#17 Ranked Odessa College Handles Frank Phillips College
After jumping out to an early lead and eventually going up 18 points with four minutes to play, OC let the Hawks back in the game before holding on for a 3-point win a week ago.
Monday's game against Frank Phillips College was a similar situation for the Wranglers and this time, the No. 17 team in the nation finished the job.
OC used a 14-0 run early in the first half to open a double-digit lead and kept the Plainsmen from mounting any sort of comeback in an 81-57 victory on Monday night at the OC Sports Center.
"I'm glad we had a game like Howard, because once we get up a lot, we think we can relax, but that's when you have to put your foot on the pedal even more," said OC guard Sammy Barnes-Thompkins, who finished with 13 points in the win. "You've got to finish the game out, and that's what coach said in the huddle, he said 'don't less this be like a Howard game and let them comeback.' So that was on our minds."
The Wranglers (18-3, 7-1 WJCAC) got a spark off the bench with Keyon Jones finishing with a game-high 17 points on 7 of 8 from the field, including three 3-pointers. Tyshon Rogers added another nine as the OC subs finished with 37 points off the bench.
"When the second group comes in and there's no let down, it's not subs it's basically reinforcements," Barnes-Thompkins said. "When you have a group that comes in and produces like the starters, you're not losing anything. It helps the team get on a role."
Following a Frank Phillips free throw in the opening minute, the Wranglers scored 14 straight points, while holding the Plainsmen without a field goal for the first six minutes of the game.
The OC defense held strong during the entirety of the game, limiting Frank Phillips to just 32.8 percent from the field. The Plainsmen (11-11, 0-8) struggle from 3-point range as well, hitting just 3 of 20 from beyond the arc as the Wranglers kept them without a win in WJCAC play.
"The teams who haven't won a game are sometimes the most dangerous," Barnes-Thompkins said. "They're the ones with nothing to lose, so they come out and play hard. You don't want to give teams like that life, because you end up in a game that shouldn't have been close to begin with."
The Wranglers, on the other hand, had no problem getting into an offensive rhythm, shooting 55.4 percent from the field.
Marlon Hunter joined Jones and Barnes-Thompkins in double figures with 14 points in the win.
Isaiah Palmer finished with a double-double in the loss for Frank Phillips, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Anthony Stove chipped in another 10 points for the Plainsmen.
The only aspect where OC struggled to contain Frank Phillips was on the glass. The Plainsmen held a 40-32 advantage in rebounding which included 18 offensive boards.
The Wranglers finished the first half of their conference schedule a game behind South Plains College for the WJCAC lead and will begin the second half of the season with a rematch from November against New Mexico Junior College.
OC notched a win in the first meeting 96-88.
"It's a lot of first-year players here, so it's good to get through that experience with just one loss," Barnes-Thompkins said. "We'll go through and play those teams again and get a better feel of how they want to slow us down."
Article by Joshua Perry OA