Lions post fifth win in six games with 64-52 home victory over Mississippi Delta

SCOOBA – East Mississippi Community College swept visiting Mississippi Delta during Thursday's MACCC basketball action played at EMCC's Keyes T. Currie Coliseum. The short-handed Lions claimed their fifth win in six games with a 64-52 victory over the visiting Trojans, while the Lady Lions snapped a 10-game losing skid with a hard-earned 51-49 win in women's action.

Playing without starters Tremaine Dixon Jr. and Hunter McCutcheon along with reserve Ashten Michael due to illness/injury, the home-standing Lions battled the Trojans to six lead changes and two ties in the first half after owning the advantage for most of the opening 10 minutes of play.

After Delta claimed its last lead (27-26) of the game late in the first half, EMCC scored the final nine points heading into intermission to grab a 35-27 halftime advantage.

The visitors scored six of the first seven points of the second stanza to cut their deficit to three points (36-33) four minutes into the half.

Sparked by another solid performance off the bench by Sayerr Senghore, EMCC responded each time to Delta's comeback attempts during the second half. After the Lions built a nine-point (49-40) lead following a Senghore three-point play and a Terrell Dixon basket, the Trojans followed with six unanswered points to again trim the margin to three points midway through the half.

The two teams traded scores for the next three minutes before the EMCC men outscored the visitors, 11-2, over the game's final seven minutes to turn a slim 53-50 lead into the 64-52 final margin.

Senghore, out of Woodinville, Washington, registered his first EMCC double-double with season-high totals of 20 points (6-9 FGs & 7-7 FTs) and 10 rebounds. Nick Walker and Johnny Taylor Jr. followed with 11 points each, as the Lions improved to 12-11 overall and 5-3 in conference play with their third straight win.

In the women's contest, the Lady Trojans held the advantage for most of the opening half of play and owned a one-point edge (21-20) at the halftime break. The home-standing Lady Lions forced a pair of ties before taking their first lead (23-21) on Kylah Bell's bucket early in the second stanza.

Following another deadlock (25-25), EMCC reclaimed the lead on a Hannah McDougle three-point play at the 6:26 mark. The Lady Lions continued to hold the advantage until Cha'Myrean Ellis made two free throws to give Delta a narrow one-point lead (32-31) heading into the final quarter.

With the visitors in front, 34-31, the competitive contest took a turn at the 7:34 mark of the fourth quarter when EMCC benefitted from four two-shot technical fouls being called on the visitors for players leaving the bench during an on-court altercation. McDougle hit five of the eight free throws to put EMCC back in front. Her basket a minute later then gave the Lady Lions a 38-34 lead with 6:28 remaining.

With the game tied at 39-39 with 4:50 left, Shalea Boddie's three-point play on an inbounds pass gave EMCC the lead for good. The Lady Lions doubled their lead to six points on a Nakeria Scales bucket at the 1:38 mark and then again later on a pair of Kennedi McCray charity tosses with just over a minute left on the game clock to essentially seal their first win since posting a 66-49 home victory over Jones College back on Dec. 7.

EMCC's Scales recorded her seventh career double-double with 15 points (7-12 FGs) and a career-high 20 rebounds. McDougle and Bell added 10 points apiece for the winners.

Mississippi Delta's Shakendalah Jones led all scorers with 17 points.

The East Mississippi basketball teams will travel to Booneville to take on Northeast Mississippi on Tuesday (Feb. 20) before returning home to play host to Pearl River on Thursday (Feb. 22).