EMCC Lions bounce back with 85-57 hoops win over Garrett College at Tallahassee CC-hosted tournament

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Bouncing back from a tough, double-overtime setback, the Lions of East Mississippi Community College exploded for 54 second-half points Wednesday en route to cruising to an 85-57 victory over Garrett College (Md.) during second-day tournament action of the Tallahassee Democrat Holiday Classic played at the Bill Hebrock Eagledome on the campus of Tallahassee Community College.

After letting an 18-point, second-half advantage slip away during Tuesday's 88-85 loss to Hillsborough (Fla.) Community College, the EMCC Lions rebounded to score the last nine points of the opening half against Garrett College to take a 31-27 halftime lead.  Following a basket by the Lakers to open the second stanza, freshman guard Daniel Simmons helped spark an 11-0 EMCC run with a four-point play plus five additional free throws to stake the Lions to a 42-29 lead by the 16:43 mark.

From that point forward, the Lions maintained their double-digit cushion against Garrett College throughout the remainder of the contest unlike Tuesday's effort against Hillsborough.  In its tournament opener the day prior, EMCC surrendered a 60-42 lead and later went into overtime when the Hawks nailed a trio of 3-pointers over the final 2:30 of regulation after they had failed to connect from behind the three-point arc up until that point.     

However, the second-half scenario was very different on this day for the Lions, as they maintained their aggressiveness on both ends of the court in expanding their lead to 20 points (63-43) by the 8:00 mark.  The margin ballooned to 30 points over the game's final couple of minutes as EMCC earned a split at this week's Tallahassee CC-hosted tournament.

Simmons, a former Biggersville High School standout, led all scorers with a season-high 23 points - 18 after halftime - on 5-of-7 three-point shooting and a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.  Gervelle Kidd followed with a season-best 17 points and game-high eight rebounds, while freshman guard La'Datren Deas, of Pascagoula, added 16 points, including 11 prior to halftime, for the winners.

Returning to his home state of Florida, EMCC's Shelvick Henry Jr., a transfer from Indian River State College and former prep star at Sebastian River High School, also made his presence felt for the Lions during the two-day tournament.  After posting season highs of 17 points and nine rebounds Tuesday against Hillsborough, the Wabasso native was instrumental in the Lions' second-half surge versus Garrett College with seven assists and six points following intermission.

Somewhat lost in Tuesday's double-overtime defeat was Antonio Finley's career-high, 32-point performance on the strength of eight made 3-pointers.  Though misfiring on his first six three-point attempts during Wednesday's victory, the Meridian High School product hit his last three shot attempts to finish with 10 points against Garrett College.

Coach Mark White's 7-2 EMCC Lions return to the hardwood next week in a pair of doubleheaders with head coach Sharon Thompson's Lady Lions against nearby rival foes.  On Tuesday, the East Mississippi basketball teams will play host to East Central Community College in a 5:30/7:30 p.m. hoops twinbill against the Warriors at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum on the Scooba campus.  Two days later, EMCC travels to Meridian Community College to meet the Eagles in a 5:30/7:30 p.m. doubleheader at MCC's Graham Gymnasium.