EMCC - Athletics: Sports, News, Players, and Coaches. Go Lions! - EMCC men win, women fall at Northwest Mississippi in North Division openers

SENATOBIA – In their MACJC North Division basketball openers Thursday night, the East Mississippi men claimed a 72-64 road win over Northwest Mississippi, while the Lady Lions dropped a 79-73 decision in the women's contest.

Playing their fifth straight road contest, head coach Mark White’s 9-2 Lions won for the fifth time in six tries away from home on the year. Sophomore guard CoCo Ware of Starkville tallied a team-high 27 points – his fourth 20-point effort of the season – to go along with his five rebounds and three steals. Freshman forward Jonathan King posted his first collegiate double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while fellow freshman Anthony Alexander of Nashville added nine points and six assists.

Head coach Sharon Thompson’s Lady Lions saw their record fall to 5-5 on the season with the six-point setback. Freshman guard Natalie Tate of Columbus scored a season-high 24 points as the team’s lone double-digit scorer on the night. Freshman Rickiesha Bryant and sophomore Martika Hull followed with nine and eight points, respectively.

The East Mississippi men will host Marion Millitary Institute Saturday afternoon (2 p.m.) in Scooba, while both EMCC teams are set to open their divisional home slates by playing host to Coahoma on Monday evening (5:30 & 7:30 p.m.).