Western Texas Tops Frank Phillips in High-Scoring OT
Snyder, TX — In an overtime thriller, the Western Texas College Westerners (15–15, 7–9) edged past the Frank Phillips College Plainsmen (10–20, 2–14) 91–83 Thursday night.
How We Got There
Early in the first half, the Plainsmen jumped out to an 11–6 lead at the 14:41 mark. The Westerners quickly responded, and the game settled into a back-and-forth battle. Western Texas pulled ahead late in the half, taking a 38–32 lead into the break. Calvin Charles led the way with 10 points and 8 rebounds while shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor.
After halftime, the Westerners tried to push the lead into double digits, but Frank Phillips stayed in the fight. At the 10-minute mark, Western Texas led 54–44, but the Plainsmen slowly chipped away and eventually tied the game at 68–68 with 2:38 remaining.
Late in regulation, the game turned into a tense back-and-forth battle. Frank Phillips took a 69–68 lead on a free throw, but Isak Homelius answered with a three-pointer to put Western Texas up 71–69. The Plainsmen responded with three of their own to regain the lead at 72–71.
Devonta Hilliard put the Westerners back in front 73–72 with 1:09 left, and Quint Booker hit a three-pointer with 43 seconds remaining to give Western Texas a 75–73 edge. Anesu Dehwe tied the game at 75–75 with two free throws with 26 seconds left. The Plainsmen briefly went ahead 77–75 on two free throws, but Hilliard scored at the buzzer to tie the game 77–77 and send it to overtime.
Overtime
In overtime, Western Texas quickly seized control. Homelius opened the extra period with four free throws to give the Westerners the lead. After Frank Phillips briefly tied it, Homelius added another pair of free throws and a layup to push Western Texas ahead 83–79.
Frank Phillips cut the deficit to two, but the Westerners closed it out at the free-throw line. Charles and Homelius combined for five clutch free throws, and Dehwe added a late layup off a steal by Hilliard. Western Texas secured the 91–83 victory.
By the Numbers
- Shot 45% from the floor
- Made 29 of 37 free throws, most by the team this season
Notes
- Homelius made 13 consecutive free throws before missing his first, finishing 14-for-15. This marked his most free throws in a game since November 4, 2025, when he made 13. He finished with 21 points, his 10th 20-point game this season.
- Calvin Charles tied his rebound high with 13 and recorded his fourth double-double of the season. He also added a season-high five steals.
- Hilliard led the game with six assists.
- Viktor Bystrom finished with a season-high 13 points and six rebounds.
- The Westerners improved to 7–2 at home when leading at halftime.
This win concludes the 2025–26 season for Western Texas College.
