SNYDER— The South Plains College Texans fell to Western Texas College 98-90 on Thursday night in Snyder.

The Texans' Jerron Love set a new career high with 26 points, as the 5-foot-11 freshman was 9-of-15 from the field and 6-of-9 from behind the arc. Deontae North went on to finish the contest with 18 points and five rebounds for South Plains, while Che Bob had 14 points and 11 boards.

"This one definitely hurt, knowing that we needed to come out and get the win," Love said. "We felt like we prepared right in practice, and they were just knocking down shots and played with a lot of energy. We rallied back late, but we just couldn't get it done this game."

South Plains struggled to find success on the offensive end in the first 20 minutes, shooting just 39 percent from the floor and trailed by seven heading into the half. Western Texas would lead by as much as 20 points in the second half, but the Texans continued to battle and show resolve.

The Texans shot over 47 percent in the second half and were 7-of-15 from the 3-point line. Love would connect on consecutive 3-pointers with just under three minutes left in regulation to trim the Westerner's lead to six, but it wasn't enough on this night as Western Texas escaped with an eight-point victory.

"Our focus is on the main goal and the main championship, and we still have a lot of games to play," Love said. "We still have a chance to shock the world, and nothings over until it's over. There's always pros and cons to every situation, and I know with the group of guys we have are going to benefit from this loss as much as we didn't want to take it, and we're going to keep working hard."

The Texans are now set to travel to Brownwood for the regional tournament, and will take on Hill College on Wednesday, March 2 at 12:00 p.m.