STAFFORD, Texas – Houston-area college basketball is starting to heat up, and Thursday night at The Field House brought a reminder that in this game, 20-point leads come with no guarantees. North American University put together a commanding first half, but Community Christian College Southwest flipped the script after the break, storming back for an 83-78 victory over the Stallions on October 22.
The Stallions came out ready to handle business, putting together a 51-point first half while holding the Raiders to just 31. Defense, rebounding and offensive execution had North American in control, building what looked like a comfortable 20-point cushion heading into the locker room.
Then came the second half.
Southwest came out with a different game plan and a whole lot of momentum. The Raiders erupted for 52 points over the final 20 minutes, while North American managed just 27. A game that appeared to be heading toward a Stallion celebration suddenly became a fight to the finish, and the Raiders landed the final blow.
Ehiosasu Ogbomo led North American with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Ozmandias Savage brought some serious production off the bench, finishing with 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds in only 12 minutes. Caleb Barajas added 11 points and five rebounds, while Nikola Panic chipped in nine points and seven boards.
Gabriel James finished with eight points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. James Parker stuffed the stat sheet with seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Here's where the numbers get interesting. North American absolutely owned the glass, out rebounding Southwest 51-28, including 26 offensive rebounds. That's a significant advantage and plenty of opportunities to put points on the board. Unfortunately, the Stallions couldn't convert enough of those opportunities, finishing 24-of-67 from the field (35.8%) and committing 16 turnovers.
Southwest had four players reach double figures, led by Elijah Gorrell's game-high 20 points. Chase Garcia added 15 points and five steals, Ethan Harrell contributed 13, and Sherwin Malone delivered 11 points without missing a field goal, going 5-for-5.
The Bottom Line: North American showed what it can do for 20 minutes. The challenge now is putting 40 minutes together. A 20-point halftime advantage is a great place to be, but the final horn is the only scoreboard that matters.
The Raiders leave Stafford with an 83-78 victory, while the Stallions are left with a tough lesson from a game that got away.
