East Mississippi sweeps rival Meridian on the road

MERIDIAN -- Visiting East Mississippi Community College swept rival Meridian Community College by nearly identical scores during Thursday night MACJC basketball action.  Following the Lady Lions' 68-52 victory over Meridian, the EMCC men capped the road sweep by claiming a 67-53 win over the Eagles at Graham Gymnasium.

In the women's contest, the visitors extended a 33-29 halftime lead to double digits by scoring the first nine points following intermission.  EMCC freshman forward Quantesha Patterson scored the first seven points of the second half on a pair of put-back baskets and a three-point play.  From that point on, the Lady Lions maintained control of the game en route to the 16-point triumph that marked their first win over Meridian since the 2010-11 season.

Coming off a 22-point effort in her collegiate debut during Monday's 71-33 home win over Talladega College's junior varsity team, Patterson exploded for 23 of her game-high 31 points in the second half against Meridian.  The former East Webster High School standout connected on 11-of-16 shots from the field and added 11 rebounds, including five offensive boards, to register her first collegiate double-double.

Sophomore Camry Jones and Kennesaw State transfer Tianna Germain added 12 and 10 points, respectively, for head coach Sharon Thompson's 2-0 EMCC Lady Lions.  

Falling to 0-2 on the young season, the Meridian women were led by LaShonda Cousin's 16 points.

After holding a narrow 33-32 halftime lead in the nightcap, the EMCC men scored eight unanswered points midway through the second half to turn a tie ballgame into a 50-42 advantage on consecutive 3-pointers by Juan Davis Jr. and Nat Dixon followed by another Dixon basket.  

The home-standing Eagles managed to cut the deficit to three points (52-49) on a 3-pointer by former EMCC Lion Dennarius Gray at the 8:25 mark, but the visitors responded by outscoring Meridian, 15-4, the rest of the way.  The Lions held MCC scoreless over the game's final three minutes en route to the 14-point road triumph.  Avenging last year's 78-70 setback at Meridian, the East Mississippi men have now prevailed in 12 of the last 13 hardwood meetings with the Eagles dating back to the 2009-10 campaign.   

EMCC sophomore Jahyde Gardiner scored all 14 of his points in the first half with the aid of a trio of 3-pointers.  The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native also pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds in the contest to record his 12th career double-double.

Fellow sophomore Daniel Simmons tallied all but two of his 16 points after halftime, while Dixon scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half for the 2-0 EMCC Lions.

The Meridian men, now 1-1 on the year, were led by Gray and Ken'Darrius Hamilton with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Coach Billy Begley's EMCC Lions travel to Memphis on Saturday for a rematch against season-opening opponent Tennessee Prep Academy in a 2 p.m. contest on the campus of LeMoyne-Owen College.  The Lions opened the new season this past Monday with a 98-61 home win over the TPA squad.  Next doubleheader action for EMCC's basketball teams will be a Thursday (Nov. 12) twin-bill at home against rival East Central Community College.  A 5:30 p.m. women's game will be followed by a 7:30 p.m. men's contest at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum on the Scooba campus.