EMCC Lions claim home hoops opener with 83-75 win over Holmes

SCOOBA – The Lions of East Mississippi Community College enjoyed a successful men's basketball home season debut and remained unbeaten on the year by claiming an 83-75 victory over Holmes Community College during Monday's non-conference hoops action played at EMCC's Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.

With the exception of a couple of brief early leads by EMCC and a trio of ties, the Bulldogs held the advantage for most of the opening 20 minutes of play. After the Lions cut an 11-point deficit to five points late in the half, Trey Alexander's three-pointer at the end of the first half lifted Holmes to a 43-35 lead heading to intermission.

The visitors continued to lead by eight points (47-39) three minutes into the second half before the homes-standing Lions flipped the momentum of the game by scoring nine unanswered points to ignite a 23-3 run that put EMCC up by double digits midway through the half. Four Jordan Alexander three-pointers during the game-changing stretch - to match the four made treys he had in the opening half - helped extend the lead to as many as 13 points.

Jordan Alexander's eight made three-point baskets came on 13 attempts for the game to give the freshman guard from Buffalo, New York a season-high 33 points. Overall, for the contest, the product of the Lakeland, Florida-based Bay Area Academy hit 10-of-18 shots from the field and connected on all five free throw tries.

Fellow New York native Diovion Famakinde, a former University at Buffalo transfer by way of Olney Central College in Illinois, followed with 19 points for EMCC in addition to handing out six assists and grabbing five rebounds. Another transfer, Ace McKinnie, from South Plains College in Texas by way of Chipley, Florida, added his second double-double of the season with 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for the Lions.

Trey Alexander paced a trio of Holmes double-figure scorers with 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field. Markalon Rochell and Jhamien Smith followed with 13 and 11 points, respectively, for the Bulldogs.

Coach Billy Begley's 5-0 EMCC Lions stay at home to play host to the Patriots of Wallace Community College Selma on Thursday (Nov. 13). Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at Currie Coliseum on the Scooba campus.