EMCC Lions score 68 second-half points to cruise to 102-65 neutral-site win over Southern-Shreveport

POPLARVILLE – The Lions of East Mississippi Community College erupted for 68 second-half points to cruise to a commanding 102-65 victory over Southern University-Shreveport during Saturday's neutral-site men's basketball action played at Marvin R. White Coliseum on the Pearl River Community College campus.

In their final hoops action heading into the Thanksgiving holiday break, the EMCC men bounced back from their tough 62-55 setback at fourth-ranked Jones College that was played just two days prior in Ellisville. 

In Saturday's contest played in Poplarville, EMCC and SUSLA battled to within a single-digit margin for most of the opening 24 minutes of action, though the Jaguars did overcome a couple of early 10-point deficits. After the Lions held a slim 34-32 halftime lead, SUSLA knotted the score at 40-40 three minutes into the second stanza.

That's when freshman guard Jermaurhiyun Anderson sparked a 9-0 EMCC run by drilling a pair of three-pointers along with hitting a jumper and getting to the rim for another basket all within a three-minute span that gave the Lions some much-needed energy.

As EMCC went on to shoot a sizzling 70 percent (21-30 FGs) from the field, including 9-of-11 treys (82%), during second-half action, the Lions' double-digit lead steadily grew to 20 points (72-52) by the 7:46 mark and then expanded to 30 points (90-60) with 2:38 left.

For the game, the Lions shot a red-hot 57 percent (33-58 FGs) overall from the field and 59 percent from beyond the three-point arc on 13-of-22 treys.

EMCC had five players score in double figures, led by 18-point efforts from Josh Brown (6-8 treys), Jonathan Baker and Anderson. Anderson, Baker and Keymarius Lewis all tallied double-digit scoring in the second half alone with 15, 13 and 11 points, respectively, over the game's final 20 minutes. Brian Kitenge added 13 points and nine rebounds in the Lions' 37-point victory.

During Thursday's road test played at A.B. Howard Gymnasium in Ellisville, the Lions battled No. 4 Jones College to the wire before falling by seven points. The defensive-minded contest stayed within 10 points virtually the entire game.

After EMCC held an early 6-3 lead four minutes into the game on three-pointers by Josh Brown and DeAndre Lewis, the Bobcats went on a 13-2 run to mount an eight-point advantage (16-8) by the midway point of the first half. The Lions responded with a 12-4 rally to knot the score at 20-20 by the 5:53 mark only to have Jones College reel off nine unanswered points over the next three minutes.

The visitors came back again to cut the deficit to a basket (29-27) on Brian Kitenge's free throw with under a minute left in the half, but Malik Franklin's subsequent trey made it a five-point game (32-27) at the half.

Following the break, the Lions pulled to within a point on three separate occasions during the first nine minutes of the second half but couldn't manage to reclaim the lead or force another tie. After a 9-2 spurt opened up a 53-44 Jones lead by the 5:39 mark, EMCC tallied six straight points to get as close as three points two more times over the final 3:34 of the contest.

While the Lions missed on their last four shot attempts of the game, the Bobcats went on a 7-0 run that was capped by Dimp Pernell's three-pointer with just under a minute remaining. Brown's long-range trey at the final buzzer for EMCC trimmed the final margin to single digits.

Both teams were held to below 40-percent shooting from the field, while Jones College owned a 47-37 rebounding advantage. The Bobcats also had 17 assists on 25 made field goals in the contest along with committing only five turnovers.

EMCC had four players score in double figures with Brown and Jermaurhiyun Anderson leading the way with 14 points apiece. Kitenge recorded his first double-double as an EMCC Lion with 13 points and 11 rebounds in addition to blocking three shots. DeAndre Lewis added a dozen points for the visitors.

Jones College was paced by Avery Thomas II and Dimp Pernell with 18 and 16 points, respectively.

Coach Billy Begley's 6-3 EMCC Lions will return from Thanksgiving break to meet Shelton State, Dec. 5, in Tuscaloosa before playing host to the Holmes Bulldogs, Dec. 9, in a non-conference matchup at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum on the Scooba campus.