Lions close out pre-conference hoops slate with 102-71 setback at Itawamba
The visiting Lions of East Mississippi Community College closed out the pre-conference portion of their hoops slate by dropping a 102-71 road decision to hot-shooting Itawamba during Thursday's non-conference action played at ICC's Davis Event Center.
FULTON -- The visiting Lions of East Mississippi Community College closed out the pre-conference portion of their hoops slate by dropping a 102-71 road decision to hot-shooting Itawamba during Thursday's non-conference action played at ICC's Davis Event Center.
The Lions couldn't withstand a 58-percent shooting display that featured 14 made three-pointers by the home-standing Indians. Five first-half made treys helped ICC mount an 11-point (27-16) lead midway through the opening half before EMCC answered with 10 straight points to pull to within a point (27-26) on DeAndre Lewis' three-pointer at the 6:13 mark.
The Indians responded with three straight baskets to put them back up by seven points (33-26), which was also ICC's halftime margin.
After Itawamba lengthened its 40-33 halftime lead to 20 points (56-36) five minutes into the second stanza, EMCC went on an 11-3 spurt that trimmed the deficit to a dozen points (59-47) with 12:22 remaining in the contest.
That's as close as the Lions would get the rest of the game, however, as the Indians answered with an 8-0 run, including two more of their nine second-half three-pointers, to go back up by 20 points (67-47) midway through the half.
Down the stretch, Itawamba drilled three additional treys during an 11-0 surge that stretched the advantage to 30-plus points for the remainder of the game.
Lewis, an honorable mention All-MACCC performer a year ago for the Lions, led EMCC with 16 points. Also in double figures, Maurice Henderson, Diovion Famakinde and Jace O'Neal followed with 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the visitors.
ICC's Tim Holiday led all game scorers with 23 points, including six made three-pointers. DJ Davis followed with 21 points for the Indians, while Damarion Winston and Jaden Harper added 17 points apiece.
Coach Billy Begley's 10-6 EMCC Lions will tip off conference play by traveling to Senatobia to take on Northwest Mississippi on Monday (Jan. 12) before playing host to Copiah-Lincoln on Thursday (Jan. 15) at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum on the Scooba campus.