from Odessa's Ivana Krakina which put the Lady Wranglers up 61-59, Sumbane converted in the paint once again, tying the game at 61 all with 1:58 to go.

"We needed every point from Celia," Baten said. "They were doing some things defensively that were getting us out of sink and out of rhythm, and at times she just went and made plays for us. We were just trying to find ways to get her the ball in a certain space and let her go get it."

The final 90 seconds was a battle of attrition from both sides as neither defense surrounded a bucket down the stretch. Following a stop on the defensive end from South Plains, Brown drove the lane and drew a foul, giving the sophomore from Madison, Wisconsin two shots with five seconds left. Brown would hit one of two, giving SPC a 62-61 advantage.

The Lady Texans once again held strong on the defensive end, forcing a turnover on the inbounds play, which forced Odessa to foul and send Sumbane to the charity stripe. The sophomore forward from Maputo, Mozambique converted both as South Plains extended its win streak to six games.

"It was tough inside the paint today," Baten said. "Odessa is athletic, talented, and physical, and it was just one of those games where you feel fortunate to come out on top. This game is important to us because it was the one we played today. The game we play Monday night will be just as important as this one, and that's just our league. We play in a tough league, and I think a game like today proves that."

Sumbane finished 13 of 18 from the field, and also tallied nine rebounds over 34 minutes. Brown chipped in 15 points, six boards, and four assists, dropping in five of 11 shots from the floor. Jennifer Silva poured in eight points and snagged nine rebounds as South Plains shot a 43.4 percent clip in the contest.

The two teams combined to score 84 points inside the paint, as South Plains edged Odessa 44-40 down low. Odessa shot 42.9 percent from the floor, led by Nahawa Berthe and Isamery Agramonte, who each finished with 14 points.

• SPC fans can hear from coach Baten on Monday, Jan. 30 as the South Plains College Athletic Department will host a Texan Club Luncheon at noon in the Sundown Room on the SPC campus in Levelland. The meal is free and everyone is welcome to attend.