New Mexico JC Hands Seward 1st Loss of Season

HOBBS, N.M. –  In a tightly contested game, it was the receiving votes New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds that pulled away in the second half handing the Seward men their first loss of the season, 81-68, on Saturday afternoon at the Caster Activity Center.

Seward (5-1) was outscored 48-37 in the second half as the Thunderbirds (6-0) earned the win on their home floor.

The game marks the end of the non-conference slate for Seward as they travel to Concordia on Wednesday for an 8 p.m. tip with the Cloud County T-Birds to kick off the KJCCC slate.

Seward trailed 33-31 at halftime after Lyna Brooks Jr. poured in 11 first half points and Lucas N'Gombo pulled down eight first half rebounds.

A dunk from N'Gombo tied the game 40-40 at the 16:48 mark of the second half and an N'Gombo layup a minute later capped a 9-0 run giving the Saints the lead, 42-40, for the first time in the half.

NMJC countered with a dunk from Francois Nkoy-Eale plus a foul and made free throw. That put them ahead 43-42 and they did not trail again in the game. The T-Birds largest lead was 16 at the 3:19 mark of the second half when an RJ Nance layup put them ahead 75-59.

Four Saints finished in double figures led by Antonio Williams Jr.'s 14 points off the bench. Lyna Brooks Jr. had 13 points and four rebounds, N'Gombo had 12 points and a season-high 13 rebounds and Bailey Milligan finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Nance finished with a game-high 21 points for NMJC while Kenny Fields had 15 points off the bench.

Seward shot 38% (19-50) from the field, NMJC shot 42% (29-69). Both teams hit 11 threes while Seward was 19-32 from the free throw line and NMJC was 12-20. The T-Birds had 40 bench points. Seward outrebounded the T-Birds 49-37 in the game. The Saints tied their season-high turning the ball over 25 times compared to NMJC's 14 giveaways.