HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Sparked by 39 collective points from the bench, the 12th-ranked East Mississippi Lions made a successful debut in their first NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship showing with a solid 86-65 first-round victory against Brunswick (N.C.) Tuesday afternoon at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
In making their initial appearance in the 63rd annual postseason event, the EMCC Lions advance to meet Navarro College (Texas) in second-round action of the championship bracket today at 8 p.m. The Bulldogs beat Middle Georgia College 66-65 in the first round Tuesday.
Improving their season record to 27-5, the EMCC Lions received a career-first double-double from reserve forward Richard Dixon and a career-high 16 points from backup guard Joe McCoy. A freshman, Dixon notched his fourth double digit-scoring effort in the past five games — all coming during the postseason — with 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Hitting 8-of-13 shots from the field, Dixon’s scoring total was one point shy of his season-high 18 points scored against Northeast Mississippi in the opening round of the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament.
“This was a total team effort today by our guys,” said EMCC third-year head coach Mark White, recently tabbed this year’s NJCAA Division I/District 15 Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year. “With CoCo Ware playing only 24 minutes because of foul trouble, we had some players really step it up for us out there.”
With Ware, a preseason second-team NJCAA All-American, saddled with second-half foul trouble, McCoy stepped up to hit 6-of-7 shots from the field and 4-of-6 from the line en route to his career-best scoring effort. McCoy’s previous season high of 10 points came against Bevill State in January. Limited to a season-low 24 minutes of action, Ware finished with a season-low four points to also match his career low coming in the third game of his collegiate career a year ago.
A hot-shooting Brunswick team initially put EMCC in an early hole, as the Dolphins took a 25-16 lead on Tyree Graham’s 3-pointer with 11:07 remaining in the opening half. The Lions came alive with 11 unanswered points to reclaim the lead at 27-25 and used a 9-2 run later in the half to maintain a 45-40 halftime lead.
“We didn’t panic in the first half, because we knew they were a good team and they were making some tough shots,” White added. “In the second half, we continued to stay with our game plan and play with tough, aggressive man-to-man defense. I thought we did a better job in the second half of attacking, driving the ball and getting to the free-throw line.”
Following back-to-back baskets from Brunswick’s Chris Smith two minutes into the second stanza, EMCC’s reserves began to make an impact. Dixon and McCoy combined for 10 points between them during a key stretch that saw the Lions increase a five-point lead to 65-51 with 9:08 left in the contest. From there, the Dolphins could not get any closer than a dozen points.
After both teams shot better than 53 percent through the opening half of play, East Mississippi held Brunswick to 29 percent (9-of-31) shooting from the field and to only 25 points over the final 20 minutes. The Lions’ defensive intensity translated to the offensive end, as they connected on a sizzling 65 percent (17-of-26) from the floor during the half to finish shooting a season-high 58.6 percent (34-of-58) on the day.
With four players scoring in double figures, freshman guard Deonte Alexander contributed 16 points and seven assists for the winners. Freshman forward Marino Thompson, a former Southeast Lauderdale product, added a dozen points for the Lions, including hitting three of the team’s first five baskets.
In falling to 23-11 on the year and into the consolation bracket of this week’s double-elimination tournament, Brunswick was led by Tyree Graham’s 17 points. Alan-Michael Thompson and Marcus Graham followed with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
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Bench leads No. 12 Lions past Dolphins at nationals
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Neel leaving champion War Eagles for Panthers
Eric Neel spent three seasons coach at East Central. The Hornets played in three state championship games.
Neel then coached the past three years at Wayne County, leading the War Eagles to three straight Class 5A fast-pitch state crowns.
And now, he doesn’t see why the same can’t occur at Quitman. After guiding Wayne County to its third straight championship Saturday, Neel resigned his position in Waynesboro on Thursday to replace Kacie Roberson at Quitman. -
Unexpected Honor
Winning a state championship, that Blake McMullen expected.
To be named the Player of the Year in Class 3A by the Mississippi Association of Coaches, that caught the Southeast Lauderdale senior off guard. -
RCA’s Lee and pair of Generals chosen for All-Star tilt
Russell Christian Academy senior Camryn Lee and Newton County Academy duo Clay Upton and Dillon Williams will wrap up their senior seasons today.
The local trio will play in the MAIS All-Star Class A game at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson at 2 p.m. The Class AA-AAA game will follow. -
McFarland named first-team All-American for Jones County
The honors continue to come in for the Jones County Junior College softball program.
Pitcher Ginger Lonergan and centerfielder Relanda McFarland were both named to the NJCAA Division II All-American first-team on Thursday. -
A Family Affair
Five days. Two state titles. One family.
It’d be hard to find a family that had a better week than the one Robbi and Shay Cooper just experienced. -
Roundup — Stephens receives Sekul Award
Adding to his impressive collection of coaching hardware, East Mississippi Community College head football coach Buddy Stephens was presented with the 2011 George Sekul Award during the All-American Football Foundation’s Banquet of Champions held earlier this month at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
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The Drought Is Over
All Mason Irby was hoping for was to find a way on base.
The Southeast Lauderdale sophomore did that and so much more. Irby's single with two outs in the seventh inning broke a tie, lifting the Tigers to a 6-3 MHSAA Class 3A state championship win at Smith-Wills Stadium on Wednesday, and handing Southeast (32-7) its first title since 1966. -
Ramey shines again, hurls Tigers to MHSAA Class 3A crown
The bar was set pretty high.
After all, Southeast Lauderdale senior right-hander Colby Ramey needed just 65 pitches to beat Kossuth in Game 1 of the MHSAA Class 3A state championship game Thursday.
However, according to fellow senior Blake McMullen, Ramey cleared the hurdle Wednesday when he scattered eight hits on 104 pitches to finish off the Aggies in a 6-3 state championship-clinching win at Smith-Wills Stadium on Wednesday. -
Southeast wins MHSAA Class 3A Championsip
Slideshow from the MHSAA Class 3A state championship game between Southeast Lauderdale and Kossuth.
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Briarwood to host Emerald Coast Golf Tour in June
Professional golf is coming to Meridian.
The Emerald Coast Golf Tour will be holding the Meridian Pro-Am Classic at Briarwood Country Club June 26-29. - More Sports Headlines
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