BIG SPRING, Texas (Interstat) — The Howard College Hawks used a dominant second quarter and a double-double from Terry Copeland to pull away from the New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds for a 73-55 victory in a men’s junior college basketball game Monday night.

The Hawks, improving to 14-2, outscored the Thunderbirds 41-28 after halftime to turn a competitive first half into a convincing win. Howard led 32-27 at the break before its decisive surge.

The most important stretch of the game came early in the second quarter, when Howard established control for good. Leading 35-33, the Hawks ignited a 10-0 run. The sequence was fueled by their defensive pressure, forcing consecutive New Mexico turnovers that led to easy baskets. Daniel Culberson capped the run with a 3-pointer, pushing the Howard lead to 45-33 and forcing a New Mexico timeout. The Thunderbirds, who fell to 10-2, never recovered, as their offensive struggles persisted and the Hawks continued to capitalize.

Terry Copeland led all scorers with 17 points and added 10 rebounds for Howard. He was one of five Hawks to reach double figures in scoring, showcasing a balanced attack. Elijah Tshibangu added 10 points and seven rebounds, while Dace Pleasant scored 12. Kuai Deng and Daniel Culberson each contributed 10 points, with Culberson dishing out three assists.

New Mexico was led by Ladji Coulibaly, who scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds in just 14 minutes of play. Grigorije Avramovic added nine points and five rebounds.

Statistical disparities told the story of Howard’s win. The Hawks were far more efficient from the free-throw line, making 20 of 28 attempts compared to New Mexico’s 6-of-13 performance. Howard also won the rebounding battle 37-26 and shared the ball more effectively, tallying 16 assists to New Mexico’s 11. Both teams were careless with the ball, committing 22 turnovers apiece, but Howard’s defense was more disruptive, recording 16 steals.

Howard shot 44% from the field (24 of 54) and 36% from 3-point range (5 of 14). New Mexico managed only 38% shooting overall (21 of 55) and struggled mightily from beyond the arc, hitting just 7 of 33 attempts.

The Hawks entered the game as heavy favorites according to advanced metrics, with Interstat’s ELO system giving them a 75.20 percent probability to win, a projection they fulfilled with their second-half performance.

New Mexico looks to rebound on Thursday when it hosts Clarendon College. Howard College travels to face Western Texas College next Monday. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Hobbs, New Mexico, on Feb. 12.