Wilson's 33 points pace Lady Lions to 83-71 home win over Northwest in conference opener

SCOOBA — Shakira Wilson's career-high 33 points paced the EMCC women to an 83-71 home win over Northwest Mississippi during Thursday's conference-opening MACCC hoops action played at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.

EMCC's Lady Lions jumped out to a 16-2 lead by the 3:40 mark of the opening quarter on the way to holding a 19-8 advantage through the game's first 10 minutes.

The Lady Rangers responded by scoring the first 12 points of the second quarter to take their only lead of the contest.  Following back-to-back baskets by Maura Nunley, Northwest's Tierra Trotter scored eight straight points to briefly put the visitors on top, 20-19, midway through the quarter.

EMCC responded with consecutive Markiema Lancaster buckets and later with seven straight points by Wilson to open up a 35-26 halftime advantage.

Following intermission, the Lady Lions extended their lead back up to 15 points (55-40) late in the third quarter on Jenessa Souza's trey. The visitors answered by scoring the last six points of the quarter, as Nunley's three-point play and subsequent three-point shot trimmed EMCC's lead back to the halftime margin of nine points (55-46).

Northwest managed to get as close as seven points early in the fourth quarter, but Wilson tallied a dozen points, including a trio of treys, during a two-minute span to help stretch the Lady Lions' lead to 20 points (76-56) by the 3:44 mark.

Wilson's career night included 13-of-17 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 accuracy from beyond the three-point arc. The Southeast Lauderdale High School product also collected three rebounds, three steals, two blocks and an assist.

In recording her sixth double-double through the season's first eight games, Kyunna Thomas had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Lancaster totaled 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Siarra Jackson chipped in with 10 points and six boards for the winners.

The Lady Rangers also had four players score in double figures, led by Trotter's 15 points. Nunley and Cailey Walker followed with 12 points apiece, while I'Yana Ragin added 10 points for the visitors.

East Mississippi's basketball teams will continue MACCC action by taking on Southwest Mississippi Monday evening (Dec. 6) on the respective campuses. Men's head coach Billy Begley's 6-2 EMCC Lions will play host to the SMCC Bears at Currie Coliseum in Scooba, while women's head coach Sharon Thompson's 4-4 EMCC Lady Lions will travel to Summit to meet the Lady Bears of Southwest. Both games Monday are slated for 6 p.m. tip-offs.