EMCC picks up key division road sweep over Itawamba with 64-60 women’s win and 69-57 men’s triumph

FULTON – The East Mississippi Community College basketball teams swept their second straight MACJC North Division opponent by prevailing over Itawamba Community College, 64-60, in women's action and completing the sweep with a 69-57 men's victory Tuesday evening at ICC's Davis Event Center. 

On the heels of last Thursday's home sweep of the Coahoma Tigers, both EMCC teams have now reached double digits in overall wins on the season.  Coach Sharon Thompson's 10-2 Lady Lions presently sit atop the division standings at 4-0, while first-year head coach Billy Begley's 12-2 Lions have evened their division mark at 2-2. 

In women's action Tuesday at Itawamba, the Lady Indians earned an early double-digit advantage on the way to a 19-12 lead at the end of the opening quarter.  The visitors cut into the deficit by out-scoring ICC, 14-10, in the second quarter but were not able to catch the home team heading into the halftime break. 

Following intermission, nine combined points from Alontra Tucker and Erika Toney to begin the third quarter pushed Itawamba's lead back up to double figures.  Later in the quarter, EMCC's freshman sensation Quantesha Patterson started to heat up around the basket while sophomore T.J. Harper provided a much-needed spark that would carry over into the final period. 

With the Lady Lions trailing by seven (47-40) heading into the fourth quarter, Patterson and Harper combined to score EMCC's first eight points of the stanza to cut the margin to a single point.  As the Lady Indians struggled to put the ball in the basket, Anissia May's timely 3-pointer with six minutes remaining deadlocked the contest at 51-all. 

After three more ties during the next three minutes of action, EMCC freshman Coco Hobson waited for an opportune time to net her only points of the contest.  The former Brandon High School product and Kennesaw State transfer drilled a step-back 3-pointer along the right baseline at the 3:15 mark to give the visitors their first lead (60-57) since very early in the contest. 

The two teams battled down the stretch to combine for seven made free throws in accounting for the only scoring during the final three minutes.  Fellow Kennesaw State transfer Tianna Germain hit four charity tosses over the final minute to seal EMCC's fourth straight division win.  The Savannah, Georgia native continued her stellar play of late by finishing with 15 points (5-8 FGs), seven assists and four steals. 

Patterson, from East Webster High School's reigning state championship team, connected on her final seven field-goal attempts to tally 16 of her game-high 20 points in the second half.  Off the bench, Harper, from Germantown High School, added eight clutch second-half points for the winners. 

Falling to 12-4 overall on the year with their first division setback in five tries, the Lady Indians received 19 points from Tucker on 8-of-11 accuracy from the field.  

In the men's nightcap, 3-pointers by Daniel Simmons and Jahyde Gardiner provided game-opening momentum for the visitors, as the Lions jumped out to a 15-2 lead five minutes into the contest.  The sophomore tandem combined to score 20 first-half points to help give EMCC a 39-27 halftime advantage. 

Following the break, the Indians cut into the double-figure deficit by trimming the margin to five points (46-41) on Carter Sweat's 3-pointer at the 14:10 mark.  The difference stayed in single digits for the next eight minutes until EMCC freshman Nat Dixon drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the Lions' lead to a dozen points (58-46) with 5:31 left in the contest. 

Itawamba could not get any closer than nine points the rest of the way, as the EMCC men went on to secure their 15^th win in the last 17 series meetings against the Indians dating back to the 2008-09 season. 

Dixon, a Boston College transfer, led all scorers with 20 points, including 13 following the break on 5-of-6 second-half shooting.  Simmons finished with 13 points for the winners, while Gardiner, a UT Martin signee, registered his 15^th career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. 

Dropping to 10-6 overall and 3-2 in division play, the Itawamba men had four players score in double figures.  Howard Thomas led the way with 14 points, followed by Sweat's 12 points. 

The East Mississippi basketball teams return home to play host to the Bulldogs of Holmes Community College Thursday night on the Scooba campus.  A 5:30 p.m. women's game will be followed by a 7:30 p.m. men's contest at EMCC's Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.