EMCC sweeps Mississippi Delta in division hoops with 55-52 women’s win and 81-62 men’s victory

SCOOBA – In a make-up doubleheader postponed from earlier in the week due to wintry weather, the East Mississippi Community College basketball teams swept visiting Mississippi Delta Community College Saturday afternoon at EMCC's Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.  The home-standing Lady Lions held on for a 55-52 victory for their first division win of the year, while the Lions remained unbeaten in division play by scoring an 81-62 triumph over the Trojans.

The first half of the women's contest featured 11 lead changes and three ties, as the Lady Trojans held a slim 25-24 halftime edge.  Following four more deadlocks through the first four minutes of the second stanza, head coach Sharon Thompson's EMCC Lady Lions began to establish control of the game with timely perimeter shooting and an effective inside game.

With the margin still at two points seven minutes into the second half, EMCC began to widen the gap with three-point baskets by freshmen Leah Isabelle, Wilma Davis and Takera Mitchell.  During the critical four-minute span, the Lady Lions' lead increased from 38-36 to 47-40 by the 6:05 mark.

From that point, EMCC freshman center Savannah Kimmons took over in the paint by scoring three close-range buckets within a three-minute span to lengthen the lead to nine points (53-44) with two minutes left.  The visitors made things interesting down the stretch, but the Lady Lions had just enough left in their tank to hold on for the three-point victory.

Kimmons, out of Horn Lake High School, finished a season-high 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field.  The 6-foot post player also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.  Davis, from West Point, added 10 points and six boards for the winners, who improved to 3-11 overall and 1-2 within the division.

Falling to 7-5 overall while absorbing their first division loss in three outings, the Lady Trojans were led by Suzzette Suggs' 10 points.

For the second time in three days, head coach Mark White's EMCC Lions blew open a precarious two-point, second-half lead by responding on the defensive end of the floor.  Just as they did during Thursday's 76-62 win at Northeast Mississippi, when they held the Tigers to just one made field goal and a pair of free throws over the final 7:25 of the game, the Lions limited Mississippi Delta to just three made free throws and a meaningless basket at game's end during the final 10 minutes of the contest.

Never trailing in the game, the Lions used an early 7-0 run and back-to-back 3-pointers by Jarekious Bradley and Jacolby Mobley to gain a 23-11 advantage with 11:12 left in the opening half.  After moving ahead by as many as 13 points (32-19), EMCC maintained its double-digit lead (44-34) at the halftime break.

With the home team still up by 11 points (54-43) four minutes into the second half, the Trojans outscored EMCC 14-5 over the next six minutes to close the gap to just two points (59-57) following a 3-pointer by Gregory Junearick at the 10:00 mark.  Benefitting from a deeper bench and mounting foul trouble for a feisty Delta squad, EMCC rallied with 10 unanswered points to gain back some breathing room.

Outscoring the Trojans 22-5 over the final 10 minutes of the contest en route to the 19-point triumph, the Lions had three sophomores step up big during the second half of play.  Earnest Hunter, of Noxubee County, had nine points and eight rebounds following the break to help EMCC maintain its momentum early in the second half.  After MDCC cut the deficit to two points, it was Bradley and Micah Walker who took control by combining to score 18 of the Lions' last 19 points.

Bradley, a transfer from Midland College in Texas, registered his fifth double-double of the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds.  Mobley, a freshman from Starkville, followed with 13 points, while Walker and Hunter added a dozen points apiece for the 10-4 EMCC Lions, who remain atop the divisional standings at 3-0.  Hunter was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 4-of-6 from the line to go along with his nine rebounds.

Dropping to 4-8 overall and 1-2 in division play, the Trojans were led by Marquarius Boddie's 11 points.

The East Mississippi basketball teams stay at home in division play to welcome rival Itawamba Community College for a Tuesday twin bill on the Scooba campus.  With a 5:30 p.m. women's game followed by a 7:30 p.m. men's nightcap at EMCC's Currie Coliseum, a limited number of 'Currie Crazies' T-shirts, courtesy of Sports Specialty in Columbus, will be made available to attending EMCC students with valid student IDs prior to the start of Tuesday's doubleheader.        

All EMCC basketball games throughout the 2012-13 season are slated to be video-streamed live on the school's Ustream channel at www.ustream.tv/channel/emcc-basketball, which can be easily accessed through the school's newly launched athletics website, www.EMCCAthletics.com.  EMCC media director/athletic video coordinator Derek Cody will be on hand to call the play-by-play action all season long for the Lions and Lady Lions.