HOBBS, N.M. (Interstat) — The New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds used a dominant first quarter to build a substantial lead and then held off a persistent North Platte Community College Knights squad for an 82-70 victory in a men’s junior college basketball game Tuesday night.

The Thunderbirds, improving to 9-1, exploded for 45 points in the opening period, capitalizing on Knights turnovers and cold shooting to establish a double-digit advantage they would never relinquish. The Knights, who fell to 5-6, managed 33 points in the first but struggled to find consistent offense, shooting just 35.8% from the floor for the game.

New Mexico’s efficiency proved decisive. The Thunderbirds scored 82 points on 81 possessions for an offensive rating of 101.5, while North Platte managed 70 points on 77 possessions, an offensive rating of 90.9. The Knights kept the game competitive through effort on the glass, outrebounding New Mexico 40-37 and grabbing 15 offensive rebounds, but 15 turnovers and 23 personal fouls hampered their comeback attempts.

The most important stretch of the game occurred in the first quarter’s opening minutes, where New Mexico immediately seized control. After a turnover on the game’s first possession, the Thunderbirds quickly found their rhythm. A 3-pointer from Delang Muon and another from Ladji Coulibaly, paired with active defense, sparked a 13-2 run that gave New Mexico an 11-point lead before the game was four minutes old. This early surge set the tone, forcing North Platte to play from behind for the entirety of the contest.

North Platte’s Brady Kennison led all scorers with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Justus Michael added 13 points and four assists for the Knights. New Mexico showcased a balanced attack, with Delang Muon scoring 14 points off the bench, Kemauri Millender adding 12 points and four assists, and Kenny Fields contributing 10 points. Grigorije Avramovic orchestrated the offense with five assists and added three steals.

The Thunderbirds shot 45% from the field and connected on 10 3-pointers. North Platte, by contrast, was limited to 7-of-24 shooting from beyond the arc. New Mexico also made 18 of 27 free throws, compared to 15 of 21 for the Knights.

New Mexico, which entered the game with a projected 76.7% probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO system, will host Western Texas on Jan. 8. North Platte travels to face McCook on Jan. 10.