HOWARD, Texas (Interstat) — The Howard College Hawks used a dominant first half to cruise past the Frank Phillips Plainsmen 70-49 in a men’s junior college basketball game Thursday night.

The Hawks, who entered the contest with a 19-3 record, built an insurmountable lead by halftime, outscoring the Plainsmen 43-16 in the opening period. The 27-point halftime advantage proved more than enough as Howard maintained control throughout the second half despite being outscored 33-27 after the break.

Howard’s offense was efficient, scoring 70 points on 67 possessions for an offensive rating of 104.4. The Hawks shot 40.3 percent from the field, connecting on 25 of 62 attempts, including 9 of 23 from three-point range. Defensively, they stifled Frank Phillips, holding the Plainsmen to 29.4 percent shooting. Frank Phillips managed just 15 made field goals on 51 attempts and finished with an offensive rating of 71.5.

Brandon Ivery led the Hawks with 16 points in 22 minutes of play. Victor Yimga Moukouri added 14 points and Kuai Deng scored 10. Oskar Stumer anchored the interior with nine rebounds and two blocks. The Hawks dominated the glass, outrebounding Frank Phillips 38-26, including an 11-4 advantage on the offensive boards.

For Frank Phillips, which fell to 6-14, Trayvon Grant-Foster scored a team-high 13 points. Jerry Pepin contributed six points, eight rebounds and two steals. The Plainsmen struggled with ball security, committing 12 turnovers compared to eight for Howard.

The most important stretch of the game was its outset, where Howard established immediate and overwhelming control. After Frank Phillips’ Warris Isaiah opened the scoring with a dunk just 26 seconds into the game, the Hawks responded with a decisive 19-2 run over the next six minutes. The surge included three-pointers from Victor Yimga Moukouri and Daniel Culberson, along with aggressive play in the paint. Howard’s defense was equally critical during this span, forcing multiple Plainsmen turnovers and missed shots, which fueled their transition game and allowed them to build a lead that Frank Phillips never challenged.

The victory extended Howard’s winning streak to four games following a Jan. 22 loss to Odessa. The Hawks had previously defeated Frank Phillips 69-50 on Jan. 5 in Big Spring. Frank Phillips has now lost three consecutive games.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Howard was projected with an 82.80 percent probability to win.

Howard next hosts New Mexico Military on Monday. Frank Phillips travels to face Clarendon on Monday.