South Plains (15-3, 2-1) had trailed at the half in each of their previous three games and came back to win, including rallying from 10 down against Midland in the conference opener.
Monday night, the Lady Texans had a tough time putting points on the board early as they did not score until a steal by Jasmine Brainard led to a fast break resulting in a Sydney Hearnfield goal with 13:52 left on the clock. Before Hearn's bucket, South Plains trailed 14-0.
South Plains would inch to within seven before heading to the locker room with a 13-point deficit, 34-21.
New Mexico (15-2, 2-0) appeared to be on their way to an easy victory as they led by as many as 21 nearing the midway point of the second half.
Down 19 following a New Mexico 3 coming out of the final media timeout, South Plains College began a furious rally.
Sydney Hearn converted a three-point play after being fouled in the paint and then Aundrea Davis took her own steal to the other end for a fast-break layup. Moments later Davis knocked down a pair of free throws.
Hearn got the Lady Texans to within 10 with 3:32 remaining in the game, making a nice move on the baseline and converting a reverse layup.
After a turnover and then a foul that would send New Mexico to the free throw line, SPC head coach Michelle Wyatt called for a timeout with just over three-minutes to go in the game to talk it over with her team. Little did she know that her team would have to weather some adversity as Hearn was whistled for a technical foul as the players went to the bench.
When the timeout was called, Hearn turned to jog to the bench and appeared to unintentionally run into one of the officials, who promptly issued her with a technical foul, which gave New Mexico two additional free throws coming back from the SPC timeout. New Mexico, who had missed their previous two free throws and five field goal attempts, made only 1-of-4.
Seemingly unfazed by what had just happened, the Lady Texans continued storming back.
Tasheena Moore and Shea Myatt combined to make 5-of-6 free throws to get SPC to within six points.
South Plains applied stiff defense to a Lady T-Bird team in no hurry to take a shot and ultimately forced a shot clock violation with just over a minute remaining.
The Lady Texans quickly ran the ball up the court and Brainard found a slashing Myatt whose layup got South Plains to within four, 61-57.
Wyatt called another timeout and when SPC came out, full-court pressure was applied once again.
Guarding the inbounds pass, Brainard moved over to double team and stole the ball as a Lady T-Bird was trying to pass it away. Brainard found Tasheena Moore for another layup and, suddenly, South Plains trailed by a mere field goal, 61-59.
A foul by Lindsey Lee gave New Mexico's Jolanna Ford an opportunity to make it a two-possession ballgame, which she did.
Wasting no time, Aundrea Davis ran the Lady Texans back up the court and passed the ball to Tasheena Moore who attracted the defense as she drove to the basket and was able to find Davis who once again made it a two-point game with 30 ticks left on the clock.
After failing to get a quick steal, Davis fouled Stacie Telles who made 1-of-2, giving the Lady Texans a chance to tie with a 3.
Myatt's attempt to tie the game clanked off the back of the rim, but Lindsey Lee was there to pick up the offensive rebound and the Lady Texans began searching for another shot.
Before the attempt came, Tasheena Moore was fouled and sent to the line where she made 1-of-2.
After fouling yet again, the Lady Texans had to hope for a missed free throw by the Lady T-Birds to have another chance to tie. That opportunity never came as NMJC's Valerie Barriga converted both to secure the win for New Mexico, 66-62.
New Mexico – conference champions a year ago - improves to 13-2 overall and 2-0 in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference.
The Lady Texans must now turn their attention to Western Texas College (8-11, 1-3), who they will host at the Texan Dome Thursday, Jan. 17 at 5:45 p.m. in a game sponsored by Best Western South Plains Inns and Suites of Levelland. Western Texas earned their first conference victory Monday night with an 80-67 win over Clarendon College. Best Western has donated a variety of gift cards that will be awarded at halftime as well as t-shirts that will be thrown to the crowd by the Texan Cheerleader.
Live video of Thursday's game will be available at www.spctexans.com, with KLVT's Michael Wiiest on the call. Wiiest can also be heard over the air by tuning your radio dial to KLVT 1230 AM or online at www.klvtradio.com.
South Plains (15-3, 2-1)
Alexius Dawn 3-5 0-0 7, Aundrea Davis 3-7 4-4 10, TaSheena Moore 3-11 7-8 13, Jasmine Brainard 0-1 0-0 0, Kayla Turner 1-5 0-0 2, Shea Myatt 1-7 1-2 3, Lindsey Lee 2-3 0-2 4,Sydney Hearn 6-10 4-5 16, Stephanie Moore 3-4 1-1 7. Totals 22-53 17-22 62
New Mexico (13-2, 2-0)
Monique Mulder 1-3 1-2 4, Briana Jones 2-6 0-0 4, Stacie Telles 4-10 6-10 16, T'Keya Mason 3-3 1-3 7, Leila Jdily-Ezzad 0-1 0-0 0, Jolanna Ford 0-2 4-5 4, Valerie Barriga 4-11 6-6 15, Jashae Lee 3-5 1-2 8, Tanya Simpson 3-10 0-2 6, Taylor Caspers 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 21-52 19-30 66
SCORE BY PERIODS 1st 2nd TOTAL
South Plains 21 41 62
New Mexico 34 32 66
FG%: South Plains .415, New Mexico .404. 3-pt FG:South Plains 1-9 (Dawn 1-2, Davis 0-1, Moore 0-1, Myatt 0-4, Lee 0-1), New Mexico 5-12 (Mulder 1-1, Jones 0-1, Telles 2-5, Barriga 1-4, Lee 1-1). Rebounds: South Plains 37 (Myatt 7), New Mexico 32 (Lee 7). Fouls South Plains 27, New Mexico 19. Fouled out: Myatt . Technical: Hearn. Assists: South Plains 13 (Dawn 5), New Mexico 15 (Telles 4, Barriga 4). Steals: South Plains 13 (Dawn 4), New Mexico 14 (Telles 7). Blocked shots: South Plains 1 (Dawn 1), New Mexico 0. Turnovers: South Plains 24, New Mexico 20.