The men's nightcap was just as competitive as the women's contest, especially through the opening 20 minutes of action.  The largest lead for either team in the opening half was five points.  After EMCC held a 34-31 edge at halftime, freshman Terryonte Thomas scored seven points early in the second half to help stake the visitors to a 44-37 lead.  Coahoma's Marcus Summerville answered with two straight baskets of his own to make it a two-point game by the 14:11 mark.

That's when the Lions began to step up their defensive intensity to initially take command of the game.  During their 15-3 run, the visitors held the Tigers to without a made field goal during an eight-minute stretch that saw the visitors open up a 14-point advantage (61-47) late in the half.

With four made 3-pointers over the game's final three minutes, Coahoma did not go down quietly.  A late trey by Quintarius Boatman narrowed the deficit to four points (67-63), but EMCC freshman guard Cam Horton hit 3-of-4 free throws during the game's waning seconds to seal the six-point road victory for the Lions.

Improving to 10-9 overall and 3-5 within the division, head coach Billy Begley's EMCC men were powered by Terryonte Thomas' game-high 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 6-of-7 accuracy from the charity stripe.  The New Hope High School product also had eight rebounds.  Ripley's Dewayne Cox and Starkville's Keith Harris added 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the winners.

Falling to 3-16 overall and 1-9 in division play on the year, the Coahoma Tigers were led by Boatman and Summerville with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Continuing MACJC North Division play, the East Mississippi basketball teams will head to Booneville to take on the Tigers of Northeast Mississippi during Thursday doubleheader hoops action.  A 5:30 p.m. women's game will be followed by a 7:30 men's contest at Bonner Arnold Coliseum on the NEMCC campus.

David Rosinski | Sports Information Director

East Mississippi Community College