Texans fend off scrappy Clarendon for Region V title

Cinderella's slipper didn't fit Clarendon in the end. But it was so close that the South Plains Texans couldn't rest easy.

South Plains nailed down the Region V men's basketball crown on Saturday afternoon by holding on for a wild 100-98 victory over Clarendon College in front of a large crowd in the Betty Jo Graber Sports Complex in Weatherford. Clarendon's Lenard Taylor's last-second three-point try from near midcourt came up short, giving South Plains the Region V title and a return to the upcoming NJCAA National Basketball Championships.

With the win, South Plains improved to 30-2 for the season and earned an automatic berth in the upcoming national tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Clarendon's season, barring an at-large invitation for the national selection committee - saw its season end despite an amazing tournament run. The Bulldogs, the No. 2 seed from the WJCAC, defeated Ranger, 82-77, in overtime in their opener. They earned a berth opposite SPC on Friday with a 111-109 double OT win over New Mexico.

The Bulldogs started strong against the Texans. Clarendon, which led at one point by as many as seven points, fought its way to a 44-44 halftime draw with the Texans, who entered the tournament ranked No. 2 in the nation.

The Texans weathered the storm. South Plains fought its way to a 98-98 tie with less than 10 seconds left when Jabari McGhee sank a pair of free throws to give SPC a lead.

McGhee was one of four Texans to finish in double figures offensively. He and teammate Jermahri Hill both tallied 23. Malique Ewin led SPC with 26, while Jalen Hampton added 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Dior Johnson led all Clarendon scorers with 40 points. Taylor added 30, while Marshall Destremau and Gloire Goma added 12 and 10, respectively.

Despite the loss, Johnson was the star of the tournament. His his three games, he average 40.5 points, including 52 in the Bulldogs' win over NMJC and 43 in the team's come-from-behind win over Ranger.