Odessa College Uses Second-Half Surge To Take Down Midland College

The Odessa College men's basketball team found an extra gear in the second half and sprinted to a victory.

After a tight 30 minutes, the No. 16 Wranglers closed the game strong to emerge with an 85-68 win over Midland College on Monday at the OC Sports Center.

"We did some things differently against what they were trying to do and made an adjustment at halftime," OC head coach Tra Arnold said. "I thought defensively we played well in the second half."

Center Develle Phillips had one of his strongest performances of the season, finishing with 17 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks to helped lead the Wranglers (23-5 overall, 12-3 WJCAC) on both sides of the court.

"Coach stresses defense and my part is to make sure I'm always around the rim to block and rebound," Phillips said.

The solid play from the Wranglers bench continued with three players — Keyon Jones, Tyshon Rogers and Sammy Barnes-Thompkins — reaching double figures. The OC reserves outscored Midland's 37-20 in the contest.

"We're just a team this time of year. Throw all the individual stuff away, it's about winning this time of year," Arnold said. "That's guys stepping up and persevering after maybe not playing too much early but buying in to being a team."

In the first half, the Chaparrals (13-16, 4-11) got off to a good start and opened a seven point lead with a couple minutes left until the break. OC responded however to cut the lead to one at the break.

The lead changed hands 12 times over the course of the game, but OC went ahead for good in the middle of the second half, using a 12-3 run to turn a three-point deficit into a six-point lead.

From there, OC was able to play loose on both sides and seal the win in runaway fashion.

"We've been playing good all season," Phillips said. "We've just got to keep our energy and composure to get that win."

Tyree Robinson played in his final game at the OC Sports Center, putting up 12 points while battling foul trouble to give the Wranglers five players in double figures.

Juan Cardenas led Midland with a game-high 23 points, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range.

OC had one of its better shooting nights in the win. The Wranglers hit 52 percent of their field goal attempts and knocked down 7 of 16 from 3-point territory.

They also took care of the ball, committing just eight turnovers — their fourth lowest total of the season — while forcing 15 from Midland. 

The Wranglers will wrap up the regular season at Frank Phillips College on Thursday, then will turn their sights on the Region V tournament.

"We're fighting for something and trying to get better," Arnold said. "I thought we did that tonight."

Article by Joshua Perry OA