EMCC women stay perfect in division play with 74-60 home win over Holmes; Lions fall 62-54 in men's nightcap

SCOOBA – A hot-shooting second half enabled the East Mississippi Community College women's basketball team to remain unbeaten in MACJC North Division play with a 74-60 home victory over Holmes Community College Thursday night at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.  The visiting Bulldogs prevailed in the men's nightcap, 62-54, to secure the doubleheader split with EMCC.

In the opening game, the home-standing Lady Lions recovered from a sluggish opening quarter to trim a double-digit deficit to just two points (29-27) by the intermission.   

The EMCC women came out red-hot following the break by connecting on 20-of-26 second-half field goals for a sizzling 77 percent.  While scoring only eight first-quarter points, the Lady Lions shot just 38 percent (9-of-24 FGs) during the opening 20 minutes of play.

While reclaiming the lead for good on a T.J. Harper 3-pointer early in the third quarter, EMCC outscored Holmes, 23-12, during the period to take a 50-41 lead into the final stanza.  The Lady Lions maintained a double-digit margin throughout the fourth quarter, extending their lead to as many as 21 points (74-53), before settling for the 14-point outcome.

The Kennesaw State transfer tandem of Tianna Germain and Coco Hobson combined for 23 second-half points on 10-of-12 shooting between them to lead the way for the Lady Lions following the halftime break.  Hobson, from Brandon, finished with 16 points for the game, while Germain totaled 14 points, eight assists, four steals and four rebounds.

On her 19^th birthday, EMCC freshman Quantesha Patterson tallied a team-high 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting for head coach Sharon Thompson, who was also celebrating a game-day birthday.  With their fifth straight win on the year, the Lady Lions improved to 11-2 overall and a perfect 5-0 within the division.

Falling to 11-5 overall and 2-3 in division play, the Holmes women were led by Tiffany Jones' game-high 19 points.  Aja Williams followed with 16 points for the Lady Bulldogs.

In the nightcap, the EMCC Lions jumped out to an early 12-3 lead and held a 31-23 advantage heading into intermission despite only shooting 35 percent (12-of-34 FGs) from the field in the opening half.

EMCC's cold shooting continued after the break to enable the Bulldogs to chip away at the deficit.  Despite making only eight field goals on 28 second-half attempts (29%), the Lions still held a 54-50 lead with less than five minutes remaining after an Anterio McKines dunk following his steal.

Unfortunately for the home team, those would be their final points of the contest.  Maintaining an advantage on the boards all night and sparked by the return of reigning NJCAA All-American Daryl Macon, who had been injured since early-December, the Bulldogs scored the final 12 points of the game to come away with the hard-earned road victory.

Held to a season-low 32.3 percent (20-of-62 FGs) from the field for the game and out-rebounded by a 52-38 margin, head coach Billy Begley's EMCC squad fell to 12-3 overall and 2-3 within the division.  UT Martin signee Jahyde Gardiner led the way with 16 points for the Lions, followed by Juan Davis Jr. and Nat Dixon with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Improving to 12-4 overall and 3-2 in the division, the Holmes Bulldogs were paced by Jamahl Jackson's 14 points.  Macon, an Arkansas signee, contributed eight clutch points and two assists in his first game action since Dec. 3.

The East Mississippi basketball teams return to action with a pair of road division doubleheaders next week.  A Monday doubleheader at Northwest Mississippi will be followed by a Thursday twin-bill at Northeast Mississippi.