HUTCHINSON, KAN. The Odessa College men’s basketball team was in complete control late in the second half of a quarterfinal matchup against Indian Hills Thursday at the NJCAA Men’s Division I National Tournament.
Friday, the Wranglers returned home to the Permian Basin.
Trailing by 15 points with 7:01 remaining to play, the sixth-seeded Warriors rallied to force overtime and then defeated No. 3 Odessa College, 79-75, to advance to the semifinals at Hutchinson Arena.
The Wranglers (30-4) finished in the top eight in the nation for the second straight season after making their seventh consecutive appearance at the national tournament.
Enoch Kalambay led Indian Hills with a game-high 31 points, including five 3-pointers.
RJ Ogom added 12 points and Ryan Myers finished with 10 for the Warriors.
Kiree Huie scored 15 points to lead the Wranglers, with Dian Wright-Forde finishing with 14.
Huie and Jordan Ray each had seven rebounds in the loss.
Odessa College struggled from behind the arc, hitting just 4 of 29 three-point attempts, including several down the stretch as the Warriors climbed back into the game.
As in its victory Wednesday against Southeastern Community College, the Odessa College offense disappeared in the final minutes of the game, with Indian Hills finishing regulation on a 22-7 run to tie game (66-66) with 11.5 seconds remaining to play.
The Warriors had a chance to take the lead, but a missed free throw by Kalambay gave the Wranglers a chance to win.
Odessa College couldn’t convert, however, as Anthony Marshall’s jump shot with two seconds remaining caromed off the rim and though teammate Brandon Maclin secured the offensive rebound, he didn’t have enough time to attempt a shot before the horn sounded.
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