Steinke's Big 4th Quarter Upends Midland
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
13 | 17 | 11 | 17 | 58 |
|
|
10 | 18 | 13 | 21 | 62 |
Team Stats
Midland College
| Game Statistics | Midland College | New Mexico Junior College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (23-72) | (23-69) |
| Field Goal % | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| Rebounds | 53 | 42 |
| Assists | 16 | 14 |
| Turnovers | 15 | 11 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 7 | 19 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 7 | 6 |
| Pts in the Paint | 28 | 8 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 0 | 0 |
The Thunderbirds rallied back from down seven points in the fourth quarter to defeat Midland College 62-58 on Thursday, Jan. 22.
The T-Birds were trying to avenge their 87-78 home loss to the Chaps from Feb. 20, 2025. NMJC was the No. 1 team in the country at the time.
Midland was off to a great start for the second consecutive season leading by as many as nine points, 30-21, with 1:21 to go in the second quarter.
NMJC cut into the lead with a Jada Graves layup and an Indigo Bell triple to make the score 30-26 with 27 seconds left. A blocked shot by Azaleeah Oloapu found its way to Addison Edwards who charged up the floor and found an open Zarai Lewis for a jumper at the buzzer to make it a one-possession game, 30-28, at the break.
The T-Birds went into the fourth quarter tied with Midland 41-41.
The Chaps opened the final frame with a 7-0 run to take a 48-41 lead at the 7:30 mark. Then, in just her second start of conference, Kaycee Steinke arrived. The sophomore shooter knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the T-Birds within one point with 5:56 remaining.
Midland and the Thunderbirds traded buckets when Indigo Bell gave NMJC the 56-53 lead with another 3-pointer at the 2:50 mark. Midland battled back and tied the score once more but don't forget about Steinke.
The Fort Collins, Colo. native nailed her third 3-pointer of the quarter to give the T-Birds the 59-56 lead again with 1:48 left. Three more free throws by Steinke sealed the game with all 12 of her points coming in the final quarter.
The starters for NMJC scored 48 of the teams 62 points. Jada Graves ended the night with 21 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Forward Addison Edwards grabbed 10 rebounds and registered seven points in the contest.
Indigo Bell led the Thunderbirds off the bench with nine points, all off 3-point attempts. Sophomore Zarai Lewis added eight rebounds and six points.
The T-Birds shot 23-for-69 (33.3%) from the field, 9-of-33 (27.3%) from the 3-point line, and 7-of-10 (70%) from the stripe. NMJC forced 15 turnovers and held the Chaps to 31.9% from the field.
The No. 13 Thunderbirds improve to 16-3 (3-2) on the year and will face Frank Phillips in Borger, Texas Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. CST.
