EMCC men use run to defeat ICC 78-51
For Starkville Daily News
FULTON – A 24-3 run to close out the first half lifted the Lions of East Mississippi Community College to a convincing 78-51 road victory over Itawamba Community College during Thursday night MACJC North Division basketball action played at ICC’s Davis Event Center. In women’s action, ICC held on for a 59-55 win over the visiting Lady Lions.
In the men’s nightcap, Cam Horton’s third made 3-pointer in as many attempts during opening-half action put the visitors on top, 17-16, at the 8:31 mark and ignited the game-changing spurt that enabled the Lions to double up the home-standing Indians, 38-19, by the halftime break. Fresh off his career-best, 36-point effort at Mississippi Delta earlier in the week, Horton’s 12 first-half points paced EMCC to the 19-point advantage by intermission.
After opening the second stanza with an alley-oop slam by Markedric Bell on a feed from Horton, the Lions maintained their sizable margin throughout the remaining 20 minutes of play en route to the commanding 27-point road triumph. EMCC’s largest lead of the game was 28 points (63-35) following a Robert Davis Jr. steal and resulting basket midway through the second half.
Though rested for a good portion of the closing period, Horton finished with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. With 13 EMCC players getting into the scoring column for the game, Ripley’s Dewayne Cox again contributed off the bench with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with six rebounds, including four offensive boards, and three steals. Receiving a starting assignment, Bell, from Starkville, added 10 points and five offensive rebounds, as head coach Billy Begley’s EMCC Lions improved to 9-7 overall and 2-3 within the division.
In the women’s contest, ICC scored the last six points of the first quarter to take an 18-12 lead. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Constance Dunn toward the end of the second period then gave Itawamba a 28-21 halftime advantage.
The ICC women opened the second stanza with eight unanswered points to build a 15-point lead (36-21) two minutes into the third quarter. The Lady Indians maintained their doubledigit cushion throughout the quarter and led 49-37 heading into the final period.
Falling to 8-6 overall and 3-2 within the division, head coach Sharon Thompson’s EMCC Lady Lions were led by Kayla Rogers’ seasonhigh totals of 17 points and 14 rebounds. Along with posting her third double-double of the year, the Columbus High School product had three blocked shots. Juhan was limited to 11 points – 10 below her season’s average – on just 3-of-20 shooting for the night.
The East Mississippi basketball teams will be at home for a pair of division doubleheaders next week on the Scooba campus. Following Monday’s games against the Holmes Bulldogs, the Lions will play host to the Rangers of Northwest Mississippi in a Thursday twin bill. Each upcoming home hoops doubleheader will consist of a 5:30 p.m. women’s game followed by a 7:30 p.m. men’s contest at EMCC’s Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.