Hot-shooting EMCC Lady Lions win handily

SCOOBA — With 16 made three-pointers and five players scoring in double figures, the Lady Lions of East Mississippi Community College claimed their fourth consecutive victory with a convincing 105-45 win over Northeast Mississippi during Thursday’s MACCC North Division women’s basketball.

In shooting 47 percent from beyond the three-point arc on the night, the 16 made treys (in 34 attempts) are believed to be a single-game school record for the Lady Lions.  The 105-point outing marks the first time an EMCC women’s team has reached the century mark for points scored in a game since claiming a 102-58 home win over Coahoma during the 2015-16 season.

EMCC’s commanding 60-point triumph over Northeast sets up a crucial Saturday afternoon home meeting with division-leading Itawamba.  Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at Currie Coliseum on the Scooba campus.  The ICC Lady Indians currently sit atop the MACCC North Division’s women’s standings with a 9-2 record, but Coahoma and EMCC both follow close behind with division marks of 9-3 and 8-3, respectively.

Taking on the Northeast women for the third time during an 18-day span, Thursday’s offensive explosion for EMCC approp \riately started with a made three-pointer by sophomore transfer guard Jenessa Souza.

After scoring the last seven points of the opening quarter to double up the Lady Tigers, 24-12, by the first break, the home-standing Lady Lions proceeded to score the first 24 points of the second quarter before the visitors could manage a made free throw by Dekenzie Sharp at the 2:54 mark.

 EMCC’s 31 unanswered points helped secure an insurmountable 53-16 halftime advantage.

Following intermission, Souza’s sixth three-pointer of the game stretched the margin to 50 points (82-32) early in the fourth quarter.  Having reached the 90-point mark with six minutes still remaining in the contest on Shakira Wilson’s fifth triple of the night, the Lady Lions eclipsed the century mark when Markiema Lancaster converted a layup after making a steal with 1:34 left on the game clock.

Along with shooting 49 percent (38-77 FGs) overall from the field for the game, the Lady Lions held Northeast to just 28 percent (16-58 FGs) field-goal shooting while also holding a 51-36 rebounding advantage.

Souza and Wilson each finished with a season-high 20 points on 11 made three-pointers between them (on 19 combined attempts).  Kyunna Thomas chipped in with a season-most 13 points, while Lancaster and Ja’Mia Hollings followed with 10 points apiece.  Point guard DenAsia Mitchell added nine points and a season-high 11 assists for the winners.

Brittney Oswalt and Calysia Phillips led Northeast with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Following Saturday’s key home matchup against Itawamba, EMCC head coach Sharon Thompson’s reigning conference champions are scheduled to close out the regular season next week with a Monday road contest at Holmes and Wednesday’s home meeting with Northwest Mississippi.