East Mississippi Community College tips off a week-long basketball homestand by playing host to rival Meridian CC Thursday.  The EMCC-MCC hoops twinbill is slated to begin with a 5:30 p.m. women’s contest followed by a 7:30 p.m. men’s encounter at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.

    Earlier this season at MCC’s Graham Gymnasium, the East Mississippi basketball squads swept the  Eagles with convincing double-digit road triumphs in both the women’s (86-71) and men’s (94-74) games back on Nov. 11.  Most recently, EMCC’s scheduled MACJC North Division doubleheader at Northeast Mississippi was postponed from this past Monday to Saturday, Jan. 22 because of wintry weather conditions earlier this week throughout the state of Mississippi.

    Having slipped slightly to No. 22 nationally in this week’s NJCAA team rankings, head coach Mark White’s EMCC Lions are 10-2 overall following last week’s 72-69 home setback to Shelton State.  The recent three-point home loss snapped the Lions’ five-game winning streak.  Both of EMCC’s defeats this season have come to Tuscaloosa-based Shelton State CC, which annually boasts one of the top junior college basketball programs in the state of Alabama.

    Sophomore guard Deonte Alexander leads a quintet of double-figure EMCC scorers on the year with an average of 16.8 points per contest.  The Nashville product also averages 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.2 assists an outing in addition to totaling a team-high 33 made 3-pointers for the season.

    Minus sophomore guard Joe McCoy (14.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg & 2.6 apg), who is currently out of action following knee surgery, the Lions feature three other players averaging 11 points or better on the year.  Freshman playmaker D.J. Evans, a former All-Metro Jackson selection at Brandon High School, is averaging 14.3 points and a club-most 4.5 assists per contest.  Sophomore forward Jonathan King (Panama City, Panama) is presently averaging a double-double (11.3 ppg & 10.0 rpg) through the season’s first dozen games, while fellow sophomore Donovan Walker of Meridian is adding 11.7 points and 5.4 boards an outing.

    Head coach Sharon Thompson’s EMCC Lady Lions are just above the .500 mark at 6-5 on the season following last week’s 72-65 home loss to Shelton State.  The East Mississippi women have dropped three of their last four decisions after putting together a five-game winning streak during the latter part of November.

    Freshman guard Chadisty Hickman ranks 14th nationally in scoring at 20.2 points an outing in addition to averaging a team-leading 4.2 assists per game.  With two double-doubles on the year, the former Kemper County standout also tops EMCC with 16 made 3-pointers and is shooting 74 percent from the charity stripe.

    Back in the starting lineup after missing five games with a knee injury, freshman playmaker Kiara Quinones-Noa (Carolina, Puerto Rico) is next at 12.3 points per contest for the Lady Lions.  Sophomores Kierra Jones (Starkville HS) and RoTasha Windom (Kemper County HS) follow at 7.9 and 7.5 points a game, respectively.  Windom leads the way on the boards with an average of 9.5 caroms per outing.

    Meridian Community College enters Thursday’s basketball action in Scooba sporting overall records of 12-4 for the women’s team and 10-5 for the men’s club.

    The East Mississippi basketball teams will continue their current homestand with divisional doubleheaders against Mississippi Delta and Itawamba next Monday (Jan. 17) and Thursday (Jan. 20), respectively.  Tip-off times for both dates next week are set for 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Currie Coliseum..