EMCC Lions earn much-needed 75-70 home win over Meridian; Lady Lions fall to MCC Lady Eagles

Published 11:12 am Saturday, January 24, 2026

SCOOBA – The Lions of East Mississippi Community College got back into the win column with a much-needed 75-70 home conference victory over Meridian Community College during Thursday’s MACCC basketball action played at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum. The EMCC women couldn’t maintain a halftime advantage in dropping a 70-47 decision to the MCC Lady Eagles in the night’s opening contest.
Playing without injured guard Jordan Alexander, the MACCC’s third-leading scorer (20.0 ppg) on the year, for the sixth straight game, the EMCC men claimed their first win since prior to the holiday break. The Lions improved their overall record to 11-9 on the year in picking up their first conference victory of the season.
After jumping out to a quick 6-0 lead over Meridian, the Lions held the advantage for most of the opening half of play. Diovion Famakinde pumped in 18 of his career-high 27 points during the first 20 minutes of action to propel EMCC to a 38-31 halftime lead.
The Lions maintained their lead until midway through the second half when the Eagles scored six unanswered points to take a 57-56 lead on James Turner’s putback basket at the 7:52 mark. A minute later, Kameron Wilkes’ three-pointer broke a tie and put the visitors on top 60-57.
Later in the contest, KJ Barnes’ fourth trey of the half and fifth of the game gave Meridian a 63-59 lead with 3:20 remaining in the contest. The Lions responded with eight straight points to flip the four-point margin (67-63) with under two minutes left to play.
Down the stretch, Famakinde keyed a 5-0 spurt with a driving basket and a pair of free throws to give the Lions a seemingly comfortable seven-point advantage (72-65) with 26.7 seconds remaining on the game clock. Meridian quickly countered, however, with a Fred Motley three-pointer followed by a Ju’Juan Ray steal and resulting basket on EMCC’s subsequent inbounds attempt to make it a two-point (72-70) contest with 14.8 seconds left.
Famakinde, a Brooklyn native via Olney (Ill.) Central College, once again came through in the clutch by capping a 14-of-17 effort at the free throw line with two more charity tosses to essentially seal EMCC’s first victory since Dec. 5.
Along with Famakinde’s game-high 27 points, EMCC freshman guard Jace O’Neal followed with 16 points off the bench. Sophomore swingman DeAndre Lewis scored all nine of his points in the second half, including a key offensive putback followed by two free throws a possession later that helped the Lions re-establish control of the contest coming down the homestretch.
Barnes paced the Eagles with 21 points, while Motley and Ray added 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the visitors.
In the women’s contest, the home-standing Lady Lions built a 27-19 halftime lead over Meridian by outscoring the visitors, 15-7, in the second quarter. The score was tied at 12-12 following the opening 10 minutes of play.
Meridian’s second-half comeback was fueled by three-time MACCC Player of the Week Terica Smith, who scored 20 of her game-high 24 points after halftime. The sophomore post player out of West Point was limited to just one made field goal and two made free throws during the opening half before breaking out with five second-half baskets and converting all 10 free throw attempts following intermission.
The Lady Eagles were able to turn the tables by outscoring the Lady Lions, 23-4, in a third quarter that was capped by Ashlynn Stephens’ buzzer-beating three-pointer. EMCC’s lone points in the quarter came on a basket by Cenaya Calhoun-Jingles and Bailey Siddell’s pair of free throws.
Despite a trio of made three-pointers by EMCC sophomore guard Dukiaha Jones in the fourth quarter, Meridian’s double-digit lead (42-31) at the quarter break reached 20 points (62-42) late in the contest on Nataysia Willis’ basket.
Jones led the Lady Lions with 16 points, including four three-point baskets, seven rebounds and three assists. Calhoun-Jingles followed with 11 points off the bench for EMCC.
Willis supplemented Smith’s 24 points with 18 points of her own. Mia Washington and Jamariyah Hilton also reached double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Meridian.
East Mississippi’s basketball teams will be back in conference action on the road Tuesday, Jan. 27, against Jones College. The 5:30/7:30 p.m. hoops doubleheader at A.B. Howard Gymnasium in Ellisville was postponed a day due to this weekend’s wintry weather forecast and the storm’s possible lingering effects on Monday.