EMCC Lions close out pre-Christmas hoops slate with 71-41 home win over William Carey’s JV team
In their final pre-holiday hardwood action, the Lions of East Mississippi Community College overcame a first-half deficit with a dominating second-half effort to cruise to a 71-41 home victory over William Carey University's junior varsity team Tuesday night at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.
SCOOBA – In their final pre-holiday hardwood action, the Lions of East Mississippi Community College overcame a first-half deficit with a dominating second-half effort to cruise to a 71-41 home victory over William Carey University's junior varsity team Tuesday night at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.
Slowed by a cold-shooting opening half, the Lions trailed by seven points with just under five minutes remaining until halftime. The momentum of the contest seemed to turn after William Carey's Aldarrio Alexander was called for a technical foul for taunting following his basket that put the visitors up, 25-18, at the 4:53 mark. Nat Dixon's subsequent free throws and David McFarland's consecutive put-back baskets keyed a 10-0 EMCC run to end the half and give the home team a 28-25 lead at the break.
The Lions then used their effective full-court pressure defense to force backcourt turnovers in opening the second stanza with a 10-2 spurt to move ahead by double digits three minutes into the half. After hitting just 30 percent (11-of-37 FGs) from the field in the first half, EMCC also gained its collective shooting touch after the halftime break. In contrast, the visiting Crusaders couldn't find the range following intermission and was held to just 16 total points over the game's final 25 minutes.
Warming up significantly with 55-percent, second-half accuracy (17-of-31 FGs) from the floor, the EMCC men increased their advantage to 21 points (58-37) with 6:39 left in the game and then reached the 30-point margin late in the contest.
Hitting 6-of-9 field goals in the second half, Dixon led all scorers with 19 points. Jahyde Gardiner and McFarland also scored in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively, for head coach Billy Begley's 8-1 EMCC Lions. Daniel Simmons made up for his rough shooting night (4-of-15 FGs) by pulling down a career-high 17 rebounds and handing out five assists to go along with his nine points.
Nick Pernell paced William Carey's JV squad with 13 points, followed by Adarius Miles with nine points. The Crusaders were limited to 25-percent shooting (15-of-60 FGs) for the contest and were out-rebounded by a commanding 59-32 margin.
Neither team could connect from the perimeter, as EMCC was an ice cold 1-of-19 from three-point range and William Carey was not much better at just 3-of-18 (17%) from beyond the three-point arc.
Following the holiday break, the East Mississippi basketball teams return to action with a Jan. 5 road doubleheader at East Central Community College. Later that week (Jan. 7), EMCC will play host to Meridian Community College in a 5:30/7:30 p.m. Thursday twin-bill on the Scooba campus.