EMCC's Antonio Finley hits buzzer-beating 3-pointer to complete basketball road sweep of Delgado CC

NEW ORLEANS – Both East Mississippi Community College basketball teams extended their current win streaks to three consecutive games by sweeping Delgado Community College Monday evening on the road.  The Lady Lions scratched out a 48-37 win over a short-handed Delgado women's squad in the opener, while Antonio Finley's buzzer-beating 3-pointer lifted the visiting Lions to a climactic 71-68 nightcap victory at the Williamson Center.

In Monday's thrilling men's contest, Finley's 16 first-half points on five 3-pointers helped provide the Lions with a 39-32 halftime advantage.  EMCC's inside game was working equally as well to begin the second stanza, as freshman forward Jahyde Gardiner scored eight of his 10 second-half points during a three-minute span to give the visitors a 10-point lead (52-42) by the 13:23 mark.

However, shortly thereafter Gardiner headed to the bench after picking up his fourth foul.  The Dolphins took advantage of his absence and cut the deficit to a single digit (54-53) midway through the half.  But it was the veteran Finley who then knocked down a pair of critical treys to bump the lead back up to five points (60-55) with 6:25 remaining.

A resilient Delgado club pulled to within one point on two more occasions over the game's final four minutes before another hero emerged for EMCC.  With the Lions up by two points (65-63), freshman forward Juan Davis Jr. tied up Delgado's Edwin Winston to force a turnover.  The West Point High School product then put back J'Vaughnte Harris' miss to extend EMCC's lead to 67-63 heading into the game's exciting final minute of play.

After sophomore transfer guard Shelvick Henry Jr. converted one of two free throws to put the Lions in front 68-63 with 46.3 seconds left, Dyron Anderson's basket made it a one-possession contest.  The two teams then traded turnovers, as Davis' charge taken was neutralized when Finley was tied up to force another change of possession and set up the dramatic ending.

During the final seconds of regulation, Delgado's Bobby Bissant momentarily knotted the game at 68-all by hitting a 3-pointer following a pump fake.  The Lions responded by immediately pushing the ball up the floor with Harris cutting into the lane and finding Finley in the left corner for the game-winning trey that rattled around before dropping as time expired.   

Finley, a sophomore guard by way of Meridian High School, finished with a season-high 25 points on eight 3-pointers to lead head coach Mark White's 5-1 EMCC Lions.  Despite fouling out with 3:15 left in the contest, Gardiner contributed 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field in addition to collecting eight rebounds.  Off the bench, Davis followed with nine points and a team-high 12 boards.

Falling to 5-7 on the year, the Dolphins were led by Winston and Bissant with 17 and 13 points, respectively.

In a slow-paced women's contest to begin the night, the visitors battled back from an early 12-5 deficit to take a 24-19 halftime advantage.  The Lady Lions maintained the lead throughout the second half, though the under-manned Lady Dolphins, playing with only six players dressed out, pulled to within a basket a couple of times early in the period.

Getting over the .500 mark at 5-4 on the year, head coach Sharon Thompson's EMCC Lady Lions put Ashley Johnson and Ki-Ki Patterson in double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively.  The 11-point victory marked the final pre-Christmas action for the EMCC women, as they won't return to action following the holiday break until a scheduled home date with rival East Central Community College on Tuesday, Jan. 6.   

Dropping to 1-10 on the season, the Delgado women were led by Kayla Smothers with eight points and 12 rebounds.

The EMCC men's team will conclude its pre-Christmas hoops slate Wednesday with a home meeting against William Carey University's junior varsity team.  Tip-off at EMCC's Keyes T. Currie Coliseum on the Scooba campus is set for 6 p.m.