BY MIKE MONTFORT
Second-ranked Kilgore fell from the unbeatens Saturday as Navarro snapped the Rangers' 17-game winning streak 65-64 at Lewis Orr Court in The Wolens Special Events Center.
Not one second too soon, sophomore Justin Thomas was credited with the game-winning bucket at 0:01.2 and coach Grant McMillan's Bulldogs managed to pull off their biggest and most important victory of the season.
In addition to his 17 points, Thomas grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and blocked two shots for NC, which squeezed out the win despite a 10-rebound disadvantage in the contest.
Thomas was one of four double-figure scorers from the Bulldogs. Sophomore Jaylen Harrison pitched in 13 points, Sabry Philip sank 11 and forward Terrance Thompson returned after a three-game absence to tally a difference-making 10 points and grab six rebounds.
The matchup of Region XIV's top two scoring defenses did not disappoint. Neither team could create larger than a six-point lead in the game.
In the intense, see-saw battle, Kilgore regained a 64-63 lead with just over one minute remaining as Region XIV's top three-point percentage shooter, Isaac Hoberecht, nailed a left-corner, three-pointer.
Scoring then ceased, despite possessions and opportunities for both clubs until the final seconds.
KC got 13 points from guard Dantwan Grimes and 11 from Hoberecht.
The Rangers out-rebounded the Bulldogs 38-28, but struggled at the foul line, hitting only 11 of 21 attempts.
Kilgore was not the only NJCAA Division I men's team to suffer its first loss of the season Saturday.
Sixth-ranked Collin from Region V's Northern Texas Conference dropped an 83-70 decision to Weatherford in Plano. The two Texas losses left top-ranked Salt Lake CC as NJCAA D-I's only undefeated squad.
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SHOOTAROUND --Bulldogs stared down a schedule that featured three conference games within a five-day span. After Saturday's East Zone showdown with Kilgore, the Bulldogs wrap up their zone crossover schedule Monday as the re-schedule from December 11 brings Lamar State here. Then, on Wednesday, the 'Dogs challenge Tyler at Floyd Wagstaff Gym…. After Monday's make-up with the Seahawks, the Bulldogs will have played five conference games in 14 days before the beginning of the spring semester….Sharpshooter
Xavier Pina scored 27 points last Saturday, all from 9-of-13 three-point shooting. He became the third Bulldog to drill eight or more three-pointers in a single game since the 2009-10 season. Former University of Houston star Darian Thibodeaux (Dallas Kimball) hit eight threes and scored 30 points in Navarro's 72-58 NJCAA Tournament Quarterfinal win over East Mississippi at The Sports Arena in Hutchinson, Ks., in March, 2010. Jahlil Nails hit 8-of-12 threes and scored 40 in a 100-78 win over Panola at The Wolens SEC on January 20, 2017….'Dogs' balanced offensive led by
Justin Thomas (11.7 ppg),
Jaylen Harrison (11) and
Sabry Philip (10.7 and 5.9 rpg). Pina,
Antonee Abraham and
Colin Schaefer average seven points per outing….
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SCORE BY HALVES
KILGORE…….29.....35 -- 64
NAVARRO…..28.....37 -- 65
KILGORE: Dantwan Grimes 13, Issac Hoberecht 11, DaVeon Thomas 9, Paul Otieno 8, DeSean Nelson 7, Obi Ezekewsli 7, Tobias Roland 5, Mason Taylor 4. TOTALS: (26-55)-(5-13)-(11-21)-11-64.
FOUL OUT: Scott.
REBOUNDS: NC 28 (5-23). Thomas 7, Abraham 7, Thompson 6. KC 38 (10-28)
ASSISTS: NC 12. Abraham 7, Love 3. KC -- 9.
STEALS: NC: 4. Schaefer, Love, Diallo, Onyeike. KC - 4.
BLOCKED SHOTS: NC 6. Thompson 3, Thomas 2. KC -- 1.
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JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE SCORES: Saturday
REGION XIV
Lamar State at Jacksonville -- Lamar State, 83-68
Panola at Paris -- Panola, 82-73
Victoria at Blinn -- Blinn, 84-63
Kilgore at Navarro -- Navarro, 65-64
Tyler at TVCC -- TVCC 80-70
Coastal Bend at Angelina -- Angelina 84-66
REGION V NTJCAC
Weatherford at Collin -- Weatherford, 83-70
SwCC at Ranger -- Ranger 70-64
Temple at Hill -- Hill, 92-78
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