College basketball: Wranglers get stirring victory against SPC

LEVELLAND Odessa College, ranked No. 8 in the nation, watched an 11-point second-half lead turn into a four-point deficit with less than three minutes to play Thursday against No. 14 South Plains College in the Texan Dome.

The Wranglers, however, refused to fold and staged a stirring comeback, scoring the final nine points of the game for a 70-65 Western Junior College Athletic Conference victory.

Odessa College’s 13th consecutive win clinched a postseason berth for the Wranglers (24-2 overall, 11-1 in conference) and keeps them alone in first place.

Jamel Guyton led the Wranglers with 21 points, with Delrico Lane and Carlos Rodriguez each finishing with 13. Devon McLendon chipped in 10 in the victory.

After the Texans (21-4, 9-4) took their four-point lead at the end of an 11-0 run, McLendon started the comeback with a free throw and then Lane converted wto more free throws to pull Odessa College within 65-64 with less than two minutes remaining to play.

A jumper by McLendon gave the Wranglers a 66-65 lead with one minute remaining and then consecutive turnovers by South Plains gave Lane and Guyton the chance to extend the lead to 68-65 with one free throw each.

Then, as the Texans raced downcourt for a layup, OC’s Tommie Sykes blocked the ball to McLendon, who jammed home the final points of the game.