HOWARD, Texas (Interstat) — The Howard College Hawks used a dominant first-quarter performance and a commanding rebounding advantage to defeat the South Plains College Texans 91-83 in a men’s junior college basketball game Thursday night.

The Hawks, improving to 17-3 overall, seized control early, outscoring the visiting Texans 46-28 in the opening period. South Plains, which fell to 14-5, could not overcome that initial deficit despite a higher-scoring second half.

The most critical phase of the game was the opening quarter, where Howard established a lead it would never relinquish. The Hawks opened the game on a 13-2 run, capitalizing on early South Plains misses and turnovers. While the Texans found their offensive rhythm later, shooting 55 points in the second quarter, the 18-point hole proved too deep. Howard’s efficiency in the first, coupled with its relentless work on the glass throughout the night, formed the foundation of the victory.

Howard’s Kuai Deng led all scorers with 18 points, adding seven rebounds. He was one of five Hawks to score in double figures, joined by Brandon Ivery with 17 points and eight rebounds, Victor Yimga Moukouri with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, Daniel Culberson with 14 points and six assists, and Dace Pleasant with 14 points.

For South Plains, Antallah Sandlin’el and Zion Pipkin each scored 14 points, with Pipkin adding six assists. Keith Richard and Yohandry Ortiz contributed 13 points apiece.

The statistical disparity was stark on the boards, where Howard crushed South Plains 50-29, including a 16-10 edge in offensive rebounds. This led to a significant advantage in second-chance opportunities and helped offset a subpar shooting night from three-point range for the Hawks, who made just 7 of 27 attempts. Howard also committed 22 fouls to South Plains’ 18, but the Texans could not capitalize fully, shooting 17 for 26 from the free throw line.

Howard finished the game shooting 47.2% from the field (34 of 72) and a sharp 84.2% from the foul line (16 of 19). South Plains shot 41.2% (28 of 68) from the floor and 28.6% (10 of 35) from beyond the arc.

Both teams committed 15 turnovers, but Howard’s 11 steals, led by three from Moukouri, helped fuel their early transition game and disrupt South Plains’ offense.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Howard entered the game with a 75.2% probability to win.

South Plains next plays at home against Clarendon on Monday. Howard travels to face Midland on Monday.