FULTON — The East Mississippi Community College men’s basketball team survived a late comeback attempt by Itawamba Community College to win Thursday’s game in Fulton, 62-61.
EMCC (2-0) held a 38-24 halftime lead before the Indians began to close the gap. The score was 44-37 with just over 13 minutes to play in the second half, and with 4:41 to go, ICC took the lead on a 3-pointer by TJ Wallace.
But the Lions regained control, taking a 62-58 lead in the final minute. EMCC weathered a Brandon Brown layup and a later free throw to eke out the one-point win.
Jakorie Smith scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead EMCC. Blake Butler scored 12 points, all in the first half; Arecko Gipson Jr. had eight, and Trae Pittman and Romeo Sanders had seven apiece.
EMCC will host Northeast Mississippi Community College at 6 p.m. Monday in Scooba. The Lions’ women’s team did not play Thursday and will miss at least its next two games because of COVID-19 protocols.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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