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Westerners Battle Back, Can’t Contain Texans in 97–85 Loss

Westerners Battle Back, Can’t Contain Texans in 97–85 Loss
February 27, 2026
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SNYDER, TX — The Western Texas College Westerners (14–14, 6–8) came up short Thursday night, falling to #14 South Plains College 97–85 in a high-scoring conference matchup.

How We Got There

The game opened at a blistering pace, with both teams shooting 100 percent through the first three minutes. Isak Homelius set the tone early, knocking down multiple buckets to help the Westerners build a 21–12 advantage.

Western Texas eventually cooled off, and South Plains responded with an intense offensive stretch to take a 24–23 lead at the 8:15 mark of the first half. The Texans carried that momentum into halftime with a 40–36 advantage.

In the second half, the Westerners stayed within striking distance. Rayan Fadika knocked down a three-pointer at the 13:23 mark to trim the deficit to 53–52. Despite multiple pushes, Western Texas couldn't fully regain control. Fadika added a late layup with 2:02 remaining to cut the deficit to six after trailing by double digits, but South Plains closed it out at the free-throw line.

By The Numbers

Western Texas shot 44.6 percent from the field (29-of-65) and 31.4 percent from three-point range (11-of-35), while converting 84.2 percent from the free-throw line (16-of-19).

South Plains was highly efficient offensively, shooting 58.7 percent from the field (27-of-46), 56.5 percent from beyond the arc (13-of-23), and 93.8 percent at the line (30-of-32).

The Texans held a 36–24 rebounding advantage. Western Texas finished with 13 assists to South Plains' 12 and committed just eight turnovers compared to 12 by the Texans. The Westerners capitalized on 16 points off turnovers and added 12 second-chance points. Western Texas also edged South Plains in points in the paint, 26–22.

Individual Leaders

Isak Homelius delivered a game-high 33 points, going 9-of-17 from the field and 10-of-11 at the free-throw line for his fourth 30-point outing of the season.

Anesu Dehwe added 12 points and five rebounds, while Zayier Dean finished with 11 points and three assists. Calven Charles contributed 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting night. Khedit Gatluak scored eight off the bench, and Fadika added seven points and four rebounds.

Notes

The Westerners used the same starting lineup for the third straight game. Dehwe and Fadika each recorded the 100th rebound of their collegiate careers. Charles marked his 10th double-figure scoring performance of the season.

Up Next

Western Texas will travel to Midland College on March 2 at 7:30 p.m. to face Midland College as conference play continues.