Thunderbirds hold off hot shooting Hawks
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
4 | 15 | 10 | 22 | 51 |
|
|
15 | 9 | 21 | 14 | 59 |
Team Stats
Howard College
New Mexico Junior College
| Game Statistics | Howard College | New Mexico Junior College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (17-46) | (20-51) |
| Field Goal % | 37.0% | 39.2% |
| Rebounds | 20 | 29 |
| Assists | 10 | 13 |
| Turnovers | 17 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 12 | 18 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 4 | 8 |
| Pts in the Paint | 8 | 22 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 13 | 31 |
Hobbs, NEW MEXICO
The Howard College Hawks came to town looking to secure the fourth and final playoff spot in the upcoming Region V Tournament using a long range assault but ultimately fell 59-51 to the Thunderbirds who wrapped up their first ever perfect record in the WJCAC.
Shaniya Mitchell shouldered the load as she scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Nycolle Smith and Blair Richmond each scored 10 points to lead a balanced attack.
Howard trailed by as many as 19 with 9:02 left in the fourth but wouldn't quit as they knocked down six three pointers to cut the lead to eight with nine seconds left.
The Thunderbirds end the regular season ranked No. 7 in the NJCAA. They're riding a 24 game winning streak that dates clear back to November 2015. They will be the No. 1 overall seed in the Region V Tournament that will begin on Thursday, March 3 at 6:00 P.M. MST. They will play the No.4 seed Temple Leopards who are 17-13 this season.