After Losing Two In A Row, And Three Of Their Last Four, Odessa Back in Win Column
Odessa, TX – Odessa has truly played a very tough schedule to this juncture. As a result, replacing almost an entire roster from last seasons 20-3 national tournament participant, should reap huge benefits for Coach Baumann and the Wranglers down the road.
At least that’s my prediction, and I’m sure what Coach “Bucket” was hoping for when he set up that gauntlet.
Surviving a rigorous 13 team line-up in the first month of the season, going 8-5 in the process, Odessa College takes care of things in their opening game for the month of December, a 89-86 topper over #21 New Mexico JC.
New Mexico, now 7-5, and losers of three of their last four, will now have to wait awhile before getting a shot at win number eight. The Thunderbirds are off until after Christmas when they play in Mesa, AZ, in the Fiesta Bowl JC Shootout on December 27, 28, and 29. The first round opponent for NMJC is Indian Hills CC, currently the No. 8 ranked team in the NJCAA weekly poll.
Odessa, trailed by one at half, got a solid second half from Pacific Univ. transfer Daniss Jenkins, tallying 16 of his game high 23 in that second stanza. Jenkins, the team’s leading scorer, 16.4 ppg, the only Wrangler averaging over ten a game, has now been the teams top scorer in 9 of their 14 games.
In this tightly contested battle, neither team had a margin larger than 3 possessions. New Mexico’s biggest lead was 7, occuring in the first half, while Odessa led by 8 with just under seven minutes remaining in the game.
Following Tre Richardson’s dunk, with 30 ticks left, Odessa was clinging to a five point advantage, 86-81. Jordan Booker made a couple of free tosses for the T-Birds, before Tre Richardson made one of his two FTs, and the Wranglers lead was back to four, 87-83.
Things got interesting shortly there after, New Mexico’s Mouhamed Mbaye nailed a trey at the :11 mark, and the Odessa lead had shrank to one. Fouled quickly in the back court, the Wranglers Dontrell Hewlett went to the other end and calmly sank two foul shots, extending the OC lead again, this time to three.
With a chance to tie, Jordan Booker’s three was off the mark, and that’s were the game ended.
Booker finished as the T-Birds leading scorer at 20, in a reserve roll. Mbaye was next in line with 18, Dannie Smith finished with 15 points and a game high six assists. Narrowly missing a double double was Josaphat Bilau with ten and corralling a game high 9 boards.
For the winners, in addition to Jenkins 23, Tre Richardson followed with 12 and Dian Wright-Forde added eleven. The much taller Wranglers were crushed on the boards, 37-25, in fact New Mexico kind of dominated the stats, but the telling tale may have been in the turnover category. Odessa forced almost twice as many as they had themselves.
