| EMCC concludes regular season with hoops split at Northeast Mississippi |
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BOONEVILLE – The East Mississippi basketball teams closed out their regular-season slate with a doubleheader split against Northeast Mississippi Thursday night at Bonner Arnold Coliseum. The EMCC women claimed a 60-50 victory in the opener, while the eighth-ranked Lions had their seven-game winning streak snapped with a 71-67 setback to the home-standing Tigers.
In the opener, head coach Sharon Thompson’s 14-11 Lady Lions lengthened a 25-21 halftime lead by shooting 65 percent (13-of-20 FGs) from the field in the second half en route to notching their third straight win on the year. The defending NJCAA Region 23 champions, the EMCC women have earned a spot in next week’s EMCC-hosted MACJC State Basketball Tournament with an 8-4 mark in North Division play. Sophomore forward Martika Hull, a Southeast Lauderdale product, and freshman guard Natalie Tate of Columbus tallied 19 and 15 points, respectively, to combine for more than half of EMCC’s 60 points on the night. In Thursday’s nightcap, head coach Mark White’s North Division champions let a seven-point lead (65-58) slip away late in the second half before coming up empty on three straight possessions over the final minute of play. After Northeast grabbed a 68-67 lead on a Tyler Pritchard basket, Terence Bennett’s runner in the lane missed and CoCo Ware’s subsequent drive failed to connect. The Tigers’ Chris Gamble hit 1-of-2 from the line with just under 10 seconds remaining to put the home team on top 69-67. Following Tyrie Berry’s block of another Bennett shot attempt, NEMCC’s Emmanuel Ezejiofo sealed the win with a pair of charity tosses with just 1.2 ticks left. Losing for the first time since falling 64-61 at Mississippi Delta a month ago and dropping only their second league decision of the year, the 21-4 Lions were led by Bennett’s game-high 18 points on perfect 5-of-5 accuracy from beyond the three-point arc. Freshman Marino Thompson added 17 points, while Deonte Alexander and CoCo Ware followed with 12 and 10 points, respectively. The East Mississippi basketball teams now prepare to host next week’s MACJC State Basketball Tournament, Feb. 22-25, in Scooba. Men’s action begins Monday at EMCC’s Keyes T. Currie Coliseum, followed by women’s opening-round play on Tuesday. Game times for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are set for noon, 2 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday’s championship contests are slated for 5:30 p.m. (women’s) and 7:30 p.m. (men’s). Ticket prices for the upcoming state basketball tournament are $5 per day for all school-aged children and adults, with children 5 years of age and younger being admitted free of charge. A $15 all-tournament pass will also be available for purchase. |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 19 February 2010 ) |
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