Postell's first-half barrage leads T-Birds past NMMI

HOBBS, N.M. — The sharp shooting of Jeremy Postell in the first half helped New Mexico Junior College build a double-digit advantage against New Mexico Military Institute and the Thunderbirds never let the Broncos get closer than 11 in the second half during a 79-64 victory Monday at Caster Activity Center.

Postell went 5-for-6 from 3-point range and scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half to help propel the T-Birds to a 44-31 lead at the break.

"When he is making shots, it really opens things up for us," NMJC coach James Miller said of Postell. "He's struggled some but tonight he showed what he is capable of.  Hopefully this will get him going."

The T-Birds (18-6, 7-3) fell behind 8-2 to start the game before a pair of Cullen Russo buckets – the last being a two-hand dunk – ignited a 13-0 run capped by a Ray Barreno putback with 15:21 left to make it 15-8 NMJC.

However, NMMI (11-9, 5-5) rallied and cut the lead to 18-13 after a Shaquan Rhodes basket with 12:18 left in the half.

That's when Postell went off.

The 6-foot-5 sophomore guard from Atlanta drained back-to-back 3-pointers on consecutive possessions for NMJC to push the lead to double figures at 24-13 with 11:14 left.

Postell hit three more 3-pointers in the half – the last coming with 3:03 left to give NMJC a 42-28 lead as the T-Birds took a 44-31 lead at the break.

A reverse layup by Malique Trent with 14:27 remaining into the second half pushed the NMJC lead to 20 at 57-37.

The T-Birds led 60-39 when NMMI went on a 10-0 run capped by a Rashard Todd 3-pointer with 10:43 left to make it 60-49.

But the Broncos wouldn't get any closer as the NMJC defense clamped down to help the T-Birds to their sixth-straight win.

NMJC held NMMI to 36 percent shooting from the field in the game.

"We hang our hat on defense and that's the way it has been the last few years," Miller said. "We had that lull in the second half, but overall we played pretty good defense. ... We held them to 64 points on 28 percent shooting from three and 36 percent from the field. I'll take that."

To go along with Postell's 20 points (he also added four steals), Trent finished with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and five steals, Russo had 10 points and five rebounds while Kimani Jackson, Randy Haynes and Tyler Blount each finished with eight.

Haudrick Hilaire led NMMI with 17 points.

The T-Birds' home winning streak improves to 17 games as NMJC is 50-5 at Caster Activity Center since the start of the 2011-12 season.

The win also puts NMJC two games ahead of fourth-place NMMI and Odessa College (which lost to Frank Phillips on Monday) and keeps the T-Birds two games behind first-place South Plains and Howard.

The T-Birds hit the road to face Western Texas on Thursday.