First-half three-point barrage spurs EMCC Lions to key 79-70 hoops win over host Tallahassee CC in Best Western Holiday Classic

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Sophomore guards Jacolby Mobley and Avery Woodson combined for 44 points to help propel the East Mississippi Community College men's basketball team to a quality 79-70 road win over host Tallahassee Community College during Monday's opening-day action of the Best Western Holiday Classic played at TCC's Bill Hebrock Eagledome.

Shaking off the early effects of nearly a three-week hiatus from competition, head coach Mark White's EMCC Lions outscored the home-standing TCC Eagles, 27-7, over the final 11 minutes of the opening half to take a 41-27 advantage going into the intermission.  The visitors' run was ignited by seven made 3-pointers in 14 attempts during the opening 20 minutes of play – three by Woodson and two treys each by Mobley and Louisiana-Monroe signee Mack Foster.     

Tallahassee opened the second half with six unanswered points to cut the margin to eight points.  The EMCC lead was later trimmed to five points on a couple of occasions, before the Lions reassumed control of the contest midway through the closing period en route to the key nine-point road triumph.

With his second 20-point effort of the campaign, Mobley connected on 6-of-12 shots from the field, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, to lead all scorers.  The Starkville native and Tennessee-Chattanooga signee also hit 10-of-12 charity tosses on the night.  Woodson, a University of Memphis signee, was 8-of-17 overall from the floor, including 4-of-8 accuracy from three-point range.   

Falling to 10-5 on the year, Tallahassee received 18 points apiece from Earvin Morris and Cameron Naylor.  Ranked fourth in the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA), the Eagles had their five-game winning streak snapped by EMCC.

The 6-1 EMCC Lions will close out the 2013 calendar year by taking on Eastern Florida State College Tuesday afternoon in second-day action of the TCC-hosted Best Western Holiday Classic.  The 11-3 EFSC Titans are coached by former EMCC assistant coach Jeremy Shulman.  Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. CST, and the contest is scheduled to be video-streamed live via EMCC's athletics website, www.EMCCAthletics.com, with EMCC media director Derek Cody set to call the play-by-play action.