EMCC’s Lady Lions fall at East Central in advance of pre-Thanksgiving tourney at Gulf Coast
The East Mississippi Community College women’s basketball team couldn’t overcome a slow start before dropping a 59-48 road decision to East Central Community College during Thursday’s non-conference action played at Brackeen-Wood Gymnasium.
DECATUR – The East Mississippi Community College women's basketball team couldn't overcome a slow start before dropping a 59-48 road decision to East Central Community College during Thursday's non-conference action played at Brackeen-Wood Gymnasium.
The Lady Lions struggled with 29-percent (9-of-31) shooting from the field during the opening 20 minutes of play, while the home-standing Lady Warriors made 52 percent (15-of-29) of their first-half field goals. The shooting disparity resulted in East Central grabbing a 20-14 lead at the quarter break and then moving ahead, 37-24, by halftime.
Following the intermission, a low-scoring third quarter of play favored the visitors, 12-7, as the Lady Lions cut the deficit to six points (44-38) on Kellie Strong's inside basket to begin the fourth-quarter scoring. They then managed to trim the margin to six points four more times during a four-minute span later in the half but could not get any closer.
Sukkima Suell's bucket in the paint trimmed ECCC's lead to 51-45 with 3:50 remaining, but the Lady Lions' top inside threat then picked up her fifth foul a minute later. From there, the Lady Warriors ran clock the remainder of the contest and scored their last eight points from the charity stripe to secure the 11-point home victory.
East Mississippi was led by Sadie Williams' 11 points, while Nakeria Scales and Kennedi Jimison added nine and seven points, respectively, for the visitors.
ECCC's Lady Warriors were powered by Kennedee Shelton's game-high 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Coach Isaiah Butler's 1-2 EMCC Lady Lions will take part in Mississippi Gulf Coast's Bulldog Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 21-22, in Perkinston. With tournament games slated to usher in the Dantzler Arena era of MGCCC hoops, EMCC will take on the host Lady Bulldogs in a 2 p.m. Monday contest. The Lady Lions will then meet Northeast Mississippi the following day at 1 p.m. The fourth women's team in the two-day tournament is Chattahoochee Valley CC.