East Mississippi hoops teams to welcome rival Meridian CC for Thursday twinbill in Scooba

SCOOBA – The East Mississippi Community College basketball teams resume action Thursday evening by welcoming rival Meridian Community College to the Scooba campus.  Doubleheader action at EMCC's Keyes T. Currie Coliseum tips off at 5:30 p.m. with women's play followed by a 7:30 p.m. men's contest.

As an extra attraction for Thursday's EMCC-Meridian basketball doubleheader, team and staff members from last year's East Mississippi men's squad will be presented their championship rings in recognition of the Lions' third consecutive NJCAA National Tournament appearance as well as their third straight NJCAA Region 23 Tournament title and MACJC North Division regular-season crown.

Thursday's hoops action marks the first of only two more basketball home dates for the EMCC teams through the end of the 2012 calendar year.  On Monday (Nov. 12), the Lady Lions will welcome Shelton State Community College, while the Lions play host to Baton Rouge Community College at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., respectively.  Monday's doubleheader will mark EMCC's final home basketball appearance until the new calendar year.  Through the remainder of November and into December, the Lions and Lady Lions are set to play seven and six games, respectively, away from the Scooba campus before returning home to the friendly confines of Currie Coliseum to entertain East Central Community College on Jan. 8, 2013.

After opening the new season with an 84-60 home setback to Georgia Highlands College last Thursday, head coach Sharon Thompson's EMCC Lady Lions evened their mark at 1-1 on the year with a 50-48 double-overtime triumph over San Jacinto College (Texas) this past Saturday in Baton Rouge, La.  In the win over SJC, Quitman's Dajah McCarty and Savannah Kimmons, of Horn Lake High School, both recorded double-double performances for the Lady Lions.  Along with scoring 17 points apiece, McCarty and Kimmons added 15 and 10 rebounds, respectively, in the winning effort.

Ranked eighth nationally in the NJCAA Preseason Top 25, head coach Mark White's EMCC Lions tipped off their much- anticipated campaign with last Thursday's 97-57 home triumph over Georgia Highlands.  Memphis native Jarekious Bradley paced a quartet of double-digit Lion scorers with 25 points in the opener.  The Midland College (Texas) transfer also notched a double-double in his EMCC debut by adding a game-high 13 rebounds.

Former Brandon High School product and Tennessee-Chattanooga transfer Trey Brown followed with 18 points off the bench in the Lions' opener against GHC.  Starkville's Jacolby Mobley and A.J. Wade, of Northeast Lauderdale, contributed 14 and 12 points, respectively, in EMCC's 40-point victory to begin the season.

The Meridian Community College basketball teams are both under the guidance of first-year head coaches.  Jocelyn McGilberry's Lady Eagles are 1-1 on the young season after knocking off Bishop State (77-66) in last week's opener and then falling at Southwest Mississippi (82-63) this past weekend.  Cedric Drake's Eagles are winless in two tries thus far on the year, dropping decisions to Bishop State (62-41) and Southwest Mississippi (91-52). 

Live streamed video and audio of Thursday's EMCC home basketball games against Meridian will be available at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/emcc-basketball and can be accessed through EMCC's athletics website - http://athletics.eastms.edu.  EMCC media director/athletic video coordinator Derek Cody will handle the play-by-play duties for the Lions and Lady Lions during the course of the 2012-13 basketball season.

The EMCC men's team has prevailed in the last six hardwood meetings against Meridian CC dating back to the 2009-10 season.  A season ago, the Lions claimed a 75-65 road win over the Eagles in January and then completed the sweep a month later by earning a 68-64 overtime victory over MCC in Scooba.  The Lady Eagles swept the EMCC women last season, winning 59-54 in Meridian and 75-57 in Scooba.