No. 23 EMCC wins fourth straight game with 66-60 home triumph over Southwest

SCOOBA — The 23^rd-ranked East Mississippi Community College Lions claimed their fourth straight win with a hard-earned 66-60 home victory over Southwest Mississippi during Monday's MACCC basketball action played at EMCC's Keyes T. Currie Coliseum. 

Fresh off earning a No. 23 national ranking in this week's NJCAA Division I men's basketball poll, the Lions scored the game's first 10 points before visiting Southwest got on the board five minutes into the contest. After the Bears pulled to within six points (16-10), EMCC scored 10 unanswered points to take a 26-10 lead on Danny Washington's three-point play with 7:43 remaining in the opening half.

Sparked by consecutive treys by Edward Lacey late in the half, the Bears cut the EMCC lead to three points on a couple of occasions. Nick Walker answered with a three-pointer of his own to end the first-half scoring with the Lions in front, 33-27.

Following intermission, the Lions responded to Zach Shugars' back-to-back treys with a 10-2 run that increased their lead to double digits (50-40) midway through the second stanza. Though never able to grab the lead in the contest, the Bears promptly ran off 10 straight points to produce the game's only tie (52-52) with 5:26 left in the game.

EMCC temporarily regained control of the game with a Jakorie Smith three-point play followed by Blake Butler's left-handed finish at the rim. A pair of Washington free throws were sandwiched between Southwest three-pointers from Lacey and Trent Coleman to make it a one-point game (59-58) with 2:56 remaining in the contest.

Following an EMCC timeout, the Lions benefitted from a broken play perhaps at the most opportune time of the game. After Butler lost control of the ball on his way to the basket, the loose ball ended up in the hands of Smith, who barely beat the shot clock on a three-point make in front of his own bench to give EMCC a 62-58 lead with 1:14 left on the game clock.

A subsequent defensive stand that was capped by Walker's third blocked shot of the game preceded 4-of-6 free throw shooting by the Lions during the final minute of play to seal the six-point victory and stretch their win streak to four consecutive games.

Improving to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in MACCC play, EMCC was led by Smith's game-high 19 points and Washington's career-high 18 points, including 11-of-13 from the charity stripe. Butler added 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in the winning effort.

Southwest was led in scoring by Lacey and Nate Hudson with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Coach Billy Begley's EMCC Lions will stay at home to play host to the Eagles of Meridian Community College on Thursday (Dec. 9). Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at Currie Coliseum on the Scooba campus.