Lady Lions’ win streak reaches a dozen games with 73-49 road victory over Holmes

GOODMAN – The East Mississippi Community College basketball teams improved to a combined 15-1 on the year in MACJC North Division play by sweeping Holmes Community College on the road during Monday's conference hoops action played at Frank Branch Coliseum.  The EMCC Lady Lions extended their current win streak to 12 consecutive games with a 73-49 victory over the Holmes women, while EMCC's Lions completed the sweep with a last-second 66-65 overtime win over the Bulldogs in men's action.

After jumping out to a 19-2 first-quarter lead in the women's game, EMCC increased the margin to 20 points (27-7) early in the second quarter on a Tia Daniels basket following a steal.  The advantage grew to 30 points (44-14) later in the half on back-to-back 3-pointers by Taylor Lattimore and Tye Metcalf.  Lattimore's four first-half treys helped give the Lady Lions a 47-19 halftime cushion.

Following intermission, the third quarter featured much of the same dominance by the visitors.  Metcalf and Lattimore again drilled consecutive 3-pointers late in the period as EMCC's lead ballooned to 35 points (65-30) by the end of the quarter.  With the Lady Lions still holding a commanding 33-point lead (71-38) midway through the final quarter, the Lady Bulldogs scored 11 of the game's final 13 points to close the final gap to 24 points.

Improving to 17-2 overall and still perfect at 8-0 in MACJC North Division play with their 12^th consecutive victory on the year, Coach Sharon Thompson's EMCC Lady Lions were paced by Lattimore's game-high 17 points.  On the heels of her season-high, 28-point effort (10-16 FGs & 6-10 treys) during last Thursday's 93-67 home win over Mississippi Delta, Lattimore hit 5-of-12 shots from beyond the three-point arc against Holmes.  

Two-time MACJC Player of the Week Ja'Mia Hollings registered her 10^th double-double of the season with 16 points (7-9 FGs) and 12 rebounds (8 offensive boards) for the Lady Lions.  Metcalf finished with a dozen points and seven assists, while sophomore Maddie Riley added seven points and 11 rebounds for the winners.

Dropping to 7-11 overall and 3-4 in division play, the Holmes women were led by Jalaceia Smith's 16 points.  Shawanda Gray and Brysa Maxwell followed with 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the Lady Bulldogs.   

During the men's nightcap, the visiting Lions overcame seven-point deficits during each half to force an overtime session that ended in dramatic fashion with the potential game-winning basket rolling off the rim at the final buzzer.

Following five ties during the opening eight minutes of play, the home-standing Bulldogs used a 9-0 run to take a 23-16 lead midway through the half.  The Lions answered with an 11-3 spurt to reclaim the lead (27-26) on Arecko Gipson Jr.'s basket with 6:50 remaining in the half.  After five subsequent lead changes and an additional tie, Holmes owned a slim 35-34 edge at the halftime break.

As they did in the first half, the Bulldogs opened up a seven-point lead midway through the second stanza.  Tyler Talley's 3-pointer at the 8:21 mark gave the home team a 55-48 advantage. 

The two teams then battled through a four-minute scoreless drought late in the half with Holmes clinging to a five-point lead (59-54).  As the Bulldogs milked the clock during their final offensive possessions of regulation, the Lions' comeback began with Jakorie Smith hitting 1-of-2 free throws with 1:24 remaining.  Following a shot clock violation on Holmes, EMCC's Quamontae Monfort's put-back basket cut the deficit to two points (59-57) with 44.5 seconds left.  On the game's next possession, EMCC freshman point guard Danny Washington collected a steal and found Traemond Pittman in the open court for the game-tying basket.  Holmes' initial last-second shot attempt to win the game was then secured by Smith at the end of regulation to send the contest into overtime tied at 59-59.

The opening couple of minutes of the extra session favored the visitors with the Lions scoring the first five points of overtime on field goals by Monfort and Gipson along with a Donte Powers free throw.  The Bulldogs then set up the game's thrilling conclusion by scoring six unanswered points to claim a brief one-point lead (65-64) on Kaleb Higgins' pair of free throws with 34.8 seconds left.

On EMCC's final possession of the game, Washington was fouled on his drive to the rim.  The Greenville product promptly responded by nailing his two charity tosses to put the Lions back on top.  Following timeouts called by each team down the stretch, Holmes' potential game-winning shot bounced around and rolled on the rim before falling off and being collected by Gipson at the final horn to preserve the Lions' climactic one-point comeback road victory.

Moving to 14-5 overall and 7-1 within the division, Coach Billy Begley's EMCC Lions were powered by Smith's seventh double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds.  Monfort was clutch off the bench with a dozen points on perfect 6-of-6 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, while Washington and KJ Riley added 10 points apiece in the winning effort.

Falling to 10-8 overall and 2-5 in division play, the Holmes men featured a trio of players – Talley, Tyler Williams and Josiah Lewis – with 14 points each.  Higgins followed with 13 points for the Bulldogs.                

The East Mississippi basketball teams will travel to Clarksdale to meet the Tigers of Coahoma Community College in a Thursday hoops doubleheader.  A 5:30 p.m. women's game will be followed by a 7:30 p.m. men's contest at the Pinnacle on the CCC campus.