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Navarro College

'Dogs Test Odessa, Collin In East-West Challenge

'Dogs Test Odessa, Collin In East-West Challenge
Posted: Nov 11, 2021

By MIKE MONTFORT

PLANO -- Navarro joins 11 other basketball teams from Regions XIV and V to compete in the two-day Mike Mitchell East-West Challenge st Collin College. 

Six teams from Region V line up opposite their Region XIV coutnerparts for two days in the annual classic.  First-round play, beginning at 10 am, will pair New Mexico JC (3-0) and Lamar State-Port Arthur (3-0) at 10 am, Panola (4-0) and South Plains (1-1) at noon, TVCC (2-0) and Howard (5-0) at 2 pm, Jacksonville (2-0) and Collin (3-0) at 4 pm, Navarro (2-1) and Odessa (2-2) at 6 pm, and Western Texas (3-1) and Angelina (2-0) at 8 pm.

Coach Grant McMillian's 14th-ranked Bulldogs will be challenging an OC Wrangler squad directed by former TVCC coach Kris 'Bucket' Bauman.  By the end of this weekend, the Wranglers will have played seven consecutive road games against some of the nation's top teams. Odessa, an NJCAA TOurnament qualifier last season, dropped season-opening games at Hutchinson, Ks., to Barton County (92-85) and the host Blue Dragons (92-90).  Odessa claimed its two wins at The Elite Eight Challenge in Edmond, Ok., where they defeated Missouri State-West Plains and Murray State College.

Odessa averages about 85 points, shoots about 44 percent from the floor and normally clears about 43 rebounds.

The Bulldogs fell far short of those numbers Wednesday in their battle of unbeatens against McLennan.  Navarro dropped a 50-42 decision with season-low percentages of 25.9 shooting from the floor (14-of-54), 22.6 from three-point range (7-of-31) and 46.7 from the foul line (7-of-15). 

Trailing 19-10 in the first half, the Bulldogs went on a 15-1 run keyed by Justin Thomas' 11 points to the finish.  McLennan responded with a 10-point run for a 30-20 lead and proceeded to limit the Bulldog attack to a mere 17 points during the final 20 minutes.

Navarro's defensive intensity matched the Highlanders, out-rebounding MCC 45-34, blocking 10 shots, and allowing 30.8 percent shooting (16-of-52) from the floor. Region V Player of The Week Justin Wilson was limited to four points.

Terrance Thomas, with 13 points and seven rebounds, led Navarro.  Diego Gonzalez sank a team-high 12 points for McLennan.

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McLENNAN at NAVARRO
SCORE BY HALVES
McLennan...........20......30 -- 50
Navarro..............25......17 -- 42
MCC: Diego Gonzalez 12, Forte Prater 8, Chris Pryor 7, C.J. Hall 7, Dillon Gooding 5, Justin Wilson 4, Nehemiah Nicholls 4, Kirk Smith 2, Rommel Williams 1. TOTALS: (16-52)-(5-23)-(13-22)-50.
NAVARRO: Terrance Thompson 13, Justin Thomas 11, Sabry Phillip 8, Addarin Scott 5, Babacar Diallo 2, Colin Schaefer 2, Antonee Abraham 1. TOTALS: (14-54)-(7-31)-(7-15)-18-42.
Fouls: NC -- 18.
Rebounds:: NC -- (14-31 -- 45). Phillip 10, Thompson 7, Scott 6, Schaefer 6, Thomas 5, Pina 3, Abraham 2, Diallo 1.
Assists: NC -- 8. Thomas 3, Schaefer 2, Abraham 1, Pina 1, Thompson 1.
Steals: NC -- 9. Thomas 5, Schaefer 2, Abraham 1, Jongkuch 1
Blocked Shots: NC -- 10. Thompson 6, Scott 2, Thomas 1, Onyeike 1.