Lady Lions fall 56-36 at Southwest Mississippi

SUMMIT -- EMCC's Lady Lions dropped a 56-36 road decision to Southwest Mississippi during Monday's MACCC women's basketball action played on the SMCC campus.

Three-pointers from EMCC guards Jenessa Souza and DJ Williams capped a game-opening 10-0 run. Following a Southwest timeout, the Lady Bears proceeded to score 14 unanswered points to take a 14-10 lead into the second quarter.

The visitors briefly reclaimed the lead (19-16) early in the second quarter on consecutive baskets by reigning MACCC Women's Basketball Player of the Week Shakira Wilson, who claimed the weekly honor following her career-high, 33-point performance during EMCC's 83-71 conference-opening home win over Northwest Mississippi last Thursday (Dec. 2). However, Wilson's trey with seven minutes left at Southwest marked the Lady Lions' final points of the opening half, as the Lady Bears tallied 14 unanswered points to a take a 30-19 halftime advantage.

After their margin grew to 16 points (39-23) in the third quarter, the Lady Bears scored the game's final eight points over the last five minutes of action to coast to the 20-point home triumph.

EMCC's Williams led all scorers in the contest with a dozen points. Siarra Jackson followed with eight points for the visitors.

Southwest had 10 players in the scoring column, led by Gabby Bunch, Lynn Griffin and Analya White all with nine points apiece.

Coach Sharon Thompson's EMCC Lady Lions, 4-5 overall and 1-1 in MACCC play, will close out their pre-Christmas holiday hoops slate by taking on nationally sixth-ranked Shelton State in Tuscaloosa on Monday (Dec. 13). Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Umphrey Center and will precede the men's 7:30 p.m. nightcap pitting 23^rd-ranked EMCC and No. 15 Shelton State in a much-anticipated rematch. The Lions previously closed out the month of November (Nov. 29) with a thrilling 84-82 overtime home men's win over the Bucs in Scooba.