It went down to the wire, but East Mississippi Community College’s men’s basketball team finally got it done.
The Lions last tasted victory on Dec. 5 and have since floundered through MACCC competition winless, but that all changed Thursday when Meridian Community College came to town. Diovion Famakinde dropped a career-high 27 points and EMCC held off a late Eagle rally to earn a 75-70 triumph – the team’s first MACCC win of the season, one that snapped a seven-game losing streak – but it wasn’t without high drama.
A 6-0 lead turned into a somewhat comfortable 38-31 Lion lead at halftime, and the team (11-9, 1-3) maintained control of the game until midway through the fourth. There, Meridian rattled off six straight points and a deep shot by the Eagles’ Kameron Wilkes put the visitors on top 60-57 with just over six minutes left in the game.
MCC remained in control until EMCC shifted gears in the final three minutes and accelerated to an 8-0 run for a sudden 67-63 lead. Famakinde delivered a stretch of five straight points for the Lions and sealed their win at the free-throw line with two made shots to stamp out any hope of a comeback for the Eagles.
Freshman guard Jace O’Neal added 16 points and five rebounds from the bench, and DeAndre Lewis cashed in nine points and four rebounds to boot.
The Lions chase their second conference win of the season today at 7:30 p.m. at Jones College.
MCC 70, EMCC women 47
Like the men’s team, EMCC’s women’s squad has struggled through the start of MACCC games, and couldn’t flip the table against the Eagles despite a 27-19 halftime lead in a 70-47 loss.
Meridian’s Terica Smith delivered 20 of her 24 points in the second half to help the Eagles retake control with a 24-3 mark in the third quarter and outscore EMCC 28-16 in the final frame. Dukiaha Jones led the Lions (3-13, 0-4) with 16 points and seven boards, and Cenaya Calhoun-Jingles finished with 11 points off the bench. The loss increases the Lions’ streak of dropped contests to 11 straight.
EMCC’s women’s squad will be back in action today at 5:30 p.m. at Jones College.
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