Howard College Hawks Capture Conference Title with 101–86 Win Over Midland College Chaparrals

The Howard College Hawks closed out the regular season in dominant fashion last week, defeating the Midland College Chaparrals 101–86 at home in Big Spring.

With the victory, Howard secured the Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJCAC) regular-season title, finishing conference play strong against a ranked Midland squad.

The Hawks came out aggressive early, building momentum on both ends of the floor and taking control of the first half. Howard held a 40–30 advantage at halftime, using efficient offense and defensive pressure to create separation heading into the break.

Howard continued to extend its lead in the second half, at one point pushing the margin to 57–39 as the Hawks maintained their tempo and capitalized on scoring opportunities. Midland mounted a late push and cut the deficit to 76–73 with under eight minutes remaining, but Howard responded down the stretch to secure the 15-point win.

"That was a very intense game between two really good teams. Happy we were able to come up with enough big plays to win it," stated Head Coach Kyle Cooper. 

Terry Copeland led the offensive effort for the Hawks with a game-high 40 points, pacing Howard's attack throughout the night.

Brandon Ivery and Dace Pleasant also delivered strong performances, each finishing with 16 points to give the Hawks multiple scoring threats in the victory.

Howard's balanced offense and strong execution helped the Hawks reach the century mark while maintaining control of the game's pace.

"We needed that because we've been hitting some adversity lately. But instead of giving up on our dream we bought back into it. I couldn't ask for a better team. We really stuck together and finished strong," added Terry Copeland. 

With the win, the Hawks improved to 26–4 overall and 13–3 in conference play, finishing atop the WJCAC standings and carrying momentum into the upcoming NJCAA Region V Tournament.

"So incredibly proud of this team! To win the WJCAC regular season title is a big deal and something we worked really hard for. All our team has only cared about winning from the start of the season and not who gets the credit. Very fun and special team to be a part of!" said Head Coach Kyle Cooper on the big win. 

Howard will now shift its focus to postseason competition as the Hawks look to build on their regular-season success.