EMCC Lady Lions advance to regional quarterfinals with 69-49 home win over Co-Lin

SCOOBA — Ja'Mia Hollings scored a game-high 24 points to help lead the sixth-seeded East Mississippi Community College Lady Lions to a 69-49 home victory over 11^th-seeded Copiah-Lincoln during Wednesday's second-round action of the NJCAA Region 23 Basketball Tournament played at EMCC's Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.

Winners of seven of their last eight games, Coach Sharon Thompson's 11-4 EMCC Lady Lions will now travel to Fulton to meet third-seeded Itawamba during Monday's quarterfinal-round women's regional tournament action.  Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at ICC's Davis Event Center.

The EMCC women owned the advantage from the opening tip against Co-Lin, jumping out to a 19-9 lead after the first quarter of play.  The Lady Lions stretched the margin to 19 points (28-9) during the opening minutes of the second quarter on consecutive three-pointers by Jenessa Souza, Hollings and Amiyah Staples.  With six made treys in the opening half, EMCC owned a 32-18 halftime advantage.

The reigning conference champions maintained their comfortable double-digit cushion throughout the second stanza, including a margin of 19 points or more during the entire fourth quarter.  The differential increased to a game-high 27 points (60-33) after the Lady Lions opened the final period with eight unanswered points, including three-pointers by Shakira Wilson and Tamara Alexander.

Hollings' fifth career 20-point outing was highlighted by 10-of-16 shooting from the field.  She also pulled down eight rebounds.  Wilson followed with 11 points, while Staples approached a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.

Derrica Gilbert and Aniya Sanders led the visiting Co-Lin Lady Wolves with 17 and 12 points, respectively.