| EMCC men begin defense of division hoops title with 69-58 win at Holmes; Lady Lions fall 79-78 in OT |
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GOODMAN, Miss. – The East Mississippi Community College basketball teams began defense of their MACJC North Division titles Thursday night at Holmes Community College, with the Lions prevailing 69-58 and the Lady Lions dropping a tough 79-78 double-overtime decision at Frank Branch Coliseum.
In the nightcap, head coach Mark White’s EMCC Lions re-established control of the contest midway through the second half after the home-standing Bulldogs scored the final 11 points of the opening half to take a 28-27 halftime lead. A Colin Borchert 3-pointer broke a 45-45 deadlock for the Lions with 11 minutes left, and the visitors never trailed again en route to the 11-point road triumph. Borchert, a transfer forward from Phoenix, Ariz., finished with 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, including 6-of-8 accuracy from beyond the arc, before fouling out with three minutes remaining. His nine rebounds helped the Lions maintain a 45-31 rebounding advantage, which included 19 offensive boards. Fellow sophomore D.J. Evans, of Brandon, added 22 points for the winners. In the women’s game, head coach Sharon Thompson’s EMCC Lady Lions squandered a 12-point lead (52-40) midway through the second half when the home-standing Lady Bulldogs scored 10 unanswered points to take a 60-56 lead with three minutes remaining in regulation. With the visitors still trailing by five points (63-58) with under a minute left, EMCC freshman guard Jeraldine Campbell scored on back-to-back drives to the basket to knot the score at 64-all with a dozen seconds remaining. Following a timeout, the Lady Lions’ full-court press forced Holmes into a 5-second violation. However, the visitors couldn’t get a shot off on two separate attempts in the waning seconds to force the first extra session. A slow-starting first overtime period became tied at 71-all after Campbell and Holmes’ Louise Collins traded baskets with less than a minute remaining in the extra session. Once again, the Lady Lions had the final possession of the period, but Chadisty Hickman’s drive to the basket misfired as the clock expired to send the contest into a second and deciding overtime session. The second overtime featured four lead changes, all coming in the final two minutes of the contest. EMCC took a brief 76-75 lead on transfer guard Alvida Clemons’ pair of free throws. Kierra Anderson answered with a drive to the basket to reclaim the lead for the Lady Bulldogs. Clemons later stepped to the line and sank another tandem of charity tosses, but Holmes’ Rochelle Mason immediately tallied the deciding points on a driving score to the basket to put the home team on top 79-78. Again, EMCC had a chance to win the contest on a late-game possession, but Hickman lost the ball on a drive down the lane and the Lady Lions subsequently surrendered the ball on an alternate possession tie-up to end the game. The Lady Lions, now 1-6 on the year, were led by Campbell, as the former Noxubee County standout totaled 34 points and 11 rebounds but also committed eight turnovers. Hickman, of Kemper County, added 13 points for the visitors. The East Mississippi basketball teams return home to play host to division rival Northwest Mississippi CC on Monday (Dec. 5) in Scooba. A 5:30 p.m. women’s game will be followed by a 7:30 p.m. men’s contest at EMCC’s Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 01 December 2011 ) |
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