By: David Rosinski/East MS Sports Information

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The East Mississippi Community College basketball team closed out the pre-conference portion of their schedules with a  74-66 win over Shelton State. The Lions improve to 9-1. 

The Lions and Bucs battled through eight lead changes and six ties during the opening half of play before the visitors clung to a narrow 33-32 halftime lead.

Following the break, three early baskets by EMCC freshman point guard Tremaine Dixon Jr. sparked an 11-4 run to begin the second half and give the Lions a 44-36 lead. Shelton State answered with consecutive scores to cut the deficit in half.

Later in the half after Tyrus Baynham Jr.'s bucket trimmed EMCC's lead to 48-45, the Lions responded with a 6-0 spurt to bump their lead back up to nine points. EMCC's first double-digit advantage (60-48) of the game followed moments later on Ashten Michael's three-pointer.

The Bucs continued to battle by making a 10-2 run, capped by consecutive inside baskets from 6-foot-8 post player Demetrius Richardson.

After Shelton State cut the margin to just four points (62-58) with less than four minutes remaining in the contest, the Lions answered Shelton State's final surge with a win-clinching 8-1 run that was aided by a pair of costly turnovers by the Bucs. Freshman guard Andrew Mason scored all eight of EMCC's during the two-minute stretch with a three-point basket and a three-point play sandwiching a two-pointer on a feed from Jacob Reese.

Blake Butler secured the eight-point road victory by connecting on four free throw attempts during the game's final 25 seconds. Butler paced three EMCC double-figure scorers with 21 points. Mason scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half, while Reese recorded his first collegiate double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Shelton State was led by Baynham with 17 points. Isaiah Rainey-Bledsoe and Jordan Mitchell followed with 14 and 13 points, respectively, for the Bucs.